Nobody seems to know what to expect from Bristol Motor Speedway. During Saturday’s practice session, the tire wear was identical to last year’s spring race at ‘The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.’ However, the playoff fixture in September failed to recreate those conditions, with Kyle Larson taking home a dominant win at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Sunday’s Food City 500 looks like a mystery too, with the NASCAR grid wondering in how big a role tire management could play in getting a result.
Alex Bowman, who finished on pole at Homestead-Miami, will start from the front again. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has made a bold prediction about the upcoming race, one that may play to his strengths at Bristol.
Alex Bowman is hoping to break his winless streak
History repeated itself at Bristol Motor Speedway. Alex Bowman ended up on the pole at ‘The Last Great Colosseum’ for the second consecutive time, finishing ahead of fellow Chevy driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and teammate Kyle Larson by recording a lap time of 14.912 seconds. It was Bowman’s seventh career pole and the first time in his Cup Series career that he’ll be leading the field multiple times in a single season. Driving the No. 48 car, the Arizona native will be aiming to break his 24-race winless streak at the short track.
If the practice session and qualifying are anything to go by, tire management could be key to getting a result in the upcoming race, a factor that plays into Alex Bowman’s strengths. “I think all signs point towards a race like the spring,” the Hendrick Motorsports driver said. “I think it’s going to be like (it was last spring) but we’re going to find out together, I think.” However, the 31-year-old does have a contingency plan in place, as he said, “If the tires don’t wear out then we will just start to increasingly run harder throughout the day.”
Last year’s spring race was a thoroughly entertaining affair, with a record 54 lead changes before Denny Hamlin secured a victory. However, the fall race was a complete contrast, with Kyle Larson leading a staggering 462 of 500 laps during the playoffs. The signs are promising this time around as tires last around 30 laps, similar to last year’s iteration of the Food City 500. Bowman’s sentiments were echoed by other racers on the grid as well, with Chase Briscoe saying, “It’s a lot like last year. Definitely odd. The fall race, no issues, the spring race everybody’s cording.”
“All signs point to conditions being like last spring,”
says Cup Series pole sitter @Alex_Bowman but, he added, “I think we are all much more prepared for it.”
No one sure if they will have enough tires @ItsBristolBaby
It will depend on when (if) cautions come out. pic.twitter.com/bTPc3GrTkn
— Claire B Lang (@ClaireBLang) April 12, 2025
Michael McDowell also went on to say, “It’s hard to tell … but it does feel a little bit like last spring, which I was not anticipating.” If the Xfinity Series race is anything to go by, there was major tire wear at the 2025 SciAps 300. This indicates that the 2025 Food City 500 will follow suit, which will mean Alex Bowman’s prediction about the upcoming race is like last year’s spring event will be true. Fans are hopeful of seeing yet another entertaining fixture at Bristol Motor Speedway, filled with action, drama, and controversy at the short track.
Kyle Larson is hopeful of securing another Bristol triumph
Expectations were high from Kyle Larson going into the Bristol triple-header. The Hendrick Motorsports racer went into the race weekend to compete in the Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series races, hoping to achieve a feat that only Kyle Busch has managed to so far. However, things didn’t begin on the best note, as ‘Yung Money’ finished runner-up at the Weather Guard Truck Race.
However, momentum is now on Larson’s side after he redeemed himself at the SciAps 300 in the Xfinity Series. After a dominant performance at the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the 32-year-old is expected to challenge for a triumph yet again, especially after a promising performance in qualifying as he’ll be starting third. Sharing his thoughts about the track, the racer said, “I love Bristol as much as I love Homestead, two of my probably most successful tracks, so I love to go there. To contend for all of the races would be cool.”
At Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kyle Larson had won a Truck Series race before narrowly missing out in the Xfinity Series. He then went on to secure his first triumph in the Cup Series for the season after an impressive display. This time around, he has missed out in the Truck Series, only to win in NASCAR’s second tier. With Chevy looking strong at the short track, could he go on to make it two wins in a row at Bristol? Time will tell. However, standing in his way will be teammate Alex Bowman, who is looking lightning-fast at ‘Thunder Valley’ as well.
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