This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns after an off-weekend to race on the first short track of the season in Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, Motor Racing Network brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 500-lap event.
Who's HOT at Bristol
• Kyle Busch has three wins and has led 900 laps with the COT.
• Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch each are five-time winners.
• Mark Martin posted an overall average finish of 4.0 in both races last season.
• Marcos Ambrose finished in the top 10 in his first two starts.
• Clint Bowyer and Dale Earnhardt Jr. each have finishing averages of 10.0 or better with the COT.
• Denny Hamlin was the only other driver besides Busch to finish in the top five in both races in 2009.
• Jimmie Johnson combined to lead 195 en route to two top 10s last season.
• Carl Edwards has two wins and a 10.2 average finish with the COT.
Keep an Eye on at Bristol
• Bristol is Kevin Harvick's best track on the circuit with 10 or more starts based on average finish of 12.3.
• Tony Stewart has led 524 laps with the COT at Bristol.
• Ryan Newman is driving the same car that earned top-10 finishes in four events on concrete in 2009.
• Two-time Bristol winner Matt Kenseth has the third-best average running position in the last 10 races there.
• Greg Biffle has a top five driver rating over the past 10 races.
• Jeff Burton has recorded one win and six top 10s with Richard Childress Racing at Bristol.
• Kasey Kahne scored his fourth Bristol top five in this event last year.
COT Performers Kyle Busch leads all drivers in just about every stat with the new car at Bristol Motor Speedway. His finishing average (5.2) tops all drivers that have competed in all six races with the car. Busch has led 900 laps with the COT with his closest competitor Tony Stewart second with 524. Mark Martin (2 races), Marcos Ambrose (2 races), Clint Bowyer and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are the only drivers with average finishes of 10.0 or better with the COT. Last year, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson posted average finishes of 3.5 and 5.5, respectively. COT Stats
* - The best average finish is based off a driver who has competed in every race during that time span.
Bristol Loop Data Stat Leaders (2005-2009)
*Fastest Early in a Run
*Fastest Late in a Run
Avg. Running Position
1. Denny Hamlin
1. Denny Hamlin
1. Marcos Ambrose - 7.5
2. Kyle Busch
2. Tony Stewart
2. Jeff Gordon - 9.3
3. Greg Biffle
3. Marcos Ambrose
3. Matt Kenseth - 11.2
4. Jeff Gordon
4. Kyle Busch
4. Greg Biffle - 11.6
5. Marcos Ambrose
5. Mark Martin
5. Kyle Busch - 12.6
Laps in Top 15
*Quality Passes
*Driver Rating
1. Jeff Gordon - 4076
1. Ryan Newman - 206
1. Marcos Ambrose - 108.2
2. Matt Kenseth - 4020
2. Greg Biffle - 205
2. Kyle Busch - 105.6
3. Greg Biffle - 3956
3. Kyle Busch - 202
3. Jeff Gordon - 100.1
4. Kyle Busch - 3394
4. Jeff Gordon - 194
4. Greg Biffle - 99.3
5. Kevin Harvick - 3317
5. Matt Kenseth - 190
5. Denny Hamlin - 98.9
*Fastest Early In a Run: Ranks each driver during the first 25 percent of laps run since a pit stop. *Fastest Late In a Run: Ranks each driver during last 25 percent of laps run since a pit stop. *Quality Passes: Passing a car running in the Top 15 while under a green flag. *Driver Rating: Formula combining the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race.
For a complete look at all the loop data statistics for Bristol Motor Speedway Click Here to view Motor Racing Network's pre-race eBook.
Season Loop Data Leaders
*Fastest Early in a Run
*Fastest Late in a Run
Avg. Running Position
1. Jimmie Johnson
1. Kasey Kahne
1. Jimmie Johnson - 8.3
2. Kyle Busch
2. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Busch - 10.7
3. Jeff Gordon
3. Kurt Busch
2. Greg Biffle - 10.7
4. Matt Kenseth
4. Kevin Harvick
4. Jeff Gordon - 11.1
5. Kasey Kahne
5. Juan Pablo Montoya
5. Kevin Harvick - 11.3
Laps in Top 15
*Quality Passes
*Driver Rating
1. Jimmie Johnson - 897
1. Kyle Busch - 426
1. Jimmie Johnson - 110.7
2. Greg Biffle - 850
1. Martin Truex Jr. - 426
2. Jeff Gordon - 104.1
3. Clint Bowyer - 799
3. Clint Bowyer - 417
3. Kevin Harvick - 104.0
4. Kyle Busch - 787
4. Jamie McMurray - 409
4. Kurt Busch - 100.0
5. Kurt Busch - 782
5. Greg Biffle - 403
5. Greg Biffle - 99.9
*Fastest Early In a Run: Ranks each driver during the first 25 percent of laps run since a pit stop. *Fastest Late In a Run: Ranks each driver during last 25 percent of laps run since a pit stop. *Quality Passes: Passing a car running in the Top 15 while under a green flag. *Driver Rating: Formula combining the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race.
MotorRacingNetwork.com Staff Picks Jeff Wackerlin: Denny Hamlin Pete Pistone: Kyle Busch Rachael West: Kyle Busch
Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings
(All stats/notes are in regards to Bristol Motor Speedway unless noted)
1. Kevin Harvick: Best track on the circuit with 10 or more starts based on average finish of 12.3; Winner of the 2005 spring race; Finished 30th and 38th, respectively in 2009; 15.7 average finish in six starts with the new car; Will race the same car (chassis No. 281) that finished second at Atlanta last September.
2. Matt Kenseth: Winner of the 2005 and 2006 summer races; Coming off 12th top 10 in 20 starts; 18.7 average finish in six starts with the new car.
3. Greg Biffle: Coming off fifth top five in 14 starts; Qualified fourth and finished 39th in this event last year after the engine expired; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 608) that finished 10th at Las Vegas last month.
4. Jimmie Johnson: Has finished in the top 10 and led 195 laps in last two starts; Equaled best finish (third) in this event last year; 16.5 average finish in six starts with the new car; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 480) that finished eighth last summer at Bristol.
5. Clint Bowyer: Second-best average finish (9.2) among all drivers that have competed in all six races with the new car; Best finish is third, where he has finished twice (August 2007 and March 2008); Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 268) that finished 10th at Dover last June and third at Pocono last August.
6. Jeff Burton: Winner of the 2008 spring race; Has recorded six top 10s with Richard Childress Racing; Finished eighth in this event last year; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 293) that finished 11th at Las Vegas last month.
7. Mark Martin: Won both poles and posted an average finish of 4.0 in first two starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Previous 21 top 10s came with Roush Racing; Last of two victories came in 1998.
8. Tony Stewart: Winner of the 2001 summer race; Posted a 25.0 average finish in first two starts with Stewart-Haas; 18.5 average finish in six starts with the new car; Scored seven top 10s in 20 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 530) that posted three top 10s in 2009, most recently Martinsville in the fall.
9. Paul Menard: 24.2 average finish in five starts; Best finish (16th) came in the 2008 night race; Will be behind the wheel of a car (chassis No. 556) that raced on many occasions in 2009, but has been rebuilt for this season.
10. Kurt Busch: Five-time winner; Has posted one win and three top 10s in eight starts with Penske Racing; Four other wins came with Roush Racing; 13.3 average finish in six starts with the new car; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 709) in the Food City 500.
11. Jeff Gordon: Five-time winner; 10.8 average finish in six starts with the new car; Finished in the top five in two of his last three starts; Leads all drivers with 2,438 laps led.
12. Scott Speed: 21.5 average finish in two starts; Coming off best finish in 15th after starting third.
13. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 11.5 average finish in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Scored one win and nine top 10s with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in previous 16 starts; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 556) that recently finished 16th at Las Vegas in February.
14. Joey Logano: 36.0 average finish in two starts; Finished 38th in this event last year after the engine expired; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 231) that finished 34th in the 2009 Bristol night race.
15. Kyle Busch: Swept both races in 2009; Has combined to lead 861 laps in last three races; Won the 2007 spring race with Hendrick Motorsports; Will make fifth track start with Joe Gibbs Racing in the same car (chassis No. 254) that most recently finished eighth at Homestead.
16. Brian Vickers: Has yet to post a top-10 finish in 11 starts; Posted an average finish of 23.0 in five starts with Team Red Bull; Equaled best finish last summer in 12th.
17. Kasey Kahne: Recorded fourth top five in this event last year; Led 305 laps en route to a runner-up finish in this event in 2007; 16.8 average finish in six starts with the new car.
18. David Reutimann: 18.5 average finish in four starts; Best finish came in this event last year in 12th.
19. Jamie McMurray: Will make first track start in a Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet; 23.0 average finish in the new car with Roush Fenway; Scored three consecutive top 10s with Ganassi early in his career; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 031) that finished 19th at New Hampshire last season with driver Martin Truex Jr.
20. Carl Edwards: Winner of the 2007 and 2008 summer races; Finished 15th in this event last year; Fourth-best average finish (10.2) among drivers that have competed in all six races with the new car; Has led 266 laps with the new car; Will race the same car (chassis No. 596) that finished 16th at Bristol last fall.
21. Juan Pablo Montoya: One top-10 finish in six starts came in this event last year; Average finish is 19.5; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 903) that finished in the top 10 at Michigan in June and Chicagoland in July in 2009.
22. Denny Hamlin: Came from the back of the field and a lap down to finish fifth last summer; Has finished in the top 15 in each of his eight starts; Top-five finishes in last three races, with a best finish of second last spring; Has led 282 laps in three races; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 259) in the Food City 500.
23. AJ Allmendinger: Best 16th-place finish last year in this race; 32.4 average finish in five starts; Piloting chassis No. 288, which was last run as the No. 44 last September to a seventh-place finish at Dover.
24. Martin Truex Jr: Yet to score a top-10 finish in eight starts; Best finish of 11th came in August of 2007; Average finish is 25.0; Tied with Kyle Busch for passing the most cars (426) under green while running in the top 15; Site of first career NASCAR Nationwide race in 2004.
25. Elliott Sadler: Scored his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in this race in 2001 while driving a Ford; Three top fives and four top 10s with an average finish of 22.9 in 23 starts; Last top-10 finish was in this race in 2005; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 278) in the Food City 500.
26. Regan Smith: Average finish of 23.0 in four starts; Best finish of 14th came in summer event of 2008.
27. David Ragan: Best finish in six starts was 10th in fall of 2008, which is his only top 10; Won the 2009 summer NASCAR Nationwide Series race; Will be behind the wheel of the same car (chassis RK-670) that last raced to 18th-place finish at Homestead-Miami in 2009.
28. Marcos Ambrose: Two top-10 finishes in both career starts; Finished third last summer; Has best average finish (6.5) of all active drivers.
29. Ryan Newman: One top-five finish in 16 starts came in second 2004 race; Finished seventh and sixth in two track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009; Nine total top-10 finishes; Holds the current qualifying record of 128.709 mph from this race in 2003; Piloting the same car (chassis No. 516) that earned top-10 finishes in four events on concrete in 2009.
30. Bobby Labonte: Making 35th career track start; Three top fives and 10 top-10s with an average finish of 19.9; Last top 10 was an eighth-place result in summer of 2007 with Petty Enterprises; Will debut a new chassis (No. 248) in the Food City 500.
