NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Food City 500 at Bristol

By Carol D'Agostino

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

By Race

All with 3: Clint Bowyer, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Newman and Kyle Larson
All with 2: Chase Elliott, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin  

By Track

Joey Logano - 6
All with 5: Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Newman, and Kevin Harvick
Clint Bowyer - 4
Jamie McMurray - 3

Recent Pole Winners: 

2017 Rained out
2016 Carl Edwards
2015 Matt Kenseth

2014 Denny Hamlin

Last Year's Race Winner: Jimmie Johnson

The Likely Suspects: Bristol brings out both ends of the driving perspective: patience and wildness. Drivers with those characteristics tend to perform well at Bristol. My eyes are on these drivers this weekend: Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick.

My 2 Cents: My no-brainer pick this week is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. My next picks are Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman and Erik Jones. I will complete my team with Darrell Wallace Jr. and Matt DiBenedetto.

My Final Four: Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Erik Jones and Matt DiBenedetto

Second-Look Driver: This week's second-look driver is Daniel Suarez. Daniel has been cleared for racing this weekend despite having sustained an avulsion fracture in his left thumb in a wreck on Lap 4 in Texas. Although he only has two races under his belt in a Cup car at Bristol, I expect him to finish in the teens this weekend. Last week's second-look driver Kasey Kahne finished 17th in Texas, after starting 28th.

Points to Ponder:

• The race winner has started from the pole 24 times (21.6%) -- the most productive starting position in the field.
• Roger Penske leads the series among active car owners with the most wins at Bristol with 12, followed by Jack Roush and Rick Hendrick with 11 each.
• Eight different manufacturers have won in the MENCS at Bristol, led by Chevrolet with 45 victories, followed by Ford (36), Toyota (9), Dodge (8), Pontiac (8), Buick (4), Plymouth (3) and Oldsmobile (1).
• Kyle Busch leads the series among active drivers in wins at Bristol with six.
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. leads the series among active drivers in average finishing position at Bristol with a 10.8 in 10 series starts.
• Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers in runner-up finishes with five, followed by Kyle Busch with three. Harvick also leader all active drivers in top fives at Bristol with 12, followed by Jimmie Johnson with 11.
• Jimmie Johnson leads the series among active drivers in top 10s at Bristol with 18. 

Remember, if you're playing Driver Group Game, make your picks by 2:59 a.m. EDT on Saturday, April 13, and pick your starters by 2 p.m. EDT on race day, Sunday, April 15.

Enjoy the race! Post your comments here or follow me on Twitter at @purplecatpr.