What’s Happening?

Saturday’s sessions for the Cup series were extremely eventful, as uncertainty about tire wear is in the air. No one knows what will happen on Sunday, but Saturday certainly did not look good for the tires.

According to Larry McReynolds, the tires looked worse and more worn out during this practice session than they did a year ago for the spring race, which is certainly welcomed by most fans.

Tires were cording after about 30 laps into the run, and the falloff in lap times was significant. Still, it is worth noting that Sunday’s race will be around 10° warmer than the sessions held on Saturday, and most in the garage believe that the temperatures are the biggest factor in whether the tire wears out or not.

Alex Bowman earned the pole over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by just 0.013 seconds, with a lap time of 14.912. It’s his second straight pole at Bristol. Bowman earned his second pole of the season, and it’s the first time he’s achieved multiple in the same year.

However, the sessions weren’t quite straightforward, as multiple drivers got loose during their laps. Notably, both multi-time champions had the biggest moments, with Kyle Busch spinning through turns 3 and 4 but avoiding contact and Joey Logano nearly spinning, smacking the wall off of turn 2 during his lap. He will have to repair his Mustang for the race. Kyle Busch and Joey Logano will start 15th and 38th, respectively.

Practice Results

• Fastest Lap: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. [14.981s]
• Best Overall Average: Kyle Larson [15.706s]
• Best 5-Lap Average: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. [15.124s]
• Best 10-Lap Average: Kyle Larson [15.266s]
• Best 15-Lap Average: Kyle Larson [15.402s]
• Best 20-Lap Average: Kyle Larson [15.527s]
• Best 25-Lap Average: Kyle Larson [15.630s]
• Best 30-Lap Average: Kyle Larson [15.706s]

Starting Lineup

Notes

• Alex Bowman earned the pole, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr in second.
• Tire wear was significant on Saturday, but it is uncertain what will happen on Sunday.

Ones to Watch

• Denny Hamlin: He has momentum, with back-to-back wins at Martinsville and Darlington, plus having won two of the last three races at Bristol. Hamlin is one of the best short-track racers out there, and he should be in contention for the win. He starts fourth.
• Kyle Larson: Larson is fresh off an Xfinity Series victory at the track and dominated the Bristol playoff race last year. He did seem to have the best car in practice as well. He launches in P3.
• Christopher Bell: With the second-most points scored at Bristol in the Next-Gen era and 3 wins already this season, Bell has no pressure and should score many points. I’m uncertain about race-winning speed, but a top 5 result is a near guarantee if everything goes his way.
• Alex Bowman: Starting on the pole, Bowman does, in fact, enjoy tire wear races. If we get one, expect Bowman to be in the mix, and if we don’t, he’s still a Hendrick Motorsports driver and should be up there, too, despite Bristol not having been a stellar track throughout his career.
• Ty Gibbs: He is steadily improving, and this race last year was arguably the best of his entire career. Gibbs could surprise on Sunday as he starts 6th.

Honorable Mentions:

• Ryan Blaney: Always fast at Bristol and on short tracks, but his history at the track and this season do not favor him. Starts 5th.
• Kyle Busch: The best active driver at Bristol, but with RCR equipment, I’m afraid he will not have the speed he wants. Launches P15 after a spin in qualifying.

Pit Stall Selections

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