From the official Throwback Weekend to the nostalgia of Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR continues on this weekend in the mountains of Tennessee. A weekend of tempers flaring and bumpers bending should be on queue for each series. NASCAR’s most prominent short track takes center stage as the season stays in high gear. Bristol will mark the last race before a quick Easter break for the Cup Series. It also marks the last race of this stretch where the contenders and pretenders have been established. However, some teams are bubbling under the surface, ready to breakthrough with that all important win. How many of those teams will be featured in this week’s Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch for Bristol?
Bristol Motor Speedway is set to host all three NASCAR series for this upcoming spring weekend. After a week off, the Craftsman Truck Series joins the Xfinity and Cup Series at the Last Great Coliseum in Tennessee. Although NASCAR has seen some recent short track struggles, that does little to dim the excitement for Bristol. Well, at least for the Xfinity and Truck Series. NASCAR’s lower two series can usually be relied upon to put together some solid entertainment. As long as anarchy does not spawn at the end of each race, then Friday and Saturday should be pleasant viewings. Meanwhile, the Cup Series will be a mystery bag of a race. What can fans expect from the racing? Will it be last year’s tire wear spectacle that put on the best Gen7 Bristol race? Or will it be the usual mediocre running fans have groaned since 2022?
Food City 500
Denny Hamlin
Fresh off back-to-back wins, Denny Hamlin will look to become the second Joe Gibbs Racing driver to win 3 straight races this year. Christopher Bell accomplished that feat, winning at Atlanta, COTA, and Phoenix in consecutive weeks. Now, Hamlin can replicate that success after finding victory lane at Martinsville and Darlington. It is a bit eerie how similar both JGR 3-peats could be. Hamlin dominated Martinsville while somewhat lucking into the Darlington win. That is similar to how Bell dominated Phoenix (minus tire strategies) and fell into victory at Atlanta. For Hamlin to complete the trio, he needs to chase down Kyle Busch in the final stage at Bristol.
Last year’s Food City 500 offered a tire management race. While Goodyear is still unsure of how that happened, it certainly benefitted Denny Hamlin. Known for his ability to save his equipment, Hamlin would look forward to another tire saving affair. Will that play out this Sunday? Honestly, it is difficult to guess one way or another. Although a tire saving race would play into Hamlin’s strength, the usual Gen7 race at Bristol would also suffice for his chances. Bristol has been a strong track for Hamlin, especially in this car. Through 4 races, Hamlin has yet to finish outside the Top-10 while leading a combined 305 laps.
Brad Keselowski
Darlington is a good snapshot of Brad Keselowski’s 2025. Despite a mediocre qualifying run, the 6 car had speed on the long run. After a run where he drove from 20th to 6th, Keselowski looked at least set to earn his first Top-10 on the season. However, a loose wheel ruined the day and Keselowski continued his rough season with a 33rd place finish. The 6 team has not been as awful as the results have shown. While the team certainly lags behind the 17 and 60, there have been moments of speed for Keselowski this season. However, rotten luck seems to strike at the worst times. The hope is that Keselowski’s best track can start to right the ship.
In his career, Keselowski has racked up 3 wins, 10 Top-10s, and an average finish of 16.2 at Bristol. With the Gen7 car, Keselowski almost snapped his losing streak in 2023 before a blown right front tire ruined his race. Prior to last year’s night race, Keselowski ran well at Bristol. However, that playoff race looms large entering this weekend. Granted, that seemed to be chalked up setting up the car based on expecting a repeat of the Food City 500. In this race last year, Keselowski finished third. That is the result this team is looking for. RFK Racing has been a strong team at Bristol. It is assumed that Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece will feature in or around the Top-10. Their owner needs to join them this weekend, as he did in Stage 1 at Darlington.
SciApps 300
Harrison Burton
So far this season, it has been a pleasant bounce back for AM Racing. Clearly, the driver swap to Harrison Burton has been paying dividends on the track. AM Racing seems on the path to put up their best Xfinity season to date. Burton has played a huge factor into that success, as he currently sits 10th in the points with an average finish of 15.9. Darlington was another race where the team punched above their weight class. Based on tire strategy, Burton managed to win Stage 1. However, what was more impressive is that Burton remained in the Top-5 during Stage 2 to score the second most stage points in the race. Despite finishing outside the Top-10, this team is carrying momentum into Bristol.
Harrison Burton has found success at Bristol in the Xfinity Series, but it has been 3 years since his last start. Every Xfinity start Burton has made at Bristol resulted in a Top-10, which should bode well for him this weekend. Similar to Darlington, Bristol is a track where driver skill factors in more than the usual tracks. Burton has demonstrated to be a solid short track racer in his NASCAR career. It would be a surprise to see the 25 compete for the win among the larger teams. However, the chances of chaos breaking out at Bristol are higher than other places. If Burton can position himself well at the end, he could be a sneaky pick for an upset winner.
Brennan Poole
Bristol’s SciApps 300 will host the next installment of Xfinity’s Dash for Cash. For 3 of the 4 drivers, they are the usual suspects who finish Top-3 at Martinsville. Austin Hill, Sheldon Creed, and Justin Allgaier will battle for the $100,000 prize. Joining them in this fight will be Brennan Poole, who managed to escape the madness at the end of Martinsville to finish fourth. Poole, who drives for Alpha Prime Racing in their 44 entry, set an organizational best finish via his fourth place finish to qualify for the Dash for Cash. Now, the 44 team will attempt to stack up to some of the best teams in the Xfinity Series.
While it would be easy to count Poole out in the Dash for Cash, the 44 team has been running well this year. Poole’s average finish sits at 17.9 and he is only 22 points behind the cutline. Pointing their way to the playoffs is unlikely, but this team has been impressing. Similar to Harrison Burton at Darlington, tire strategy allowed Poole to get inside the Top-10 and he managed to run there for Stage 2. Poole is bringing the same car he drove from Martinsville, which would have produced a Top-10 without the last lap fiasco. Although it seems unlikely Poole will win the $100,000, stranger things have happened. With the additional TV coverage Poole should receive, make sure to keep track of his progression throughout Saturday’s race.
WEATHER GUARD Truck Race
Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson’s first attempt at pulling off the triple-sweep almost went swingingly. Larson managed to win the Truck and Cup Series race, but his most dominate performance ended without the win. Now, Larson will look to make history as only the second driver to pull off this feat. What a more fitting place to do it than Bristol, where Kyle Busch did it twice. Since Larson failed to do it at Homestead due to the Xfinity Series, you might think that is where his driver to watch section would go. However, Larson struggled the most in the Truck Series. Even after winning, he said that jumping into a truck was more difficult than the Xfinity car. Plus, it took the best car on track having an issue for Larson to win.
Bristol Motor Speedway has been one of Larson’s best tracks. Last time he raced there, Larson dominated the fall Cup race by leading 462 of 500 laps. This certainly feels to be the more appropriate place for Larson to pull off the triple. However, the Truck Series has offered more challenges to Cup drivers than some may expect. Kyle Busch failed to win his last Truck Series race at Bristol, being bested by Christian Eckes. The same could be on tap for Larson on Friday. Corey Heim outran Larson at Homestead. There is a great chance that happens again this week. Plus, the next driver to watch could cause problems for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. Obviously though, a driver going for the full weekend sweep should be one to watch.
Ty Majeski
Without looking at the stat sheet, it feels that Ty Majeski’s title defense has gotten off to a poor start. He has yet to win a race, including at Martinsville where he was the favorite. ThorSport as a whole has seemed slower this season, which would be cause for concern. However, Majeski currently sits second in points as the Truck Series heads to Bristol. Plus, he has only scored less than 40 points in a race once this season. Clearly, Majeski is doing pretty well through 5 races this season. Sometimes, perception does not match reality.
With a short track up next, it is natural to put Ty Majeski as one of the drivers to watch. Between him and Corey Heim, they could be the biggest barriers to Kyle Larson’s victory Friday. Majeski won his Truck Series Bristol debut back in 2022, where he led 45 laps. His other 3 starts do not show well in terms of result, but mistakes on pit road have been the main reason for that. The 98 team has brought solid speed for Majeski, but the team/driver have a habit of shooting themselves in the foot. If they can manage to have a clean race, Majeski might be a lock for a podium finish.
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