NASCAR at Bristol 2015: Complete Preview and Prediction for the Food City 500
One week removed from Jimmie Johnson's second win of the season, the Sprint Cup Series heads back to the short track. Martinsville was fun earlier this year, but Bristol presents an entirely different challenge for the best NASCAR drivers.
Thunder Valley has some of the gnarliest banking for a short track around every turn. That makes navigating the track without error one of the most arduous tasks in the sport. Whoever masters the course on Sunday will not only come away with a victory, but also a Chase berth.
Of course, some drivers aren't in need of a victory to clinch that spot. Joey Logano, who won the last race in Bristol, is one of those contenders with a Daytona 500 win already.
However, several other past visitors to Victory Lane at the Tennessee track are in need of a win. Those include Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards—who took the checkered flag last spring. Though all three have been moving up in the standings recently, earning a win would relieve any pressure.
Leading up to the World's Fastest Half-Mile, let's take a look at everything NASCAR fans need to know about Sunday's race.
By the Numbers: Bristol Motor Speedway
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Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes and Stand Up to Cancer
Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
Date: Sunday, April 19
Time: 1 p.m. (ET)
TV: Fox
Radio: Performance Racing Network, Sirius XM Ch. 90
Distance: 500 laps, 226.5 miles
Defending race winner: Joey Logano
Youngest Bristol winner: Kyle Busch (March 25, 2007—21 years, 10 months, 23 days)
Oldest Bristol winner: Dale Earnhardt (August 28, 1999—48 years, 3 months, 30 days)
Defending pole winner: Kevin Harvick (131.362 mph, Aug. 22, 2014)
Youngest Bristol pole winner: Joey Logano (March 29, 2010—19 years, 9 months, 23 days)
Oldest Bristol pole winner: Harry Gant (Aug. 26, 1994—54 years, 7 months, 15 days)
Track notes
- 42 different drivers have won at the short track, but only 17 have multiple victories.
- Race record: Charlie Glotzbach (101.074 mph, July 11, 1971)
- Qualifying record: Kevin Harvick (131.362 mph, Aug. 22, 2014)
- Joey Logano and Harry Gant hold the all-time records for youngest and oldest pole winners ever at any track respectively. Both were recorded at Bristol.
- Darrell Waltrip holds the record for the most wins with 12.
- Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch are tied for the most wins among active drivers at five.
- Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty have the most top-five finishes (26) at Bristol.
- Richard Petty has the most top-10 finishes (37) at Bristol.
Statistics courtesy NASCAR weekly event-update book.
Key Storylines (Food City 500)
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Will a Busch Brother Return to Victory Lane in Bristol?
Over their careers, Kyle and Kurt Busch have been historically great at Bristol. However, neither has won at the track over the last three seasons since Kyle drove to Victory Lane in 2011.
This year, only Kurt will be on the track with Kyle still out due to a broken leg. Already thriving since his own return just four races ago, Kurt might have the speed again to collect a sixth checkered flag at Bristol.
Can Joe Gibbs Racing Continue Short-Track Surge?
Joe Gibbs Racing might only have one win this season, but that can all change on Sunday. The team got its lone victory from Denny Hamlin at Martinsville, one of the only other short tracks that holds Sprint Cup events.
Carl Edwards, now a JGR driver, won the Food City 500 last year with Roush Fenway Racing. After slowly moving his way up into the Chase Grid in recent weeks, a win at Bristol would give him his fourth at the track and a crucial berth to NASCAR's postseason.
Will Hendrick's Dominance Translate to Bristol?
Three drivers from Hendrick are in the top seven of the points standings with Jeff Gordon trending upward at 13th. All four drivers made the Chase last year, so it shouldn't come as any surprise that they are all in contention again.
What all four accomplished in Texas was simply special. Every Hendrick driver finished in the top eight with Dale Earnhardt Jr. collecting a third-place result behind Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson—who are both powered by Hendrick engines.
All four current Hendrick drivers have wins at Bristol, but will one of them finish with a victory lap on Sunday?
How Will Rivalries with Harvick Impact the Race?
Being at the top typically means controversy will swirl around a driver. In Harvick's case, he's had some pretty heated post-race altercations and shared several verbal jabs with fellow drivers in the last year.
Recently, Harvick and Joey Logano have had spats on and off the track, most notably at Daytona and Texas. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has also recently called out Johnson, per Jason O. Boyd of Sporting News. Needless to say, Bristol should be interesting for the SHR driver if he gets near either.
Drivers to Watch
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Martin Truex Jr.
If this is beginning to seem like a theme, it's because it's well-deserved for Martin Truex Jr. The Furniture Row Racing driver still sits at third place in the traditional points standings and has a top-10 finish in every race this season.
Though he hasn't collected a similar finish at Bristol since 2012, he's seemed unflappable thus far in 2015. After collecting a sixth-place result at Martinsville after five straight finishes of 15th or worse, expect a turnaround at Bristol for Truex as well.
Jamie McMurray
Much like 2014, Jamie McMurray has quietly put together a solid season. Just outside of the top 10 in points, he's fully recovered from one DNF earlier in the year. Last August, McMurray collected an eighth-place result. Look for him to repeat that success again on Sunday.
Denny Hamlin
The Bristol roller coaster has been a bumpy one for Denny Hamlin, but he's had good times at the course in the past. With a win in 2012, Hamlin knows he can finish in Victory Lane for a second time this year at a short track.
With JGR looking to bring another checkered flag back to the shop, Hamlin gives it a great chance to do so. He has a chance to collect another top five but could just as easily not even finish inside the top 20. That's just the way things go for Hamlin in Bristol.
Greg Biffle
No, this has not been Roush Fenway Racing's year. But if things are going to turn around for Greg Biffle, it's going to start in Bristol.
In 24 starts at the World's Fastest Half-Mile, Biffle has collected a top 10 in over half (13). RFR might not be putting together the season it expected, but Biffle still has a shot to change his fortunes in Tennessee.
Kasey Kahne
He likely won't be viewed as a favorite at the track, but Kasey Kahne can still contend at Bristol. Prior to finishing 35th in August at Bristol due to issues with his car, Kahne rattled off four straight strong results, including a win in 2013 in the spring race.
Often the forgotten driver on his star-studded Hendrick team, Kahne can make a statement by staying ahead of all three with a good showing. At a track where he's fared well in recent years, the No. 5 driver will be one to watch.
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Favorites
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Joey Logano
Already a winner this year, Joey Logano has the speed to drive to Victory Lane at nearly any track. Hoping to join Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson with multiple victories this season, Logano will try to repeat at Bristol after taking the August race last year.
Matt Kenseth
Over the last two years, no driver has a better driver rating at Bristol (117.7) than Matt Kenseth. During that same span, Kenseth has a win, two top fives and the most laps led with an astounding 461. Looking to finally get a win after over a season of waiting, Kenseth might finally earn that elusive victory.
Brad Keselowski
Just like his Team Penske teammate, Brad Keselowski already knows he'll be in the Chase. However, his two wins over just 10 races at Bristol prove he is always a contender at Thunder Valley. After coming up just short in the night race last season, Sunday looks like a promising opportunity for Kes.
Carl Edwards
His struggles with RFR thus far have been well-chronicled, collecting just one top 10 through his first seven starts. But when Edwards heads to Bristol, he gets to finally return to a track where he won last season. Edwards has a great chance to join Hamlin as the only drivers from JGR to already make the Chase.
Kurt Busch
Since his return from suspension to start the season, Kurt Busch has some of the most speed on every track. With five wins at Bristol, Busch will continue his ascent into the Chase discussion with another strong result.
Dark-Horse Pick: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
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Am I aware that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has done very little to prove himself at the Sprint Cup level? Yes. Have I paid attention to the fact the Roush Fenway has been atrocious this season? Well, yeah.
But here's the thing: Stenhouse has progressively gotten better at Bristol.
No, he doesn't have a win to show for it, but the No. 17 driver seemed to figure things out last year. Not only did he collect two top-10 finishes at the track in 2014, but Stenhouse nearly drove to his first win with a second-place result last spring.
He won't pull off the checkered flag this Sunday, but the RFR driver will prove to be competitive. That's not something NASCAR fans are used to this season, so it will be a welcome sight for followers of the team.
And the Winner Is: Carl Edwards
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Carl Edwards is finally looking comfortable in his skin with Gibbs. That's a terrifying sight for the rest of the field.
Following a bumpy start to the season with two finishes of 20th or worse, Edwards got back on track during the first week back. His 10th-place result was his first with JGR, and Sunday will bring his first victory.
Finally settling in with crew chief Darian Grubb, this weekend should be the start of something fun for Edwards and his team. Just the latest driver to switch teams over the last several seasons, Edwards will finally see the fruits of his labor like Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick before him.
Oh, there will be a backflip. And Edwards' season will finally turn around with a memorable triumph at Bristol.
Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter.
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