The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is headed for a battle at Bristol Motor Speedway. Who will survive to have a chance to win the Food City 500?
Bristol Motor Speedway is known as “The Last Great Coliseum.” When NASCAR’s top division races around the short track things can get crazy fast. The limited room to pass forces drivers to take chances and make moves that can result in a chance to advance or often a crash.
The cars will push on bumpers, lean on each other on the sides and dive into the corners to beat another car to the corner to gain an advantage. This will force the pit crews to be on top of their game. The cars will need to be set to handle well and if there is minor damage they will have to fix it fast to prevent it from causing a tire issue that could result in major damage later in the race.
Let’s take a look at the track and race specific information for this weekend’s race.
Bristol Motor Speedway Data
Track Size: 0.533-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24-28 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24-28 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 4-8 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 4-8 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 650 feet
Backstretch Length: 650 feet
Food City 500 Data
Season Race #: 08 of 36 (04-15-18)
Race Length: 500 laps / 266.5 miles
Stages 1 & 2 Length: 125 laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 250 laps
Which active NASCAR Cup Series drivers have the best records at Bristol? Let’s take a look…
Top 10 Active Driver Ratings at Bristol
Erik Jones………………………….. 116.3
Kyle Busch…………………………. 100.7
Kevin Harvick……………………….. 96.4
Chase Elliott…………………………. 96.4
Kyle Larson………………………….. 95.7
Jimmie Johnson…………………….. 93.0
Denny Hamlin……………………….. 91.4
Kurt Busch…………………………… 91.1
Joey Logano…………………………. 87.5
Brad Keselowski……………………. 86.4
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2017 races (26 total) among active drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Kyle Busch won the second race at the track in 2017 (the last time the cup series raced at the track) bringing his career total of victories to six making him the top winning driver at Bristol Motor Speedway among active drivers.
Kurt Busch has proven that winning at “The Last Great Coliseum” is a family tradition with just one less win than his brother Kyle at the track with five trips to Victory Lane.
Jimmie Johnson won this race last year to score his second career win at Bristol. Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano also have a pair of wins each at the track.
Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne are the only other active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers to have won at Bristol Motor Speedway in their careers with a single win each at the track.
I’ve said it before and I will repeat it now … Drivers will have to keep their bumpers and tempers intact if they hope to be in the race at the end to have a chance to win when NASCAR goes “short trackin’.”
We will find out which drivers and teams are able to do that when the green flag waives Sunday, April 15th at 1 PM central time (2 PM eastern time) to start the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
By: Buck Stevens
