NASCAR at Bristol 2015: Race Schedule, Live Stream Info and Drivers to Watch
Three races remain on the Race to the Chase in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, with Saturday's Irwin Tools Night Race standing tall as a chance for leaderboard upheavals.
Matt Kenseth won last week in Michigan, making it two from three and securing his status as hottest driver in the Series outside of Kyle Busch. Bristol Motor Speedway presents a wealth of interesting opportunities given its history, though, where any number of past winners regardless of current form could steal the spotlight.
The season's second trip to BMS this year promises a competitive affair where the gloves come off and the aggression turns up a notch. Viewing info and drivers to watch rest below.
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Viewing Details
Where: Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee
When: Saturday, Aug. 22, at 7:30 p.m. ET
Watch: NBCSN
Live Stream: NBC Live Extra
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Sprint Cup Standings
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 866 |
| 2 | Joey Logano | 818 |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 784 |
| 4 | Martin Truex Jr. | 755 |
| 5 | Brad Keselowski | 754 |
| 6 | Jimmie Johnson | 752 |
| 7 | Matt Kenseth | 751 |
| 8 | Kurt Busch | 683 |
| 9 | Denny Hamlin | 670 |
| 10 | Jamie McMurray | 663 |
Drivers to Watch
It's been an exercise in patience for Tony Stewart this year, but through the ups and downs he enters Saturday with a chance at a season-saving win.
Stewart's recent outings don't look great. A 43rd placement at Watkins Glen and 21st in Michigan last week aren't what he had hoped for, to say the least. But Stewart is on the upswing, with four straight top-10 placements after qualifying.
Now Stewart wants to turn the superb practices into results, as Stewart-Haas Racing helps to illustrate:
Stewart has a pair of top-10 finishes his last two times out at BMS. Like Jeff Gordon, it seems just a matter of time before he heads to Victory Lane once again.
Saturday, Stewart has the recent history and strong numbers to act as an upset pick. At a track where anything can happen, the veteran has a chance to turn things around, so watch out.
Martin Truex Jr.
One man who has already turned things around?
Martin Truex Jr., has suffered through an unfortunate series of bad luck after starting as one of the Series' hottest drivers and its biggest surprise due to his partnering with Furniture Row Racing.
Truex shook off the bad luck last week in Michigan, turning a starting slot of 22nd into a third-place finish. Now he enters BMS, the location of one of his few struggles earlier this season with a 29th-place finish.
It's all about execution for Truex, if not a little bit of good luck. He spoke with Jay Pennell of FoxSports.com on the topic:
"You look at last week, we had the best car at Watkins Glen and should've won the race. We're sitting there riding around because we knew the guys in front of us were going to run out (of fuel), and we get a flat tire. Pocono, same thing, we had the fastest car at the end of the race. We've had great race cars, we just need to execute a little better.
"
So far, Truex isn't without his troubles after wrecking his main car and needing to go to the backup in practice. It's a manageable hurdle, but it speaks to the issues continuing to plague the team.
Should Truex's luck turn for the better, everybody knows the skill is there. He's without doubt one of the most interesting names to watch this weekend.
Kyle Busch
By now, everyone knows the story of Busch's journey through injury to hottest commodity on any track, stealing wins at all three levels.
What folks might not know? Busch touts five wins at BMS, tied with Gordon and his older brother (Kurt) for the most by anyone. He's downright elite at the track, and paired with his terrorizing form this year, it makes him the favorite.
He detailed a particular change about the track that helped serve as a turning point, per Pete Pistone of Motor Racing Network:
"I’m not exactly sure what makes me so good at Bristol. I’ve just had a lot of success there, but I’ve also had some misfortune there, too. Ever since I got through my rookie year, I’ve just taken a liking to the place. But, when they changed the track to this current surface in 2007, I just really took to it even more.
"
Busch had three wins in a row, but he has since relaxed a little down the stretch to ensure he makes the Chase. He's in a great spot now, so how he approaches one of his favorite tracks and events will prove quite interesting.
A sixth win at BMS and another climb up the leaderboard aren't out of the question, so watch for Busch to leave it all out there Saturday.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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