Irwin Tools 500 News and Notes

Bristol Motor Speedway Data

Race #: 24 of 36 (8-21-10)
Track Size: .533 miles
# Race Length: 500 laps/266.5 miles
# Banking/Corners: 26 to 30 degrees
# Banking/Straights: 4 to 9 degrees

Driver Rating at Bristol

Kyle Busch 103.0
Greg Biffle 101.2
Jeff Gordon 99.4
Matt Kenseth 97.5
Kurt Busch 96.1
Tony Stewart 95.9
Denny Hamlin 95.0
Marcos Ambrose 93.4
Kevin Harvick 91.5
Mark Martin 89.9

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2010 races (11 total) at Bristol.

Qualifying/Race Data

2009 pole winner: Mark Martin, 124.484 mph, 15.414 seconds
2009 race winner: Kyle Busch, 84.820 mph, 8-22-09)
Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (128.709 mph, 14.908 seconds, 3-21-03)
Track race record: Charlie Glotzbach (101.074 mph, 7-11-71)

Estimated Pit Window: Every 120-130 laps, based on fuel mileage.

Irwin Tools Night Race Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Only three races remain before the Chase for the Championship begins and six drivers are within 129 points of each other for the 12th and final position. Mathematically, only Kevin Harvick has secured a spot in the Chase, but realistically, the only position that looks up for grabs is the 12th position which is currently held by Clint Bowyer.

The three remaining races before all positions are finalized are under the lights beginning this week at Bristol, then Atlanta, and closing with Richmond. The drivers who have a legitimate shot at catching and passing Bowyer are Mark Martin (-35 points behind), Ryan Newman (-103), Jamie McMurray (-105), Kasey Kahne (-126) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-129).

Based on career averages at the three tracks, Earnhardt Jr. would have the best chance followed by Bowyer and then Martin. But based on the way this season has gone, Bowyer and his power Richard Childress engine looks to have things wrapped up, especially when considering that he gets to close thing out at Richmond, one of his best tracks.

Earnhardt Jr. continues to be a mystery. How is it possible that his two teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are contending for wins each week and Junior is stuck driving the garbage he gets every week. It’s almost as puzzling as the drop off in performance that his other teammate, Mark Martin, has seen this year. Martin was a dominant force last year contending for wins every week and capturing five.

I refuse to believe that both Martin and Earnhardt Jr forgot how to drive; there has to be some kind of internal conspiracy of sorts within the Hendrick organization. Does Rick Hendrick really want all of his drivers to be successful; is it good for business. Or is it better to have Johnson’s path to a Championship be more easily paved. Martin got really close last season by finishing second in points. Would that have derailed his franchise in Johnson. And id they really are a team, why not let Martin or Earnhardt Jr. roll out in one of the many stout chassis’ that Johnson has sitting around his garage, just to see how they’d fare.

There’s probably nothing there, but those two team’s awful performances this year while the other two excel just makes you wonder.

This week’s race at Bristol will be the seventh race run on the new multi-grooved surface, a surface that has taken much of what made the two annual Bristol races classics. The race now runs similar to Dover and because no one is fighting for the bottom line anymore, fans haven’t been treated to the feuds and battles like Bristol was famous for. Drivers don’t get irritated at Bristol any more; good for them, but stinks for us.

Jimmie Johnson won the first race at Bristol back in March. It was Johnson’s first win ever at Bristol after 16 previous unsuccessful attempts. The win was also Johnson’s third win in the last four races having won earlier at Fontana and Las Vegas. Johnson has cooled of considerably in the last six races coming in this week. He has no top-five finishes with 10th-place being his best run during that span. Chances are that Johnson will run well again at Bristol this week just because the changes to the track make it more suited for his style.

Kyle Busch hasn’t had a top-five finish since week 14 at Pocono, a drought of nine races, but Bristol should be a place to get him going strong again. He finished ninth in the March race and swept both races last season. Busch also won on the old formatted track while driving for Hendrick Motorsports giving him three career wins on the track which is just under career active leaders Jeff Gordon and brother Kurt Busch who each have five wins. You hate going against a trend, which currently says that Busch is running awful right now, but the other trend of doing well at Bristol is stronger.

The best cars of the bunch coming in look to be driven by Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart. Busch is bringing the same chassis that led 279 laps and finished third in the spring race. Stewart is also bringing his spring race car which finished runner-up. Biffle will be using his sixth-place Dover car.

Look for Johnson and the Busch brothers to battle it out with Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin being close behind.

Top 5 Finish Prediction:

1) #18 Kyle Busch (8/1)
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)
3) #16 Greg Biffle (15/1)
4) #2 Kurt Busch (8/1)
5) #14 Tony Stewart (10/1)

Bristol Preview
By Bodog

Last week Kevin Harvick extended his lead in the Sprint Cup driver standings to nearly 300 points with a win in Michigan, and he also became the first driver to guarantee himself a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Harvick will look to extend that lead this weekend when NASCAR goes to Bristol Motor Speedway for the 2010 Irwin Tools Night Race.

The race will be broadcast on ABC for the first time. Managing to post a deep finish at Bristol is not an easy feat, and of all the tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit, Bristol Motor Speedway is the toughest track on which to call a favorite. The half-mile steep oval is notorious for bumps and crashes, and just about any driver has a chance to take the checkered flag in the Irwin Tools Night Race if they are patient enough to wait for the right opportunity to make a move.

The best way to determine a favorite at Bristol is to look at the records of the drivers at this track. Ford drivers have won four of the last five years of the race. Both Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards have won it twice in that time. Kyle Busch will be defending the title from last year, and could be the one to watch again this year if he can stay out of trouble. Jeff Gordon has five victories and 20 top-ten finishes in 35 starts at Bristol. He’s not afraid of the rough stuff and will likely be a factor late in the race if he can stay away from trouble during the day.

The Bodog Sportsbook is offering action on which driver will take the checkered flag at Bristol this weekend. The odds-on favorite to win the race at this point is Jimmie Johnson. He’s getting 11/2 to win, while second favorite Kurt Busch will pay 13/2. Brother Kyle is next at 7/1, while Tony Stewart will pay 10/1. Standings leader Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, and Carl Edwards will all come in after that at 12/1. Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin round up the favorites at 14/1, and both look like a bargain at that price.

One way not to try to figure out which driver should be the favorite at Bristol is to compare the results from earlier in the season. The track will be very different this weekend compared to what it was in the spring. The track will be slicker this weekend and the race will also be run at night, which will benefit some drivers while handicapping others.

A race at Bristol is an opportunity to make a longshot bet part of your action. With so much physical racing going on, this race could see just about any driver taking the checkered flag. With some drivers paying as much as 500/1 to win, making a small longshot bet as part of your wagers this weekend could turn into a great payday.

Busch has embraced the new Bristol
By: StatFox

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series moves on to Thunder Valley for the “Bristol Night Race”, as it is most often called. To honor that tradition, this Saturday night’s event has been tabbed the Irwin Tools Night Race, replacing the longstanding Sharpie 500 name. This event puts short track racing on center stage under the lights at perhaps the circuit’s most exciting track. With 43 cars going around a half-mile oval banked at 36 degrees, the track is the closest thing to bumper cars that NASCAR has to offer. Strangely though, since the wider COT cars have been put in play in 2007, the actual number of wrecks and cars not finishing races here has dropped noticeably. This has drawn the ire of fans, who’ve actually complained of Bristol becoming boring. One driver who isn’t complaining is Kyle Busch, who has won three of the last seven Bristol races, including this one a year ago. He is listed at 6-1 by Sportsbook.com to win this week, just behind Jimmie Johnson (5-1), the spring winner here.

The brunt of the criticism from fans goes to the COT, which is apparently too unbreakable for this track. While true that the racing here has changed a bit in the new car, the recent resurfacing of the track has also played a role. Before, drivers had to deal with far worse driving conditions, now the slick surfaces are reserved typically only for the spring race, which is run under the sun. The night surface normally provides greater grip leading to less “accidental” wrecks. As proof, consider that in the seven Bristol night races prior to the advent of the COT, there were 99 cautions for an average of 14.1 flags per race. Since, the average has been just 9.3 cautions per. Furthermore, none of those races ended in a Green-White-Checkered finish, meaning no one was racing all that hard at the end, or the cars were spaced too far apart to even challenge for key positions late. That’s certainly a stark change to the “old” Bristol, where plenty of paint was traded, bump & runs were a popular move to win races, and tempers were known to flare on many occasion.

Since things are so different at Bristol nowadays as compared to the early part of the decade when drivers like Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch adopted this track as their own, it only makes sense to turn to the post-COT races when it comes to handicapping. In that sense, Kyle Busch is the man to beat. He boasts an average finish of 5.7 in the last seven Bristol races, with two wins and an additional Top 5. One of those trips to Victory Lane came in March. Busch easily paces the field in COT-laps led here as well, with 900. Next in line in that stat is Tony Stewart (10-1), with 525, followed by Kasey Kahne (25-1) with 305. Interestingly, neither of those latter two drivers have won here in that span. Carl Edwards (10-1) is another man to consider, as he has two Bristol, both in this race, in 2007 & 2008. With an average finish of 9.7, those are his only two Top 5’s however. Jimmie Johnson’s 5-1 favorite status is eye opening, since prior to his spring win, he had only averaged a 16.5 finish win one Top 5.

Greg Biffle (12-1) is strong at Bristol when he keeps his nose clean, and he usually contends for the win. His past two efforts on this track ended in fourth-place finishes and with only three poor results in a 15-race career, he's finished 12th or better in every other event. The No. 16 team also has momentum on their side with three consecutive top-fives on oval tracks that included a victory at Pocono a few weeks ago. Jeff Gordon (12-1) rarely has two bad races in a row, so last week's 27th-place finish should be put aside. On short tracks, he's been the class of the field in the past three years. Despite failing to win at Bristol, Martinsville, or Richmond, he's amassed nine top-fives, 12 top-10s, and 14 top-15s in 15 starts. Notably, his only three results outside the top 10 since the start of 2008 all came at Bristol, but his five career victories there more than makes up for the deficit. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (30-1) is a very interesting case in that he is second among all drivers in average finish in the COT, at 9.3, including two Top 5’s. However, he has rarely been out front, leading just a single lap in those seven races. Denny Hamlin (10-1) and Kevin Harvick join Gordon among the three-time Top 5 finishers here since ’07, ranking just behind the mark of four held by Busch and Biffle. Incidentally, Mark Martin, at 30-1, had the dominant car here a year ago only to succumb late to Busch. Don’t be surprised to see Martin do well Saturday.

Among those you may want to avoid this week are Jamie McMurray (35-1), Juan Montoya (25-1), Matt Kenseth (20-1), and Clint Bowyer (20-1). This spring, Bowyer had a blown engine and finished 40th. His last Bristol top-10 came in fall 2008 and he's had progressively worse results in each passing race. Kenseth used to love coming to Bristol, but has averaged just a 16.7 finish in the COT with a single Top 5. He also is not clicking yet with his new crew chief. McMurray and Montoya both have average COT finishes in the 20’s at Bristol without a single Top 5. Montoya has at least paced 29 laps though, compared to McMurray’s zero.

Kevin Harvick is the series’ most recent winner and he continues to lead the standings by a wide margin, 293 points over Jeff Gordon. Denny Hamlin is now in third after climbing three spots, while Tony Stewart also made a huge jump from 8th to 4th after his sixth place finish at Michigan. Only three races remain till the cutoff point for the Chase, and the real drama has come down to the race for the 12th and final position. Clint Bowyer is currently holding down that spot, but he is on an island, trailing 11th palce greg Biffle by 158 points. His closer competition is from behind, with a pack of five big name drivers gunning for him. Mark Martin (-35), Ryan Newman (-103), Jamie McMurray (-105), Kasey Kahne (-126), and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (-129) are all within striking distance. Those drivers will get much of the focus from the TV crews at ABC, who takes over coverage from ESPN starting this weekend.

Qualifying at Bristol used to be more critical, as prior to 2007, the average starting spot of the winner was a low 6.8 in Bristol’s 70 races. Since the COT has been around, the average has jumped to 10.4. Because of the fewer cautions and less trouble to deal with, it has proven more important to run well in practice rather than a qualifying lap. As proof, the average Happy Hour rank of the last seven Bristol winners is 9.6, but more importantly, four of those winners ranked in the Top 5. The winner usually gets out front and is able to stay out trouble. This week’s lineup will be set at 5:40 PM ET on Friday, ironically, right after Happy Hour. The Irwin Tools Night Race green flag is scheduled to wave on Saturday night at around 7:40 PM ET. Make sure to check the key stats and projections from the StatFox NASCAR FoxSheet, Driver Pages, and Matchup Analyzer before placing your race day wagers!

Bristol Preview and Picks
By GREG ENGLE

It’s easily one of the most popular NASCAR Sprint Cup races events of the year. The second stop of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday night’s IRWIN Tools Night Race puts the racers under the lights in what’s been described as flying jets inside a gymnasium.

The emphasis at Bristol isn’t speed, or aerodynamics; it's usually about simply surviving 500 laps in good enough shape to be around for a shot at the win. And it’s those drivers who can survive that usually have a shot at victory here.

There is one big difference for this weekend's race than when the series last visited here in the spring. There are only three races until the field for the Chase for the Sprint Cup is set, so the emphasis is on scoring and protecting those all important driver points. For those hovering around the "bubble", anywhere near the 12th spot, scoring points is more critical than at any other time in the season.

One of those who has become a master of points racing over the last few month’s is this week’s favorite Carl Edwards (+1000). His average finish in the past six races is 4.3, up from 15.2 in the first 17 races. Edwards has gained six positions in the points; in fact he has gained more points than any other driver in the past six races and gained 55 more points overall than the leader, Kevin Harvick.

Edwards also has two wins at Bristol winning the night races in 2007 and 2008. Edwards said the key to winning at Bristol is getting used to the new surface on the 34 degrees of banking.

"The new surface at Bristol is extremely competitive,” Edwards told me this week. “Now there are three lines and you can run anywhere on the race track. It used to be everyone was fighting for the bottom of the race track and now everybody can run side by side. It makes it more competitive in that you just can't get away from somebody. They can always hound you. Your car has to be perfect. You have to qualify well and it is hard to pass. It is a grueling race because there is a lot that can happen.”

Should Edwards stumble, keep an eye on Kyle Busch (+600). He’s the defending winner of this race, won both Bristol races in 2009 and has five top-five and eight top-10 finishes here. In the spring, the entire Joe Gibbs Racing stable seemed off; Busch blew several right front tires and struggled. But if the team have learned from those mistakes, and there’s no reason they haven’t, look for Busch to be tough to beat.

Others To Watch

It’s summertime, and that usually means it's also Tony Stewart (+1000) time. With a record of one win, six top-five and eight top-10 finishes, he could be a spoiler. In fact from this point in the season until the very end, Stewart has to be considered a threat.

Sure Jeff Gordon (+1200) hasn’t won or been a real contender all season but with a record of five wins at Bristol, the most of any active driver, along with 14 top-fives and 20 top-10s, Gordon can easily be called an expert here and has to be considered to run among the top.

Head To Head

Jimmie Johnson vs. Jeff Burton: Johnson scored his first career victory here in the spring, but was it a fluke? Or can he rebound from a few recent miserable weeks? Burton has one win, eight top-fives and 14 top-10s. The tale of the tape here though is the DNFs. Johnson has failed to finish here once, Burton six. Johnson probably won’t win this Saturday, but look for him to finish ahead of Burton.

Kevin Harvick vs. Matt Kenseth: In this matchup of the week, both drivers have something to prove. Harvick is ready to win some more races before the Chase, while Kenseth just wants to win. Harvick has one win along with nine top-fives and 11 top-10s, Kenseth has two wins, eight top-fives and 13 top-10s. Look for Harvick to charge towards the front and stay there.

Driver Handicaps: Bristol
Racingone.com

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for Sunday's IRWIN Tools 500. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, Motor Racing Network brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 500-lap event.

Who's HOT at Bristol
• Kyle Busch has three wins and has led 900 laps with the COT.
• Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch each are five-time winners.
• Jimmie Johnson won the spring race and has led 279 laps in the last three events.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a 9.3 average finish with the COT.
• Carl Edwards has two wins and a 9.6 average finish with the COT.
• Greg Biffle has finished fourth in his last two starts.
• Tony Stewart is second in laps led (525) with the COT.
• Two-time winner Matt Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in his last two starts.

Keep an Eye on at Bristol
• Jeff Burton has recorded one win and seven top 10s with Richard Childress Racing at Bristol.
• Denny Hamlin has a 7.2 average finish in the last four races at Bristol.
• Mark Martin, who leads all drivers with 23 top 10s at Bristol, finished second in this event last year.
• Brad Keselowski led 26 laps and finished 13th in his first Sprint Cup start at Bristol in March.
• Series points leader Kevin Harvick has three top fives with the COT at Bristol.
• Ryan Newman has a 9.7 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas Racing at Bristol.
• Clint Bowyer recorded four-straight top 10s at Bristol from 2007 to 2008.

Top 25 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings

(All stats/notes are in regards to Bristol unless noted)

1. Kevin Harvick: 15.0 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Winner of the 2005 spring race; Started 33rd and finished 11th in the spring; 12.2 average in 19 overall starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 297) that he finished sixth with at Darlington in May.

2. Jeff Gordon: Five-time winner; 11.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Started fifth and finished 14th in the spring; Leads all drivers with 2,438 laps led.

3. Denny Hamlin: Coming off worst finish (19th) in nine starts; Came from the back of the field and a lap down to finish fifth last summer; 13.1 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Top five finishes in three of the last four races; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 259) that he raced in March.

4. Tony Stewart: Coming off first top five (second) in three starts with Stewart-Haas: 16.1 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Scored seven top 10s in 20 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Winner of the 2001 summer race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 530) that he raced in the spring.

5. Jimmie Johnson: Coming off first win in 17 starts; Has finished in the top 10 and led a combined 279 laps in the last three races; 14.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 580) that finished sixth at Michigan in June.

6. Carl Edwards: Coming off fifth top 10 (sixth) in 12 starts; Winner of the 2007 and 2008 summer races; Finished 16th in this event last year; Third-best average finish (9.6) in the seven races with the COT; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 596) that he most recently finished eighth with at Dover in May.

7. Jeff Burton: Winner of the 2008 spring race; Coming off seventh top 10 in 12 starts with Richard Childress Racing; 13.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 307) that he most recently finished eighth with at Michigan.

8. Kyle Busch: Swept both races in 2009; Leads all drivers in average finish (5.7) and laps led (900) in the seven races with the COT; 6.0 average finish in five starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Won the 2007 spring race with Hendrick Motorsports; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 249) that he most recently finished 11th with at New Hampshire.

9. Matt Kenseth: Coming off eighth top five (fifth) in 21 starts; Winner of the 2005 and 2006 summer races; 16.7 average finish in the seven races with the COT.

10. Kurt Busch: Coming off 11th top 10 (third) in 19 starts; One win and four top 10s in nine starts with Penske Racing; Four other wins came with Roush Racing; 11.9 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 709) that he led 278 laps with in the spring.

11. Greg Biffle: Coming off sixth top five (fourth) in 15 starts; Also finished fourth in this event last year; Has combined to lead 154 laps in last two starts; 11.0 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 608) that he finished sixth with at Dover.

12. Clint Bowyer: Recorded four-straight top 10s from 2007 to 2008; Finished 40th in the spring due to an engine failure; 13.6 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 303) that he finished seventh with at Charlotte and New Hampshire.

13. Mark Martin: Won both poles and posted an average finish of 4.0 in first two starts with Hendrick Motorsports in 2009; Finished 35th in the spring; Previous 21 top 10s came with Roush Racing; Last of two victories came in 1998; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 600) that he most recently finished 15th with at Chicago.

14. Ryan Newman: 9.7 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas; Sixth-place finish in this event last year was ninth top 10 in 17 starts; Only top five finish (second) came in this event in 2004 with Penske Racing; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 516) that he finished 16th with in the spring.

15. Jamie McMurray: Coming off fifth top 10 (eighth) in 15 starts; Four of his top 10s have come with Ganassi; Has yet to lead a lap in last 11 starts; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 803) that Martin Truex Jr. finished 22nd with at Auto Club last fall.

16. Kasey Kahne: Last of four top 10s came in this event in 2009 in fifth; Led 305 laps en route to a runner-up finish in this event in 2007; 19.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT.

17. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Best track on the circuit based on 11.4 average finish; 10.6 average finish in five starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Scored one win and nine top 10s with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in previous 16 starts.

18. David Reutimann: 22.4 average finish in five starts; Best finish came in the 2009 spring race in 12th; Finished 38th in March after an engine failure.

19. Juan Pablo Montoya: Ninth-place finish in the 2009 spring race is only top 10 in seven starts; 20.4 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Led first laps (29) in March; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 903) that he finished 26th with in the spring after being involved in a 13-car incident.

20. Martin Truex Jr: Has yet to score a top-10 finish in nine starts; Finished 12th in March in track debut with Michael Waltrip Racing; 22.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT.

21. Joey Logano: 33.0 average finish in three starts; Won the pole and finished 27th in March.

22. AJ Allmendinger: 29.8 average finish in six starts; Finished 17th in March; Has yet to lead a lap; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 265) that he finished sixth with at Atlanta in the spring.

23. Paul Menard: 23.2 average finish in six starts; Best finish (16th) came in the 2008 night race; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 561) that he finished 16th with at Pocono in June.

24. David Ragan: Only top 10 (10th) came in this event in 2008; Has yet to lead a lap in seven starts; 24.0 average finish; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 626) that he finished 26th with at Dover.

25. Brad Keselowski: Led 26 laps and finished 13th in first start in March; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 720) that he finished 19th with at Indianapolis.

Practice Notes - Bristol
By Micah Roberts

Top 8 Driver Rating Following All Bristol Practice Sessions
Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Practice 2 Qualifying Bristol*

1 Jimmie Johnson 6/1 7th 4th 1st 1st
Notes: First Bristol win in 17 tries came in the spring; using sixth-place Michigan chassis this week.

2 Carl Edwards 10/1 36th 2nd 2nd 6th
Notes:Two-time Bristol winner, both coming after 2007 repaving. Using Dover car this week.

3 Tony Stewart 10/1 21st 14th 4th 2nd
Notes:2001 Bristol winner; using same car that led with seven laps to go finishing runner-up in spring.

4 Jeff Gordon 12/1 4th 5th 26th 14th
Notes:Five-time Bristol winner with the last coming in 2002; career average finish of 11.7 in 35 starts.

5 Greg Biffle 10/1 8th 32nd 21st 4th
Notes:Two straight fourth-place finishes at Bristol; using sixth place Dover chassis this week.

6 Matt Kenseth 20/1 24th 6th 14th 5th
Notes:Two-time Bristol winner with the last coming in 2006; career average finish of 12.7 in 21 starts.

7 Kyle Busch 6/1 28th 20th 19th 9th
Notes:Three-time Bristol winner with an average finish of 5.7 in seven starts with the new COT.

8 Kurt Busch 7/1 26th 23rd 20th 3rd
Notes:The five-time Bristol winner didn’t practice well; using same chassis that led 278 laps in the spring.

Note: Only two scheduled practice sessions at Bristol with the first being two-hours long.

* Results from the March 21, 2010 Bristol race.