This time last year, Kyle Busch had to hold off Mark Martin on a four lap sprint to the finish! It wasn’t easy, several restarts and a 15-minute rain delay would slow him down.
>>>Fast Forward – Jimmie Johnson, finally marked Bristol off of his to do list earlier this season with his first victory at the track. He clawed his way to the lead, from 6th place in just three laps. Lady luck? Horseshoe? Kurt Busch led 278 of the 500 laps and had a decent gap on Johnson when his easy drive to victory was clouded by a debris caution with 17 laps remaining. All the leaders headed to pit road, and Busch and Johnson both took four tires on the final stop.
Let’s crunch the numbers and see who’s hot and who’s not. The drivers popping up, just might surprise ya!
Bristol Specs
0.533-mile concrete oval
500 laps, 266.5 miles
Degree of banking in corners: 24 to 30 degrees
Degree of banking in straights: 4 to 9 degrees
Straightaways: 650 feet long.
Concrete racing surface: 43 feet wide.
Seating capacity: 160,000 Bristol has two pits roads : 22 pit stalls on the front stretch and 21 on the back stretch
Pit Stall Size: 25.5 feet long, 15.5 feet wide
Pit Road Speed: 30 mph
Pace Car Track Speed: 35mph
Bristol Numbers
71 – Races
34,974 – Laps
2,545 – Cars
518 – Leaders
605 – DNF’s @ 2.79%
Since March 1975
Average Running Position @ Bristol (Last 5 Years)
9.348 – Jeff Gordon
11.050 – Greg Biffle
11.097 – Matt Kenseth
11.314 – Brad Keselowski – 1 race
12.043 – Marcos Ambrose – 3 races
12.870 – Kurt Busch
13.297 – Kyle Busch
13.415 – Kevin Harvick
13.699 – Tony Stewart
14.147 – Mark Martin
Best Average Start @ Bristol (Last 5 Years)
9.3 – Jeff Gordon
10.7 – Joey Logano – 3 races
11.4 – Ryan Newman
13.1 – Jimmie Johnson
13.3 – Mark Martin
13.7 – Tony Stewart
14.1 – Greg Biffle
14.2 – Dave Blaney
14.3 – Scott Speed
14.6 – Matt Kenseth
Average % Of Laps In Top 15 @ Bristol (Last 5 Years)
81.6 – Jeff Gordon
79.9 – Greg Biffle
79.9 – Matt Kenseth
74.5 – Marcos Ambrose
74.4 – Brad Keselowski
67.9 – Kurt Busch
67.0 – Mart Martin
65.6 – Jimmie Johnson
63.4 – Denny Hamlin
63.1 – Kyle Busch
Average Laps Led @ Bristol (Last 5 Years)
85 – Kyle Busch
70 – Tony Stewart
64 – Matt Kenseth
35 – Mark Martin
32 – Kurt Busch
31 – Denny Hamlin
28 – Kasey Kahne
27 – Jimmie Johnson
27 – Greg Biffle
Average Rating @ Bristol (Last 5 Years)
103.0 – Kyle Busch
100.9 – Greg Biffle
99.3 – Jeff Gordon
97.4 – Matt Kenseth
96.1 – Kurt Busch
95.8 – Tony Stewart
95.0 – Denny Hamlin
93.4 – Marcos Ambrose
91.5 – Kevin Harvick
89.5 – Mark Martin
Average Finish Leaders @ Bristol (Last 5 Years)
8.4 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10.1 – Kyle Busch
10.5 – Greg Biffle
11.5 – Jeff Gordon
11.6 – Carl Edwards
12.4 – Denny Hamlin
12.5 – Matt Kenseth
13.0 – Brad Keselowski – 1 race
14.2 – Kevin Harvick
14.4 – Tony Stewart
Fastest Early In A Run @ Bristol (Last 5 Years)
116.607 – Greg Biffle
116.545 – Kyle Busch
116.533 – Denny Hamlin
116.511 – Jeff Gordon
116.433 – Tony Stewart
116.383 – Matt Kenseth
116.314 – Kevin Harvick
116.278 – Jimmie Johnson
116.207 – Kurt Busch
116.142 – Mark Martin
Fastest Late In A Run @ Bristol (Last 5 Years)
114.140 – Brad Keselowski – 1 race
113.194 – Tony Stewart
113.125 – Mark Martin
113.110 – Kurt Busch
113.091 – Denny Hamlin
113.070 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
113.061 – Carl Edwards
113.057 – Kyle Busch
113.043 – Kevin Harvick
112.993 – Jeff Gordon
Fastest Laps Run @ Bristol (Last 5 Years)
401 – Kyle Busch
259 – Tony Stewart
242 – Greg Biffle
238 – Denny Hamlin
231 – Matt Kenseth
224 – Carl Edwards
221 – Jimmie Johnson
217 – Kurt Buisch
215 – Jeff Burton
181 – Kevin Harvick
Fastest On Restarts @ Bristol (Last 5 Years)
114.430 – Matt Kenseth
114.079 – Kyle Busch
114.023 – Denny Hamlin
114.009 – Kurt Busch
113.987 – Jeff Gordon
113.972 – Greg Biffle
113.948 – Carl Edwards
113.908 – Brad Keselowski – 1 race
113.901 – A.J. Allmendinger
113.882 – Jimmie Johnson
113.846 – Tony Stewart
Fastest Green Flag Speed @ Bristol (Last 5 Years)
114.485 – Greg Biffle
114.478 – Kyle Busch
114.460 – Tony Stewart
114.450 – Denny Hamlin
114.383 – Jeff Gordon
114.379 – Kurt Busch
114.351 – Kevin Harvick
114.340 – Matt Kenseth
114.266 – Mark Martin
114.251 – Marcos Ambrose – 3 races
Top Team Average Finishes @ Bristol
12.40 – Joe Gibbs
13.50 – Stewart-Haas
14.95 – Hendrick
15.33 – JTG Daugherty
16.13 – Roush Fenway
16.76 – Richard Childress
Similar Track Stats (Dover, Darlington, Bristol, Las Vegas & Homestead)
Average Starting Position @ Similar Tracks (2008 – Present)
10.6 – Mark Martin
10.8 – Greg Biffle
11.5 – Ryan Newman
12.7 – Jeff Gordon
13.6 – Kurt Busch
13.7 – Kyle Busch
14.2 – Jimmie Johnson
14.3 – David Reutimann
14.6 – Joey Logano
14.6 – Bill Elliott – 5 races
Average Running Position @ Similar Tracks (2008 – Present)
9.3 – Jeff Gordon
10.0 – Kyle Busch
10.4 – Jimmie Johnson
10.9 – Greg Biffle
11.7 – Carl Edwards
12.1 – Mark Martin
13.4 – Matt Kenseth
13.6 – Jeff Burton
14.6 – Kurt Busch
14.8 – Ryan Newman
Average % Laps In Top 15 @ Similar Tracks (2008 – Present)
83.2 – Jeff Gordon
77.4 – Greg Biffle
76.8 – Kyle Busch
75.1 – Jimmie Johnson
71.8 – Mark Martin
70.1 – Carl Edwards
69.3 – Jeff Burton
68.7 – Matt Kenseth
65.2 – Ryan Newman
60.1 – Kevin Harvick
Average Laps Led @ Similar Tracks (2008 – Present)
81 – Kyle Busch
73 – Jimmie Johnson
36 – Greg Biffle
27 – Carl Edwards
25 – Jeff Gordon
24 – Kurt Busch
19 – Tony Stewart
19 – Mark Martin
18 – Matt Kenseth
16 – Denny Hamlin
Average Ratings @ Similar Tracks (2008 – Present)
107.9 – Kyle Busch
106.3 – Jimmie Johnson
104.0 – Jeff Gordon
102.7 – Greg Biffle
98.1 – Carl Edwards
96.6 – Mark Martin
92.5 – Matt Kenseth
92.0 – -Jeff Burton
90.5 – Kurt Busch
89.1 – Denny Hamlin
Average Finish @ Similar Tracks (2008 – Present)
9.6 – Carl Edwards
9.9 – Jeff Gordon
11.8 – Greg Biffle
12.1 – Jimmie Johnson
12.1 – Matt Kenseth
12.3 – Jeff Burton
12.5 – Kyle Busch
13.1 – Mark Martin
13.6 – Kevin Harvick
14.6 – Denny Hamlin
Current Momentum – Who’s Hot In The Last 3 Races For 2010?
Best Average Start (Last 3 Races For 2010)
3.3 – Juan Montoya
3.7 – Tony Stewart
5.7 – Jimmie Johnson
8.3 – Greg Biffle
9.0 – A.J. Allmendinger
10.0 – Jamie McMurray
10.3 – Kurt Busch
13.0 – Boris Said *
13.7 – Jeff Burton
13.7 – Ryan Newman
14.0 – Kevin Harvick
Average Running Position (Last 3 Races For 2010)
6.0 – Tony Stewart
6.7 – Juan Montoya
8.0 – Kevin Harvick
8.3 – Greg Biffle
9.0 – Carl Edwards
10.0 – Jeff Gordon
10.7 – Jeff Burton
11.3 – Denny Hamlin
12.0 – Jimmie Johnson
12.7 – A.J. Allmendinger
Average % Laps In Top 15 (Last 3 Races For 2010)
98.9 – Tony Stewart
92.8 – Carl Edwards
92.1 – Kevin Harvick
90.2 – Juan Montoya
86.1 – Greg Biffle
82.1 – Jeff Gordon
80.4 – Jeff Burton
79.3 – Denny Hamlin
70.3 – Jimmie Johnson
67.6 – Ryan Newman
Average Laps Led (Last 3 Races For 2010)
37 – Jimmie Johnson
31 – Greg Biffle
26 – Juan Montoya
20 – Kevin Harvick
13 – Jeff Gordon
13 – Tony Stewart
10 – Denny Hamlin
Average Rating Leaders (Last 3 Races For 2010)
116.0 – Juan Montoya
113.4 – Kevin Harvick
112.7 – Tony Stewart
108.3 – Greg Biffle
104.5 – Carl Edwards
100.8 – Jimmie Johnson
99.7 – Denny Hamlin
98.5 – Jeff Gordon
95.0 – Jeff Burton
88.8 – A.J. Allmendinger
Average Finish Leaders (Last 3 Races For 2010)
3.7 – Carl Edwards
5.0 – Tony Stewart
5.3 – Kevin Harvick
8.0 – Juan Montoya
9.7 – Greg Biffle
10.7 -Martin Truex Jr.
12.0 – Matt Kenseth
13.7 – Jeff Burton
14.3 – Jeff Burton
14.7 – Denny Hamlin
2010 Season To Date Numbers
Average Start Leaders (2010 Season To Date)
7.5 – Jimmie Johnson
9.1 – Kurt Busch
10.7 – Jeff Gordon
11.3 – Juan Montoya
11.5 – Tony Stewart
11.5 – Ryan Newman
12.1 – Mark Martin
12.6 – Kasey Kahne
13.7 – Jamie McMurray
14.2 – Kyle Busch
Average Finish Leaders (2010 Season To Date)
8.6 – Kevin Harvick
12.0 – Jan Magnussen *
12.1 – Jeff Gordon
12.4 – Carl Edwards
12.7 – Tony Stewart
12.7 – Matt Kenseth
12.9 – Jeff Burton
13.0 – Steve Park *
13.7 – Denny Hamlin
13.8 – Kyle Busch
14.0 – Greg Biffle
14.6 – Jimmie Johnson
14.8 – Kurt Busch
Average Rating (2010 Season To Date)
107.0 – Jimmie Johnson
104.8 – Jeff Gordon
101.1 – Jeff Burton
98.2 – Kevin Harvick
96.4 – Kurt Busch
95.5 – Kyle Busch
93.9 – Juan Montoya
92.9 – Denny Hamlin
91.7 – Tony Stewart
89.6 – Clint Bowyer
2010 Lap Leaders
880 – Jimmie Johnson
811 – Jeff Gordon
807 – Kurt Busch
695 – Kyle Busch
581 – Denny Hamlin
385 – Juan Montoya
379 – Jeff Burton
294 – Kasey Kahne
244 – Kevin Harvick
233 – Jamie McMurray
192 – Greg Biffle
129 – Clint Bowyer
Drivers To Watch
Kyle Busch – He has a 10.1 average finish in his 11 races here. The first 2 time here were a little rocky, placing 28th and 33rd. But, from 2006 to the present( 9 races ) , his average finish is 5.56! During that span, he picked up 3 wins, two 2nd place finishes and 8 top 10′s. He leads driver ratings as far as similar tracks go, at 107.9. He leads in laps led at Bristol with 81. He also leads 401, fastest laps run here.
Dale Jr. – Although he’s not shown it this year, with the up’s and down’s, he has done fairly well at this track. He is next on the list, with a 10.1 average finish, since 2000. In 2001, he placed 31st, but since then he has 16 top 15′s in 18 race. His last 5 here were – 5th, 18th, 14th, 9th and 7th.
Greg Biffle - In his races here, since 2003, his average finish is 11.0. He had a 2009 finish of 39th, but the other 14 have been 22nd and better. Last 2 races here were 4th and 4th.
Jeff Gordon - Average finish of 11.9, along with 15 top 15′s in the last 20 races makes him a good choice. Being good here, second in points, all the “near miss” wins this season could put J-Go in a position to be a prime pick this weekend. This season, he has placed 4th- 3 times, 3rd – 4 times and 2nd – twice. It’s only a matter of time. That gives him a 9.34 average finish in the last 9 races.
Denny Hamlin – Earlier this year, he placed 19th at Bristol. The 4 races before it ended as – 6th, 3rd, 2nd and 5th.
Jimmie Johnson – Last 3 races here – 3rd, 8th and 1st.
Ryan Newman – Last 4 races here – 6th, 7th, 6th and 16th.
Track Trouble For Decent Drivers
Joey Logano – 33.0 average finish. His only 3 runs – 38th, 34th and 27th.
A.J. Allmendinger – 40th, 35th, 34th, 16th, 37th and 17th.
Check out the practice speeds to fine tune your selection. Good Luck!
