Bristol. Anything goes.
Bristol and Martinsville, more than any other tracks, luck plays more a part of the race than being good. The yellow flag will see its fair share of airtime. Few cars will escape without damage. Tempers will be hotter than the midday July sun in south Alabama. Expect the unexpected.
Yet, you can still count on several teams having good runs. They have learned over the years how to turn luck to their side and make the most of their experience and skill. So, with that, let’s look at just who those teams are.
1. Carl Edwards. Were it not for a blown motor, Carl would be celebrating a streak of three in a row. Roush seems to have figured out the new car. In fact, it was a Bristol last fall that Carl gave Roush Racing its first win in the new car. So, until Carl has a bad week, expect to see him toward the top of this list.
2. Kyle Busch. Kyle is on a hot streak of his own. Last week’s win only capped a month of dominance. Gibbs obviously has both the new car and the Toyota, a new car to them, figured out. They are definitely not lacking in power and they have always run well at handling tracks. Kyle is a good bet to win his second in a row, especially at a track where he became the first driver to win in the new car just last year.
3. Kurt Busch. Kurt is the other Busch with a very valid chance to visit Victory Lane. Kurt runs well here, has won here, and likes the track. Look for him to factor well here.
4. Kevin Harvick. Kevin also runs well here. It is a place where you can’t be afraid to muscle your way past people, and that has never been a problem for him. After a good run last week, RCR seems to be gaining ground. Horse power doesn’t usually factor at Bristol, so any lack RCR has in that area won’t factor this week.
5. Jeff Gordon. Jeff is hungry and has run well in the past at Bristol. If he can stay out of trouble, he should finish toward the front.
6. Kasey Kahne. Kasey has run well this season and was the other dominate car last fall at Bristol. Another good run here should be expected.
7. Tony Stewart. Here’s another driver not afraid to muscle his way to the front, so he’ll have a good weekend.
8. Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie is looking to get a monkey off his back. A clean racer, Bristol could be just the place to do that. Needing to put doubters aside, they need a good run.
9. Jeff Burton. Jeff is a patient driver, able to let a race like Bristol come to him. He runs well and is a survivor. He’ll have a good run.
10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Junior is driving the car that won last spring, so he should be considered a contender. The only thing he has going against him is his dry spell from Victory Lane. That desperation could lead him to take chances and Bristol is not a place where desperation helps. He’ll have better luck when they get to Texas in a few weeks.
Rain could again play into the weekend, so if it does, all bets are off. A green Bristol track will lead to a lot of torn up race cars and even more cautions. It would then be more like an episode of Survivor than a NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
Cinch up those belts and let’s go racing. JR
