3 years agoThe question on many minds is whether Ricky Stenhouse Jr. can worm his way up to the front on Sunday at Bristol. Last year, Stenhouse Jr. came from just inside the top-15 to nearly win the race over Joey Logano. The JTG Daugherty Racing driver has shown speed and did last year in Tennessee especially. His Next-Gen car has shown flashes of good lap times as well. He even contended at Daytona and has the car to do so at Bristol. The problem is those crashes. They do always seem to follow Stenhouse Jr. around. He was ninth and sixth in the practice sessions showing good turning ability. The No. 47 could surprise again. --Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoErik Jones survived last year's war of attrition to finish ninth at Bristol last season. This year, he starts 14th on Easter Sunday. There are differences with the Sunday night race having a different look weather wise, etc. Cool temperatures and dry weather will make the track a bit more dusty if the water trucks do not go out as often. The less cautions mean more racing and that might hinder the Petty GMS Motorsports driver. The experience of last year and contending late could be helpful during the final 50-lap stage. --Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoKurt Busch starts from the inside of Row 7 on Sunday but cannot be counted out of the Food City Dirt Race. The 23XI Racing car is faster than what Busch had last year. He finished 16th in what can be best described as a sub-standard drive. It may come down to how many longer runs occur with these Next-Gen cars on the dirt track. If there are fewer, the No. 45 may find his way into the top-ten. If there are more, then a favorable result seems unlikely as the elder Busch did not lose as much time (three tenths) at 20 laps but did not race more because the car started slowing up too much. Either way, Busch's knowledge will be his biggest asset on Sunday.--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoAustin Dillon will begin Sunday's Food City Dirt Race at Bristol from the outside of Row 6. That is the good news. The bad news is Dillon's Chevy is sandwiched by two Toyota's (the Busch Brothers). Now, 11 of the top-20 cars qualifying were Chevy's. This seems like a surprise but not really. Their speed intervals held up a little better than the Ford's and Toyota's. Those tenths of a second along with pit crews will make a difference on Sunday night. Again, this is a night race and Dillon may be one to watch out for nonetheless. His Chevy looked good throughout practice and qualifying. --Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoSome early math had Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch starting from Row 6 on Sunday and then it was revealed that was not the case. Both are close enough together (11th and 13th) to keep things fun for Sunday's Bristol race. Dirt track sibling rivalries on an Easter holiday seem to be a perfect recipe for fun. Now, the younger Busch did have a good second practice run on Friday (20.668 seconds) but the track seemed to be a bit faster during the qualifying run. Can the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing car find that late speed on Sunday? That is the burning question for the Toyota engine once again. --Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoJoey Logano has not been mentioned too much this weekend and he seamlessly qualified tenth to start the Food City Dirt Race on Sunday. This is last year's winner of the race after all. That is important in the sense he knows what it takes to win here. The Next-Gen car was not too bad for the Team Penske driver. He was able to maintain speed and pick his spots to pass in qualifying as well. The key for Logano will be to avoid spins and stay close. His No. 22 car combined with dirt-track wisdom play a bigger role later in the race. Logano is another driver to keep an eye on when it comes to contending at Bristol. --Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoChase Elliott could not wait to get on the track Saturday at Bristol. He starts ninth on Sunday after a strong qualifier. There is significance in the sense that his Hendrick car lost less than four tenths of a second from his best lap to his 30-lap interval. Tyler Reddick dropped almost 3/4 of a second for example. If his No. 9 car can maintain that speed, Elliott can catch up to a lot of cars later in the race. Then again, he has to be closer to the front. Elliott should be one to watch during the final 50-lap stage. --Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoThis will be interesting but Alex Bowman begins the Food City Dirt Race eighth on Sunday night. Bowman and Bristol are an intriguing mix. The Hendrick Motorsports cars have been fast and the No. 48 showed in his heat that he could pass some cars too. There does seem to be this pattern where the Hendrick cars do not lose as much speed during the longer lap intervals. Several tenths of a second make a huge difference on 15, 20, and 30-lap runs. The fewer the cautions, the better chance Bowman has at Bristol. His crew could put him in a position here to contend Sunday.--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoThis was a big moment for Ty Dillon and his Chevy. The Petty GMS Motorsports team has not had the greatest start this 2022 season. However, on Saturday, Dillon and his No. 42 car won his qualifying heat and cemented a top-ten position to start at Bristol. His 15-lap interval was among the top-five cars in terms of time. He ran some close to 20-second laps in the clean air as well. Dillon may be a factor on Sunday but not from a DFS standpoint because of starting position. With only a 250-lap race, that may benefit Dillon too. --Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoJustin Haley raced well during his heat on Saturday which adds some intrigue. His Chevy was fast and good around the corners. There was not much tight on the Kaulig Racing car and that was encouraging. The No. 31 won his heat but his place differential was not as good as the others. Therefore, he starts sixth at Bristol. His car stayed fast throughout his 15-lap heat. That intermediate interval could prove vital on Sunday as the tendency to see longer runs may not come to fruition necessarily. Haley will need an excellent pit crew and good strategy but his penchant for top-ten results at Bristol makes him a contender Sunday.--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoThe same thing was said last year about Kyle Larson. The Hendrick Motorsports Racing driver was primed for a great run on the dirt. That is when disaster err Christopher Bell struck. On the other hand, Larson begins the Food City Dirt Race on Sunday from the fifth position. Larson is one of those veteran dirt drivers who can win on any surface. The Hendrick car did seem to not lose too many tenth as the runs drew into the 15, 20, and even 30-lap ranges. That is especially encouraging for the No. 5 car. Larson again just has to keep the car on the track. Don't spin out as they say. --Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoChase Briscoe will start the Food City Dirt Race from the fourth position on Sunday night. Briscoe and his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford have been fast from the start here. His early time in the first practice session was only eclipsed by Tyler Reddick. Reddick is believed to have the fastest car going into Sunday. The fastest car does not always win races on the dirt. However, it helps. Briscoe's 20.055 second practice lap combined with his heat run could be a harbinger of things to come on Sunday. --Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoThere is little debate that Tyler Reddick had the fastest car on Saturday night. The first nine laps of his qualifying heat saw Reddick eventually get past Ross Chastain and then pull out to a nearly two-second lead. The caution came out after a spin. That did not matter. Reddick and his Chevy were able to extend the lead out again as he cruised to victory. Because of place differential, Reddick starts third on Sunday at Bristol. However, that car was fast in a 15-lap interval. If Richard Childress Racing gets that kind of speed from the No. 8 car on Sunday, the field may be in trouble. Reddick just has to keep the car on the track.--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoChristopher Bell has to be considered one of the favorites on the Bristol short-track Sunday. He was able to qualify second on Saturday and has the ability to run up front on the dirt. The track had a decent balance of wet and dry but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver excels in these conditions. It has been evident since early practice. The only concern for the No. 20 car is avoiding contact. If Bell can avoid an incident like last year with Kyle Larson, the Toyota car should contend for a win. The length of the race (250 laps) may also help Bell as well. --Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com

3 years agoThe Next-Gen car revealed a few interesting trends but one was how Cole Custer negotiated the field in his qualifying heat. On a short-track, Custer was aided by the conditions and a well-timed caution after nine laps. He benefitted the most due to place differential and as a result, took the pole for Sunday's Food City Dirt Race. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver was faster on the turns which seemed to have more grip in the early heats. Custer's biggest concern may be what happens as the track dries out. Will he have the grip to overcome faster cars?--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com