DraftKings Rankings: Bristol

By DraftKings / NASCAR.com

Rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings' NASCAR salaries for that day. The ordering is not based on highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by value of each driver.

(fppk = average fantasy points per $1,000 of salary. The typical median fppk for a 2016 race was in the 3s. Plate tracks tend to be lower and short tracks tend to run higher due to the amount of laps.)

Drivers 1-5

Rank	Driver	Salary
1.	Kevin Harvick	$10,400
2.	Kyle Busch	$10,600
3.	Chase Elliott	$9,400
4.	Joey Logano	$10,000
5.	Kyle Larson	$10,100

 1. Kevin Harvick ($10,400) – Late last summer, Bristol doctored its track to make the low racing line work. Kevin Harvick loved it. Of course he did, he won the August race. Low line or not, Harvick is a point hog at Bristol. He's averaging 82 fantasy points per race over the five races. (4.2 fppk)

2. Kyle Busch ($10,600) – There is a love/hate relationship between Rowdy and Bristol. Busch has not won at Bristol since it has gone through continuous major changes. DFS players do not care about wins. In two of the last three Bristol races, Busch has scored over 80 fast lap/laps led points. (5.4 fppk)

3. Chase Elliott ($9,400) – Every track they throw at him, he masters. Last year at Bristol, Elliott finished fourth and 15th. In the six races since the Daytona 500, Elliott has finished with a top-five fantasy score in all of them. (6.1 fppk)

4. Joey Logano ($10,000) – At Phoenix, Logano was banking fantasy points until a penalty and a subsequent wreck while mired in traffic. At the other races (excluding Daytona), Logano has finished sixth or better. Logano is right there on the verge of having a giant fantasy performance. (5.2 fppk)

5. Kyle Larson ($10,100) – The 42 car was not the best ride at Martinsville, so they moved on. The next week at Texas, Larson cruised to his fourth second-place finish this season. At Bristol, Kyle Larson’s aggressive style allows him to score fast lap points from anywhere in the field. (6.1 fppk)


Drivers 6-10

Rank	Driver	Salary
6.	Brad Keselowski	$10,300
7.	Martin Truex Jr.	$9,500
8.	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	$7,100
9.	Jimmie Johnson	$9,700
10.	Ryan Blaney	$8,200

6. Brad Keselowski ($10,300) – Based on a return on investment, Keselowski has been the second-best fantasy NASCAR driver this season. He's just a smidge below Truex. It could dip a little this week, though. After back-to-back wins at Bristol in 2011-12, BK only has three top-10s between 2012-16. (6.2 fppk)

7. Martin Truex, Jr. ($9,500) – The 78 car is a monster at tracks that are a mile and a half or longer. That statement leads fantasy NASCAR players to believe he struggles at short tracks. That's not the case. Look at it this way: At long tracks, he's platinum. At short tracks, he's gold. (6.3 fppk)

8. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. ($7,100) – Since the inception of the DraftKings NASCAR rankings, Stenhouse has been lauded as a great pick at Bristol. He has yet to let the rankings down. He's finished sixth or better in four of the last six races at Bristol, and his worst finish is 21st at a track notorious for wrecks. (4.1 fppk)

9. Jimmie Johnson ($9,700) – The only lap that matter is the last lap, and no one knows that better than Jimmie Johnson. He won the Texas race, but only led the fifth-most laps. He doesn't consistently pile up fantasy points, but when he starts in the 20s, he's a no-brainer. (4.6 fppk)

10. Ryan Blaney ($8,200) – Time to eat crow. Blaney is still the king of negative place differential points, but at Texas, he proved himself to be a lap leader. This could be another good week for Blaney. Last year, his average running positions were 15th and 10th at Bristol. (5.3 fppk)


Drivers 11-15

Rank	Driver	Salary
11.	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	$8,600
12.	Kurt Busch	$7,700
13.	Jamie McMurray	$8,000
14.	Denny Hamlin	$8,800
15	Erik Jones	$7,800

11. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ($8,600) – If you look at the record books, then you'll be impressed by Junior's average finish of 13th (third best). Actually, he has the best average finish among drivers with 10 or more races. Debbie Downer time: Those stats are from his early in his career. (2.6 fppk)

12. Kurt Busch ($7,700) – The good news is that Kurt finished a race, and in 10th place. The typical Kurt Busch top-10 is fine if he does it every week. This year he's too volatile and lacks upside. He has a low fantasy point ceiling and very low floor. (2.3 fppk)

13. Jamie McMurray ($8,000) – Chip Ganassi Racing figured something out. The 42 and 1 car are fast. Jamie Mac has four top-10s in the last six races this season. In the last 10 Bristol races, he has nine top-20s. That's impressive at this chaotic bullring. (2.5 fppk)

14. Denny Hamlin ($8,800) – Flip the switch in your DFS brain. It's a short track, so Hamlin is back in play. Now, turn the knob on the volatility setting to the maximum. In the last 10 Bristol races, Hamlin has four finishes of sixth or better, and six finishes of 20th or worse. (2.0 fppk)

15. Erik Jones ($7,800) – Dare we dive into the Xfinity series stats? In four lower level races at Bristol, Jones scored three poles, three top-10s and a win. He's been a top-15 driver every week this year. There is no reason for that to change this week unless he's caught in a wreck. (4.1 fppk)


Drivers 16-20

Rank	Driver	Salary
16.	Ryan Newman	$7,500
17.	Clint Bowyer	$8,400
18.	Matt Kenseth	$9,100
19.	Austin Dillon	$7,300
20.	Landon Cassill

16. Ryan Newman ($7,500) – Bristol will take out the best drivers and not think twice. Not that Newman isn't a good driver, but he submits to the universe. He's glad to take his top-15 and shuffle on down the road. DFS players should be glad to take a top-15 driver and get to shuffling. (3.0 fppk)

17. Clint Bowyer ($8,400) – One of his few bright spots in 2016 was Bowyer's eighth-place finish in the spring Bristol race. How did he achieve this with inferior equipment? It's simple, he didn't wreck. Bowyer may not be the car out front, but at the end, he could be swimming in the top-five. (4.0 fppk)

18. Matt Kenseth ($9,100) – In the last three Bristol races, Kenseth has suffered a mechanical failure or wrecked. It can't happen four times in a row. That was probably said before the third Bristol wreck last August. (1.5 fppk)

19. Austin Dillon ($7,300) – This has clearly been the worst season of Austin Dillon's career. That's not just Monster Energy Series; that's every level of racing. Dillon is skilled enough, the car is fast enough, and he's cheap enough. He has four top-15s in six Bristol races. (3.0 fppk)

20. Landon Cassill ($5,300) – A punt enters the rankings. First of all, this race can see a lot of good cars wreck. Why not save some salary? Last year, in his first season with Front Row Motorsports, Cassill finished 20th and 22nd at Bristol. (3.5 fppk)

NXS Race Preview: Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 at Bristol

NASCAR XFINITY Series
Next Race: Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300
The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, April 22
The Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 12 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 159.9 miles (300 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 85),
Stage 2 (Ends on lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on lap 300)

NXS Quick Facts:
Races: 69
Pole Winners: 47
Youngest Pole Winner: Erik Jones (04/18/2015 - 18 years, 9 months, 19 days)
Oldest Pole Winner: Harry Gant (08/26/1994 - 54 years, 7 months, 16 days)
Race Winners: 44
Youngest Winner: Erik Jones (04/16/2016 - 19 years, 9 months, 17 days)
Oldest Winner: Harry Gant (04/04/1992 - 52 years, 2 months, 25 days)
Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 10
Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Erik Jones (04/16/2016)
Race Record: Elliott Sadler 94.74mph (03/17/2012)
Qualifying Record: Erik Jones 127.903mph (08/19/2016)

NXS News & Notes:

XFINITY Dash 4 Cash Returns With $1 Million Still On The Line

Returning this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway for its second installment of the 2017 season is the NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash program. Justin Allgaier took home the first Dash 4 Cash win and the gigantic payload ($100K) earlier this season at Phoenix International Raceway. If Allgaier can win the Dash 4 Cash at the next three scheduled events (Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and Dover International Speedway) he will not only bring home a total of $400,000 in winnings, but XFINITY will also tack on an additional $600,000 to bring Allgaier’s Dash 4 Cash win total to a cool million dollars.

But, before Allgaier becomes a millionaire, he will need to win the Dash 4 Cash at Bristol this weekend. The Riverton, Illinois native has made 12 starts at Bristol, posting his first career NASCAR XFINITY Series win (2010), five top fives, seven top 10s and an average finish of 12.7. In his last four starts at Bristol, he has finished in the top-10; including a runner-up finish last fall. Justin Allgaier has won the last two consecutive Dash 4 Cash events dating back to 2016 – Indianapolis last season and Phoenix a few weeks back.

The XFINITY Dash 4 Cash program began in 2009. This weekend will mark the third time Bristol Motor Speedway has hosted the XFINITY Dash 4 Cash program. Daniel Suárez won the first Dash 4 Cash check at Bristol in 2015 and Erik Jones won it in 2016.

Quick Reminder of The Dash 4 Cash Race Formats

·         Coors Light Pole Qualifying will determine the starting positions for the race.

·         The field will then begin the race with Stage 1, followed by Stage 2 and the Final Stage.

·         Based on the participation guidelines announced last year, drivers with more than five years of full-time experience are restricted from the four races in the Dash 4 Cash program.

Dash 4 Cash Eligibility
    The top two finishing NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers who have declared for series points in each of the two stages will make up the four-driver Dash 4 Cash field for the Final Stage. Once Stage 1 is complete, the two drivers who lock into the main field won't have their position counted against other Dash 4 Cash-eligible drivers following Stage 2 to ensure a four-driver field.
    The field will then begin the race with Stage 1, followed by Stage 2 and the Final Stage. At Bristol Motor Speedway: Stage 1 (Ends on lap 85), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on lap 300)
    The highest finisher in the final stage among the four Dash 4 Cash drivers wins the Dash 4 Cash and a $100,000 prize.
    Plus, don’t forget if a driver earns two Dash 4 Cash bonus wins over the four Dash 4 Cash races, that qualifies them for the NASCAR XFINITY Series playoffs.

Six Different Winners Through First Six XFINITY Races

For the 11th time in NASCAR XFINITY Series history (since 1982) the first six races of the season have seen six different winners. Ryan Reed (Daytona), Kyle Busch (Atlanta), Joey Logano (Las Vegas), Justin Allgaier (Phoenix), Kyle Larson (Auto Club) and Erik Jones (Texas) are this season’s six different winners.

The NASCAR XFINITY Series record for largest number of different winners in a single season is 18 – set back in 1988. Last season the NASCAR XFINITY Series had 14 different winners.

A total of 44 different drivers have won in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Bristol, and of the six different winners that have an opportunity to become the first repeat winner of 2017, four of them have wins at Bristol. Just three are entered this weekend - Joey Logano has two BMS victories, Erik Jones and Justin Allgaier each have one.

Even At This Point In The Season Stage Points Are Making The Difference

Not only has the addition of Stage racing added great action on the track, but it also creates a new dynamic in the strategy to accumulate points. Teams that have embraced the new format are starting to see the dividends of their hard work.

Not surprising to see, the NASCAR XFINITY Series points leader, Elliott Sadler, is also the driver with the most Stage points at 62 through the first seven races – 26 from Stage 1 and 36 from Stage 2. Sadler’s 62 Stage points account for 27.5% of his overall driver standings total of 225 points.

Close behind Sadler in Stage point accumulation is his JR Motorsports teammate William Byron, who has the second-most Stage 1 and 2 points at 43 – 25 from Stage 1 and 18 from Stage 2.  Byron is currently second in the NASCAR XFINITY Series points just six markers back from Sadler in the standings lead. Byron’s Stage 1 and 2 points make up 19.6% of his overall driver standings total of 219 points.

So why are Stage points so important this season? Consider this: If Stage 1 and Stage 2 points were not in play this season (and points were just awarded for where a driver finishes) Elliott Sadler would not be the current points leader. William Byron would hold that distinction instead (see below chart).

Tracks

	Sadler's Finishes	Sadler's Final Stage Points	Byron's Finishes	Byron's Final Stage Points
Daytona	24	13	9	28
Atlanta	5	32	7	30
Las Vegas	8	29	14	23
Phoenix	5	32	4	33
California	7	30	5	32
Texas	10	27	7	30
Avg. Finishes & Total Pts	9.8	163	7.7	176

Byron has posted a better average finish (7.7) than Sadler (9.8) and in doing so has accumulated 13 more Final Stage points than Sadler. Sadler’s 19-point advantage over Byron in Stage 1 and Stage 2 point accumulation is the difference in him leading and not leading the standings following Texas.  Keep in mind, finishing the regular season as the points leader guarantees the competitor 15 playoff points, which will be an advantage to advance them through the playoff rounds.

Stage points are here and as important as ever.   

Five Different Winners In Last Five Races At Bristol

Bristol Motor Speedway has a current streak of five different NASCAR XFINITY Series winners dating back to the fall of 2014; boding the question, will we see a sixth?

While it could happen, it may be tough. Four of the five previous winners in the current streak are entered this weekend – Austin Dillon (2016 Fall winner), Erik Jones (2016 Spring), Joey Logano (2015 Spring) and Ryan Blaney (2014 Fall). The series leader in wins at Bristol, Kyle Busch (eight wins), is the only one not entered.

Bristol has hosted six NXS first-time winners: Justin Allgaier (2010), Martin Truex Jr. (2004), Jeff Fuller (1996), Bobby Labonte (1991), Rick Wilson (1989) and Phil Parsons (1982).

Darrell Wallace Jr. Can Tie Jack Ingram’s Series Record This Weekend
Darrell Wallace Jr. and crew chief Seth Barbour are also on a hot streak, finishing sixth in the last five consecutive races.  If Wallace finishes sixth next weekend at Bristol, he will tie Jack Ingram for the series record lead in consecutive single finishing positions inside the top-10. Ingram finished second a series record six times in 1983.

Ingram’s record of six consecutive second-place finishes in 1983 started on June 25, 1983 at South Boston, and carried on to Rougemont (7/2/83), Caraway (7/6/83), Rougemont (7/9/83), South Boston (7/23/83) and Hickory (7/30/83). If Wallace does match Ingram’s feat, he will have done it on six different tracks.

Wallace’s recent success has given him the third-best average finishing positon (10.5) through the first six races this season.

Wallace has made four series starts at BMS, posting an average finish of 14.0; including a seventh-place finish last fall.

"I love racing at Bristol and in Tennessee," said Wallace. "Growing up a huge Vols fan it’s really cool to be racing in Vol Country. This place is a ton of fun to race on and hopefully we can keep our streak going and get a couple spots better than sixth with our Leidos Mustang. I’m definitely looking forward to getting there this weekend."

NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.:
Additional Milestones & Current Streaks – Elliott Sadler, for the fifth-time in his career, is looking to extend his streak of consecutive top-10 finishes to six straight this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Sadler posted a career-record 16 consecutive top-10 finishes last season, tying Brad Keselowski for the fourth-most all-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. … William Byron is the only driver left in the 2017 season to complete every single lap (1,037 laps completed; 100%) of his scheduled laps this season.

Koch & Rice To Give Command For Speedway Children’s Charities 5k - Friday evening, April 21st, Kaulig Racing’s driver Blake Koch and crew chief Chris Rice will give the command to start the Speedway Children’s Charities Spring Race 5K presented by Agero at Bristol Motor Speedway before participating in the event themselves.

"Speedway Children’s Charities, Agero and BMS have done a great job organizing this event and I’m honored to be a grand marshal, but also look forward to participating in the event with my family," said Koch. "Fitness is such a huge part of what I do in the race car and it’s awesome to be able to share that with NASCAR fans and raise money to help some great kids along the way."

Koch participate in a meet-n-greet with fans at 7:15 p.m. ET before joining Chris Rice and "Ducky" Keller to give the command for the 7:30 p.m. ET start time.  The Spring Race 5K will start at BMS’ Orange Bridge, circle the BMS campgrounds and colosseum and end with a lap around the apron of the famed half-mile speedway.  At the conclusion, fans are invited to stay for a big party at the end--in true Bristol fashion. Registration is $25 with all proceeds benefitting local children through Speedway Children's Charities.

MENCS Race Preview: Food City 500 at Bristol

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Food City 500
The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
The Date: Sunday, April 23
The Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: FOX, 2 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 266.5 miles (500 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 125),
Stage 2 (Ends on lap 250), Final Stage (Ends on lap 500)

MENCS Quick Facts:

Races: 112
Pole Winners: 48
Youngest Pole Winner: Joey Logano (03/21/2010 - 19 years, 9 months, 25 days)
Oldest Pole Winner: Harry Gant (08/27/1994 - 54 years, 7 months, 17 days)
Race Winners: 42
Youngest Winner: Kyle Busch (03/25/2007 - 21 years, 10 months, 23 days)
Oldest Winner: Dale Earnhardt (08/28/1999 - 48 years, 3 months, 30 days)
Races Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): 24
Last Race Won from Pole (or 1st Starting Position): Carl Edwards (04/17/2016)
Race Record: Charlie Glotzbach 101.074mph (07/11/1971)
Qualifying Record: Denny Hamlin 131.407mph (08/22/2015)

MENCS News & Notes:

Busch Bros At Bristol

The Busch brothers will battle at Bristol Motor Speedway for sole possession of the active track wins lead in Sunday’s Food City 500 (2 p.m. ET on FOX). Kyle and Kurt pace active drivers with five victories each at "The Last Great Colosseum."

Despite their successes, Kyle hasn’t won at Bristol since spring of 2011 and Kurt hasn’t visited Victory Lane there since spring of 2006. In 23 starts at the .533-mile short track, Kyle claims eight top fives, 13 top 10s and a 14.3 average finish. Kurt has nine top fives and 16 top 10s in 32 Bristol starts.

Kyle has the second-best Bristol driver rating (100.5), while Kurt’s is fifth-best (93.1).

Harvick Hopes For Second Straight Bristol Win

Last August’s Bristol winner Kevin Harvick will go for his second consecutive victory at the Tennessee track Sunday. The No. 4 Ford driver led 128 laps last summer to beat Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to the finish line by 1.933 seconds. Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five.

In 32 starts at Bristol, Harvick owns two wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s and a 15.4 average finish. He boasts the second-best average running position (12.2) and third-best driver rating (95.7) at the .533-mile track.

Harvick ranks first in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with 419 laps led (19.6%) this season.

He is currently 10th in the points standings (117 markers behind leader Kyle Larson) and holds three playoff points as a result of his three stage wins.

Logano Looks To Continue Bristol Success

Joey Logano will attempt to continue his recent Bristol success. He has logged four top-10 finishes, including two wins, in his last five starts at the Tennessee short track.

Although he’s done well at Bristol lately, his only career top-10 finish in the spring race there was his 10th-place showing last year.

The 26-year-old Connecticut native has quietly wheeled his No. 22 Ford to a hot start this season. He has finished sixth or better in every race except for Phoenix, where he crashed after leading 82 laps and winning the first stage.

Logano is coming off a season-best third-place showing at Texas. He sits fifth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings – 72 points behind leader Kyle Larson.

Kenseth Can Build Momentum At Bristol

Although, Matt Kenseth has three top-10 finishes, he’s dug himself into a hole to start the season with three finishes of 36 or worse. He currently sits 22nd in the points standings, 189 markers behind first-place Kyle Larson.

Sunday’s Food City 500 could be a panacea for Kenseth. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has four wins, 13 top fives, 20 top 10s and a 14.2 average finish at Bristol.

Kenseth boasts the best average running position (11.4) and driver rating (100.9) at The Last Great Colosseum. He won the Bristol spring race in 2015.

Larson Heads To Bristol As Series Points Leader
Kyle Larson continued his breakout season at Texas with his fourth runner-up showing. The result marked his fifth top-two finish in the last six races.

Only four other drivers have logged as many top-two finishes as Larson’s five through the first seven races of a season: Kevin Harvick (6 top fives; 2015), Dale Earnhardt (5; 1987), Bobby Allison (5; 1972, 1979), Cale Yarborough (5, 1974).

The No. 42 Chevrolet driver has the top average finish (5.4) in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but more importantly, he leads the points standings by 17 markers over second-place Chase Elliott. Martin Truex Jr. (-40) sits third, followed by Brad Keselowski (-41) and Joey Logano (-72). Ryan Blaney (-91), Kyle Busch (-104), Jamie McMurray (-106), Clint Bowyer (-111) and Kevin Harvick (-117) round out the top 10.

Larson will attempt to extend his points lead at Bristol, a track where he’s logged only two top 10s in six starts and has an average finish of 21.5.

Remember, the regular season points leader earns 15 playoff points.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.
Food City Celebrates 25th Year With Bristol Motor Speedway
Food City celebrates its 25th year of partnership for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The company claims the second longest race entitlement sponsorship in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and is Bristol Motor Speedway’s longest serving partner.

Bayne Returns To Home State
Knoxville, Tennessee native Trevor Bayne returns to his home state to race in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. In five starts at Bristol, Bayne has an average finish of 18.8 and a high showing of fifth.

Fantasy Sleepers and Value Picks – Bristol Motor Speedway (Food City 500)

Matt Kenseth has 4 wins, 13 Top-5's and 20 Top-10's.

Sleepers:

Matt Kenseth: There’s no denying that Matt Kenseth has had a rough start to 2017. He’s wrecked three times in seven races and his asking price has dropped considerably. But right now, is the perfect time to start Kenseth. He’s an absolute sleeping giant at Bristol. In 34 career starts at Bristol, Kenseth has four wins, 13 top fives, 20 top 10s and has led 1,572 laps – which is second-most among active drivers. Since 2005, Kenseth has a driver rating of 100.9 at Bristol and has run 77.7% of his laps in the top 15. He’s a must-start this week.

Jamie McMurray: Jamie McMurray remains a quality sleeper play as of late. In seven races this season, he has scored four top 10s and has led 13 laps this season. He sits 19th in fantasy points averaged over his last three races. In 10 of McMurray’s last 11 starts at Bristol, he has placed top-20 or better. He’s led 179 career laps at Bristol and owns an average finish of 16.5. Since 2015, McMurray has run 80.6% of his laps in the top 15 – which is good for third among active drivers.

Erik Jones: Erik Jones continues to reward the #FantasyNASCAR owners that are inserting him into their lineups. At Texas, Jones started 36th and finished 22nd – netting a +14 place differential. Jones has scored positive place differential in four of seven races, in cluding his last three. The Sunoco Rookie ranks 11th in fantasy points averaged over his last three races. His price remains equitable heading into Bristol. In four career NASCAR XFINITY Series races there, Jones has one win, three top fives, three top 10s and three poles.

Kasey Kahne: Kasey Kahne remains a consistent fantasy sleeper and is one worth high consideration at Bristol. In 26 career starts at Bristol, Kahne has one win, five top fives and 10 top 10s. He’s led 512 career laps there and owns an average finish of 18.2. Since 2015, Kahne has run 63.8% of his laps in the top 15 at Bristol and owns an average mid-race running position of 14.3. His price makes him worth a start here as Kahne has had a strong start to 2017. He’s placed 20th or better in six of the first seven races this season.

Value Plays:

Aric Almirola: It cannot be stressed enough how much of a steal Aric Almirola is right now in #FantasyNASCAR. Almirola has not had a race yet this season where he has had negative place differential. He’s currently averaging a finish of 16.7, with an average place differential of +7.3. He makes for an elite value play heading into Bristol, as he currently ranks 18th in fantasy points averaged over his last three races. Since 2015, Almirola has a +5.5 average place differential at Bristol, with an average finish of 19.5.

Ty Dillon: Since Ty Dillon finished 30th at Daytona, he has yet to finish outside the top-22 over his last six races. Dillon has scored positive place differential in four of his last five races and owns an average finish of 19.9 on the season. He remains a quality value play at this point as he consistently is navigating his way to the front from wherever he starts. He ranks 20th in fantas y points averaged over his last three races. Dillon has made one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Bristol and finished 25th after starting 34th (+9).

Chris Buescher: If you’ve had Chris Buescher in your #Fantas yNASCAR lineup the last two races, you’re reaping the benefits. If not, you may want to add him in this week at Bristol. In his last two races, Buescher has had positive place differential numbers of +17 (Texas) and + 22 (Martinsville). He currently sits 14th in fantasy points averaged over his last three races. In Buescher’s three career races at Bristol, he progressively has finished better each time. He finished 25th, 21st and fifth. In those three races, Buescher has averaged a place differential of +6.7.

Matt DiBenedetto: Matt DiBenedetto makes for a quality low salary value pick this week at Bristol. For his price, he should be considered across all leagues. In four career races at Bristol, DiBenedetto has finished top- 25 or better in three of them, including finishing sixth in this race a year ago. He holds an average place differential of +9.8 at Bristol and owns an average finish of 19.2. In his lone race at Bristol of finishing outside the top-25, DiBenedetto still salvaged the race and scored a +9.0 place differential. He is a steal at the value level this week.

Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Food City 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – 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 April 23 at 2 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR radio.

BRISTOL-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry)

·        Five wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 14.261, third-best

·        Average Running Position of 13.750, sixth-best

·        Driver Rating of 100.5, second-best

·        750 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 116.266, fifth-fastest

·        7316 Laps in the Top 15 (63.5), seventh-most

·        563 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Fusion)

·        Five wins, nine top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 16.250, 10th-best

·        Average Running Position of 13.296, fourth-best

·        Driver Rating of 93.1, fifth-best

·        438 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 116.184, sixth-fastest

·        8032 Laps in the Top 15 (66.8), fourth-most

·        796 Quality Passes, series-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS)

·        One win, eight top fives, 16 top 10s

·        Average finish of 11.522, second-best

·        Average Running Position of 15.131, 10th-best

·        Driver Rating of 87.4, ninth-best

·        272 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 116.102, ninth-fastest

·        6615 Laps in the Top 15 (57.4), 10th-most

·        588 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Chase Elliott (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS)

·        One top five, one top 10

·        Average finish of 9.500, series-best

·        Average Running Position of 12.854, third-best

·        Driver Rating of 94.9, fourth-best

·        36 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 116.387, second-fastest

·        685 Laps in the Top 15 (68.5), second-most

·        112 Quality Passes, 13th-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry)

·        One win, six top fives, ten top 10s; three poles

·        Average finish of 16.182, ninth-best

·        Average Running Position of 15.083, ninth-best

·        Driver Rating of 90.2, eighth-best

·        483 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 116.106, eighth-fastest

·        6512 Laps in the Top 15 (59.1), ninth-most

·        565 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Fusion)

·        Two wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 15.417, sixth-best

·        Average Running Position of 12.179, second-best

·        Driver Rating of 95.7, third-best

·        650 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 116.367, third-fastest

·        8135 Laps in the Top 15 (67.6), third-most

·        689 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS)

·        One win, ten top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 14.667, fourth-best

·        Average Running Position of 13.480, fifth-best

·        Driver Rating of 91.6, sixth-best

·        596 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 116.037, 11th-fastest

·        8012 Laps in the Top 15 (66.6), fifth-most

·        613 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS)

·        One win, five top fives, ten top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 17.208, 11th-best

·        Average Running Position of 16.322, 12th-best

·        Driver Rating of 87.0, 11th-best

·        494 Fastest Laps Run, third-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 115.998, 12th-fastest

·        6751 Laps in the Top 15 (56.1), 12th-most

·        770 Quality Passes, second-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry)

·        Four wins, 13 top fives, 20 top 10s; two poles

·        Average finish of 14.708, fifth-best

·        Average Running Position of 11.401, series-best

·        Driver Rating of 100.9, series-best

·        628 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 116.347, fourth-fastest

·        9347 Laps in the Top 15 (77.7), series-most

·        763 Quality Passes, third-most

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Team Penske Ford Fusion

·        Two wins, four top fives, five top 10s

·        Average finish of 15.929, eighth-best

·        Average Running Position of 14.042, seventh-best

·        Driver Rating of 91.5, seventh-best

·        242 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 116.102, 10th-fastest

·        4419 Laps in the Top 15 (63.0), eighth-most

·        543 Quality Passes, 10th-most

Kyle Larson (No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet SS)

·        Two top 10s

·        Average finish of 21.500, 13th-best

·        Average Running Position of 16.311, 11th-best

·        Driver Rating of 87.4, 10th-best

·        135 Fastest Laps Run, series-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 116.416, series-fastest

·        1731 Laps in the Top 15 (57.4), 11th-most

·        253 Quality Passes, 12th-most

Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford Fusion)

·        Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s; one pole

·        Average finish of 17.563, 12th-best

·        Average Running Position of 17.800, 13th-best

·        Driver Rating of 85.8, 12th-best

·        250 Fastest Laps Run, second-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 116.133, seventh-fastest

·        4066 Laps in the Top 15 (50.7), 13th-most

·        487 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Ryan Newman (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet SS)

·        Two top fives, 16 top 10s; three poles

·        Average finish of 15.875, seventh-best

·        Average Running Position of 15.078, eighth-best

·        Driver Rating of 85.6, 13th-best

·        171 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best

·        Average Green Flag Speed of 115.912, 13th-fastest

·        7764 Laps in the Top 15 (64.6), sixth-most

·        689 Quality Passes, fifth-most

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2017 Top 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Kyle Larson	6	0	0	0	2	1	21.5	87.4
2	Chase Elliott	2	0	0	1	1	0	9.5	94.9
3	Martin Truex Jr	22	0	0	2	2	2	20.9	82.0
4	Brad Keselowski	14	0	2	4	5	0	15.9	91.5
5	Joey Logano	16	1	2	3	6	1	17.6	85.8
6	Ryan Blaney	3	0	0	0	0	0	22.7	79.0
7	Kyle Busch	23	1	5	8	13	3	14.3	100.5
8	Jamie McMurray	28	0	0	3	11	1	16.5	80.1
9	Clint Bowyer	22	0	0	6	10	2	15.7	79.6
10	Kevin Harvick	32	1	2	11	15	3	13.9	95.7
11	Jimmie Johnson	30	1	1	10	17	1	14.2	91.6
12	Trevor Bayne	5	0	0	1	1	0	18.8	64.7
13	Ryan Newman	30	3	0	2	16	3	16.4	85.6
15	Kurt Busch	32	1	5	9	16	3	14.8	93.1
16	Denny Hamlin	22	3	1	6	10	2	16.2	90.2

* – Based on last 24 races at Bristol Motor Speedway (2005 – 2016).

2017 Stage Winners / Drivers with Playoff Points

Track	Stage 1 Winner	Stage 2 Winner	Race Winner		Playoff Pts. Following Race #7
Daytona	Kyle Busch	Kevin Harvick	Kurt Busch		Drivers	Playoff Points
Atlanta	Kevin Harvick	Kevin Harvick	Brad Keselowski		Brad Keselowski	10
Las Vegas	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.		Martin Truex Jr.	9
Phoenix	Joey Logano	Chase Elliott	Ryan Newman		Kyle Larson	6
Auto Club	Kyle Larson	Martin Truex Jr.	Kyle Larson		Ryan Newman	5
Martinsville	Martin Truex Jr.	Chase Elliott	Brad Keselowski		Kurt Busch	5
Texas	Ryan Blaney	Ryan Blaney	Jimmie Johnson		Jimmie Johnson	5
Bristol					Kevin Harvick	3
Richmond					Chase Elliott	2
Talladega					Ryan Blaney	2
					Joey Logano	1
					Kyle Busch	1

2017 Stage 1 And 2 Points

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Rank	Drivers	Stage 1 Pts	Stage 2 Pts	Combined
1	Kyle Larson	45	42	87
2	Chase Elliott	35	50	85
3	Brad Keselowski	44	38	82
4	Martin Truex Jr.	45	28	73
5	Ryan Blaney	36	25	61
6	Kyle Busch	33	21	54
7	Jamie McMurray	30	21	51
8	Kevin Harvick	26	25	51
9	Joey Logano	22	18	40
10	Jimmie Johnson	13	24	37
11	Clint Bowyer	10	13	23
12	Denny Hamlin	16	4	20
13	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	8	11	19
14	Erik Jones #	3	16	19
15	Ryan Newman	7	12	19
16	Kurt Busch	0	13	13
17	Austin Dillon	2	5	7
18	Danica Patrick	1	6	7
19	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	7	0	7
20	Matt Kenseth	2	4	6
21	AJ Allmendinger	0	5	5
22	Trevor Bayne	0	3	3
23	Kasey Kahne	0	1	1

2017 MENCS Playoff Grid Outlook
Pos.	Drivers	Wins	Playoff Points	Points
1	Brad Keselowski	2	10	274
2	Martin Truex Jr.	1	9	275
3	Kyle Larson	1	6	315
4	Jimmie Johnson	1	5	190
5	Ryan Newman	1	5	163
6	Kurt Busch	1	5	151
7	Kevin Harvick	0	3	198
8	Chase Elliott	0	2	298
9	Ryan Blaney	0	2	224
10	Joey Logano	0	1	243
11	Kyle Busch	0	1	211
12	Jamie McMurray	0	0	209
13	Clint Bowyer	0	0	204
14	Trevor Bayne	0	0	164
15	Erik Jones	0	0	159
16	Denny Hamlin	0	0	151

Bristol Motor Speedway Data Season Race #: 08 of 36 (04-23-17) Track Size: 0.533-miles Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24-28 degrees Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 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 & 2 Length: 125 laps (each) Final Stage Length: 250 laps Top 10 Active Driver Ratings at Bristol Matt Kenseth............................ 100.9 Kyle Busch............................... 100.5 Kevin Harvick............................. 95.7 Chase Elliott............................... 94.9 Kurt Busch................................. 93.1 Jimmie Johnson.......................... 91.6 Brad Keselowski......................... 91.5 Denny Hamlin............................. 90.2 Dale Earnhardt Jr....................... 87.4 Kyle Larson................................ 87.4 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2016 races (24 total) among active drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway Qualifying/Race Data 2016 pole winner: Carl Edwards, Toyota 127.997 mph, 14.991 secs. 04-15-16 2016 race winner: Carl Edwards, Toyota 81.637 mph, (3:15:52), 04-17-16 Track qualifying record: Denny Hamlin, Toyota 131.407 mph, 14.602 secs. 08-21-15 Track race record: Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet 101.074 mph, (2:38:12), 07-11-71

At Bristol Motor Speedway:

History

·        Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960. The track was an exact half-mile.

·        First Monster Energy NASCAR Cup race was July 30, 1961; Jack Smith won the event (with relief from Johnny Allen).

·        All of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps.

·        In the fall of 1969, the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533-miles.

·        The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.

·        The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.

·        The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992.

·        The name changed to Bristol Motor Speedway in May 1996.

·        The track was resurfaced between races in 2007, and the turns were ground down in 2012 to eliminate part of the progressive banking.

Starts

·        There have been 112 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the first race in 1961, two races each season.

·        441 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol; 311 in more than one.

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Bristol with 60. Matt Kenseth leads all active MENCS drivers with 34 starts.

·        Joey Logano leads all active MENCS drivers in average starting position at Bristol with a 7.760. 

·        Logano (7.760) and Chase Elliott (9.500) are the only two active drivers with an average starting position inside the top 10.

·        Ryan Newman leads the series among active drivers with the most Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol without visiting Victory Lane at 30.

·        Paul Menard (19 starts) leads the series in starts with the fewest DNFs (0) at Bristol.

·        Thirty-three drivers have made their first series career start at Bristol Motor Speedway; but only one is currently active in the MENCS - AJ Allmendinger (03/25/2007).  

Poles

·        Fred Lorenzen won the inaugural Coors Light pole with a speed of 79.225 mph in a Ford.

·        48 different drivers have poles at Bristol, led by Mark Martin and Cale Yarborough with nine each.  Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman lead all active drivers with three each.

·        10 different drivers have posted consecutive poles at Bristol Motor Speedway; Mark Martin is the only of the 10 to win four consecutive poles at Bristol: Fireball Roberts (swept 1962), Fred Lorenzen (swept 1963), Richard Petty (1967-’68), Bobby Allison (swept 1972), Cale Yarborough (swept 1973; swept 1977; swept 1980), Darrell Waltrip (swept 1981), Geoff Bodine (swept 1986), Mark Martin (swept 1995-1996– all four races; and swept 2009); Rusty Wallace (swept 1998), Jeff Gordon (swept 2002) and Denny Hamlin (fall 2013, spring 2014).

·        Youngest Bristol pole winner: Joey Logano (3/21/2010 – 19 years, 9 months, 25 days) – his first career series pole.

·        Oldest Bristol pole winner: Harry Gant (8/27/1994 – 54 years, 7 months, 17 days).

·        Seven different drivers have posted their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career pole at Bristol. Joey Logano is the only active driver to win his first MENCS pole at Bristol (03/21/2010).

Wins

·        42 different drivers have won at Bristol, led by Darrell Waltrip (12). Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch each have five wins, the most among active drivers.

·        12 drivers have won consecutive MENCS races at Bristol led by Darrell Waltrip with seven consecutive victories from 1981-1984. The other 11 are 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 Brad Keselowski (2011 fall-2012 spring).

·        Youngest Bristol winner: Kyle Busch (03/25/2007 – 21 years, 10 months, 23 days).

·        Oldest Bristol winner: Dale Earnhardt (08/28/1999 – 48 years, 3 months, 30 days).

·        Five drivers have posted their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career win at Bristol Motor Speedway: Dale Earnhardt (04/01/1979), Rusty Wallace (04/06/1986), Ernie Irvan (03/25/1990), Elliott Sadler (03/25/2001) and Kurt Busch (03/24/2002).

·        Junior Johnson leads the series in car owner wins at Bristol with 16; Roger Penske leads the series among active car owners with the most wins at Bristol with 12.

·        The race winner has started from the pole 24 times (21.6%) - the most productive starting position. The last driver to win from the pole was Carl Edwards (Spring, 2016).

·        Six drivers have won from the pole 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).

·        37 of the 112 (33%) MENCS races at Bristol have been won from the front row: Pole position (24 wins); second-place (13 wins).

·        65 of the 112 (58%) MENCS races have been won from a top-five starting position.

·        89 of the 112 (79.4%) MENCS races have been won from a top-10 starting position

·        Six of the 112 (5.4%) races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20; most recent was Kevin Harvick in 2016 fall race – he started 24th. 

·        The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 38th, by Elliott Sadler in 2001.

·        Eight different manufacturers have won in the MENCS at Bristol; led by Chevrolet with 43 victories; followed by Ford (36), Toyota (9), Dodge (8), Pontiac (8), Buick (4), Plymouth (3) and Oldsmobile (1).

·        Four car numbers have produced eight or more Bristol MENCS wins:

Car Number – (Number of Wins) – Most Recent Win

o   No. 11  - (19 wins) – Denny Hamlin, 2012

o   No. 2 – (12 wins) – Brad Keselowski, 2012

o   No. 17 – (eight wins) – Matt Kenseth, 2006

o   No. 3 – (eight wins) – Dale Earnhardt, 1999

Additional Finishing Position Stats

·        Richard Petty leads the series in runner-up finishes at Bristol with 10; Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers with five; followed by Kyle Busch with three.

·        Darrell Waltrip leads the series in top-three finishes at Bristol with 23 followed Richard Petty with 18. Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth lead all active drivers with 8 each.   

·        Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty lead the series in top-five finishes at Bristol with 26 each. Matt Kenseth leads all active drivers with 13; followed by Kevin Harvick with 11.

·        Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Bristol with 37. Matt Kenseth leads the series among active drivers in top-10 finishes with 20; followed by Jimmie Johnson (17).

·        Chase Elliott leads the series among active drivers in average finishing position at Bristol with a 9.5.

Average Finishing Positions at Bristol Motor Speedway
All-Time			Last Four Races (2015-2016)
Active Drivers	Average Finish		Active Drivers	Average Finish
Chase Elliott	9.500		Dale Earnhardt Jr	9.000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr	10.625		Jimmie Johnson	9.000
Dale Earnhardt Jr	12.515		Chase Elliott	9.500
Kevin Harvick	13.938		Ricky Stenhouse Jr	10.750
Jimmie Johnson	14.167		Jamie McMurray	11.500

Track/Event Specific Stats

·        13 of the last 17 MENCS races (76.4%) that have ended under green at Bristol Motor Speedway have a Margin of Victory of less than a second.

·        Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol is the 3/25/2007 race won by Kyle Busch with a MOV of 0.064 second.

·        Two of the 112 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions. The first was the 8/27/1983 race won by Darrell Waltrip and the second was on 3/31/1996 and won by Jeff Gordon.

·        Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway three times; most recently August 25, 2012.

·        There have been five NASCAR Overtime finishes at Bristol – all five were the spring race: 2007 (500/504); 2008 (500/506); 2009 (500/503); 2014 (500/503); 2015 (500/511).

Female Competitor Stats

·        Two female drivers have made Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Driver Rating	Date
Danica Patrick	29	22	43.3	8/20/2016
Danica Patrick	33	27	45.7	4/17/2016
Danica Patrick	32	27	55.8	8/22/2015
Danica Patrick	26	9	72.6	4/19/2015
Danica Patrick	24	27	45.2	8/23/2014
Danica Patrick	36	18	55.6	3/16/2014
Danica Patrick	22	26	46.2	8/24/2013
Danica Patrick	41	28	41.4	3/17/2013
Danica Patrick	43	29	46.3	8/25/2012
Averages	31.8	23.7	50.2
Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Janet Guthrie	9	6	8/28/1977
Janet Guthrie	21	11	4/17/1977
Averages	15	8.5

NASCAR in Tennessee

·        There has been a total of 332 NASCAR national series races among eight tracks in the state of Tennessee.

Track Name	City	MENCS	NXS	NCWTS	Total Races
Bristol Motor Speedway	Bristol	112	69	19	200
Nashville Speedway	Lebanon	42	9	5	56
Nashville Superspeedway	Nashville	0	21	13	34
Memphis Motorsports Park	Memphis	0	11	12	23
Smokey Mountain Raceway	Maryville	12	0	0	12
Kingsport Speedway	Kingsport	3	0	0	3
Chattanooga International Raceway	Chattanooga	2	0	0	2
Tennessee-Carolina Speedway	Newport	2	0	0	2
Totals		173	110	49	332

·        The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held in Tennessee was at Tennessee-Carolina Speedway on 10/07/1956 and won by Fireball Roberts.

Tennessee Drivers

·        106 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Tennessee.

·        14 drivers from Tennessee have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series.

Rank	Driver	Monster Energy	XFINITY	Camping World	Combined
1	Darrell Waltrip	84	13	0	97
2	Sterling Marlin	10	2	0	12
3	Bobby Hamilton	4	1	10	15
4	Joe Lee Johnson	2	0	0	2
5	Trevor Bayne	1	2	0	3
6	Paul Lewis	1	0	0	1
7	Bobby Hamilton Jr	0	5	0	5
8	Jeff Purvis	0	4	0	4
9	L.D. Ottinger	0	3	0	3
10	Mike Alexander	0	2	0	2
11	Casey Atwood	0	2	0	2
12	Brad Teague	0	1	0	1
13	Chad Chaffin	0	0	2	2
14	John King	0	0	1	1

·        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 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. 

·        Only two of the 14 drivers from Tennessee have won at least one race in the Monster Energy 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).

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
Chris Buescher	49	1	Attempt to make his 50th MENCS career start (282nd all-time)
Jimmie Johnson	81	2	Tie Cale Yarborough for sixth on MENCS all-time wins list
Kyle Busch	38	1	Tie Tim Flock (39) for 18th on all-time MENCS wins list
Matt Kenseth	38	1	Tie Tim Flock (39) for 18th on all-time MENCS wins list
Kevin Harvick	35	2	Tie Bobby Isaac (37) for 21st on MENCS all-time wins list
Kurt Busch	29	3	Tie Dale Jarrett (32) for 24th on all-time MENCS wins list
Denny Hamlin	29	3	Tie Dale Jarrett (32) for 24th on all-time MENCS wins list
Brad Keselowski	23	2	Tie Joe Weatherly, Jim Paschal (25) for 31st on all-time MENCS wins list
Ryan Newman	51	3	To tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time MENCS poles list
Jimmie Johnson	35	1	Tie Rusty Wallace and Rex White for 17th on all-time MENCS poles list
Kasey Kahne	27	1	Break the tie with Terry Labonte to become solely 25th on all-time MENCS poles list
Denny Hamlin	24	1	Break the tie with Alan Kulwicki to become solely 28th on all-time MENCS poles list
Kevin Harvick	48	1	Break the tie with Lee Petty and become solely 10th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
Jimmie Johnson	46	2	Tie Lee Petty and Kevin Harvick for 10th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
Matt Kenseth	29	1	Tie Ricky Rudd for 25th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
Kyle Busch	149	1	To become the 23rd driver to post 150 or more MENCS top-five finishes
Dale Earnhardt Jr	149	1	To become the 23rd driver to post 150 or more MENCS top-five finishes
Jimmie Johnson	331	1	Tie Lee Petty for 12th on the MENCS all-time top-10 finishes list
AJ Allmendinger	49	1	To post his 50th career MENCS top-10 finish
Kyle Busch	12,770	230	To become the 11th MENCS driver all-time to lead 13,000 or more laps
Kevin Harvick	10,660	340	To become 17th MENCS driver all-time to lead 11,000 or more laps
Kurt Busch	8,863	137	To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps
Ryan Newman	4,711	289	To become 40th MENCS driver all-time to lead 5,000 or more laps
Joey Logano	3,930	70	To become the 52nd MENCS driver all-time to lead 4,000 or more laps
Track Specific Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
Kurt Busch	5	1	Break tie with Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch to become solely fifth all-time on MENCS Bristol wins list and series most among active drivers
Kyle Busch	5	1	Break tie with Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch to become solely fifth all-time on MENCS Bristol wins list and series most among active drivers
Jack Roush	11	1	Tie Roger Penske for the second-most MENCS wins all-time at Bristol
Rick Hendrick	10	1	Tie Jack Roush for the third-most MENCS wins all-time at Bristol
Joe Gibbs	9	1	Tie Rick Hendrick for the fourth-most MENCS wins all-time at Bristol
Richard Childress	9	1	Tie Rick Hendrick for the fourth-most MENCS wins all-time at Bristol