Bristol IRWIN Tools Night Race Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings

Jeff Gordon – Jeff Gordon is a good performer at Bristol and in 4 of the 6 races since the reconfiguration he’s finished in the top 7. This spring he ran well and finished 3rd. It should also be noted his race wasn’t incident free. On lap 205 he had a loose wheel and pitted out of 7th. That issue dropped him to 29th, two laps down. He rebounded from that and got his laps back and then evaded the carnage at the end. Last August he started in 2nd and looked like he would be one of the drivers to beat. Through the first 130 laps he led 17 of them and never really ran lower than 5th. On lap 79 his competitiveness went away to a degree. On that lap he was racing in 4th but Kurt Busch got into him which damaged his fender and caused a serious tire rub. The impact wasn’t immediate but later in the race when he was back in traffic he really struggled. When the checkered flag waved he finished 16th. In March last season he had a good car and overcame adversity. While he was running near the top five around lap 50 he had hard contact on pit road which dropped him back to 34th. He was able to work his way up through the field and at the time of the rain red flag he was up to 16th. On lap 277 he reached the top ten and for essentially the remainder of the race he ran right around that range. When the checkered flag waved he finished 7th. In August 2013 he started in 32nd and had no trouble advancing in the running order. His car drove well and he finished 7th when the checkered flag waved. Also in the race he earned the 3rd best driver rating and had an 8th place average running position. In March 2013 at Bristol Jeff Gordon arguably had the best car. His PROS Rankings ranked as the 2nd best behind race winner Kasey Kahne. He could’ve potentially taken the #1 spot except he had a flat tire and wrecked while he was leading. When the checkered flag waved he finished 34th, led 66 laps and still had the 7th best driver rating despite his problem. In the first race on the current track configuration he finished 3rd. In his career at Bristol he has 5 wins and has finished in the top ten 55% percent of the time. (Yahoo A Driver)

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. – At Bristol Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a 13.0 average finish and has had a result in the top twenty 84% percent of the time. This spring at Bristol he looked respectable early. He started in 16th and raced his way up to about 7th. His race unfortunately wasn’t incident free and was plagued with tire issues. On lap 102 he was running in 9th but he made an unexpected pit stop which dropped him two laps down to 37th. On lap 124 his tire issues continued and he pitted again which dropped him another two laps down. After that you could stick a fork in him and he was lucky to finish in 16th, two laps down. In August 2014 Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran well at Thunder Valley. He started in 20th and moved up through the running order at a steady pace. Unfortunately his race wasn’t problem free. On lap 160 he got caught up in the wreck where Hamlin was spun while leading. At the time of the incident he was running around 5th. Performance wise from what we seen from him in the race there’s no question he could’ve challenged for a top five. In spring 2014 he crossed the finish line in 24th. In that event he performed well for the first 175 laps and ran within the top 8, but then his performance dipped due to some tire related comfort issue. In August 2013 at Bristol Earnhardt Jr. had a good performance. He earned the 2nd best driver rating, led 32 laps, had a 7th place average running position and finished 10th. In the race his car worked well in both the high line and the low line. In March 2013 he finished 6th but I wouldn’t say his car was quite that good. He started deep in the field, had a 14th place average running position and earned the 15th best driver rating. In the first race on the ground down surface in August 2012 he started in 16th, led 13 laps and finished 12th. (Yahoo A Driver)

Further Recommended Reading – Top Tier Elite Picks, Mid Pack Predictions, Who will win at Bristol?, Bristol Scouting Report

Paul Menard – Paul Menard has been one of the most consistent drivers at Bristol. In the six races since the reconfiguration he has an 11.0 average finish and a 14.3 average running position. In every race but one over this stretch he’s finished between 6th and 11th. This spring he ran well and the number you need to know about him is 11. He finished 11th, had an 11th place average running position and earned the 11th best driver rating. Last August Menard had a solid race. He started in 17th and reached the top ten just before lap 200. The final caution on lap 432 was a big moment for him. He elected not to pit and as a result he moved into the top five. When the checkered flag waved he finished 9th, had a 14th place average running position and earned the 12th best driver rating. In spring 2014 he had his only finish outside the top 11 on the current configuration. In that event he started in 28th and by lap 60 he drove up to the mid-teens. He ran around that range until about lap 275 when he got burned by a caution during the pit cycle. Because of when it fell it dropped him a few laps down. If that didn’t happen I think he likely would’ve finished around the low teens or better. When the checkered flag waved he finished 21st.  In August 2013 he had one of his best Bristol performances. He finished 6th, led 64 laps and earned the 9th best driver rating. In March 2013 he finished 9th, had an 11th place average running position and earned the 11th best driver rating. In 2012 he had a pair of 10th place finishes. (Yahoo B Driver)

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