Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Food City 500

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee going into the Food City 500 on Sunday, April 12 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

At Bristol Motor Speedway: Stats & Tidbits

TRACK & RACE DATA
Season Race #: 8 of 36 (April 12, 2026)
The Purse: $11,233,037
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 Length: 125 laps
Stages 2 Length: 125 laps (Ends on Lap 250)
Final Stage Length: 250 laps (Ends on Lap 500)

QUALIFYING & RACE RECORD

Track Qualifying Record:
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 131.713 MPH, 14.568 secs., April 5, 2019

2025 Bristol Pole Winner (Spring Day Race):
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 128.675 MPH, 14.912 secs., April 12, 2025

2025 Bristol Pole Winner (Fall Night Race):
AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, 126.930 MPH, 15.117 secs., September 12, 2025

Track Race Record:
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 101.277 MPH, (2:37:53), September 21, 2024

2025 Bristol (Spring Day) Race Winner:
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 100.746 MPH, (2:38:43), April 13, 2025

2025 Bristol (Fall Night) Race Winner:
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 69.686 MPH, (3:48:10), September 13, 2025

HISTORY

• Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960.
• The track was built by Bowling operator Larry Carrier, Kingsport businessman Carl Moore and construction company owner G. Pope and the track measured an exact half-mile.
• The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was on July 30, 1961, and the inaugural event was won by Jack Smith with relief from Johnny Allen. Smith had a three lap lead when Allen took over and Allen built the lead to as many as six laps.
• In 1969 the track was dug up and reshaped and the banking significantly increased. Starting in July 1969 the track was measured at .533 miles.
• Financial problems led to sale of the track after the 1976 season to Nashville accountant and attorney Gary Baker and his partner Lanny Hester.
• All of the NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps each.
• The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.
• The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.
• In 1982 and in 1985 the track underwent ownership changes. In 1982 California businessman Warner Hodgdon began buying into teams and tracks. In 1982 he bought out Hester and in 1983 Baker’s half. In 1985 Hodgdon declared bankruptcy. Larry Carrier stepped in to run the track.
• The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992, becoming the first track on the Cup Series schedule to be completely surfaced in concrete.
• Larry Carrier led the track for 10 years until he sold it to Speedway Motorsports for a reported $26 million in 1996. The track had a capacity of 71,000 and the Night Race was one of the Series premier events, called the ‘Toughest Ticket in Racing’.
• The track name changed again, this time to Bristol Motor Speedway in May of 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.
• In total, there have been 127 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the first race in 1961, two races each season until 2021 when the track replaced their spring date with the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt track (2021-2023).
• The 2024 season was the first season since 2021 that both Bristol races were run on the concrete surface. From 2021-2023 the spring Bristol race was run a temporary dirt surface.

STARTS

• A total of 488 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway; 350 have competed in more than one.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Bristol with 60.
• Top five in Bristol Cup starts (all-time): Richard Petty (60), Ricky Rudd (58), Terry Labonte (58), Dave Marcis (54), Darrell Waltrip (52).
• Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in starts at Bristol with 38 starts.
• Top five in Bristol Cup starts (active): Kyle Busch (38), Denny Hamlin (37), Joey Logano (31), Brad Keselowski (29), Michael McDowell (28).

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

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen (12 starts) and driver Charlie Glotzbach (four starts) are tied for the all-time Cup Series lead in average starting position at Bristol Motor Speedway with a 3.250 each.
• Chase Elliott leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in average starting position at Bristol Motor Speedway with a 7.800 in 15 starts.
• A total of 35 drivers have made their first NASCAR Cup Series career start at Bristol Motor Speedway; the most recent was Jesse Love (April 13, 2015).
• Only active fulltime Cup Series driver to make their first start at Bristol is AJ Allmendinger (2007).
• Of the 35 drivers that made their first career NASCAR Cup Series start at Bristo Motor Speedway, Bill Seifert posted the best finish – finishing seventh on March 20, 1966.

Drivers That Made Their First Cup Series Start at Bristol Motor Speedway

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Ricky Rudd leads the Cup Series in the most starts at Bristol Motor Speedway without a win at 58.
• Michael McDowell leads all active Cup Series drivers in the most starts at Bristol Motor Speedway without a win at 28.

POLES

• A total of 56 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway; 24 drivers have won more than one pole at Bristol.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series pole at Bristol Motor Speedway with a speed of 79.225 MPH in a Holman-Moody Racing Ford in 1961.
• 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).
• This weekend, nine of the 56 NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway pole winners are entered in the race.

• 13 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).
  • Alex Bowman (2024 fall -2025 spring)
• Eight different drivers have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series career pole at Bristol Motor Speedway.

• 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 36 different organizations have won a pole at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Bristol Motor Speedway with 14 poles among six drivers: Geoff Bodine (1984, 1986 sweep), Jeff Gordon (2002 sweep, 2003, 2004, 2007), Mark Martin (2009 sweep), Jimmie Johnson (2010), Chase Elliott (2019), Alex Bowman (2024, 2025).
• Joe Gibbs Racing has the second most Cup poles at Bristol with 12 poles among seven drivers: Tony Stewart (1999), Joey Logano (2010), Kyle Busch (2013, 2018), Denny Hamlin (2013, 2014, 2015, 2019), Matt Kenseth (2015), Carl Edwards (2016, sweep), Christopher Bell (2023).
• This weekend, seven of the 36 NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway pole winning organizations are active.

• A total of nine different manufacturers have won poles at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series; led by Chevrolet (42) and followed by Ford (38), Toyota (12), Dodge (8), Pontiac (7), Buick (4), Plymouth (4), Oldsmobile (3) and Mercury (2).
• The longest streak of consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway pole wins by a manufacturer is nine straight by Ford from 4/2/1995 to 4/11/1999.

WINS

• A total of 45 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• A total of 22 of the 45 Cup Series Bristol winners have won multiple times at the half-mile track.
• Driver/owner Jack Smith (with relief from Johnny Allen) won the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on July 30, 1961, driving the No. 46 Pontiac.
• 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 victories (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 38 starts (Spring 2007, 2009 sweep, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019).
• Seven of the 45 NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway race winners are entered in this weekend’s race.

• 13 drivers have won consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Darrell Waltrip (Leads the series in consecutive Bristol wins with eight straight victories from 1979-1984)
  • 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)
  • Brad Keselowski (Fall 2011-Spring 2012)
  • Kyle Larson (Fall 2024- Spring 2025)
• Youngest Bristol Cup race winner: Kyle Busch (March 25, 2007 – 21 years, 10 months, 23 days).
• Oldest Bristol Cup race 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.

• Of the five drivers to win their first NASCAR Cup Series career race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch was the youngest to accomplish the feat at the age of 23.
• A total of 24 different starting positions 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 (21.3%) – the most productive starting position in the field.
• A total of 16 different drivers have won from the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway. The most recent driver to win from the pole or first starting position was Brad Keselowski on March 31, 2020.

• 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).
• More than half of the NASCAR Cup Series winners at Bristol Motor Speedway have started in the top-five (74 wins, 58.3%).
• More than three quarters of the NASCAR Cup Series winners at Bristol Motor Speedway started in the top-10 (100 wins, 78.7%).
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 38th, by Elliott Sadler in 2001. It was Sadler’s first victory in the Cup Series, and he was driving the famous Wood Brothers Racing’s 21 Ford.
• The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started is 20th, by Chris Buescher in 2022.
• A total of six NASCAR Cup Series Bristol races have been won from starting outside the top-20, the most recent was Kevin Harvick in 2016.

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Bristol Motor Speedway

• A total of 30 different organizations have visited Victory Lane in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway.

• Junior Johnson & Associates lead the NASCAR Cup Series in organization wins at Bristol Motor Speedway with 21 victories among five drivers: Cale Yarborough (nine wins: 1973, 1974 sweep, 1976 sweep, 1977 sweep, 1978, 1980), Darrell Waltrip (eight wins: 1981 sweep, 1982 sweep, 1983 sweep, 1984, 1986), Bobby Allison (two wins: 1972 sweep) and Charlie Glotzbach (1971) and Junior Johnson (1965).
• Joe Gibbs Racing leads all active NASCAR Cup Series organizations in wins at Bristol Motor Speedway with 16 victories; followed by Hendrick Motorsports with 14, Team Penske with 13, and RFK Racing with 12.
• Eight different manufacturers have won in the 127 Cup races at Bristol Motor Speedway; led by Chevrolet with 48 victories, followed by Ford (40 wins), Toyota (15), Dodge (8), Pontiac (8), Buick (4), Plymouth (3) and Oldsmobile (1).
• A total of 12 different drivers have won NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway in multiple manufacturers:
  • Richard Petty (Dodge-2, Plymouth-1)
  • Rusty Wallace (Ford-5, Pontiac-4)
  • Matt Kenseth (Ford-2, Toyota-2)
  • Kyle Busch (Toyota-7, Chevrolet-1)
  • Kurt Busch (Ford-5, Dodge-1)
  • Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet-2, Ford-1)
  • David Pearson (Ford-4, Dodge-1)
  • Darrell Waltrip (Chevrolet-8, Buick-4)
  • Carl Edwards (Ford-3, Toyota-1)
  • Cale Yarborough (Chevrolet-8, Oldsmobile-1)
  • Brad Keselowski (Dodge-2, Ford-1)
  • Bobby Allison (Chevrolet-2, Dodge-2)
• The record for the most consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races won by a manufacturer at Bristol Motor Speedway is seven straight, and it has happened twice – first by Ford from 1963-1966 and then by Chevrolet from 1971-1974.

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes:

• A total of 54 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished runner-up at Bristol Motor Speedway, 30 of the 54 have posed more than one runner-up finish.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes with 10 second-place finishes.
• Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in runner-up finishes at Bristol with four.

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

Top-Five Finishes:

• A total of 124 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished in the top-five at Bristol Motor Speedway; 89 drivers have posted multiple top fives.
• NASCAR Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Bristol top fives with 26 top-five finishes each.
• Kyle Busch leads 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)

Top-10 Finishes:

• A total of 210 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished inside the top-10 at Bristol Motor Speedway; 149 have posted multiple top 10s.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the Cup Series in Bristol top 10s with 37 top-10 finishes.
• Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin lead the Cup Series among active drivers in top-10 finishes at Bristol with 19 each.

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

Average Finishes:

• Dick Hutcherson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position with a 2.4 in five starts.
• Christopher Bell leads the series among active drivers in average finishing position at Bristol with a 10.8 in nine starts.

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

LAP LEADERS & LEAD CHANGES

• A total of 144 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 2,598 in 36 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)

• The most lap leaders in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 16 and it has occurred twice – April 9, 1989 and March 17, 2024.
• The fewest lap leaders in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 1 set on March 25, 1973.
• The most lead changes in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 54 set on March 17, 2024.
• The fewest lead changes in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is 0 set on March 25, 1973.
• Four Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway have resulted in a last lap pass to decide the win:
  • 8/28/1999 – Dale Earnhardt passed Terry Labonte to win.
  • 4/13/1997 – Jeff Gordon passed Rusty Wallace to win.
  • 7/14/1974 – Cale Yarborough passed Buddy Baker to win.
  • 7/26/1964 – Fred Lorenzen passed Richard Petty to win

FEMALE COMPETITORS

• Two female drivers have made NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.

TRACK/EVENT SPECIFIC STATS

Overtime Finish

• There have been five overtime finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway:

Margin of Victory

• 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:

• Since the advent of electronic scoring (1993) the largest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway is the April 10, 2007 race won by Dale Earnhardt with a margin of victory of 7.630 seconds over Ken Schrader.

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

Postponements / Cancellations

• Two of the 127 NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol have been shortened due to weather conditions.

Postponements / Cancellations

• Qualifying has been cancelled in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway seven times.

NASCAR IN TENNESSEE

• A total of 393 NASCAR national series races among nine tracks have been held in the state of Tennessee.

• The first NASCAR Cup Series race held in Tennessee was at Tennessee-Carolina Speedway on October 7, 1956 and the race was won by Fireball Roberts.

TENNESSEE DRIVERS IN NASCAR

• A total of 111 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 156 wins across all three series.
• 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).

Tennessee Drivers In NASCAR with Wins

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