SPRINT CUP BRISTOL

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

Straight Outta Michigan: Kenseth Shows He’s Championship Contender

Matt Kenseth is showing the speed of bona fide Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship contender.

The No. 20 Toyota driver notched his second win in the last three races after visiting Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway. On Kenseth’s way to the win – he led 146 of 200 laps – the most led on a track longer than a mile since Jimmie Johnson paced the field for 255 go-arounds at Texas on Nov. 3, 2013. Kenseth’s three victories are the third-most in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He has nine bonus points for the Challenger Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup (one for each win) and ranks third on the Chase Grid.

Kenseth will go for his second straight victory and a sweep of Bristol Motor Speedway – where he won in April – in Saturday’s IRWIN Tools Night Race (7:30  p.m. ET on NBCSN).

Also on a roll is Kenseth’s Joe Gibbs Racing team. JGR has won five of the last six races (Kyle Busch 3, Kenseth 2).

Super Busch Brothers Head To Bristol

The Busch brothers love Bristol Motor Speedway. Kyle and Kurt both claim five wins at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile” – tied with Jeff Gordon for the lead among active drivers at the track.

Kurt last won at Bristol in 2006. He also visited victory lane there in 2002 and 2004, and swept the track in 2003.

Kyle’s last Bristol win came in spring of 2011. He also took the checkered flag there in 2007 and 2010, and swept the track in 2009.

Both Kurt and Kyle are having strong seasons. Kyle ranks second on the Chase Grid with four wins and five top-five finishes in only 18 races since returning from a broken leg. Kurt sits seventh on the Chase Grid with two wins, eight top fives and 13 top 10s. Kurt also boasts the second-most laps led (721) and second-highest driver rating (106.2) in the series this season.

Rainbow Warrior: Gordon Rides With Throwback Paint Scheme At Bristol

It will definitely be #FlashbackFriday when Jeff Gordon takes the track for first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice on Friday.

Gordon will run his old rainbow paint scheme he immortalized from 1992-2000. While running the rainbow car, the No. 24 Chevrolet driver won three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, made 52 trips to Victory Lane, took the checkered flag at 17 different tracks, captured a Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award and won a NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

Currently 15th on the Chase Grid, Gordon would qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup on points if the season ended today. He sits 55 points ahead of Aric Almirola on the cutoff line, but could get in trouble with a poor showing. Gordon can assure himself a Chase berth with a victory.

At Bristol Motor Speedway, Gordon ranks tied for the active lead with five wins and claims the most Coors Light Pole Awards among active drivers (5). Gordon’s gaudy loop statistics at BMS include the second-highest average running position (9.954) and driver rating (100.3) at the track.

Newman, Stenhouse Set To Log Milestone Starts

It will be a milestone day at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday as Ryan Newman and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. log their 500th and 100th respective series starts.

For his career, Newman boasts 17 wins, 102 top fives, 211 top 10s and a high championship finish of second (2014). His first win came from the Coors Light Pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 15, 2002. Newman has never visited Victory Lane at Bristol.

Stenhouse, a two-time NASCAR XFINITY Series champion, has yet to win his first NSCS race, but this weekend could be his first. The 27-year-old Roush Fenway Racing driver has logged finishes of fourth, sixth and second in his last three starts at Bristol. For his career, Stenhouse claims three top fives and nine top 10s.

Wins In Demand With Three Races To Go Before Chase

The formula for making the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is simple – “Win and you’re in.”

Drivers only have three races left to make the formula work: Bristol, Darlington and Richmond.

As of now, 11 drivers are qualified for the Chase with wins as long as they start the next three races and remain in the top 30 in points: Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards.

The five remaining drivers on the Chase Grid have to either visit Victory Lane or stay high enough in the points standings where they don’t get bumped by a new winner outside the top 16.

These drivers are Jamie McMurray (70 points above the cutoff line), Paul Menard (+61), Ryan Newman (+56), Jeff Gordon (+55) and Clint Bowyer (+23).

The winless drivers who have won at Bristol in the past and have yet to earn Chase berths this season are Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart.

A currently winless driver who wins at Bristol would clinch a spot if he/she is 97 points ahead of 31st place. No driver who remains winless after Bristol will clinch a spot.

Logano Readies For August Bristol Repeat

Joey Logano goes for his second straight August Bristol win in Saturday’s IRWIN Tools Night Race at the Tennessee short track. Last year, the 25-year-old Team Penske driver passed Matt Kenseth with 44 laps to go for his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at a half-mile track. When Logano returned this April, he started sixth, but finished 42nd after colliding with teammate Brad Keselowski on Lap 19.

Logano placed seventh at Michigan last week following his win at Watkins Glen. Currently, Logano ranks second in overall points and is fifth on the Chase Grid.