Bristol Preview: Contenders, Pretenders, and the Rest of the Field

Coming into this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, there are some favorites and some sleepers to look out for.


Contenders

Kurt Busch has to be the favorite coming into this weekend’s race. He dominated the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta and has won at Bristol five times in his career. Add that with a shockingly great start to 2009 for the Las Vegas native, and Busch could dominate this week like he did two weeks ago.

Jeff Gordon, the current points leader, will also have a good day. He also has five wins in his career at Bristol Motor Speedway, but hasn't won here since 2002. However, Gordon is the only driver in 2009 to finish in the top 15 in all four races so far this season, including two second-place finishes.

That means Gordon is hungry for a win, which most NASCAR fans know is not good for the rest of the competition.

Carl Edwards has won at Bristol twice in his career. However, 2009 has not gone the way Edwards and crew chief Bob Osborne have hoped.

They have led only 31 laps in four races so far, but they had a bounce-back week at Atlanta, and “Concrete Carl” just might get his first win of 2009 and his third at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Kyle Busch won the first C.O.T. race at Bristol in 2007, but that is his only victory at the track. However, he has finished in the top 10 in five of his eight races at Bristol. Busch had a week to forget at Atlanta, which burns that need for victory a little bit more.


Pretenders

David Reutimann has gotten off to a nice start in his Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota thus far in 2009. However, he has only run at Bristol twice in his Cup career and his highest finish is 20th. This nice start for David will fade as time goes on, and it begins this week at Bristol.

Brian Vickers currently sits 11th in Sprint Cup Series points. However, Bristol has probably been Vickers' worse track.

Red Bull Racing is not that good on short tracks and Vickers’ highest finish of 12th (2005) isn't very promising for this group.

Michael Waltrip's 2009 start has been a surprise to many. It will soon be forgotten as well. Waltrip has struggled to say the least at Bristol Motor Speedway. Since 1997, Waltrip has finished in the top 10 just twice at Bristol. He will struggle this week and fall out of the top 20 in points.

Jimmie Johnson's worst track in his career has to be Bristol. He has never won here and has just one top 10 in his last seven starts at the world's fastest half mile. Look for the defending three-time champion to struggle a bit.


Rebounders

Mark Martin's 2009 has been filled with bad luck. Two blown engines, a blown tire, and rain has all but put Mark and his No. 5 team out of the top 35. However, this is Mark Martin we are talking about.

Although he hasn't run Bristol in the new car, he has patience and determination this week to stay out of trouble and get a solid top 15.

David Ragan has gotten off to a little bit of a slow start. However, he started shotgun in the field at Bristol in the fall race last year and wound up getting a solid top 10 out of it. Look for him and crew chief Jimmy Fennig to have a solid run this week as well.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr's start has been nowhere near spectacular. However, he has a nice track record at Bristol. He should be able to show what he can do if he stays out of trouble.

Out of Top 35

Scott Speed fans can be nothing but disappointed by his efforts in 2009. He has been downright terrible in his four starts, and Bristol is a tough track. Open wheelers in their first start at Bristol have an average finish of 24th.

Red Bull's efforts at short tracks don't match their success on mile-and-a-half tracks, which does not play well for Speed either.

His inexperience, lack of talent, and team struggles won't help him, and he will have to qualify on speed at an even tougher track at Martinsville next week.

Paul Menard's move to Yates Racing hasn't helped his career any. Don't worry; his daddy will still sponsor him. However, Paul has had a miserable 2009 and even a top 20 run (which is all we can ask for from Menard) won't rebound him enough to get into the top 35.

Joey Logano's inexperience at Bristol could play badly for the 18-year-old. Martin, Aric Almirola, and David Gilliland are right on Logano's heels. I believe Gilliland and Almirola will finish in the top 20-25.

Logano will have to be patient and learn this tough track and stay out of the wall for 500 laps. I am not sure if he will do that. If he doesn't, he will have to qualify on speed at Martinsville.


Best of The Rest

Richard Childress Racing’s three cars finished one, two, and three here last season. They have now added a fourth car to the mix and Childress is usually best on short tracks.

Tony Stewart's 2009 has been a good one. Bristol isn't Stewart’s best track, but it isn't his worst either. Tony has defined all odds so far and a top 15 at Bristol shouldn't surprise many.

Matt Kenseth has 11 top tens in 18 starts at Bristol. His 2009 got off to a great start with two wins. The last two weeks Kenseth has struggled a bit, however he should have a great run this week.


That is the scoop at Bristol, ladies and gentlemen. Let the debating begin!