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Bristol Storylines: 2013 Irwin Tools Night Race

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  • Bristol Storylines: 2013 Irwin Tools Night Race

    Bristol Storylines: 2013 Irwin Tools Night Race
    Nascar.com

    It’s lonely at the top but five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, the only competitor so far to clinch a spot in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™, is likely to get some company after Saturday’s IRWIN Tools Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET ABC, Performance Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM Radio) at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Any driver who exits the 500-lap race with a lead of 97 points over 11th place will punch a ticket to NASCAR’s 2013 postseason.

    The most likely candidates – Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick – enter the season’s 24th race 90 or more points ahead of 11th-place Kasey Kahne. Kahne won at Bristol in March and a season sweep – the first since Kyle Busch in 2009 – would give the Washington driver a third season victory and a virtual lock on the Chase.

    Entering Friday’s Food City 250 (7:30 p.m. ET ESPN, Performance Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM Radio), the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship is still up for grabs. New leader Sam Hornish Jr. holds a 13-point lead over Elliott Sadler followed by Regan Smith, Austin Dillon and Brian Vickers.

    Hornish finished fourth – second-highest of the current championship contenders – when the series visited Bristol Motor Speedway in March.

    A year ago, Timothy Peters led all 204 laps of Bristol Motor Speedway’s UNOH 200 (8 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM Radio) – the first to do so in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event since 1997. Peters returns to face a field that includes Ben Kennedy, great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., who makes his NASCAR national series debut.

    Johnson’s Rivals Can Clinch Chase Berths This Week

    Jimmie Johnson remains the only driver to have claimed a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™. Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick can clinch their spots in the postseason on Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Wild Card Race Gets Wilder Yet With Logano’s Victory

    Five drivers ranked 11th through 20th have Wild Card-qualifying victories following Joey Logano’s win in Michigan. Bristol spring winner Kasey Kahne and Martin Truex Jr. hold the provisional Wild Cards with three races remaining in the Race to the Chase.

    Hendrick Motorsports, Michael Waltrip Racing Hold Owner Wild Cards

    Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 5 Chevrolet and the No. 56 Toyota of Michael Waltrip Racing hold the provisional owner Chase Wild Cards. The No. 56 prevails on a tie-breaker – best finish – with Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 14 having scored the same number of points (653).

    Bristol Sweep Would Give Kahne Post-Season Insurance

    With two victories, a Bristol "sweep" would virtually guarantee Kasey Kahne a berth in the Chase. The last driver to win both stops at Bristol Motor Speedway was Kyle Busch in 2009.

    Kurt Busch, Gordon Take Chase ‘Bubble’ Roles To Bristol

    Kurt Busch’s third-place finish in Michigan moved the 2004 champion into the top 10 (ninth). Without a win he remains on the "bubble" – as does fellow five-time Bristol winner Jeff Gordon, 26 points out of the top 10 in 14th place.

    Busch Brothers Pile Up Wins In ‘Thunder Valley’

    Kurt and Kyle Busch each has won five times at Bristol Motor Speedway. A Busch has won at least one race in eight different seasons beginning in 2002. Each has a season sweep: Kurt in 2003, Kyle in 2009.

    Keselowski’s Chase May Turn On Continued Bristol Success

    Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski won the IRWIN Tools Night Race in 2011 and Bristol’s spring event a year ago. Keselowski, without a victory in 2013, finished third at the 0.533-mile track in March. He’s eighth in the standings, eight points ahead of 11th.

  • #2
    Driver Tale of the Tape at Bristol


    Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M AAD Car Care Ford)


    · Six top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
    · Average finish of 12.1
    · Average Running Position of 12.4, third-best
    · Driver Rating of 95.8, fifth-best
    · 315 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
    · Average Green Flag Speed of 114.807 mph, fourth-fastest
    · 6,230 Laps in the Top 15 (73.2%), third-most
    · 447 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fifth-most

    Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row/Sealy Chevrolet)

    · Five wins, seven top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
    · Average finish of 13.4
    · Average Running Position of 13.2, seventh-best
    · Driver Rating of 92.8, seventh-best
    · 301 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
    · 838 Green Flag Passes, third-most
    · Laps in the Top 15 (65.5%), sixth-most
    · 478 Quality Passes, third-most

    Kyle Busch (No. 18 Doublemint Toyota)

    · Five wins, eight top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
    · Average finish of 9.8
    · Average Running Position of 12.7, sixth-best
    · Series-best Driver Rating of 103.0
    · Series-high 581 Fastest Laps Run
    · Average Green Flag Speed of 114.862 mph, third-fastest
    · 5,760 Laps in the Top 15 (67.7%), fifth-most
    · 440 Quality Passes, sixth-most

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet)

    · One win, seven top fives, 13 top 10s
    · Average finish of 11.6
    · Average Running Position of 14.0, ninth-best
    · Driver Rating of 87.9, 10th-best
    · Series-high 954 Green Flag Passes
    · Average Green Flag Speed of 114.668 mph, ninth-fastest
    · 5,161 Laps in the Top 15 (60.6%), 10th-most
    · 440 Quality Passes, sixth-most

    Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford)

    · Two wins, four top fives, seven top 10s; two poles
    · Average finish of 14.6
    · Average Running Position of 15.4, 12th-best
    · Driver Rating of 86.5, 13th-best
    · 292 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
    · 5,208 Laps in the Top 15 (61.2%), eighth-most

    Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Standox Chevrolet)

    · Five wins, 16 top fives, 22 top 10s; five poles
    · Average finish of 12.4
    · Series-best Average Running Position of 9.6
    · Driver Rating of 100.6, second-best
    · 372 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
    · Average Green Flag Speed of 114.863 mph, second-fastest
    · Series-high 6,974 Laps in the Top 15 (81.9%)
    · 475 Quality Passes, fourth-most

    Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)

    · One win, four top fives, seven top 10s
    · Average finish of 15.3
    · Average Running Position of 15.2, 11th-best
    · Driver Rating of 90.8, eighth-best
    · 371 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
    · 759 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
    · Average Green Flag Speed of 114.672 mph, eighth-fastest
    · 4,327 Laps in the Top 15 (57.6%), 12th-most

    Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet)

    · One win, nine top fives, 12 top 10s
    · Average finish of 12.6
    · Average Running Position of 13.6, eighth-best
    · Driver Rating of 90.3, ninth-best
    · 817 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
    · Average Green Flag Speed of 114.756 mph, sixth-fastest
    · 5,163 Laps in the Top 15 (60.6%), ninth-most

    Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Dover White Chevrolet)

    · One win, seven top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
    · Average finish of 14.3
    · Average Running Position of 12.5, fourth-best
    · Driver Rating of 93.8, sixth-best
    · 468 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
    · Average Green Flag Speed of 114.633 mph, 12th-fastest
    · 6,135 Laps in the Top 15 (72.1%), fourth-most
    · 374 Quality Passes, 10th-most

    Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Axalta Coating Systems Chevrolet)

    · One win, four top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
    · Average finish of 18.2
    · Driver Rating of 86.8, 11th-best
    · 365 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
    · 750 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
    · 4,317 Laps in the Top 15 (50.7%), 13th-most

    Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

    · Two wins, 10 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole
    · Average finish of 12.9
    · Average Running Position of 10.8, second-best
    · Driver Rating of 99.9, third-best
    · 412 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
    · Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 114.866 mph
    · 6,801 Laps in the Top 15 (79.9%), second-most
    · 491 Quality Passes, second-most

    Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)

    · Two wins, three top fives, three top 10s
    · Average finish of 12.1
    · Average Running Position of 12.6, fifth-best
    · Driver Rating of 99.0, fourth-best
    · Average Green Flag Speed of 114.761 mph, fifth-fastest

    Ryan Newman (No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet)

    · One top five, 13 top 10s; three poles
    · Average finish of 16.9
    · Average Running Position of 15.4, 13th-best
    · Driver Rating of 86.7, 12th-best
    · 716 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
    · Average Green Flag Speed of 114.582 mph, 13th-fastest
    · 5,460 Laps in the Top 15 (64.1%), seventh-most
    · 401 Quality Passes, ninth-most

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    • #3
      Bristol Track Facts


      Bristol Motor Speedway Data

      Season Race #: 4 of 36 (03-17-13)
      Track Size: 0.533-miles
      Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24-28 degrees
      Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24-28 degrees
      Banking/Frontstretch: 4-8 degrees
      Banking/Backstretch: 4-8 degrees
      Frontstretch Length: 650 feet
      Backstretch Length: 650 feet
      Race Length: 500 laps / 266.5 miles

      Top 12 Driver Ratings at Bristol

      Kyle Busch 103.0
      Jeff Gordon 100.6
      Matt Kenseth 99.9
      Brad Keselowski 99.0
      Greg Biffle 95.8
      Jimmie Johnson 93.8
      Kurt Busch 92.8
      Denny Hamlin 90.8
      Kevin Harvick 90.3
      Dale Earnhardt Jr 87.9
      Kasey Kahne 86.8
      Ryan Newman 86.7

      Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races (17 total) among active drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway

      Qualifying/Race Data

      2012 pole winner: None due to weather
      2012 race winner: Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 84.402 mph, (3:09:27), 08-25-12
      Track qualifying record: Kyle Busch, Toyota, 129.535 mph, 14.813 secs. 03-15-13
      Track race record: Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet, 101.074 mph, (2:38:12), 07-11-71

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