BRISTOL, Tenn. — With latest gear package deal modifications from NASCAR and Goodyear for its Cup Sequence brief monitor and highway course races, the Meals Metropolis 500 ought to have considerably of a brand new identification when the inexperienced flag drops Sunday afternoon on the tradition-rich race.
Drivers, groups, followers and others within the business can’t wait to see what the brand new product will seem like as 40 vehicles battle across the high-banks at legendary Bristol Motor Speedway.
NASCAR has elevated the horsepower to a most of 750 for all vehicles within the Meals Metropolis 500. Goodyear says it’s going to ship a softer tire for the race as effectively. The mixture of the 2 is anticipated to supply extra thrilling racing on the vital common season race.
Justin Fantozzi, Goodyear Director of Racing for the Americas, stated they carried out a few tire checks within the low season within the course of of choosing the tire for this weekend.
“The target at our Bristol tire take a look at in November was to develop a setup that’s much less temperature dependent at laying rubber down,” Fantozzi stated. “We heard loudly from the groups about variations in climate between observe and race situations, and the necessity for a tire resolution to deal with this. The monitor took rubber in November underneath relatively chilly temperatures, and once more on the March OEM Wheel Pressure take a look at. Our improvement crew did an important job, and we’re more than happy to be heading into the weekend with this new package deal.”
It doesn’t matter what all the variables produce, the very fact is {that a} host of seasoned rivals want to get again to their “favourite monitor” and get right down to enterprise.
In latest seasons it’s been a Kyle Larson present as the motive force of the No. 5 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports has left his rivals within the mud and earned a number of victories with greater than 400 laps led in every contest. Final yr Larson gained the Meals Metropolis 500 and Christopher Bell rallied to win the 2025 Evening Race.
These two, together with Denny Hamlin, who additionally has a pair of Bristol victories in recent times, shall be three of the drivers which might be thought of pre-race favorites.
“We’ve had a few actually good races there and people have been loads of enjoyable,” Larson stated. “Hopefully we are able to go there and have the identical form of dominance like we’ve had previously. I wish to get again to main a bunch of laps, profitable levels and difficult for race wins. No higher place to do this than Bristol. Hopefully we are able to put an entire weekend collectively like we’ve executed previously.”
Bell gained America’s Evening Race in September and feels comfy and assured with no matter model of Bristol the groups get this weekend.
“Bristol is all the time one which now we have circled on our calendar and know that we’re going to be a contender there,” Bell stated. “Bristol’s been throwing the sink at all people. Now we get the package deal change, the engine change and tire change unexpectedly. It’s positively one of many trickiest races to organize for nowadays. There are loads of unknowns going into this weekend, however that feels regular.”
As soon as you’re previous the primary three favorites, then the flood gates open. Greater than 10 drivers are within the lineup of those that are hungry to win at Bristol and have the skillset to get the job executed. These drivers embrace red-hot Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, who has jumped out to a blistering begin to the season by profitable 4 of the primary seven races. After going winless final yr, he has posted victories at Daytona, Atlanta, COTA and Darlington in his 2026 outburst.
Reddick has run effectively at Bristol previously and practically claimed a Bristol win on grime in 2022 earlier than he and Chase Briscoe tangled on the ultimate lap popping out of flip 4. Their skirmish opened the door for Kyle Busch to assert his ninth Bristol Cup victory.
Reddick additionally ran effectively at Bristol throughout his Truck and O’Reilly Sequence days and his driving type works effectively round Bristol’s distinctive configuration, which is a brief monitor that races like a superspeedway.
“I imply, it’s only a matter of the tracks that I’m actually sturdy at and our vehicles are actually sturdy at,” Reddick stated. “We’ve simply this yr been capitalizing on it and getting the wins. If we are able to hold this up, who is aware of? I’m simply going to take it one week at a time.”
The assassin’s row of prime challengers continues with latest Martinsville winner Chase Elliott, who gained the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol, and Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, NASCAR Conflict winner Ryan Preece, Bubba Wallace and Brad Keselowski. All of those drivers have gained a Bristol race in some type or vogue.
Elliott has a ton of followers at Bristol Motor Speedway so he want to make all of them completely happy by bringing a few of his latest Martinsville magic into the Tennessee hills.
“It was positively a crew effort,’’ stated Elliott, of his latest Martinsville victory. “We’ve by no means had a win this early within the season. Only a actually nice crew effort. So happy with [crew chief] Alan [Gustafson] the crew actually did an important job. We took a bet and have been going to two-stop that final stage and actually consider it was going to work out both approach. Simply so proud. It positive is loads of enjoyable when days like this work out…To win these races is simply so powerful. Actually grateful for the chance as all the time. I by no means take it as a right.’’
One other driver to look at is Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain. He drives the No. 1 Chevrolet and is amongst a big contingent of Cup drivers this weekend who’re doing a bit of moonlighting. Chastain can be racing within the Tennessee Military Nationwide Guard 250 Craftsman Truck Sequence race on Friday evening.
“I really like racing at Bristol which is why I all the time attempt to run a couple of collection there,” Chastain stated. “It’s so enjoyable to be on the monitor which is type of down in a bowl with all the followers proper subsequent to you. The ambiance at Bristol is simply so cool. Strolling throughout the monitor down into the infield on the crossover gate is a neat expertise. You get to really feel how steep the banking is.”
The rising stars checklist has a minimum of 5 drivers who regardless of their lack of long-term expertise are nonetheless close to the highest of the checklist of those that may win the Meals Metropolis 500.
That checklist begins with Ty Gibbs at Bristol. The motive force of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing machine has led laps and regarded tremendous comfy in his restricted Cup begins on the excessive banks and has been tagged by media and racing historians as somebody who could possibly be the following “first time Cup winner at Bristol” on the monitor’s all-star checklist that features Dale Earnhardt Sr., Rusty Wallace, Kurt Busch and Ernie Irvan, amongst others.
Carson Hocevar can be proving that he has no concern within the sport and it will not be a shock to see the motive force of the No. 77 Chevy for Spire Motorsports standing in Bristol’s victory lane. Hocevar has acquired many compliments for his driving type and has even been in comparison with Dale Earnhardt Sr. for his take no prisoners and make no associates strategy behind the wheel.
“We’ve been quick at Bristol ever since my first Cup race there in 2023,” Hocevar stated. “We have now simply been very profitable there. I actually get pleasure from working there, and it’s one in every of Luke’s (Lambert, crew chief) favourite tracks. He has loads of expertise there and gained races at each stage. We’re shut, we simply want every thing to come back collectively.”
Hocevar says the velocity across the iconic bullring is what brings out the perfect in him. He’s additionally one of many Cup regulars who’re competing in Friday’s truck race underneath the lights.
“Bristol is super-fast and I believe that fits me,” Hocevar stated. “You carry loads of velocity round there and it’s a must to make choices in a short time and choose between the highest and backside lanes relying on the place the lap visitors is. It’s virtually like working on a dust monitor.”
