Who Can be Bristol’s Ultimate Victor this Weekend?

Photo Credit to Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

NASCAR

Stratta’s Six: Who Will be Bashful En Route to a Bristol Triumph?

One of NASCAR’s most iconic, awe-inspiring, and daunting tracks lies ahead for drivers this weekend — Bristol Motor Speedway. The Food City 500 is the next step in the regular season grind toward The Chase, and could see major points changes across the grid. This trip to eastern Tennessee will also debut new, softer Goodyear tires, throwing another curveball at teams. The World’s Fastest Half-Mile is no stranger to some drivers’ domination; here are a few who hope to stand tall with the Gladiator Sword in the Colosseum on Sunday.

Kyle Larson

The Next Gen era at Bristol has almost always been very kind to Kyle Larson. Through six races, the No. 5 Chevrolet has a pair of wins, five top fives, 946 laps led, and a 7.7 average finish. One of those wins was last year’s Food City 500, when Larson was out front for 411 laps. Combined with 462 circuits paced in the 2024 Bristol Night Race, Larson has reason to hold his head high walking into Bristol again.

“I think it [Bristol] suits my driving style,” Larson said. “It’s a fast-paced corner, and you don’t have to slow down much. You catch traffic quickly, and I feel like I’ve gotten good at maneuvering through it there. When you lead laps and get comfortable navigating, you just keep learning and improving. I’ve had a lot of experience leading laps, so I think that has helped me maintain the lead and avoid getting stuck in traffic. I look forward to this weekend. I love Bristol and get excited to go there. Hopefully, it’s a good weekend, and we can get our season pointed in the right direction and maintain that momentum.”

Last fall’s uncharacteristic 32nd-place finish ended an impressive streak for Larson at Bristol. He had not been worse than sixth on the concrete half-mile since 2019, a span of seven races including three wins. With a year-long winless drought looming, Bristol’s tight quarters on Sunday could offer Larson his best shot at victory lane. He also will gain extra track time this weekend by running double-duty in Saturday’s O’Reilly Series race.

Denny Hamlin

Nearly matching Larson as a co-favorite for Bristol is Denny Hamlin. The short track ace owns four Bristol victories, most recently back-to-back triumphs in 2023 and 2024. Two of the three Bristol races since then have seen the No. 11 in the top-five, including second in this race a year ago.

Owning 20 career Bristol top-10s across 37 starts and over 1,200 laps led, it’s safe to call Thunder Valley a personal playground for Hamlin. Toyotas and Joe Gibbs Racing especially have been consistently strong on the concrete, and chase a second consecutive Bristol trophy. Coming off a Martinsville disappointment, Hamlin aims for another shot at victory lane.

Through this season’s first three races with the increased horsepower package, Hamlin tops average running position charts. Do not be surprised to see the No. 11 out front on Sunday, especially if tire wear becomes a factor. Hamlin mastered Bristol’s challenging tire-management race two years ago and hopes to find that winning magic again.

Brad Keselowski

Now eighth in points, Brad Keselowski has seemingly found the Fountain of Youth and looks like his vintage self in 2026. Still recovering from his offseason femur injury, Keselowski has been a standout driver for Ford in recent weeks. Two of his last three starts were top 10s, including a Darlington runner-up finish. Heading to Bristol, where he has three prior wins, Keselowski is eager for another taste of Tennessee victory.

“When I think of Bristol, I just think of everything that racing should be,” Keselowski said. “Tight confines and cars on top of each other on a fast half-mile short track with the high banks. You don’t have a second to breathe and I just love the in-your-face challenge that is Bristol.”

RFK Racing has shown contending speed at several tracks already in 2026, and is no stranger to Bristol success. Keselowski was second in September’s Bristol Night Race, and third in this race two years ago. Chris Buescher’s not-so-distant Bristol Night Race triumph also shows this team can find the right setup here. If a Ford is to break into victory lane on Sunday, do not overlook the 6’s chance at continuing his upward progress.

Christopher Bell

Narrowly beating Keselowski to the Bristol checkers last fall was Christopher Bell, earning his first win on the concrete. Bell became the sixth man to deliver Joe Gibbs Racing a Bristol trophy. The victory made him the sixth driver to deliver a Bristol trophy to Joe Gibbs Racing and capped a dominant night for Toyota. This marked a third-straight victory for the Toyota team in last year’s Playoffs. Now returning as the man to beat, Bell aims for repeat glory still chasing his first 2026 win.

Despite sitting seventh in points with four top-10s in seven weeks, the 20 has yet to execute a full race flawlessly. Bristol could see the tide turn for Bell, as he’s very familiar with leading frequently here. He led only 12 laps in September, but across his career he has paced nearly 400 circuits around Bristol. The 20 should be a front-running contender again. Running Friday night’s Truck race with Halmar Friesen Racing could only improve Bell’s confidence for 500 laps on Sunday.

Ty Gibbs

While Bell took the win late, much of September’s Bristol Night Race belonged to Ty Gibbs. The No. 54 Toyota was out front for 201 laps, putting many on notice for a possible first career win. Despite only six career Bristol starts, Gibbs has led at least 100 laps three times. This same span also saw four top-10s. If any new Cup Series winner is to break through at Bristol, the 54 may be the strongest candidate.

Gibbs has serious 2026 momentum behind him as well, with five-straight finishes of sixth or better. Now sixth in points, everything appears to be lining up for a magical Sunday for young Gibbs. If his first Cup victory is to come anywhere in the next slate of tracks, Bristol may be the perfect stage for Gibbs.

Ryan Blaney

Surprisingly still searching for a maiden Bristol win is Ryan Blaney. The Penske No. 12 has been close here multiple times before, including a pair of top-five runs last year. Both of those outings extended a three-race top-six Bristol streak for Blaney, who led here in both April and September. Already a winner this season on another short track at Phoenix, the 12 has been strong with the 750 horsepower package. Blaney was a winning contender at Martinsville too, before late wall contact. Blaney hopes to ride this recent momentum into Bristol, where Penske has not won since 2020. It would not be surprising to see that six-year drought spell end on Sunday.

37 drivers will enter The Last Great Colosseum on Sunday, but only one will leave wielding the Gladiator Sword trophy. Thanks to increased horsepower and an ever-softer tire compound, we could see a Bristol race with many mysteries ahead. Teams aplenty will be learning on the fly throughout Sunday’s Food City 500. Whoever adapts best to the unknown questions should be rewarded with a deserved win. The Tennessee green flag will fly at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Written by Peter Stratta

Be sure to follow us on Twitter/X

Be sure to follow the writer on Twitter/X

Photo credits to Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images