It’s Bristol, baby! The spring Bristol, Tennesee NASCAR race returns to concrete for the Food City 500! It’s been a few years since this race was back on concrete. NASCAR spent a few years racing this edition of the Last Great Colosseum on dirt. But now they’re back as it should be on proper surfaces.
Last week in Phoenix, Chris delivered some solid picks. Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr delivered a 5th and 7th place finish. Meanwhile, my recommendations of Ross Chastain and Kyle Busch did considerably worse. Chastain carved out a 6th place spot and Kyle Busch battled a bad car all weekend long and dragged out 22nd. But it’s a new week, and there’s enough time to get my first win on the board. Without further adieu, let’s dive right in and figure out who are BellyUp’s recommended drivers for this weekend’s action in Bristol!
Chris’s Picks: #11 Denny Hamlin (+500) & #20 Christopher Bell (+500)
Embed from Getty ImagesSo, in my(Chris) defense, we did make these picks before the odds were even released. I however stand by these two teammates. First off, if Christopher Bell and his crew chief Adam Stevens are able to bring the type of speed they brought to Phoenix. I don’t see how anyone besides maybe Larson will even contend. Also in the last two fall races in Bristol, Bell has led over one hundred laps in each and finished in the top five. Now as for Denny Hamlin in his last ten career starts in the East Tennessee Coliseum, Denny has won twice including last fall. He’s led well over 400 laps collectively. Plus, the Toyota camp looked damn near unbeatable as a whole group for the majority of the race in Phoenix so, if and when they unload with super-fast race cars. You can count on the 11 and 20 to be up front at some point during the race if not during the whole entirety of the race.
Kaleb’s Picks: #5 Kyle Larson (+400) & #17 Chris Buescher (+1100)
Embed from Getty ImagesWell, somebody had to take the obvious favorite. Kyle Larson seems to be a great bet anywhere he goes, and I just had to be the guy to explain why this week. The #5 at Bristol is one of the best drivers in the Cup Series, per usual. In the last three races at Bristol (not dirt), Larson has an average finish of 2.7. The highest in the series. He also doesn’t have a finish outside of the top five. Runner up in last fall’s race and fifth in 2022. Posting the win in 2021. He’ll per usual be a strong car and be close to free money on a bet inside the top five.
Chris Buescher is a little more creative. He won the fall race in 2022 leading 169 laps. He got another top-five here last fall finishing fourth. Buescher has quickly ascended to one of the strongest fords that NASCAR has to offer and is consistently battling up to the top 10 despite unfavorable circumstances. Bristol should be another strong track for him so don’t be afraid to throw him in your lineups and bet on him to have a good day.
Chris’s Fade: #48 Alex Bowman (+4500)
Embed from Getty ImagesYou’re a terrible person, Chris. Good luck looking into his eyes and telling him why you hate him.
Listen, it is nothing personal. I’m typically a HMS homer, but we all have to face the facts sometimes. This week’s facts are that Alex isn’t that good at Bristol. His best finish is 5th and he most recently did that in the fall of 2021. Plus it’s not like he’s exactly been on fire this season either. Minus his runner-up finish to teammate William Byron in the Daytona 500, he has zero top-ten finishes so far this season. My confidence is very low in Alex at Bristol due to his history. Plus, right now it just seems the odds are against him and his team heading into this weekend’s Food City 500.
Kaleb’s Fade: #1 Ross Chastain (+1800)
Embed from Getty ImagesI, like Chris, am also fading a Chevy. Ross Chastain has some weird odds. He has one career top-10 here at Bristol. He finished 6th in the fall playoff race in 2022. In 2023 he placed 23rd after starting 23rd and 14th in 2021. At these shorter tracks, it’s tough to trust a guy like Chastain. He looks for the aggressive moves that can often cause mayhem. It’s not just limited to drafting tracks where he often tries to shoot the gap in the middle and it closes. These moves can also happen at short tracks and get him bit. Sitting at +1800 with guys like Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and Martin Truex Jr doesn’t make sense to me. But, I don’t make books. I’ll steer clear of the #1 car at the Food City 500 this weekend.
If you enjoyed this content, or hate it and want to argue with me, follow me on Twitter @KalebEmcee! Also, read up on the rest of the NASCAR content Belly Up Sports has to offer here! Heck, for all your other sports needs, follow the main page. If you love racing of any shape or form, find Chris on Twitter, and let’s talk!
