Saturday night’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway will determine which drivers move on to the round of 12. I expect that anyone below the line or just above it is going to race harder than the drivers who are already in. Then again, you can’t argue with a hot (or cold) streak.
Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice guiding you to the Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers drivers for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway:
Brilliant – These NASCAR drivers have the best shot at winning in in Bristol
Brad Keselowski
He’s on a role and he’s on the pole. Keselowski doesn’t always finish well, but when he’s on—he’s on. He won here in May, he won at last week’s short track in Richmond, and he might as well win again on Saturday night.
Wins at Bristol: 3
Top 5 finishes: 6
Top 10 finishes: 7
Kyle Busch
The No.18 has a great opportunity to get back into form this weekend, but he needs a good car to do it. He knows how to get the job done here and with stats like this, it’s tough to count out last year’s reigning champ for a trip to victory lane on Saturday.
Wins at Bristol: 8
Top 5 finishes: 13
Top 10 finishes: 18
Denny Hamlin
The No. 11 was his own worst enemy last weekend, with a pit-row penalty that he never quite recovered from. If he has clean pit stops and stays penalty-free, he’s likely to get another win at Bristol.
Wins at Bristol: 2
Top 5 finishes: 9
Top 10 finishes: 14
Bold – These are my NASCAR sleeper picks
Ryan Blaney
No, he doesn’t have the best numbers at this track. But he heads to Bristol with a mission to get himself back into the playoffs, and he’s warned other drivers to stay out of his way this weekend to get there. As long as he races clean and stays out of wrecks, he’s likely to get back in it with a win.
Wins at Bristol: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 4
Clint Bowyer
Clint wants to stay competitive so he can move to the next round. He’s too close for comfort to the cutoff line, only three points up, but no worries—this is one of his better tracks, having finished in second place here in May. I have a funny feeling that Bowyer might see his first win this season at Bristol.
Wins at Bristol: 0
Top 5 finishes: 8
Top 10 finishes: 16
Kurt Busch
Of all the drivers racing for their lives, I think that Kurt Busch has the best chance at cementing his place into the next round. He’s only 7 points above the cutoff line, so he just needs a clean race and a top finish to stay alive. But a win sure would be nice.
Wins at Bristol: 6
Top 5 finishes: 12
Top 10 finishes: 21
Bonkers – Stay away from these NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup this week
Martin Truex Jr.
Not his best track. Or his second-best. Or anywhere near the top-10. Truex has been consistently awful in Bristol. Though he has a great starting position and a hot streak going for him, I’d say there are way too many others who are better here, as well as desperate to get into the playoffs.
Wins at Bristol: 0
Top 5 finishes: 2
Top 10 finishes: 3
Ryan Newman
Newman can eek his way into a top-10 finish, but any higher than five? Not so much. He’s been here 37 times and this is as good as it gets. My advice is to keep the No. 6 out of your NASCAR fantasy lineup this weekend.
Wins at Bristol: 0
Top 5 finishes: 2
Top 10 finishes: 19
Aric Almirola
He’s seven points above the cutoff line, but he’s historically bad at this track. These numbers are out of 22 races. His average finish here is 25th and he has seven DNFs. Enough said.
Wins at Bristol: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 3
