NASCAR
Can Ricky Stenhouse Jr Make the Playoffs with a Bristol Win?
Since his rookie season of 2013, the best racetrack for Ricky Stenhouse Jr is Bristol Motor Speedway. His best result at Bristol was a runner up finish, which he has scored twice. This weekend, a Bristol win seems to be Stenhouse’s last chance at making the Playoffs, so can the 17 team end Saturday in victory lane?
Stenhouse’s Bristol Stats
In 11 career starts on the half mile track, Ricky Stenhouse Jr has 4 top 5s, and 6 top 10s. In addition to 2 2nd place finishes, he has also completed 99.9% of the laps he has raced here. Even with his stellar runs at Bristol, Ricky has yet to lead a lap on the Tennessee short track.
Ricky’s most recent 2nd place finish at Bristol came in this race 2 years ago. Back in 2016, Stenhouse finished behind only Kevin Harvick in his quest for a Bristol win. Earlier this season, Ricky was able to put together a solid 4th place result at Bristol.
Stenhouse’s 2018 Season to Date
Through 23 races in 2018, Ricky Stenhouse Jr has 2 top 5s, 3 top 10s, and 121 laps led. Back at Daytona in July, Stenhouse was arguably the fastest car in the field. He was the man to beat until causing a few major wrecks and getting taken out of contention. Daytona had a lot of pressure for Stenhouse, as his 2 restrictor plate wins put him into the postseason a year ago. Ricky was not able to capitalize on this shot at the victory, as he succumbed to the pressure by driving overly aggressive. Can Stenhouse put the pressure to perform behind him this weekend?
Stenhouse is now in a must-win situation if he wants to qualify for the Playoffs. The 17 car is currently 17th in points, 62 behind the cutoff line. Bristol is his best chance at a victory, as there are no more regular season superspeedway races.
Can the 17 Score a Bristol Win?
Even though his recent history here is among the best, I would not consider Stenhouse a favorite for the Bristol win. The top drivers in the sport have much more speed and higher chances at the victory than Stenhouse. While he does like racing in the tight confines of Bristol, Stenhouse’s 0 laps led mark shows room to improve at this track. However, Ricky could very easily have a top-10 or better car this weekend. With a late race restart, anything is possible on the high banked bullring. In short, I do not see the 17 as a favorite for the Bristol win, but it is far from impossible for the Roush-Fenway Racing team.
