Bristol 101: Qualifying format, Goodyear tires, story lines and more
The first round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is reaching its final stop.
The Round of 16 ends with the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), meaning four drivers’ championship hopes will come to an end after the checkered flag.
With 500 laps scheduled around the grueling half-mile oval, get ready for what’s sure to be a heavyweight fight:
RELATED: Weekend schedule | Cup Series standings
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Teams will have 20 minutes to practice on Friday (4:35 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, 5 p.m. ET on USA) with teams broken into Groups A and B. Once both groups have completed their practice sessions, single-car, single-lap qualifying will begin to set the starting lineup (5:20 p.m. ET).
With the postseason underway, playoff drivers and teams will be ordered by their previous race metrics and assigned to Group A or B by the usual odd/even metric procedures. Playoff teams will be the final cars to qualify in their respective groups.
The five fastest overall drivers from each group will advance to the final round of qualifying, where those 10 drivers will each set one more timed lap to fight for the Busch Light Pole Award.
MORE: Paint Scheme Preview | Qualifying order
BRISTOL STORY LINES
— After Bubba Wallace’s Kansas victory, a record 18 different drivers have won through 28 races.
— The pass for the win came in the final 10 laps in 15 of the 28 races this season.
— Seven of the last 13 races in 2022 were won by drivers getting their first win of the season, including each of the last three.
— Wallace’s win was Toyota’s first since Christopher Bell won at New Hampshire, ending a 13-race winless streak for the manufacturer.
— All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers won on a short track in the last nine races.
— Kevin Harvick enters Bristol 35 points below the cutline, but he won the last short-track race at Richmond and finished top two in the last two Bristol races (won this race in 2020).
Source: Racing Insights
GOODYEAR TIRES
Bristol is one of just three concrete ovals on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, joining Dover Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway.
That presents a unique opportunity for teams to learn how the Next Gen car will react on the high-banked short track, one unlike any other on the calendar since it produces such high speeds. The tire provided by Goodyear must play well with both the concrete and the traction compound used around the bottom of the racing surface.
“Bristol is undoubtedly a challenge across the board,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear‘s director of racing. “We have done a good job with bringing a setup that rubbers in the track and allows for multiple racing grooves. Bristol has had a recent history of using PJ1 in the corners, so that ‘preferred‘ groove takes rubber fairly quickly. The progressive banking and the search for fresh concrete will have teams moving up the track, which potentially leads to more passing and better racing.”
The left-side tire used this weekend will be the same used earlier this season at Pocono Raceway, while the right-side tire is a new tire code.
BRISTOL HISTORY
— Bowling operator Larry Carrier, Kingsport businessman Carl Moore and construction company owner R.G. Pope built Bristol Motor Speedway. They first selected nearby Piney Flats but faced with local opposition they selected a location 10 miles away in Bristol, the site of a dairy farm.
— Their inspiration to build a track in Northeastern Tennessee came from Carrier‘s visit to the new track in Charlotte. When area banks would not finance the $600,000 required for construction and land acquisition, funding was obtained in New Jersey from the operator of stadium concession stands.
— In 1969, the track was dug up and reshaped and the banking was significantly increased. Starting in July 1969, the track was measured at 0.533 miles.
— Rookie Dale Earnhardt won his first Cup race in his 16th start in the 1979 spring race.
— Darrell Waltrip dominated Bristol from his win in the 1979 night race to the first concrete race in 1992, a period in which he amassed 12 wins, including a NASCAR record seven straight.
— As soon as Speedway Motorsports acquired the track and drag strip in 1996, it began an aggressive expansion program. Seating was added at a rapid pace and by 2003 was at 160,000, and in 2006 reached 165,000 with the addition of the Kulwicki grandstand.
— Following the spring 2007 race, work began on the first resurfacing of the concrete track as well as reconfiguring the top lane of the turns and changing the banking to variable (progressive). Four miles of drainage beneath the track and infield were also added.
— On April 25, 2012, after much public discussion, Bruton Smith announced that based primarily on fan feedback the track would return to its former style of racing. The fix was to eliminate the upper groove that was created with the new banking. The work was completed by late May, and after a June Goodyear tire test, all participating drivers agreed that the top groove was eliminated and racing should be closer to the “old” Bristol.
Source: Racing Insights
IF I WAS A BETTING MAN…
Two-time Bristol winner Denny Hamlin is the man listed as the favorite entering Saturday night’s showdown at 13-2 odds, according to Draft Kings. But the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson has my attention.
Both enter the weekend at 15-2 odds just behind Hamlin, and for good reason. Larson is the defending race winner at Bristol, netting his third top-two finish in his last five starts on the concrete half-mile, in addition to 17 laps led or more in six of his last seven starts.
Elliott, meanwhile, remains winless at Bristol in 11 starts (save for the exhibition All-Star Race victory he scored in 2020). But the No. 9 Chevrolet appeared on its way to a top-two finish before late contact with Kevin Harvick derailed such a fate. Don’t let that distract you, though — Elliott has led laps in eight of his 11 starts, including 23 circuits or more in each of his last six.
Need some more worthwhile odds? Consider Ryan Blaney (15-1). Like Elliott, Blaney has yet to win at Bristol, and his results in 12 starts aren’t outstanding. But Blaney has led significant laps there — 45 last year and 100 or more three times. The Fords have been fast on short tracks this year, which means Blaney could be due to win on Saturday night.
MORE: Complete list of odds for Sunday
FANTASY LIVE
Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which reset for the playoffs. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 2, and there is a $10,000 prize for the playoff winner.
The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Chase Elliott (971), Joey Logano (867), and Ryan Blaney (866).
In addition to Fantasy Live, NASCAR.com is offering the Playoffs Grid Challenge presented by Ruoff Mortgage during the playoffs.
How to play: Fantasy Live | Set up a team today!
ALSO ON NASCAR.COM
Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.
NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.
