Irwin Tools Night Race
Bristol Motor Speedway
By Richard Tix
NASCAR leaves Michigan International Speedway with the same winner that won the earlier Bristol race, Matt Kenseth. The MIS win was his third of the 2015 season and is part of an impressive Joe Gibbs Racing hot streak.
The Kenseth win was not only big for him, but also guys like McMurray, Gordon, and Newman. Why is that? Well, because Kenseth was another repeat winner this season so their Chase chances are looking even better and better each race.
Bristol will send NASCAR back to short track action which lest drivers mix it up a bit. It is not Bristol of the old days, but drivers can still bump more here than any 1.5 mile track. That could lead to some quick tempers and some unexpected drivers having rough finishes. So, will guys still looking to make the Chase stay clear of trouble on Saturday? Or will Bristol leave a black eye that they try and clear up before the Chase starts?
The Kenseth win was not only big for him, but also guys like McMurray, Gordon, and Newman. Why is that? Well, because Kenseth was another repeat winner this season so their Chase chances are looking even better and better each race.
Bristol will send NASCAR back to short track action which lest drivers mix it up a bit. It is not Bristol of the old days, but drivers can still bump more here than any 1.5 mile track. That could lead to some quick tempers and some unexpected drivers having rough finishes. So, will guys still looking to make the Chase stay clear of trouble on Saturday? Or will Bristol leave a black eye that they try and clear up before the Chase starts?
The Good
- Matt Kenseth- The 2015 Food City 500 winner, Kenseth is coming off a win at Michigan as well. He has four career Bristol wins including two in his last four starts. He has also lead at least 25 or more laps in the last eight Bristol races, so he will be up front on Saturday.
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr- Who is the current driver with the best average finish at Bristol? If you guessed Ricky you guessed right. Sure it is only in 5 starts, but he has a run of three straight top 10's going on right now. Its hard to trust him, but he could finish well again.
- Jeff Gordon- Gordon's results here lately have been a bit up and down, but he still has five career wins at Bristol and finished 3rd earlier this year. He has 5 top 10's (3 top 5's) in his last eight Bristol starts.
The Middle
- Greg Biffle- 25 career Bristol starts and zero wins. But, that doesn't say it all for his Bristol success. He still has 13 top tens and an average finish of 12.6 over those 25 races. His 30th place finish earlier this year was his third worst Bristol finish in his career, but he normally falls in the 8-13 range.
The Bad
- Sam Hornish Jr- Only 8 starts at Bristol for Hornish, but only has one top 20 and two top 25's in that time. Five of those eight have been outside the top 30 which is a problem.
- Casey Mears- In 25 career starts Mears has only one top 10. The bigger issue is his 28.1 average finish here.
- Martin Truex Jr- In his last four starts Truex's average finish is 30th. Over his career, 19 races, his average finish is not much better at 20.7. He has found new life this season, but in the past he hasn't got around Bristol that great.
About the Track: Bristol
Track Stats
- Cup has run 109 total races at Bristol since 1961
- Richard Petty ran the most career races at Bristol: 60.
- Darrell Waltrip has the most career Bristol wins: 12. Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt, and Cale Yarborough follow with 9 each.
- Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip are tied for the most career top 5's with 26.
- Richard Petty has the most career top 10's with 37.
- Mark Martin and Cale Yarborough are tied for the most career Poles with 9.
- Of current drivers. Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, and Kurt Busch have the most wins with 5.
- Of Current drivers Jeff Gordon has the most top 5's (17), top 10's (25), and Poles (5)
Track Info
- Surface: Concrete
- Length: .533 miles
- Banking
- Turns: 26-30 degrees
- Straights: 6-10 degrees
Bristol
Motor Speedway
|
|||||
Race
|
Date
|
Cars
|
Winner(s)
|
St
|
Make / Model
|
1961-36
|
7/30/1961
|
42
|
Jack Smith
|
12
|
'61 Pontiac
|
1961-50
|
10/22/1961
|
38
|
Joe Weatherly
|
2
|
'61 Pontiac
|
1962-17
|
4/29/1962
|
36
|
Bobby Johns
|
6
|
'62 Pontiac
|
1962-36
|
7/29/1962
|
44
|
Jim Paschal
|
12
|
'62 Plymouth
|
1963-13
|
3/31/1963
|
35
|
Fireball Roberts
|
3
|
'63 Ford
|
1963-37
|
7/28/1963
|
36
|
Fred Lorenzen
|
1
|
'63 Ford
|
1964-10
|
3/22/1964
|
36
|
Fred Lorenzen
|
2
|
'64 Ford
|
1964-42
|
7/26/1964
|
36
|
Fred Lorenzen
|
8
|
'64 Ford
|
1965-14
|
5/2/1965
|
33
|
Junior Johnson
|
3
|
'65 Ford
|
1965-34
|
7/25/1965
|
36
|
Ned Jarrett
|
6
|
'65 Ford
|
1966-07
|
3/20/1966
|
32
|
Dick Hutcherson
|
6
|
'66 Ford
|
1966-34
|
7/24/1966
|
36
|
Paul Goldsmith
|
4
|
'66 Plymouth
|
1967-07
|
3/19/1967
|
36
|
David Pearson
|
14
|
'67 Dodge
|
1967-33
|
7/23/1967
|
36
|
Richard Petty
|
1
|
'67 Plymouth
|
1968-05
|
3/17/1968
|
36
|
David Pearson
|
2
|
'68 Ford
|
1968-30
|
7/21/1968
|
36
|
David Pearson
|
6
|
'68 Ford
|
1969-09
|
3/23/1969
|
30
|
Bobby Allison
|
4
|
'69 Dodge
|
1969-33
|
7/20/1969
|
32
|
David Pearson
|
3
|
'69 Ford
|
1970-09
|
4/5/1970
|
30
|
Donnie Allison
|
2
|
'70 Ford
|
1970-28
|
7/19/1970
|
30
|
Bobby Allison
|
10
|
'69 Dodge
|
1971-09
|
3/28/1971
|
30
|
David Pearson
|
1
|
'71 Ford
|
1971-28
|
7/11/1971
|
30
|
Charlie Glotzbach
|
2
|
'71 Chevrolet
|
1972-07
|
4/9/1972
|
30
|
Bobby Allison
|
1
|
'72 Chevrolet
|
1972-18
|
7/9/1972
|
30
|
Bobby Allison
|
1
|
'72 Chevrolet
|
1973-05
|
3/25/1973
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
1
|
'73 Chevrolet
|
1973-18
|
7/8/1973
|
30
|
Benny Parsons
|
2
|
'73 Chevrolet
|
1974-05
|
3/17/1974
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
3
|
'74 Chevrolet
|
1974-17
|
7/14/1974
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
3
|
'74 Chevrolet
|
1975-05
|
3/16/1975
|
23
|
Richard Petty
|
2
|
'74 Dodge
|
1975-28
|
11/2/1975
|
30
|
Richard Petty
|
4
|
'74 Dodge
|
1976-05
|
3/14/1976
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
3
|
Chevrolet
|
1976-21
|
8/29/1976
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
1977-08
|
4/17/1977
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
1
|
Chevrolet
|
1977-21
|
8/28/1977
|
29
|
Cale Yarborough
|
1
|
Chevrolet
|
1978-06
|
4/2/1978
|
29
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
7
|
Chevrolet
|
1978-21
|
8/26/1978
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
4
|
Oldsmobile
|
1979-07
|
4/1/1979
|
30
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
9
|
Chevrolet
|
1979-22
|
8/25/1979
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
5
|
Chevrolet
|
1980-06
|
3/30/1980
|
32
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
4
|
Chevrolet
|
1980-22
|
8/23/1980
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
1
|
Chevrolet
|
1981-06
|
3/29/1981
|
31
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
1
|
Buick
|
1981-22
|
8/22/1981
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
1
|
Buick
|
1982-03
|
3/14/1982
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
1
|
Buick
|
1982-21
|
8/28/1982
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
8
|
Buick
|
1983-11
|
5/21/1983
|
28
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
13
|
Chevrolet
|
1983-21
|
8/27/1983
|
29
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
1984-05
|
4/1/1984
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
3
|
Chevrolet
|
1984-21
|
8/25/1984
|
30
|
Terry Labonte
|
6
|
Chevrolet
|
1985-05
|
4/6/1985
|
30
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
12
|
Chevrolet
|
1985-19
|
8/24/1985
|
31
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
1
|
Chevrolet
|
1986-05
|
4/6/1986
|
32
|
Rusty Wallace
|
14
|
Pontiac
|
1986-20
|
8/23/1986
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
10
|
Chevrolet
|
1987-07
|
4/12/1987
|
30
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
3
|
Chevrolet
|
1987-20
|
8/22/1987
|
30
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
6
|
Chevrolet
|
1988-06
|
4/10/1988
|
32
|
Bill Elliott
|
13
|
Ford
|
1988-20
|
8/27/1988
|
32
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
5
|
Chevrolet
|
1989-06
|
4/9/1989
|
32
|
Rusty Wallace
|
8
|
Pontiac
|
1989-20
|
8/26/1989
|
32
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
9
|
Chevrolet
|
1990-06
|
4/8/1990
|
32
|
Davey Allison
|
19
|
Ford
|
1990-20
|
8/25/1990
|
32
|
Ernie Irvan
|
6
|
Chevrolet
|
1991-06
|
4/14/1991
|
33
|
Rusty Wallace
|
1
|
Pontiac
|
1991-20
|
8/24/1991
|
32
|
Alan Kulwicki
|
5
|
Ford
|
1992-06
|
4/5/1992
|
32
|
Alan Kulwicki
|
1
|
Ford
|
1992-20
|
8/29/1992
|
32
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
9
|
Chevrolet
|
1993-06
|
4/4/1993
|
35
|
Rusty Wallace
|
1
|
Pontiac
|
1993-21
|
8/28/1993
|
34
|
Mark Martin
|
1
|
Ford
|
1994-06
|
4/10/1994
|
37
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
24
|
Chevrolet
|
1994-22
|
8/27/1994
|
36
|
Rusty Wallace
|
4
|
Ford
|
1995-06
|
4/2/1995
|
36
|
Jeff Gordon
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
1995-22
|
8/26/1995
|
36
|
Terry Labonte
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
1996-06
|
3/31/1996
|
37
|
Jeff Gordon
|
8
|
Chevrolet
|
1996-22
|
8/24/1996
|
39
|
Rusty Wallace
|
5
|
Ford
|
1997-07
|
4/13/1997
|
43
|
Jeff Gordon
|
5
|
Chevrolet
|
1997-22
|
8/23/1997
|
42
|
Dale Jarrett
|
3
|
Ford
|
1998-06
|
3/29/1998
|
43
|
Jeff Gordon
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
1998-22
|
8/22/1998
|
43
|
Mark Martin
|
4
|
Ford
|
1999-07
|
4/11/1999
|
43
|
Rusty Wallace
|
1
|
Ford
|
1999-23
|
8/28/1999
|
43
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
26
|
Chevrolet
|
2000-06
|
3/26/2000
|
43
|
Rusty Wallace
|
6
|
Ford
|
2000-23
|
8/26/2000
|
43
|
Rusty Wallace
|
1
|
Ford
|
2001-06
|
3/25/2001
|
43
|
Elliott Sadler
|
38
|
Ford
|
2001-24
|
8/25/2001
|
43
|
Tony Stewart
|
18
|
Pontiac
|
2002-06
|
3/24/2002
|
43
|
Kurt Busch
|
27
|
Ford
|
2002-24
|
8/24/2002
|
43
|
Jeff Gordon
|
1
|
Chevrolet
|
2003-06
|
3/23/2003
|
43
|
Kurt Busch
|
9
|
Ford
|
2003-24
|
8/23/2003
|
43
|
Kurt Busch
|
5
|
Ford
|
2004-06
|
3/28/2004
|
43
|
Kurt Busch
|
13
|
Ford
|
2004-24
|
8/28/2004
|
43
|
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
|
30
|
Chevrolet
|
2005-05
|
4/3/2005
|
43
|
Kevin Harvick
|
13
|
Chevrolet
|
2005-24
|
8/27/2005
|
43
|
Matt Kenseth
|
1
|
Ford
|
2006-05
|
3/26/2006
|
43
|
Kurt Busch
|
9
|
Dodge
|
2006-24
|
8/26/2006
|
43
|
Matt Kenseth
|
4
|
Ford
|
2007-05
|
3/25/2007
|
43
|
Kyle Busch
|
20
|
Chevrolet
|
2007-24
|
8/25/2007
|
43
|
Carl Edwards
|
6
|
Ford
|
2008-05
|
3/16/2008
|
43
|
Jeff Burton
|
8
|
Chevrolet
|
2008-24
|
8/23/2008
|
43
|
Carl Edwards
|
1
|
Ford
|
2009-05
|
3/22/2009
|
43
|
Kyle Busch
|
19
|
Toyota
|
2009-24
|
8/22/2009
|
43
|
Kyle Busch
|
15
|
Toyota
|
2010-05
|
3/21/2010
|
43
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
4
|
Chevrolet
|
2010-24
|
8/21/2010
|
43
|
Kyle Busch
|
19
|
Toyota
|
2011-04
|
3/20/2011
|
43
|
Kyle Busch
|
12
|
Toyota
|
2011-24
|
8/27/2011
|
43
|
Brad Keselowski
|
8
|
Dodge
|
2012-04
|
3/18/2012
|
43
|
Brad Keselowski
|
5
|
Dodge
|
2012-24
|
8/25/2012
|
43
|
Denny Hamlin
|
8
|
Toyota
|
2013-04
|
3/17/2013
|
43
|
Kasey Kahne
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
2013-24
|
8/24/2013
|
43
|
Matt Kenseth
|
5
|
Toyota
|
2014-04
|
3/16/2014
|
43
|
Carl Edwards
|
12
|
Ford
|
2014-24
|
8/23/2014
|
43
|
Joey Logano
|
5
|
Ford
|
2015-08
|
4/19/2015
|
43
|
Matt Kenseth
|
1
|
Toyota
|
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