The NASCAR Cup Series returns this weekend with teams heading to the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway. Two weeks to prepare for the Food City 500 gave drivers time to rest and get additional sim time, so we expect some great racing this weekend.
Let's take a look at our NASCAR predictions for the Food City 500 at Bristol.
Denny Hamlin wins pole at Bristol
Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 team have not qualified lower than eighth at Bristol Motor Speedway in eight races since 2020. However, he has not won pole here since 2019 and has done so just twice since 2015. Joe Gibbs Racing completely designed the No. 11 at Martinsville two weeks earlier, the car performed well by winning the pole, posting the fastest lap, winning both stages and dominating the majority of the race. We believe the setup will be equally effective at Bristol, earning Hamlin pole position at Bristol for Sunday's race.
RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series all-time win list, including Denny Hamlin
Kyle Larson wins Stage 1
Last April at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson led the field with two stage wins, fastest lap and led 411 laps. We may not see the same level of ownership of the No. 5 car in the Food City 500 this weekend, but Larson will score his first stage win of the season. This is also something he and Hendrick Motorsports need, considering he currently sits ninth in points. Larson will take Stage 1 on Sunday afternoon; This would be the start of an excellent points day for him.
Christopher Bell wins Stage 2
We think there will be a great back-and-forth between some of NASCAR's best drivers at the Food City 500. Larson gets the Stage 1 win and, thanks to some issues on pit road by the No. 11 team, Christopher Bell takes the advantage, beating Hamlin and Larson for the Stage 2 win. He would finish in the top five on both stages, securing himself over 16 stage points, and he would come out strong over the weekend in the top three in terms of points earned during Sunday's race.
ty gibbs stays hot
Ty Gibbs certainly isn't one of the most popular NASCAR drivers at the moment, but you can't deny the success he's had recently. He entered the off-week with five consecutive top-six finishes, scoring an average of 41 points per race during that five-race period. He is not making the mistakes of the past where he would have ruined the great equipment, team and setup he was working with. Now, Gibbs is headed to Bristol Motor Speedway, a track where he has averaged an 8.4 finishing position in the past five races, including a third-place finish in last year's spring race. We believe Gibbs can make it six consecutive top-five finishes.
Food City 500 Winner: Denny Hamlin
While Denny Hamlin hasn't been as great as Tyler Reddick this season, 23XI Racing has their top driver struggle on these shorter tracks. Hamlin easily had the best car at Martinsville and if not for a loose tire after his final pit stop, which affected the car's ability to catch up to Chase Elliott, he might have taken the maximum points and the win. We previously predicted that a small pit-stop issue would prevent Hamlin from taking Stage 2, but that the team would be faultless after that. In the battle of Hamlin, Larson and Bell, the two teammates help each other and then Hamlin defeats Bell for the Food City 500 victory.
