The NASCAR Sprint Cup makes its next stop at Bristol Motor Speedway’s half-mile coliseum for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol. We looked at past performances, season trends, and spoke to team contacts to give the internet’s best prediction of how the field should finish.
When: Saturday, August 20; 8:13 p.m./et.
Weather: Scattered T-Storms with a high around 84; wind out of the SW at 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
The Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway is a half-mile oval with high-banking the entire way around. The corners are banked 36 degrees with 16 degree banking on the straight-aways. This is a track where very few drivers have been able to dominate throughout their careers. Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Kurt Busch have all had decent success at the track, but that status can change with one nudge to the left-rear bumper.
Key to Race: DON’T BRING YOUR BEST CAR
The Bullring inBristolhas been described a flying an airplane in a gymnasium. There will be no cars that escape Saturday’s night race without at least a little sheet metal damage. This race is one of the most entertaining races on the circuit for fans and most frustrating for drivers. Expect tempers to flare as the cars bump-and-bang. The driver that wins the race will be the one with the best set of pit stops and the most luck.
Qualifying:
40 cars will attempt to qualify for 40 spots.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet:
Top 5
No. 19 Carl Edwards: Edwards started from the pole and dominated Bristol earlier this year. He is our top pick.
No. 18 Kyle Busch: Bristol is one of Kyle’s better tracks. He is a five-time winner in the Tennessee hills and is worth using in all leagues.
No. 22 Joey Logano: Logano won the past two night races at Bristol. He should finish inside the top five this visit.
No. 41 Kurt Busch: Busch has won five races at Bristol during his career. He could re-earn his King of Bristol nickname this weekend.
No. 20 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth won the spring race at Bristol last year and has four wins at the track. He is a great option.
6 to 10
No. 2 Brad Keselowski: Keselowski has won two of the past nine races at Bristol. There is no reason to think he can’t win again.
No. 4 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has 14 top 10 finishes in 31 career races at Bristol. We aren’t going to bet against him.
No. 24 Chase Elliott: Elliott was awesome in his first Cup run at Bristol. He is a must use in all leagues.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has had one of the fastest cars in the past 15 Bristol races. He is a good option once again.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won the 2012 Night Race at Bristol and has led nearly 640 laps in the past 19 races at the track. He should have the No. 11 inside the top 10 at the end of the night.
11 to 20
No. 88 Jeff Gordon: Gordon remains behind the yoke of the No. 88 ride. He should finish inside the top 15 once the dust settles.
No. 31 Ryan Newman: Newman ran fast at Bristol the past three races. He should finish inside the top 15.
No. 14 Tony Stewart: Smoke has two top 10 finishes in the past eight Bristol starts. He has been driving very well lately and should be fast once again.
No. 5 Kasey Kahne: Kahne won at Bristol in 2013. He is a decent choice this weekend.
No. 78 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex struggled at Bristol last year and notched a 14th place finish this spring. We recommend saving him for another track.
No. 3 Austin Dillon: Dillon was great at Bristol last year, but struggled a bit this spring. He is an interesting option to round-out your roster.
No. 1 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has been great at Bristol the past two seasons. He will likely bring a similar setup this weekend and has value as a third driver.
No. 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Stenhouse was fantastic in four of the past five races at Bristol. He is worth using in most leagues.
No. 27 Paul Menard: Menard has cracked the top 25 in 16 of the last 18 Bristol races. He is a great under-the-radar pick.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle has 13 top 10 finishes in 27 career starts at Bristol. He is an okay fantasy option.
21 to 30:
No. 42 Kyle Larson
No. 6 Trevor Bayne
No. 15 Clint Bowyer
No. 21 Ryan Blaney
No. 47 AJ Allmendinger
No. 43 Aric Almirola
No. 83 Matt DiBenedetto
No. 34 Chris Buescher
No. 38 Landon Cassill
No. 10 Danica Patrick
Field Fillers:
No. 13 Casey Mears
No. 7 Regan Smith
No. 95 Michael McDowell
No. 98 Cole Whitt
No. 44 Brian Scott
No. 32 Jeffrey Earnhardt
No. 30 Josh Wise
No. 23 David Ragan
No. 46 Michael Annett
No. 55 Reed Sorenson
My NASCAR LIVE Team for this Week:
A.J. Allmendinger
Race Winner: Carl Edwards
Manufacturer: Toyota
My Yahoo! Fantasy NASCAR Team for this Week:
A. Kyle Busch
B. Carl Edwards
B. Tony Stewart
C. Jeff Gordon
