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Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Bass Pro Shops Night Race

September 14, 2022 at 8:32 AM

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee going into the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday, September 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Fast Facts: Race #3 (Bristol)

Round of 16 Elimination Race

  • The 2022 season marks the third-time Bristol Motor Speedway (2020-2022) has hosted the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and just the third Cup Series postseason event (all-time) at the 0.533-mile track. From 2004-2019 Bristol Motor Speedway was scheduled as the 24th race of the regular season.
  • Bristol Motor Speedway is the fifth different track in NASCAR Cup Series history to host the third race of the Playoffs; joining Talladega Superspeedway (2004-2005), Kansas Speedway (2006–2010), Dover Motor Speedway (2011-2017) and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (2018-2019).
  • A total of 14 different drivers have won the third race of the Playoffs, led by Jimmie Johnson (2008, 2013), Greg Biffle (2007, 2010), Tony Stewart (2006, 2009) and Kevin Harvick (2015, 2020) with two wins each.
  • No non-Playoff driver has won the third NASCAR Cup Playoff race at Bristol Motor Speedway (2020-2021), the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (2018-2019) or at Dover Motor Speedway (2011 – 2017).
  • Two non-Playoff drivers have won the third race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs when the event was held at Kansas Speedway (2006 – 2010):
    • Tony Stewart was ranked 11th in points when he won the 2006 Kansas Playoff race
    • Greg Biffle was ranked 14th in points when he won the 2007 Kansas Playoff race.
  • Only one non-Playoff driver has won the third race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs when held at Talladega Superspeedway (2004-2005) – NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett was 14th in points when he won the 2005 Talladega Playoff race.
Third Race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – Race Winners
Track Playoff Race Winners Date
Bristol Kyle Larson Saturday, September 18, 2021
Bristol Kevin Harvick Sunday, September 19, 2020
Charlotte RC Chase Elliott Sunday, September 29, 2019
Charlotte RC Ryan Blaney Sunday, September 30, 2018
Dover Kyle Busch Sunday, October 1, 2017
Dover Martin Truex Jr Sunday, October 2, 2016
Dover Kevin Harvick Sunday, October 4, 2015
Dover Jeff Gordon Sunday, September 28, 2014
Dover Jimmie Johnson Sunday, September 29, 2013
Dover Brad Keselowski Sunday, September 30, 2012
Dover Kurt Busch Sunday, October 2, 2011
Kansas Greg Biffle Sunday, October 3, 2010
Kansas Tony Stewart Sunday, October 4, 2009
Kansas Jimmie Johnson Sunday, September 28, 2008
Kansas Greg Biffle Sunday, September 30, 2007
Kansas Tony Stewart Sunday, October 1, 2006
Talladega Dale Jarrett Sunday, October 2, 2005
Talladega Dale Earnhardt Jr Sunday, October 3, 2004
  • In total, the winner of the third race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has gone on to win the title four times; en yet is has only happened once since the elimination-style format was instituted in 2014.
  • Last season, Kyle Larson won the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Bristol Motor Speedway and went on to win his first series title. His Bristol Playoff victory was the first of a record tying five postseason wins in a single season (Bristol, Charlotte RC, Texas, Kansas, Phoenix) – tying NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart (five Playoff wins in 2011).
  • In 2020, Kevin Harvick won the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Bristol Motor Speedway but finished the season fifth in the final standings.
  • When the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course hosted the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2018-2019), none of the event winners went on to win the title in the same season.
  • When Dover Motor Speedway hosted the third race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2011-2017), two drivers won the event and went on to win the title in the same season.
  • In 2012, Brad Keselowski won the third race of the Playoffs at Dover, and went on to win his first series title. It was Keselowski’s lone win during the 2012 Playoffs.
  • In 2013, Jimmie Johnson won the third race of the Playoffs at Dover, and went on to win his sixth series title. It was his first of two Playoff wins that season (Dover-2, Texas-2).
  • When Kansas Speedway hosted the third race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2006-2010), only one driver won the event and went on to win the title in the same season.
  • In 2008, Jimmie Johnson won the third race of the Playoffs at Kansas, and went on to win his third consecutive title. It was his first of three Playoff wins that season (Kansas, Martinsville-2, Phoenix-2).
  • When Talladega Superspeedway hosted the third race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2004-2005), no drivers that won the event went on to win the title later that season.
  • The worst finish by a driver in the third Playoff race that went on to win the series title was:
  • At Bristol Motor Speedway (2020): In 2020, Chase Elliott finished seventh at Bristol Motor Speedway, the third race of the Playoffs, and went on to win the title later that season.
  • At Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (2018-2019): In 2019, Kyle Busch finished 37th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course – the third race of the Playoffs – and went on to win the title later that season.
  • At Dover Motor Speedway (2011-2017): In 2011, Tony Stewart finished 25th at Dover Motor Speedway – the third race of the Playoffs – and went on to win the title later that season.
  • At Kansas Speedway (2006-2010): In 2006, Jimmie Johnson finished 14th at Kansas Speedway – the third race of the Playoffs – and went on to win the title later that season.
  • At Talladega Superspeedway (2004-2005): In 2004, Kurt Busch finished fifth at Talladega Superspeedway – the third race of the Playoffs – and went on to win the title later that season.

At Bristol Motor Speedway: Stats & Tidbits
Season Race #: 29 of 36 (09-17-22)
The Purse: $8,338,394
Track Size: 0.533-miles
Banking/Turns: 24-28 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 4-8 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 4-8 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 650 feet
Backstretch Length: 650 feet
Race Length: 500 laps / 266.5 miles
Stages 1 & 2 Length: 125 laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 250 laps

Track Race Record:

Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet, 101.074 mph, (2:38:12), July 11, 1971

2021 Bristol Playoff Race Winner

Kevin Harvick, Ford, 95.911 mph, (2:46:43), September 19, 2020

Track Qualifying Record:

Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 131.713 mph, 14.568 secs., April 5, 2019

2021 Bristol Playoff Race Pole Winner

Starting lineups were determined by Metric Qualifying, Martin Truex Jr. started in the first position.

HISTORY

  • Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960. The track was an exact half-mile.
  • The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was on July 30, 1961; Jack Smith won the event (with relief from Johnny Allen).
  • All of the NASCAR Cup Series races have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps each.
  • In the fall of 1969, the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533-miles.
  • The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.
  • The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.
  • The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992.
  • The name changed to Bristol Motor Speedway in May, 1996.
  • The track was resurfaced between races in 2007, and the turns were ground down in 2012 to eliminate part of the progressive banking.
  • In 2020, Bristol Motor Speedway hosted the NASCAR Cup Series Open and All-Star Race for the first-time.
  • There have been 121 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the first race in 1961, two races each season until 2021-2022 when the track replaced their spring date with the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt track.

STARTS

  • A total of 473 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway; 335 have competed in more than one.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Bristol with 60.
  • Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in starts at Bristol with 41 starts.
  • Thirty-four drivers have made their first series career start at Bristol Motor Speedway; the most recent was Chad Finchum (April 16, 2018).
  • Of the 34 drivers that made their first career NASCAR Cup Series start at Bristol, Bill Seifert posted the best finish – finishing seventh on March 20, 1966.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen (12 starts) and driver Charlie Glotzbach (four starts) are tied for the all-time series lead in average starting position at Bristol with a 3.25 each.
  • Chase Elliott leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in average starting position at Bristol with a 6.545 in 11 starts.

Top 10 in Average Starting Positions at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Rank All-Time Drivers Avg Start Races Rank Active Drivers Avg Start Races
1 Charlie Glotzbach 3.250 4 1 Chase Elliott 6.545 11
Fred Lorenzen 3.250 12 2 Joey Logano 7.680 25
3 Marvin Panch 3.750 8 3 Ryan Blaney 9.000 12
4 Fireball Roberts 4.286 7 4 Brad Keselowski 9.565 23
5 Junior Johnson 4.400 10 5 William Byron 11.571 7
6 Cale Yarborough 4.552 29 6 Erik Jones 12.444 9
7 Dick Hutcherson 6.000 5 7 Kyle Larson 12.846 13
8 Tim Richmond 6.273 11 8 Denny Hamlin 12.871 31
9 Benny Parsons 6.370 27 9 Martin Truex Jr 14.774 31
10 Chase Elliott 6.545 11 10 Kyle Busch 14.875 32

POLES

  • A total of 51 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Seven of the 51 NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway pole winners are entered this weekend.
Active Bristol Pole Winners Poles Seasons
Denny Hamlin 4 2019, ’15, ’14, ’13
Kyle Busch 2 2018, ’13
Chase Elliott 1 2019
Kyle Larson 1 2018
Erik Jones 1 2017
Kevin Harvick 1 2014
Joey Logano 1 2010
  • NASCAR Hall of Famers Mark Martin (1989, 1993, 1995 sweep, 1996 sweep, 2001, 2009 sweep) and Cale Yarborough (1969, 1970, 1973 sweep, 1975, 1977 sweep, 1980 sweep) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Bristol Motor Speedway with nine poles each.
  • Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Bristol Motor Speedway with four (2013, 2014, 2015, 2019).
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen won the inaugural pole at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series with a speed of 79.225 mph in a Ford.
  • 12 different drivers have posted consecutive poles at Bristol; Mark Martin is the only driver to win four consecutive:
    • Fireball Roberts (swept 1962),
    • Fred Lorenzen (swept 1963),
    • Richard Petty (1967-’68),
    • Bobby Allison (swept 1972),
    • Cale Yarborough (swept 1973; swept 1977; swept 1980),
    • Darrell Waltrip (swept 1981, spring 1982),
    • Geoff Bodine (swept 1986),
    • Mark Martin (swept 1995-1996– all four races; and swept 2009);
    • Rusty Wallace (swept 1998, spring 1999),
    • Jeff Gordon (swept 2002),
    • Denny Hamlin (fall 2013, spring 2014)
    • Carl Edwards (2016 sweep).
  • Seven different drivers have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series career pole at Bristol Motor Speedway.
First-Time Pole Winners at Bristol Date
Tim Richmond Saturday, August 28, 1982
Rick Wilson Sunday, April 10, 1988
Ernie Irvan Sunday, April 8, 1990
Chuck Bown Sunday, April 10, 1994
Steve Park Sunday, March 26, 2000
Jeff Green Saturday, August 25, 2001
Joey Logano Sunday, March 21, 2010
Erik Jones Saturday, August 19, 2017
  • Joey Logano (March 10, 2010) and Erik Jones (August 19, 2017) are the only active drivers to win their first NASCAR Cup Series career pole at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Youngest Bristol pole winner: Joey Logano (March 21, 2010 – 19 years, 9 months, 25 days) – his first NASCAR Cup Series career pole.
  • Oldest Bristol pole winner: Harry Gant (August 27, 1994 – 54 years, 7 months, 17 days) – his last NASCAR Cup Series career pole.
  • A total of nine different manufacturers have won poles at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series; led by Chevrolet (39) and followed by Ford (36), Toyota (11), Dodge (8), Pontiac (7), Buick (4), Plymouth (4), Oldsmobile (3) and Mercury (2).

WINS

  • A total of 43 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Six of the 43 NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway race winners are entered this weekend.
Active Bristol Winners Wins Seasons
Kyle Busch 8 2019, ’18, ’17, ’11, ’10, ’09 sweep, ’07
Brad Keselowski 3 2020, ’12, ’11
Kevin Harvick 3 2020, ’16, ’05
Denny Hamlin 2 2019, ’12
Joey Logano 2 2015, ’14
Kyle Larson 1 2021
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Bristol Motor Speedway with 12 victories in 52 starts; including eight straight (1978, 1979, 1981 sweep, 1982 sweep, 1983 sweep, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1992).
  • Kyle Busch leads the NASCAR Cup Series among active drivers in wins at Bristol with eight victories in 32 starts (Spring 2007, 2009 sweep, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019).
  • Jack Smith (with relief from Johnny Allen) won the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on July 30, 1961 in a Pontiac.
  • 12 drivers have won consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol; led by Darrell Waltrip with eight consecutive victories from 1979-1984.
  • The other 11 drivers with consecutive Cup wins at Bristol are Fred Lorenzen (1963-1964 sweep), David Pearson (1968 sweep), Bobby Allison (1972 sweep), Cale Yarborough did it twice (1974 sweep and four straight from 1976-1977), Richard Petty (1975 sweep), Dale Earnhardt also did twice (1985 sweep and 1987 sweep), Alan Kulwicki (1992 sweep), Rusty Wallace (2000 sweep), Kurt Busch (2003 sweep and 2004 Spring race), Kyle Busch (2009 sweep and Fall 2017-Spring 2018) and Brad Keselowski (Fall 2011-Spring 2012).
  • Youngest Bristol winner: Kyle Busch (March 25, 2007 – 21 years, 10 months, 23 days).
  • Oldest Bristol winner: Dale Earnhardt (August 28, 1999 – 48 years, 3 months, 30 days).
  • Five drivers have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series career win at Bristol Motor Speedway: Dale Earnhardt (April 1, 1979), Rusty Wallace (April 6, 1986), Ernie Irvan (March 25, 1990), Elliott Sadler (March 25, 2001) and Kurt Busch (March 24, 2002).
  • A total of 24 different starting positons have produced at least one NASCAR Cup Series win at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • The race winner has started from the pole or first starting position 27 times (22.6%) – the most productive starting position in the field. The most recent driver to win from the pole or first starting position was Brad Keselowski on March 31, 2020.
  • More than half (69 wins, 57.50%) of the NASCAR Cup Series winners at Bristol Motor Speedway have started in the top-five.

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Bristol Motor Speedway

Starting Position Wins Winning % Starting Position Wins Winning %
1 27 22.31% 13 4 3.31%
2 13 10.74% 14 2 1.65%
3 9 7.44% 15 1 0.83%
4 10 8.26% 17 1 0.83%
5 11 9.09% 18 2 1.65%
6 9 7.44% 19 3 2.48%
7 1 0.83% 20 1 0.83%
8 7 5.79% 24 2 1.65%
9 6 4.96% 26 1 0.83%
10 2 1.65% 27 1 0.83%
11 1 0.83% 30 1 0.83%
12 5 4.13% 38 1 0.83%
Stats Winning % Wins
Winning from the First Starting Position: 22.31% 27
Winning from the Front Row: 33.06% 40
Winning from a Top-Five Starting Position: 57.85% 70
Winning from a Top-10 Starting Position: 78.51% 95
Winning After Starting Outside the Top 20: 4.96% 6
  • Six drivers have won from the pole position or first starting position multiple times: Bobby Allison (1972 twice), Cale Yarborough (1973, 1977 twice, 1980), Darrell Waltrip (1981 twice, 1982), Rusty Wallace (1991, 1993, 1999, 2000), Matt Kenseth (2005, 2015) and Carl Edwards (2008, 2016).
  • The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 38th, by Elliott Sadler in 2001.
  • The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started is 24th, by Kevin Harvick in 2002.
  • A total of 30 different owners have visited Victory Lane in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Junior Johnson leads the series in car owner wins at Bristol with 16. Roger Penske and Joe Gibbs lead the series among active car owners with the most wins at Bristol with 13 each; followed Rick Hendrick with 12 and Jack Roush with 11.
  • Eight different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series 121 races at Bristol; led by Chevrolet with 46 victories (38% winning percentage); followed by Ford (39 wins), Toyota (12), Dodge (8), Pontiac (8), Buick (4), Plymouth (3) and Oldsmobile (1).

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes:

  • A total of 53 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished runner-up at Bristol Motor Speedway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty with 10 second-place finishes.
  • Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in runner-up finishes at Bristol with six.

Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Rank All-Time Drivers Runner-Ups Rank Active Drivers Runner-Ups
1 Richard Petty 10 1 Kevin Harvick 6
2 Rusty Wallace 7 2 Kyle Busch 4
3 Bobby Allison 6 3 Kyle Larson 2
  Dale Earnhardt 6 4 Ricky Stenhouse Jr 2
Mark Martin 6 5 Brad Keselowski 1
  Kevin Harvick 6   Denny Hamlin 1
Erik Jones 1
  Martin Truex Jr 1

Top-Five Finishes:

  • A total of 119 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished in the top-five at Bristol, led by NASCAR Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty with 26 top-five finishes each.
  • Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top-five finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway with 14 top-five finishes each.

Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Rank All-Time Drivers Top Fives Rank Active Drivers Top Fives
1 Darrell Waltrip 26 1 Kevin Harvick 14
Richard Petty 26 Kyle Busch 14
3 Bobby Allison 23 3 Denny Hamlin 9
4 Rusty Wallace 22 4 Brad Keselowski 6
5 Dale Earnhardt 20 Joey Logano 6

Top-10 Finishes:

  • A total of 205 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished inside the top-10 at Bristol Motor Speedway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty with 37 top-10 finishes.
  • Kevin Harvick leads the NASCAR Cup Series among active drivers in top-10 finishes at Bristol with 21.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Rank All-Time Drivers Top 10s Rank Active Drivers Top 10s
1 Richard Petty 37 1 Kevin Harvick 21
2 Terry Labonte 33 2 Kyle Busch 19
3 Darrell Waltrip 32 3 Denny Hamlin 15
4 Ricky Rudd 31 4 Joey Logano 10
5 Dale Earnhardt 30 5 Brad Keselowski 8
  Kyle Larson 8

Average Finishes:

  • Dick Hutcherson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing postion with a 2.4 in five starts.
  • Erik Jones leads the series among active drivers in average finishing position at Bristol with a 12.444 in nine starts.

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Rank All-Time Drivers Avg Finish Races Rank Active Drivers Avg Finish Races
1 Dick Hutcherson 2.400 5 1 Erik Jones 12.444 9
2 Junior Spencer 5.500 2 2 Chase Briscoe 13.000 1
3 Jimmy Hensley 6.500 2 3 Daniel Suarez 13.000 6
4 Joe Weatherly 6.667 6 4 Kyle Busch 13.031 32
5 Janet Guthrie 8.500 2 5 Kevin Harvick 13.171 41
6 Benny Parsons 8.630 27 6 Chase Elliott 13.273 11
7 Gene Black 9.000 3 7 Kyle Larson 13.385 13
8 Dale Earnhardt 9.256 43 8 Denny Hamlin 14.516 31
9 Rusty Wallace 9.568 44 9 Joey Logano 14.960 25
10 Cale Yarborough 10.483 29 10 Brad Keselowski 16.826 23

LAP LEADERS

  • A total of 133 different drivers have led at least one lap in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough leads the series in laps led at Bristol with 4,305 laps led in 29 starts.
  • Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Bristol with 2,593 in 32 starts.
  • The most laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 500 laps led by Cale Yarborough on March 25, 1973 – he won the event starting from the pole position and led every lap.
  • The most laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway by a driver that did not win the event was 442 laps led by Richard Petty who finished second on July 26, 1964 – he started first.
  • The fewest laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway by the race winner was one lap, the final lap, by Fred Lorenzen – who passed Richard Petty to win on July 26, 1964 – Lorenzen started eighth.

Top 10 Laps Leaders at Bristol Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Rank All-Time Driver Led Completed % Led Rank Active Driver Led Completed % Led
1 Cale Yarborough 4,305 10,878 40% 1 Kyle Busch 2,593 15,242 17%
2 Dale Earnhardt 3,751 20,038 19% 2 Kevin Harvick 1,209 19,901 6%
3 Rusty Wallace 3,743 20,474 18% 3 Brad Keselowski 904 11,192 8%
4 Darrell Waltrip 3,436 22,964 15% 4 Denny Hamlin 894 14,830 6%
5 Jeff Gordon 2,730 22,525 12% 5 Kyle Larson 816 6,326 13%
6 Kyle Busch 2,593 15,242 17% 6 Joey Logano 766 12,410 6%
7 Bobby Allison 2,316 17,253 13% 7 Ryan Blaney 484 5,198 9%
8 Richard Petty 2,212 23,815 9% 8 Chase Elliott 439 5,468 8%
9 David Pearson 1,616 6,660 24% 9 Erik Jones 293 4,485 7%
10 Matt Kenseth 1,583 18,056 9% 10 Martin Truex Jr 287 15,096 2%

FEMALE COMPETITORS

  • Two female drivers have made NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.
Driver Starting Position Finishing Position Driver Rating Date
Danica Patrick 24 25 44.5 8/19/2017
Danica Patrick 29 36 38.5 4/24/2017
Danica Patrick 29 22 43.3 8/20/2016
Danica Patrick 33 27 45.7 4/17/2016
Danica Patrick 32 27 55.8 8/22/2015
Danica Patrick 26 9 72.6 4/19/2015
Danica Patrick 24 27 45.2 8/23/2014
Danica Patrick 36 18 55.6 3/16/2014
Danica Patrick 22 26 46.2 8/24/2013
Danica Patrick 41 28 41.4 3/17/2013
Danica Patrick 43 29 46.3 8/25/2012
Averages 30.8 24.9 48.6
Driver Starting Position Finishing Position Date
Janet Guthrie 9 6 8/28/1977
Janet Guthrie 21 11 4/17/1977
Averages 15 8.5

TRACK/EVENT SPECIFIC STATS

  • Since the advent of electronic scoring (1993) the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway is the March 25, 2007 race won by Kyle Busch with a margin of victory of 0.064 second over Jeff Burton.

Top Five Closest Margins of Victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol:

Rank Margin of Victory Winner Runner-Up Date
1 0.064 Kyle Busch Jeff Burton Sunday, March 25, 2007
2 0.098 Kyle Busch Mark Martin Saturday, August 22, 2009
3 0.102 Dale Jarrett Mark Martin Saturday, August 23, 1997
4 0.140 Mark Martin Rusty Wallace Saturday, August 28, 1993
5 0.160 Rusty Wallace Mark Martin Saturday, August 27, 1994
0.160 Terry Labonte Dale Earnhardt Saturday, August 26, 1995
  • Qualifying has been cancelled in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway seven times.
No. Reason for Cancellation Date Started First
1 Weather Sunday, March 26, 2006 Tony Stewart
2 Weather Sunday, March 16, 2008 Jimmie Johnson
3 Weather Saturday, August 25, 2012 Casey Mears
4 Weather Monday, April 24, 2017 Kyle Larson
5 Pandemic Sunday, May 31, 2020 Brad Keselowski
6 Pandemic Saturday, September 19, 2020 Brad Keselowski
7 Pandemic Saturday, September 18, 2021 Martin Truex Jr.
  • Two of the 121 NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions.
Scheduled Laps Actual Laps Fewer Laps Race Winner Date
500 342 158 Jeff Gordon Sunday, March 31, 1996
500 419 81 Darrell Waltrip Saturday, August 27, 1983
  • There have been five NASCAR Overtime finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol:
Scheduled Laps Actual Laps Overtime Laps Race Winner Date
500 511 11 Matt Kenseth Sunday, April 19, 2015
500 503 3 Carl Edwards Sunday, March 16, 2014
500 503 3 Kyle Busch Sunday, March 22, 2009
500 506 6 Jeff Burton Sunday, March 16, 2008
500 504 4 Kyle Busch Sunday, March 25, 2007

NASCAR IN TENNESSEE

  • A total of 365 NASCAR national series races among nine tracks have been held in the state of Tennessee.
Track Name City Cup Xfinity Truck Combined First Year
Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol 121 78 24 223 1961
Nashville Speedway Lebanon 42 9 5 56 1958
Nashville Superspeedway Nashville 2 23 15 40 2001
Memphis Motorsports Park Memphis 0 11 12 23 1998
Smokey Mountain Raceway Maryville 12 0 0 12 1965
Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Bristol 2 0 2 4 2021
Kingsport Speedway Kingsport 3 0 0 3 1969
Chattanooga International Raceway Chattanooga 2 0 0 2 1962
Tennessee-Carolina Speedway Newport 2 0 0 2 1956
Totals 186 121 58 365
  • The first NASCAR Cup Series race held in Tennessee was at Tennessee-Carolina Speedway on October 7, 1956 and won by Fireball Roberts.

TENNESSEE DRIVERS IN NASCAR

  • A total of 109 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Tennessee.
  • 15 drivers from Tennessee have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; totaling 151 wins across all three series.

Tenessee Drivers In NASCAR with Wins

Drivers From Tennessee Cup Xfinity Truck Combined
Darrell Waltrip 84 13 0 97
Sterling Marlin 10 2 0 12
Bobby Hamilton 4 1 10 15
Joe Lee Johnson 2 0 0 2
Trevor Bayne 1 2 0 3
Paul Lewis 1 0 0 1
Bobby Hamilton Jr 0 5 0 5
Josh Berry 0 4 0 4
Jeff Purvis 0 4 0 4
L.D. Ottinger 0 3 0 3
Mike Alexander 0 2 0 2
Casey Atwood 0 2 0 2
Brad Teague 0 1 0 1
Chad Chaffin 0 0 2 2
John King 0 0 1 1
Totals 102 39 13 154
  • Darrell Waltrip, from Franklin, Tennessee, was inducted into the 2012 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Waltrip is the only Tennessee native driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series championship.
  • Only two of the 15 drivers from Tennessee have won at least one race in the NASCAR Cup Series at a track located in the state of Tennessee: Darrell Waltrip (Bristol, 12 wins; Nashville, eight wins) and Joe Lee Johnson (Nashville, one win).

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