Bristol Motor Speedway is known as one of the most unpredictable tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit. While there’s no guarantee the drivers with the best stats will avoid the inevitable wrecks, and survive the beating and banging, here’s a look at who may take the checkered this weekend.
Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Miller Lite Ford
Brad Keselowski has an average finish of 12.25 in the last four races at Bristol, including a second place finish last fall. He also has two wins at the track in ten starts. Keselowski is becoming known for his short track prowess, with a win last fall in Richmond and a second place finish at Martinsville earlier this year. In addition to the win, he also has three top 5s so far in the first seven races of 2015.
Joey Logano, No. 22 AutoTrader Ford
Joey Logano has a 10.75 average finish in the last four races at Bristol, including two top 5s. He won the Bristol night race last fall, and finished third at the Martinsville, Virginia, short track earlier this season. In seven races so far in 2015, Logano hasn’t finished outside the top 10.
Jeff Gordon, No. 24 3M Chevrolet
Jeff Gordon has the best average on short tracks of any driver in the last two seasons, with an 8.8 average finish. This, however, only includes one win. Joey Logano and Carl Edwards have two wins each on short tracks during that time. Gordon has gone to victory lane five times at Bristol, tied with both Busch brothers. In the first seven races of 2015, Gordon has finished in the top 5 four times.
Other Possible Contenders
You just can’t count Kevin Harvick out this season. With two wins and an average finish of 2.67 so far this season, he’s also scored one win and nine top 5s in 28 races at Bristol. He started from the pole last fall, but finished 11th.
Two Roush drivers may be able to turn their luck around this weekend. Both Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Greg Biffle have a history of success at the Tennessee short track. Stenhouse finished second in the Spring race at Bristol last year, and sixth in the fall. He has an average finish of 10.5 after four races at the track. The No. 17 Zest Ford, however, hasn’t finished in the top 10 yet this year. Biffle also has a 10.5 average finish in the last four races at Bristol. He has 13 top 10s in 24 races. Biffle, however, has never won at the track and hasn’t scored a top 5 yet this season.
Last week, NASCAR announced that the 2015 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway would be renamed the Food City 500 In Support of Steve Byrnes and Stand Up to Cancer. Byrnes, a longtime NASCAR broadcaster, has been facing treatment for stage 4 cancer. The race will begin at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.