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Analyzing the NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 From Bristol, TN

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 8, 2025) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee going into the Food City 500 on Sunday, April 13 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

2025 Cup Series Points2025 Driver Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 8
RankDriverPtsLdr.RankDriverPointsWinsStagesPlayoff PtsPts From Cutoff
1William Byron31501Christopher Bell2633116In On Wins
2Denny Hamlin266-492Denny Hamlin2662212
3Christopher Bell263-523William Byron315138
4Chase Elliott256-594Kyle Larson244127
5Tyler Reddick254-615Josh Berry154116
6Kyle Larson244-716Chase Elliott25600077
7Ryan Blaney236-797Tyler Reddick25400074
8Bubba Wallace233-828Ryan Blaney23602263
9Joey Logano232-839Bubba Wallace23301158
10Alex Bowman227-8810Joey Logano23202249
11Chris Buescher215-10011Alex Bowman22700043
12Ross Chastain199-11612Chris Buescher21500027
13Ryan Preece184-13113Ross Chastain19900019
14Chase Briscoe178-13714Ryan Preece18401119
15Kyle Busch177-13815Chase Briscoe17800015
16AJ Allmendinger168-14716Kyle Busch1770009
17Michael McDowell167-14817AJ Allmendinger168000-9
18Ricky Stenhouse Jr.158-15718Michael McDowell167000-11
19John H. Nemechek155-16019Ricky Stenhouse Jr.158000-11
20Josh Berry154-16120John H. Nemechek155000-13
21Austin Cindric151-16421Austin Cindric151011-34
22Zane Smith151-16422Zane Smith151000-34
23Todd Gilliland148-16723Todd Gilliland148000-35
24Daniel Suarez147-16824Daniel Suarez147000-37
25Ty Dillon141-17425Ty Dillon141000-42
26Ty Gibbs131-18426Ty Gibbs131000-45
27Austin Dillon128-18727Austin Dillon128000-45
28Erik Jones128-18728Erik Jones128000-46
29Justin Haley127-18829Justin Haley127000-51
30Carson Hocevar118-19730Carson Hocevar118000-57
31Brad Keselowski111-20431Brad Keselowski111000-60
32Noah Gragson108-20732Noah Gragson108000-69
33Shane Van Gisbergen97-21833Shane Van Gisbergen97000-70
34Riley Herbst92-22334Riley Herbst92000-79
35Cole Custer77-23835Cole Custer77000-97
36Cody Ware44-27136Cody Ware44000-125
37Jimmie Johnson34-28137Jimmie Johnson34000Ineligible for Playoffs – Not Fulltime
38Corey Lajoie21-29438Corey Lajoie21000
39Katherine Legge7-30839Katherine Legge7000
40* JJ Yeley4-31140* JJ Yeley4000
41Casey Mears2-31341Casey Mears2000
42Burt Myers1-31442Burt Myers1000
43Martin Truex Jr.1-31443Martin Truex Jr.1000

BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

(Drivers are listed in alphabetical order; Loop Data stats in the below section are from 2005-Present)

 

Christopher Bell

(No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

  • Three top fives, five top 10s; one pole
  • Average Finish of 12.571, third-best
  • Average Running Position of 8.228, series-best
  • Driver Rating of 103.5, second-best
  • 2,960 Laps in the Top 15 (84.6%), 16th-most

 

Ryan Blaney

(No. 12 Team Penske Ford)

  • Two top fives, six top 10s; one pole
  • Average Finish of 18.625, 13th-best
  • Average Running Position of 13.744, seventh-best
  • Driver Rating of 87.8, ninth-best
  • 5,153 Laps in the Top 15 (64.4%), ninth-most

 

Chase Briscoe

(No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

  • One top 10
  • Average Finish of 15.000, seventh-best
  • Average Running Position of 14.587, 10th-best
  • Driver Rating of 77.3, 13th-best
  • 1,482 Laps in the Top 15 (59.3%), 21st-most

 

Kyle Busch

(No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)

  • Eight wins, 14 top fives, 19 top 10s; two poles
  • Average Finish of 14.472, sixth-best
  • Average Running Position of 13.706, sixth-best
  • Driver Rating of 97.4, fourth-best
  • 11,222 Laps in the Top 15 (62.3%), second-most

 

William Byron

(No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

  • Two top fives, four top 10s
  • Average Finish of 17.364, 12th-best
  • Average Running Position of 9.974, third-best
  • Driver Rating of 97.6, third-best
  • 5,917 Laps in the Top 15 (78.9%), 14th-most

 

Chase Elliott

(No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

  • Five top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
  • Average Finish of 11.000, series-best
  • Average Running Position of 9.974, third-best
  • Driver Rating of 97.6, third-best
  • 5,917 Laps in the Top 15 (78.9%), eighth-most

 

Ty Gibbs

(No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

  • One top five, two top 10s
  • Average Finish of 16.000, ninth-best
  • Average Running Position of 13.897, ninth-best
  • Driver Rating of 88.4, eighth-best
  • 1,264 Laps in the Top 15 (63.2%), 23rd-most

 

Denny Hamlin

(No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

  • Four wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s; four poles
  • Average Finish of 13.286, fifth-best
  • Average Running Position of 12.710, fourth-best
  • Driver Rating of 95.6, fifth-best
  • 12,038 Laps in the Top 15 (68.7%), series-most

 

Erik Jones

(No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota)

  • Four top fives, five top 10s; one pole
  • Average Finish of 15.923, eighth-best
  • Average Running Position of 14.874, 11th-best
  • Driver Rating of 80.8, 12th-best
  • 3,568 Laps in the Top 15 (54.9%), 11th-most

 

Brad Keselowski

(No. 6 RFK Racing Ford)

  • Three wins, seven top fives, ten top 10s
  • Average Finish of 16.185, 10th-best
  • Average Running Position of 13.881, eighth-best
  • Driver Rating of 89.8, seventh-best
  • 8,694 Laps in the Top 15 (64.3%), fifth-most

 

Kyle Larson

(No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

  • Two wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
  • Average Finish of 11.000, second-best
  • Average Running Position of 9.922, second-best
  • Driver Rating of 106.6, series-best
  • 6,601 Laps in the Top 15 (77.5%), seventh-most

 

Joey Logano

(No. 22 Team Penske Ford)

  • Two wins, six top fives, ten top 10s; one pole
  • Average Finish of 16.724, 11th-best
  • Average Running Position of 15.444, 12th-best
  • Driver Rating of 86.4, 10th-best
  • 8,429 Laps in the Top 15 (58.1%), sixth-most

NASCAR Cup Series 2025 Top 16 in the Driver Standings at Bristol Motor Speedway

 DriverRacesPolesWinsTop FivesTop 10sDNFsAverage FinishDriver Rating
1William Byron110024117.475.2
2Denny Hamlin35441219213.395.6
3Christopher Bell71035012.6103.5
4Chase Elliott15105901197.6
5Tyler Reddick70011120.363.1
6Kyle Larson1712712111106.6
7Ryan Blaney161026218.687.8
8Bubba Wallace110012119.269.1
9Joey Logano2912610316.786.4
10Alex Bowman151035218.974.4
11Chris Buescher160135218.268.7
12Ross Chastain90002120.957.8
13Ryan Preece80002014.267.9
14Chase Briscoe5000101577.3
15Kyle Busch36281419514.597.4
16AJ Allmendinger25000222463.1

* – Based on last 37 races at Bristol Motor Speedway (2005 – 2024).

At Bristol Motor Speedway: Stats & Tidbits

 

TRACK & RACE DATA

Season Race #: 9 of 36 (April 13, 2025)

The Purse: $11,055,250

Track Size: 0.533-miles

Banking/Turns: 24-28 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 4-8 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 4-8 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  650 feet

Backstretch Length:  650 feet

Race Length: 500 laps / 266.5 miles

Stages 1 Length: 125 laps

Stages 2 Length: 125 laps (Ends on Lap 250)

Final Stage Length: 250 laps (Ends on Lap 500)

 

QUALIFYING & RACE RECORD

Track Qualifying Record:

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 131.713 MPH, 14.568 secs., April 5, 2019

2024 Bristol Pole Winner:

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford, 124.954 MPH, 15.356 secs., March 16, 2024

Track Race Record:

Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet, 101.074 MPH, (2:38:12), July 11, 1971

 

2024 Bristol Race Winner:

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 79.678 MPH, (3:20:41), March 17, 2024

 

 

HISTORY

  • Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960.
  • The track was built by Bowling operator Larry Carrier, Kingsport businessman Carl Moore and construction company owner R.G. Pope and the track measured an exact half-mile.
  • The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was on July 30, 1961, and the inaugural event was won by Jack Smith with relief from Johnny Allen. Smith had a three lap lead when Allen took over and Allen built the lead to as many as six laps.
  • In 1969 the track was dug up and reshaped and the banking significantly increased. Starting in July 1969 the track was measured at .533 miles.
  • Financial problems led to sale of the track after the 1976 season to Nashville accountant and attorney Gary Baker and his partner Lanny Hester.
  • All of the NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps each.
  • The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.
  • The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.
  • In 1982 and in 1985 the track underwent ownership changes. In 1982 California businessman Warner Hodgdon began buying into teams and tracks. In 1982 he bought out Hester and in 1983 Baker’s half. In 1985 Hodgdon declared bankruptcy. Larry Carrier stepped in to run the track.
  • The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992, becoming the first track on the schedule to be completely surfaced in concrete.
  • Larry Carrier led the track for 10 years until he sold it to Speedway Motorsports for a reported $26 million in 1996. The track had a capacity of 71,000 and the Night Race was one of the Series premier events, called the ‘Toughest Ticket in Racing’.
  • The track name changed again, this time to Bristol Motor Speedway in May of 1996.
  • The track was resurfaced between races in 2007, and the turns were ground down in 2012 to eliminate part of the progressive banking.
  • In 2020, Bristol Motor Speedway hosted the NASCAR Cup Series Open and All-Star Race for the first-time.
  • In total, there have been 125 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the first race in 1961, two races each season until 2021 when the track replaced their spring date with the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt track (2021-2023).
  • The 2024 season is the first season since 2021 that both Bristol races will be run on the concrete surface. From 2021-2023 the spring Bristol race was run a dirt surface.

 

STARTS

  • A total of 483 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway; 346 have competed in more than one.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Bristol with 60.
  • Top five in Bristol Cup starts (all-time): Richard Petty (60), Ricky Rudd (58), Terry Labonte (58), Dave Marcis (54), Darrell Waltrip (52).
  • Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in starts at Bristol with 36 starts.
  • Top five in Bristol Cup starts (active): Kyle Busch (36), Denny Hamlin (35), Joey Logano (29), Brad Keselowski (26), Michael McDowell (26).
  • A total of 34 drivers have made their first NASCAR Cup Series career start at Bristol Motor Speedway; the most recent was Chad Finchum (April 16, 2018).
 First-Time DriversDate First-Time DriversDate
1Chad Finchum4/16/201818Bobby Watson4/5/1970
2Ryan Truex8/24/201319Bob Burcham7/21/1968
3Terry Cook3/21/201020Ervin Pruitt7/21/1968
4AJ Allmendinger3/25/200721Joe Edd Neubert3/19/1967
5Regan Smith3/25/200722Buzz Gregory7/24/1966
6Dave Mader III8/27/198823Bill Seifert3/20/1966
7Rick Mast8/27/198824Sonny Lamphear3/20/1966
8Butch Miller4/6/198625Walter Wallace3/20/1966
9Brad Teague3/14/198226Joe Bill Adams5/2/1965
10John McFadden3/14/198227Wayne Smith5/2/1965
11Ron Bouchard3/29/198128Darrell Bryant7/26/1964
12Bobby Sands8/23/198029Doug Wilson7/26/1964
13Melvin Revis8/25/197930Gene Hobby3/22/1964
14Mike Potter4/1/197931Allan Harley7/29/1962
15Bill Green8/26/197832Ralph Smith7/29/1962
16Lynn Carroll4/2/197833Bill Latham10/22/1961
17Paul Tyler3/28/197134Dub Utsman7/30/1961
  • Of the 34 drivers that made their first career NASCAR Cup Series start at Bristo Motor Speedway, Bill Seifert posted the best finish – finishing seventh on March 20, 1966.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Ricky Rudd leads the Cup Series in the most starts at Bristol Motor Speedway without a win at 58.
  • Michael McDowell leads all active Cup Series drivers in the most starts at Bristol Motor Speedway without a win at 26.

Average Starting Positions

  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen (12 starts) and driver Charlie Glotzbach (four starts) are tied for the all-time Cup Series lead in average starting position at Bristol Motor Speedway with a 3.250 each.
  • Chase Elliott leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in average starting position at Bristol Motor Speedway with a 7.800 in 15 starts.

Top 10 in Average Starting Positions at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

RankAll-Time DriversAvg StartRacesRankActive DriversAvg StartRaces
1Charlie Glotzbach3.25041Chase Elliott7.80015
2Fred Lorenzen3.250122Joey Logano8.93129
3Marvin Panch3.75083Ryan Blaney9.25016
4Fireball Roberts4.28674Chase Briscoe9.4005
5Junior Johnson4.400105William Byron10.09111
6Cale Yarborough4.552296Brad Keselowski10.22227
7Dick Hutcherson6.00057Denny Hamlin11.88635
8Tim Richmond6.273118Christopher Bell12.2867
9Benny Parsons6.370279Kyle Larson12.94117
10David Pearson6.5502010Josh Berry13.5002

 

 

POLES

  • A total of 55 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway; 23 drivers have won more than one pole at Bristol.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series pole at Bristol Motor Speedway with a speed of 79.225 MPH in a Holman-Moody Racing Ford in 1961.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famers Mark Martin (1989, 1993, 1995 sweep, 1996 sweep, 2001, 2009 sweep) and Cale Yarborough (1969, 1970, 1973 sweep, 1975, 1977 sweep, 1980 sweep) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Bristol Motor Speedway with nine poles each.
  • Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Bristol Motor Speedway with four (2013, 2014, 2015, 2019).
  • This weekend, nine of the 55 NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway pole winners are entered in the race.
Active Bristol Pole Winners (9)PolesSeasons
Denny Hamlin42019, ’15, ’14, ’13
Kyle Busch22018, ’13
Alex Bowman12024
Ryan Blaney12024
Christopher Bell12023
Chase Elliott12019
Kyle Larson12018
Erik Jones12017
Joey Logano12010
  • 12 different drivers have posted consecutive poles at Bristol; Mark Martin is the only driver to win four consecutive:

o   Fireball Roberts (swept 1962),

o   Fred Lorenzen (swept 1963),

o   Richard Petty (1967-’68),

o   Bobby Allison (swept 1972),

o   Cale Yarborough (swept 1973; swept 1977; swept 1980),

o   Darrell Waltrip (swept 1981, spring 1982),

o   Geoff Bodine (swept 1986),

o   Mark Martin (swept 1995-1996– all four races; and swept 2009);

o   Rusty Wallace (swept 1998, spring 1999),

o   Jeff Gordon (swept 2002),

o   Denny Hamlin (fall 2013, spring 2014)

o   Carl Edwards (2016 sweep).

  • Eight different drivers have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series career pole at Bristol Motor Speedway.
First-Time Pole Winners at BristolDate
Tim RichmondSaturday, August 28, 1982
Rick WilsonSunday, April 10, 1988
Ernie IrvanSunday, April 8, 1990
Chuck BownSunday, April 10, 1994
Steve ParkSunday, March 26, 2000
Jeff GreenSaturday, August 25, 2001
Joey LoganoSunday, March 21, 2010
Erik JonesSaturday, August 19, 2017
  • Joey Logano (March 10, 2010) and Erik Jones (August 19, 2017) are the only active drivers to win their first NASCAR Cup Series career pole at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Youngest Bristol pole winner: Joey Logano (March 21, 2010 – 19 years, 9 months, 25 days) – his first NASCAR Cup Series career pole.
  • Oldest Bristol pole winner: Harry Gant (August 27, 1994 – 54 years, 7 months, 17 days) – his last NASCAR Cup Series career pole.
  • A total of 35 different organizations have won a pole at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.
  • Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Bristol Motor Speedway with 13 poles among six drivers: Geoff Bodine (1984, 1986 sweep), Jeff Gordon (2002 sweep, 2003, 2004, 2007), Mark Martin (2009 sweep), Jimmie Johnson (2010), Chase Elliott (2019), Alex Bowman (2024).
  • Joe Gibbs Racing has the second most Cup poles at Bristol with 12 poles among seven drivers: Tony Stewart (1999), Joey Logano (2010), Kyle Busch (2013, 2018), Denny Hamlin (2013, 2014, 2015, 2019), Matt Kenseth (2015), Carl Edwards (2016, sweep), Christopher Bell (2023).
  • This weekend, six of the 35 NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway pole winning organizations are active.
Active OrganizationsPolesSeasons
Hendrick Motorsports132024, ’19, ’10, ’09 sweep, ’07, ’04, ’03, ’02 sweep, ’86 sweep, ’84
Joe Gibbs Racing122023, ’19, ’18, ’16 sweep, ’15 sweep, ’14, ’13 sweep, ’10, ’99
Team Penske112024, ’06, ’04, ’03, ’00, ’99, ’98 sweep, ’97, ’93, ’91
RFK Racing112012, ’11, ’08, ’05, ’01, ’96 sweep, ’95 sweep, ’93, ’89
Wood Brothers Racing41970, ’69, ’65, ’64
Richard Childress Racing32001, ’90, ’85
  • A total of nine different manufacturers have won poles at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series; led by Chevrolet (40) and followed by Ford (38), Toyota (12), Dodge (8), Pontiac (7), Buick (4), Plymouth (4), Oldsmobile (3) and Mercury (2).
  • The longest streak of consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway pole wins by a manufacturer is nine straight by Ford from 4/2/1995 to 4/11/1999.

WINS

  • A total of 44 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • A total of 22 of the 44 Cup Series Bristol winners have won multiple times at the half-mile track.
  • Driver/owner Jack Smith (with relief from Johnny Allen) won the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on July 30, 1961, driving the No. 46 Pontiac.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Bristol Motor Speedway with 12 victories in 52 starts; including eight straight (1978, 1979, 1981 sweep, 1982 sweep, 1983 sweep, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1992).
  • Six of the 44 NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway race winners are entered in this weekend’s race.
Active Bristol Winners (6)WinsSeasons
Kyle Busch82019, ’18, ’17, ’11, ’10, ’09 sweep, ’07
Denny Hamlin42024, ’23, ’19, ’12
Brad Keselowski32020, ’12, ’11
Kyle Larson22024, ’21
Joey Logano22015, ’14
Chris Buescher12022
  • The six active Cup Series Bristol winners have accounted for 20 of the 125 trips to Victory Lane.
  • Kyle Busch leads the NASCAR Cup Series among active drivers in wins at Bristol with eight victories in 36 starts (Spring 2007, 2009 sweep, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019).
  • 12 drivers have won consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Darrell Waltrip (Leads the series in consecutive Bristol wins with eight straight victories from 1979-1984)
  • Fred Lorenzen (1963-1964 sweep)
  • David Pearson (1968 sweep)
  • Bobby Allison (1972 sweep)
  • Cale Yarborough did it twice (1974 sweep and four straight from 1976-1977)
  • Richard Petty (1975 sweep)
  • Dale Earnhardt also did twice (1985 sweep and 1987 sweep)
  • Alan Kulwicki (1992 sweep)
  • Rusty Wallace (2000 sweep)
  • Kurt Busch (2003 sweep and 2004 Spring race)
  • Kyle Busch (2009 sweep and Fall 2017-Spring 2018)
  • Brad Keselowski (Fall 2011-Spring 2012)
  • Youngest Bristol Cup race winner: Kyle Busch (March 25, 2007 – 21 years, 10 months, 23 days).
  • Oldest Bristol Cup race winner: Dale Earnhardt (August 28, 1999 – 48 years, 3 months, 30 days).
  • Five drivers have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series career win at Bristol Motor Speedway.
First-Time Cup Winners at BristolStart Pos.DateDriver’s Age
Kurt Busch27Sunday, March 24, 200223
Elliott Sadler38Sunday, March 25, 200125
Ernie Irvan6Saturday, August 25, 199031
Rusty Wallace14Sunday, April 6, 198629
Dale Earnhardt9Sunday, April 1, 197927
  • Of the five drivers to win their first NASCAR Cup Series career race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch was the youngest to accomplish the feat at the age of 23.
  • A total of 24 different starting positions have produced at least one NASCAR Cup Series win at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • The race winner has started from the pole or first starting position 27 times (21.6%) – the most productive starting position in the field.
  • A total of 16 different drivers have won from the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway. The most recent driver to win from the pole or first starting position was Brad Keselowski on March 31, 2020.
Bristol Race WinnersWins From Pole or First Starting PositionSeasons
Rusty Wallace42000, 1999, 1993, 1991
Cale Yarborough41980, 1977 sweep, 1973
Darrell Waltrip31982, 1981 sweep
Carl Edwards22016, 2008
Matt Kenseth22015, 2005
Bobby Allison21972 sweep
Brad Keselowski12020
Denny Hamlin12019
Kyle Busch12018
Jeff Gordon12002
Mark Martin11993
Alan Kulwicki11992
Dale Earnhardt11985
David Pearson11971
Richard Petty11967
Fred Lorenzen11963

 

  • Six drivers have won from the pole position or first starting position multiple times: Bobby Allison (1972 twice), Cale Yarborough (1973, 1977 twice, 1980), Darrell Waltrip (1981 twice, 1982), Rusty Wallace (1991, 1993, 1999, 2000), Matt Kenseth (2005, 2015) and Carl Edwards (2008, 2016).
  • More than half of the NASCAR Cup Series winners at Bristol Motor Speedway have started in the top-five (73 wins, 58.4%).
  • The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 38th, by Elliott Sadler in 2001. It was Sadler’s first victory in the Cup Series, and he was driving the famous Wood Brothers Racing’s No. 21 Ford.
  • The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started is 20th, by Chris Buescher in 2022.
  • A total of six NASCAR Cup Series Bristol races have been won from starting outside the top-20, the most recent was Kevin Harvick in 2016.

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Bristol Motor Speedway

Starting PositionWinsWinning %Starting PositionWinsWinning %
12721.60%1343.20%
21512.00%1421.60%
3108.00%1510.80%
4108.00%1710.80%
5118.80%1821.60%
697.20%1932.40%
710.80%2021.60%
875.60%2421.60%
964.80%2610.80%
1021.60%2710.80%
1110.80%3010.80%
1254.00%3810.80%
StatsWinning %Wins
Winning from the First Starting Position:21.60%27
Winning from the Front Row:33.60%42
Winning from a Top-Five Starting Position:58.40%73
Winning from a Top-10 Starting Position:78.40%98
Winning After Starting Outside the Top 20:4.80%6
  • A total of 30 different organizations have visited Victory Lane in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway.
OrganizationsWinsSeasons
Junior Johnson & Assoc.211986 ’84, ’83 sweep, ’82 sweep, ’81 sweep, ’80, ’78, ’77 sweep, ’76 sweep, ’74 sweep, ’73, ’72 sweep, ’71, ’65
Joe Gibbs Racing152024, ’23, ’19 sweep, ’18, ’17, ’16, ’15, ’13, ’12, ’11, ’10, ’09 sweep, ’01
Hendrick Motorsports132024, ’21, ’17, ’13, ’10, ’07, ’02, ’98, ’97, ’96, ’95 sweep, ’89
Team Penske132020, ’15, ’14, ’12, ’11, ’06, ’00 sweep, ’99, ’96, ’94, ’93, ’91
RFK Racing122022, ’14, ’08, ’07, ’06, ’05, ’04, ’03 sweep, ’02, ’98, ’93
Richard Childress Racing92008, ’05, ’99, ’94, ’88, ’87 sweep, ’85 sweep
Holman-Moody91971, ’69, ’68 sweep, ’66, ’64 sweep, ’63 sweep
Petty Enterprises41975 sweep, ’67, ’62
Stewart-Haas Racing32020, ’18, ’16
Robert Yates Racing21997, ’90
AK Racing21992, ’91
Blue Max Racing (Beadle)21989, ’86
Osterlund Racing21980, ’79
DiGard Racing21979, ’78
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.12004
Wood Brothers Racing12001
Darrell Waltrip Motorsports11992
Morgan-McClure Motorsports11991
Melling Racing11988
Hagan Racing11984
DeWitt Racing11973
Bobby Allison Racing11970
Banjo’s Performance Center11970
Rossi Engineering11969
Owens Racing11967
Nichels Engineering11966
Body Long11965
Shorty Johns11962
Moore Engineering11961
Jack Smith11961
  • Junior Johnson & Associates lead the NASCAR Cup Series in organization wins at Bristol Motor Speedway with 21 victories among five drivers: Cale Yarborough (nine wins: 1973, 1974 sweep, 1976 sweep, 1977 sweep, 1978, 1980), Darrell Waltrip (eight wins: 1981 sweep, 1982 sweep, 1983 sweep, 1984, 1986), Bobby Allison (two wins: 1972 sweep) and Charlie Glotzbach (1971) and Junior Johnson (1965).
  • Joe Gibbs Racing leads all active NASCAR Cup Series organizations in wins at Bristol Motor Speedway with 15 victories; followed by Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports with 13 each and RFK Racing with 12.
  • Eight different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series 125 races at Bristol Motor Speedway; led by Chevrolet with 47 victories, followed by Ford (40 wins), Toyota (14), Dodge (8), Pontiac (8), Buick (4), Plymouth (3) and Oldsmobile (1).
  • A total of 12 different drivers have won NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway in multiple manufacturers:

o   Richard Petty (Dodge-2, Plymouth-1)

o   Rusty Wallace (Ford-5, Pontiac-4)

o   Matt Kenseth (Ford-2, Toyota-2)

o   Kyle Busch (Toyota-7, Chevrolet-1)

o   Kurt Busch (Ford-5, Dodge-1)

o   Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet-2, Ford-1)

o   David Pearson (Ford-4, Dodge-1)

o   Darrell Waltrip (Chevrolet-8, Buick-4)

o   Carl Edwards (Ford-3, Toyota-1)

o   Cale Yarborough (Chevrolet-8, Oldsmobile-1)

o   Brad Keselowski (Dodge-2, Ford-1)

o   Bobby Allison (Chevrolet-2, Dodge-2)

  • The record for the most consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races won by a manufacturer at Bristol Motor Speedway is seven straight, and it has happened twice – first by Ford from 1963-1966 and then by Chevrolet from 1971-1974.

 

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes:

  • A total of 54 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished runner-up at Bristol Motor Speedway, 28 of the 54 have posed more than one runner-up finish.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes with 10 second-place finishes.
  • Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in runner-up finishes at Bristol with four.

Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

RankAll-Time DriversRunner-UpsRankActive DriversRunner-Ups
1Richard Petty101Kyle Busch4
2Rusty Wallace72Kyle Larson3
3Bobby Allison63Chase Elliott2
Dale Earnhardt64Ricky Stenhouse Jr2
Kevin Harvick65Brad Keselowski1
Mark Martin6Denny Hamlin1
Erik Jones1

Top-Five Finishes:

  • A total of 122 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished in the top-five at Bristol Motor Speedway; 88 drivers have posted multiple top fives.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Bristol top fives with 26 top-five finishes each.
  • Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top-five finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway with 14 top-five finishes each.

Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

RankAll-Time DriversTop FivesRankActive DriversTop Fives
1Darrell Waltrip261Kyle Busch14
Richard Petty262Denny Hamlin12
3Bobby Allison233Brad Keselowski7
4Rusty Wallace22Kyle Larson7
5Dale Earnhardt205Joey Logano6

Top-10 Finishes:

  • A total of 210 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished inside the top-10 at Bristol Motor Speedway; 149 have posted multiple top 10s.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the Cup Series in Bristol top 10s with 37 top-10 finishes.
  • Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin lead the Cup Series among active drivers in top-10 finishes at Bristol with 19 each.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

RankAll-Time DriversTop 10sRankActive DriversTop 10s
1Richard Petty371Denny Hamlin19
2Terry Labonte332Kyle Busch19
3Darrell Waltrip323Kyle Larson12
4Ricky Rudd314Brad Keselowski10
5Dale Earnhardt30Joey Logano10

Average Finishes:

  • Dick Hutcherson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position with a 2.4 in five starts.
  • Chase Elliott leads the series among active drivers in average finishing position at Bristol with a 11.0 in 15 starts.

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

RankAll-Time DriversAvg FinishRacesRankActive DriversAvg FinishRaces
1Dick Hutcherson2.40051Chase Elliott11.00015
2Junior Spencer5.50022Kyle Larson11.00017
3Jimmy Hensley6.50023Christopher Bell12.5717
4Joe Weatherly6.66764Denny Hamlin13.28635
5Janet Guthrie8.50025Ryan Preece14.2508
6Benny Parsons8.630276Kyle Busch14.47236
7Gene Black9.00037Chase Briscoe15.0005
8Dale Earnhardt9.256438Erik Jones15.92313
9Rusty Wallace9.568449Ty Gibbs16.0004
10Cale Yarborough10.4832910Brad Keselowski16.18527

LAP LEADERS & LEAD CHANGES

  • A total of 139 different drivers have led at least one lap in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough leads the series in laps led at Bristol with 4,305 laps led in 29 starts.
  • Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Bristol with 2,598 in 36 starts.
  • The most laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 500 laps led by Cale Yarborough on March 25, 1973 – he won the event starting from the pole position and led every lap.
  • The most laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway by a driver that did not win the event was 442 laps led by Richard Petty who finished second on July 26, 1964 – he started first.
  • The fewest laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway by the race winner was one lap, the final lap, by Fred Lorenzen – who passed Richard Petty to win on July 26, 1964 – Lorenzen started eighth.

Top 10 Laps Leaders at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

RankAll-Time DriverLedCompleted% LedRankActive DriverLedCompleted% Led
1Cale Yarborough4,30510,87840%1Kyle Busch2,59817,00515%
2Dale Earnhardt3,75120,03819%2Kyle Larson1,3518,32616%
3Rusty Wallace3,74320,47418%3Denny Hamlin1,19916,8307%
4Darrell Waltrip3,43622,96415%4Brad Keselowski1,01413,1888%
5Jeff Gordon2,73022,52512%5Joey Logano77114,1035%
6Kyle Busch2,59817,00515%6Ryan Blaney5077,0327%
7Bobby Allison2,31617,25313%7Chase Elliott4447,4676%
8Richard Petty2,21223,8159%8Christopher Bell3603,47910%
9David Pearson1,6166,66024%9Erik Jones2936,4685%
10Matt Kenseth1,58318,0569%10Ty Gibbs2391,76314%
  • The most lap leaders in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 16 and it has occurred twice – April 9, 1989 and March 17, 2024.
  • The fewest lap leaders in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 1 set on March 25, 1973.
  • The most lead changes in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 54 set on March 17, 2024.
  • The fewest lead changes in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 0 set on March 25, 1973.
  • Four Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway have resulted in a last lap pass to decide the win:

o   8/28/1999 – Dale Earnhardt passed Terry Labonte to win.

o   4/13/1997 – Jeff Gordon passed Rusty Wallace to win.

o   7/14/1974 – Cale Yarborough passed Buddy Baker to win.

o   7/26/1964 – Fred Lorenzen passed Richard Petty to win

FEMALE COMPETITORS

  • Two female drivers have made NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.
DriverStarting PositionFinishing PositionDriver RatingDate
Danica Patrick242544.58/19/2017
Danica Patrick293638.54/24/2017
Danica Patrick292243.38/20/2016
Danica Patrick332745.74/17/2016
Danica Patrick322755.88/22/2015
Danica Patrick26972.64/19/2015
Danica Patrick242745.28/23/2014
Danica Patrick361855.63/16/2014
Danica Patrick222646.28/24/2013
Danica Patrick412841.43/17/2013
Danica Patrick432946.38/25/2012
Averages30.824.948.6
DriverStarting PositionFinishing PositionDate
Janet Guthrie968/28/1977
Janet Guthrie21114/17/1977
Averages158.5

TRACK/EVENT SPECIFIC STATS

Overtime Finish

  • There have been five overtime finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway:
Scheduled LapsActual LapsOvertime LapsRace WinnerDate
50051111Matt KensethSunday, April 19, 2015
5005033Carl EdwardsSunday, March 16, 2014
5005033Kyle BuschSunday, March 22, 2009
5005066Jeff BurtonSunday, March 16, 2008
5005044Kyle BuschSunday, March 25, 2007

Margin of Victory

  • Since the advent of electronic scoring (1993) the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway is the March 25, 2007 race won by Kyle Busch with a margin of victory of 0.064 second over Jeff Burton.

Top Five Closest Margins of Victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol:

RankMargin of VictoryWinnerRunner-UpDate
10.064Kyle BuschJeff BurtonSunday, March 25, 2007
20.098Kyle BuschMark MartinSaturday, August 22, 2009
30.102Dale JarrettMark MartinSaturday, August 23, 1997
40.140Mark MartinRusty WallaceSaturday, August 28, 1993
50.160Rusty WallaceMark MartinSaturday, August 27, 1994
0.160Terry LabonteDale EarnhardtSaturday, August 26, 1995
  • Since the advent of electronic scoring (1993) the largest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway is the April 10, 2007 race won by Dale Earnhardt with a margin of victory of 7.630 seconds over Ken Schrader.

Top Five Largest Margins of Victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol:

RankMargin of VictoryWinnerRunner-UpDate
17.630Dale EarnhardtKen SchraderSunday, April 10, 1994
27.088Kyle LarsonChase ElliottSaturday, September 21, 2024
35.740Jeff GordonRusty WallaceSunday, April 2, 1995
44.652Kevin HarvickElliott SadlerSunday, April 3, 2005
54.390Dale Earnhardt JrRyan NewmanSaturday, August 28, 2004

Postponements / Cancellations

  • Two of the 125 NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol have been shortened due to weather conditions.
Scheduled LapsActual LapsFewer LapsRace WinnerDate
500342158Jeff GordonSunday, March 31, 1996
50041981Darrell WaltripSaturday, August 27, 1983

 

  • Qualifying has been cancelled in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway seven times.
No.Reason for CancellationDateStarted First
1WeatherSunday, March 26, 2006Tony Stewart
2WeatherSunday, March 16, 2008Jimmie Johnson
3WeatherSaturday, August 25, 2012Casey Mears
4WeatherMonday, April 24, 2017Kyle Larson
5PandemicSunday, May 31, 2020Brad Keselowski
6PandemicSaturday, September 19, 2020Brad Keselowski
7PandemicSaturday, September 18, 2021Martin Truex Jr.

NASCAR IN TENNESSEE

  • A total of 384 NASCAR national series races among nine tracks have been held in the state of Tennessee.
NASCAR Tracks in TennesseeCityCupXfinityTruckCombinedFirst Year
Bristol Motor SpeedwayBristol12581282341961
Bristol Motor Speedway DirtBristol30362021
Nashville SuperspeedwayNashville42517462001
Chattanooga International RacewayChattanooga20021962
Kingsport SpeedwayKingsport30031969
Memphis Motorsports ParkMemphis01112231998
Nashville SpeedwayLebanon4295561958
Smokey Mountain RacewayMaryville1200121965
Tennessee-Carolina SpeedwayNewport20021956
Totals19312665384
  • The first NASCAR Cup Series race held in Tennessee was at Tennessee-Carolina Speedway on October 7, 1956 and the race was won by Fireball Roberts.

TENNESSEE DRIVERS IN NASCAR

  • A total of 110 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Tennessee.
  • 15 drivers from Tennessee have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; totaling 156 wins across all three series.
  • Darrell Waltrip, from Franklin, Tennessee, was inducted into the 2012 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Waltrip is the only Tennessee native driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series championship.
  • Only two of the 15 drivers from Tennessee have won at least one race in the NASCAR Cup Series at a track located in the state of Tennessee: Darrell Waltrip (Bristol, 12 wins; Nashville, eight wins) and Joe Lee Johnson (Nashville, one win).

Tennessee Drivers In NASCAR with Wins

NASCAR Winners From TennesseeCup WinsXfinity WinsTruck WinsCombined
Darrell Waltrip8413097
Sterling Marlin102012
Bobby Hamilton411015
Joe Lee Johnson2002
Trevor Bayne1203
Josh Berry1506
Paul Lewis1001
Bobby Hamilton Jr0505
Jeff Purvis0404
L.D. Ottinger0303
Mike Alexander0202
Casey Atwood0202
Brad Teague0101
Chad Chaffin0022
John King0011
Totals1034013156