NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes at Bristol

Track Classification: Short Track

Similar Tracks: Dover International Speedway • Martinsville Speedway

Phoenix International Raceway •  Richmond International Raceway

Distance: .533 Miles

Drivers with Most Top 10s (Last 5 Years):

By Race

All with 3: Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch,

Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne
All with 2: Greg Biffle, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer

By Track

Paul Menard - 6

All with 5: Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne
All with 4: Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray and Carl Edwards

Recent Pole Winners: 

2014 Denny Hamlin
2013 Kyle Busch

2013 Flashback
Remember, throw out the 2014 Sprint Cup statistics and look at 2013 for a more accurate estimation of how well a driver will performance. This new rules package including a decrease in horsepower has some teams scratching their heads. Just ask Tony Stewart, and for that matter, Jimmie Johnson. Johnson, despite being tied with Champ Kevin Harvick with two wins, sits squarely in sixth place while Martin Truex Jr. with zero wins is in third place.

Top 15  Finishers at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17, 2013
1. Kasey Kahne
2. Kyle Busch
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Kurt Busch
5. Clint Bowyer
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7. Ryan Newman
8. Brian Vickers
9. Paul Menard
10. Jamie McMurray
11. Greg Biffle
12. Martin Truex Jr.
13. A.J. Allmendinger
14. Kevin Harvick
15. Casey Mears

The Likely Suspects: Short track racing is exciting and anxiety-producing for the fans and drivers alike. However, some drivers seem to thrive on the pressure. The best drivers here are either powerfully patient or downright crazy. Look for these drivers do perform well at the Bristol race: Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano and Paul Menard.

My 2 Cents: My no-brainer pick this week is a two-way tie between the powerfully-patient Matt Kenneth and the king of qualifying bonus points Joey Logano. My next picks are Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Martin Truex Jr. I will complete my team with David Ragan and Chris Buescher who is substituting for David Ragan who is substituting for Kyle Busch.

My final four: Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr. and David Ragan.

Points to ponder:

• Of the 108 races at Bristol, 35 (32.4%) have been won from the front row: Pole position (22 wins), second-place (13 wins).
• Most of the 108 races (86, which is 79.6%) have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 53 from the first four spots.
• Eight different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Bristol, led by Chevrolet with 43 victories and followed by Ford with 35. Toyota is ranked fifth among manufacturers with six wins at Bristol.

Enjoy the race. Post your comments here or email me at ssfantasyracing@skirtsandscuffs.com.