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23XI Racing —Good news: Bubba Wallace’s pit crew has had a net gain of 34 positions on four-tire stops this season, according to Racing Insights, to rank first in the series. … Wallace has finished in the top four in four of the last six short track races. … Wallace finished third at Bristol last fall. Bad news: Tyler Reddick has one top 10 in seven Bristol starts in Cup. … Reddick has finished on the lead lap in only two of his seven Bristol Cup starts. … Riley Herbst is one of three full-time Cup drivers yet to score a stage point this year.
Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Zane Smith’s average finish has improved a series-best 10.9 spots to 18.4 after eight races this season. … Said Smith to the start of his season: “We’re bringing good speed, making positive adjustments and having fun doing it.” … Noah Gragson has six top-20 finishes in the last seven races at short tracks. Bad news: Todd Gilliland has not finished better than 16th in four Cup starts at Bristol.
Haas Factory Team — Good news: Cole Custer finished 22nd last weekend at Darlington, his best result since placing 21st in the season-opening Daytona 500. Bad News: Custer has scored double figures in points only twice in the last five races this year.
Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: The last time the Cup Series raced at Bristol, Kyle Larson led 462 of 500 laps to win last fall. … Larson has finished in the top five in seven of his last nine Bristol starts (two wins, three runner-up results, two fifth-place finishes). … Larson, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman each finished in the top 10 in both Bristol races last season. … Larson is entered in the Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck races this weekend at Bristol. ... Elliott has four consecutive top 10s at Bristol. … Elliott has scored eight consecutive top 10s at short tracks, the longest active streak in the series. … Points leader William Byron has scored the most stage points (90) this season. … Byron also has led the most laps this season at 354. … Bowman won the pole for last fall’s Bristol race. Bad news: Bowman has finished 27th or worse in the past two races this season.
Who is the best NASCAR Cup team in 2025?
Joe Gibbs Racing has won five of the first eight races this year but Hendrick Motorsports and team Penske lead other key categories.
Hyak Motorsports — Good news: The team is one of two in Cup without a DNF this season (Legacy Motor Club is the other). … Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s four top fives and seven top 10s at Bristol are his most at a non-drafting track. Bad news: Stenhouse has one top-15 finish in the last nine short track races.
Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: Denny Hamlin is the defending winner of the Bristol spring race. … At age 44, he seeks to become the third oldest driver to win three consecutive races and the oldest driver since Harry Gant in September 1991 to do. … Hamlin has finished in the top five in 11 of the last 14 short track races. … Hamlin will make his 400th consecutive start Sunday at Bristol. … Christopher Bell’s five top-five finishes this year is the most in the series. … Bell has placed in the top five in three of the last four Bristol races. … Bell and Hamlin each finished in the top 10 in both Bristol races last year. … JGR drivers have led 957 of 2,000 laps (48%) raced at Bristol with the Next Gen car. … Chase Briscoe has two top 10s in the last three races this year. … Ty Gibbs placed ninth last weekend at Darlington, his best finish of the season. Bad news: Hamlin has a team-high 46 stage points this season but that only ranks 10th in the series.
Winners, losers from Darlington NASCAR Cup race won by Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin was celebrating a second week in a row.
Kaulig Racing — Good news: AJ Allmendinger has finished in the top 10 in two of the last four races this season. … Ty Dillon has finished in the top 16 in four of eight races this year. Bad news: Dillon has never finished better than 15th in 11 Cup starts at Bristol. … Allmendinger has only one top-10 finish on a short track in the Next Gen car.
Legacy Motor Club — Good news: The team is one of two without a DNF this season (Hyak Motorsports is the other). … John Hunter Nemechek finished sixth in last spring’s race at Bristol, his best Cup result at the track. Bad news: Nemechek is coming off a season-worst 30th-place finish at Darlington. … Erik Jones has not had a top 10 at a short track since October 2021 at Martinsville.
Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Twenty-year-old Jesse Love makes his Cup debut this weekend. … Kyle Busch has eight Cup wins at Bristol, which ranks fifth on the track’s all-time wins list. Bad news: Busch has placed 20th or worse in each of the last five Bristol races. … Austin Dillon has three top 10s in 19 Bristol starts.
Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Corey LaJoie is in the No. 01 this weekend at Bristol. … This will be LaJoie’s third start of the season after competing at Daytona and Atlanta to open the year. Bad news: Cody Ware is one of three full-time Cup drivers yet to score a stage point this season.
RFK Racing — Good news: Chris Buescher has four top 10s in the last six races this season. … Brad Keselowski’s seven short track wins rank third among active drivers. … Ryan Preece finished seventh at Bristol last fall, his best Cup result at the track. Bad news: Keselowski’s last win on a short track was September 2020 at Richmond. … Keselowski’s average finish is 26.1, his worst average finish eight races into a season in his Cup career. … Preece’s 26th-place finish last weekend at Darlington snapped a streak of three consecutive top 10s.
Spire Motorsports — Good news: Michael McDowell has five finishes of 11th or better in the last six Bristol Cup races. Bad news: Justin Haley is one of three full-time Cup drivers yet to score a stage point this season. … Carson Hocevar has had four finishes of 30th or worse in the last five races this year.
Team Penske — Good news: Ryan Blaney ranks second in the series in stage points with 85 this season. … Austin Cindric has qualified in the top 10 in three of the last four races. Bad news: Ryan Blaney’s pit crew has maintained his running position on just 38.5% of four-tire pit stops in the last three races. … Joey Logano has finished outside the top 10 in the last eight Bristol races. … Logano’s last short track win came in October 2018 at Martinsville.
Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Ross Chastain has finished in the top 10 in three of the last four races. … Chastain has placed in the top 10 in each of the last four short track races. … Shane van Gisbergen finished 20th at Darlington, his best finish since placing sixth at Circuit of the Americas. Bad news: Daniel Suarez has finished 18th or worse in each of his last seven Bristol Cup starts.
Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry has started in the top five in three of the last seven races this season. Bad news: Berry has finished 32nd or worse in each of the last two races this season.
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Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Zane Smith’s average finish has improved a series-best 10.9 spots to 18.4 after eight races this season. … Said Smith to the start of his season: “We’re bringing good speed, making positive adjustments and having fun doing it.” … Noah Gragson has six top-20 finishes in the last seven races at short tracks. Bad news: Todd Gilliland has not finished better than 16th in four Cup starts at Bristol.
Haas Factory Team — Good news: Cole Custer finished 22nd last weekend at Darlington, his best result since placing 21st in the season-opening Daytona 500. Bad News: Custer has scored double figures in points only twice in the last five races this year.
Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: The last time the Cup Series raced at Bristol, Kyle Larson led 462 of 500 laps to win last fall. … Larson has finished in the top five in seven of his last nine Bristol starts (two wins, three runner-up results, two fifth-place finishes). … Larson, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman each finished in the top 10 in both Bristol races last season. … Larson is entered in the Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck races this weekend at Bristol. ... Elliott has four consecutive top 10s at Bristol. … Elliott has scored eight consecutive top 10s at short tracks, the longest active streak in the series. … Points leader William Byron has scored the most stage points (90) this season. … Byron also has led the most laps this season at 354. … Bowman won the pole for last fall’s Bristol race. Bad news: Bowman has finished 27th or worse in the past two races this season.
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Who is the best NASCAR Cup team in 2025?
Joe Gibbs Racing has won five of the first eight races this year but Hendrick Motorsports and team Penske lead other key categories.
Hyak Motorsports — Good news: The team is one of two in Cup without a DNF this season (Legacy Motor Club is the other). … Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s four top fives and seven top 10s at Bristol are his most at a non-drafting track. Bad news: Stenhouse has one top-15 finish in the last nine short track races.
Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: Denny Hamlin is the defending winner of the Bristol spring race. … At age 44, he seeks to become the third oldest driver to win three consecutive races and the oldest driver since Harry Gant in September 1991 to do. … Hamlin has finished in the top five in 11 of the last 14 short track races. … Hamlin will make his 400th consecutive start Sunday at Bristol. … Christopher Bell’s five top-five finishes this year is the most in the series. … Bell has placed in the top five in three of the last four Bristol races. … Bell and Hamlin each finished in the top 10 in both Bristol races last year. … JGR drivers have led 957 of 2,000 laps (48%) raced at Bristol with the Next Gen car. … Chase Briscoe has two top 10s in the last three races this year. … Ty Gibbs placed ninth last weekend at Darlington, his best finish of the season. Bad news: Hamlin has a team-high 46 stage points this season but that only ranks 10th in the series.
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Winners, losers from Darlington NASCAR Cup race won by Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin was celebrating a second week in a row.
Kaulig Racing — Good news: AJ Allmendinger has finished in the top 10 in two of the last four races this season. … Ty Dillon has finished in the top 16 in four of eight races this year. Bad news: Dillon has never finished better than 15th in 11 Cup starts at Bristol. … Allmendinger has only one top-10 finish on a short track in the Next Gen car.
Legacy Motor Club — Good news: The team is one of two without a DNF this season (Hyak Motorsports is the other). … John Hunter Nemechek finished sixth in last spring’s race at Bristol, his best Cup result at the track. Bad news: Nemechek is coming off a season-worst 30th-place finish at Darlington. … Erik Jones has not had a top 10 at a short track since October 2021 at Martinsville.
Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Twenty-year-old Jesse Love makes his Cup debut this weekend. … Kyle Busch has eight Cup wins at Bristol, which ranks fifth on the track’s all-time wins list. Bad news: Busch has placed 20th or worse in each of the last five Bristol races. … Austin Dillon has three top 10s in 19 Bristol starts.
Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Corey LaJoie is in the No. 01 this weekend at Bristol. … This will be LaJoie’s third start of the season after competing at Daytona and Atlanta to open the year. Bad news: Cody Ware is one of three full-time Cup drivers yet to score a stage point this season.
RFK Racing — Good news: Chris Buescher has four top 10s in the last six races this season. … Brad Keselowski’s seven short track wins rank third among active drivers. … Ryan Preece finished seventh at Bristol last fall, his best Cup result at the track. Bad news: Keselowski’s last win on a short track was September 2020 at Richmond. … Keselowski’s average finish is 26.1, his worst average finish eight races into a season in his Cup career. … Preece’s 26th-place finish last weekend at Darlington snapped a streak of three consecutive top 10s.
Spire Motorsports — Good news: Michael McDowell has five finishes of 11th or better in the last six Bristol Cup races. Bad news: Justin Haley is one of three full-time Cup drivers yet to score a stage point this season. … Carson Hocevar has had four finishes of 30th or worse in the last five races this year.
Team Penske — Good news: Ryan Blaney ranks second in the series in stage points with 85 this season. … Austin Cindric has qualified in the top 10 in three of the last four races. Bad news: Ryan Blaney’s pit crew has maintained his running position on just 38.5% of four-tire pit stops in the last three races. … Joey Logano has finished outside the top 10 in the last eight Bristol races. … Logano’s last short track win came in October 2018 at Martinsville.
Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Ross Chastain has finished in the top 10 in three of the last four races. … Chastain has placed in the top 10 in each of the last four short track races. … Shane van Gisbergen finished 20th at Darlington, his best finish since placing sixth at Circuit of the Americas. Bad news: Daniel Suarez has finished 18th or worse in each of his last seven Bristol Cup starts.
Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry has started in the top five in three of the last seven races this season. Bad news: Berry has finished 32nd or worse in each of the last two races this season.
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