It’s back to the short tracks for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, which this week heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for the running of the Food City 500 (Sunday, 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX).
Here’s how the top 20 drivers in points stack up at the high-banked 0.533-mile Tennessee short track:
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20
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
An average finish of 12.515 makes Bristol Earnhardt’s second-best track on the NASCAR circuit. He finished second to Carl Edwards in this race a year ago.
19
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
In 155 career Cup starts, Stenhouse remains winless. But he does have a pair of second-place finishes at Bristol. Stenhouse has an excellent average finish here of 10.625.
18
Aric Almirola
In the spring Bristol race three years ago, Almirola finished third, which was his best result at this track. His average finish, though, is just 23.933.
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17
Kasey Kahne
Kahne won the 2013 Food City 500, and finished second in the August night race that year. But in the last five races here, his best finish is 13th.
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16
Denny Hamlin
With three poles, one victory and six top-five finishes, Hamlin ought to be one of the favorites to win on Sunday.
15
Kurt Busch
Busch got his first career Cup victory here and won four more times at Bristol, but none since 2006. That said, he led 41 laps and finished third here a year ago. Among active drivers, he ranks third in 1,062 laps led at this track.
14
Erik Jones
Off to a good rookie season with Furniture Row Racing, Jones has never raced a Cup car here. But he did win the XFINITY Series race here a year ago.
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13
Ryan Newman
Hard to believe, perhaps, but Newman has only two top fives in 30 career Bristol Cup starts.
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12
Trevor Bayne
A Tennessee native, Bayne has never led a lap at Bristol in five Cup starts, but he does have a best finish of fifth and a respectable average finish of 18.800.
© John Harrelson / LAT Photo USA John Harrelson
11
Jimmie Johnson
The seven-time champion has won just once at Bristol, but he has finished fourth or better in three of the last five races here and he’s coming off a win at Texas.
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10
Kevin Harvick
Last August, Harvick won here and in his two Bristol starts immediately before that finished seventh and second. He has two victories here and four runner-up finishes. He very well could be the driver to beat on Sunday.
NASCAR via Getty Images Jeff Curry
9
Clint Bowyer
Off to a strong start in his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing, Bowyer has finished third twice at Bristol, but has never won here.
8
Jamie McMurray
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver finished second in the August Bristol night race in his magical 2010 season, the same year when he won the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Bank of America 500.
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7
Kyle Busch
At Bristol, Busch has won five Cup races, eight XFINITY races and four Camping World Truck Series races. In August 2010, he swept all three races here. Busch also leads all active drivers with 1,960 laps led here. This ought to be a great weekend for him to win his first Cup race of the year.
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6
Ryan Blaney
The Wood Brothers Racing driver has only three starts at Bristol with a best finish of 11th. Still, his cars have been fast at virtually every track this year.
NASCAR via Getty Images Rainier Ehrhardt
5
Joey Logano
Still looking for his first points-race victory of 2017, Logano won the August night race here in both 2014 and ’15. He should be tough again this time around.
4
Brad Keselowski
With two victories and four top-five finishes at Bristol, Keselowski and his No. 2 Team Penske Ford will be among the favorites on Sunday. Especially since he’s the only Cup driver to win twice this year.
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3
Martin Truex Jr.
Bristol has been a frustrating track for Truex, who did finish second in the August 2011 night race here. But his career average finish is just 20.864 here and he’s gone nine straight Bristol races without a top-10 finish.
2
Chase Elliott
Now in his second season, Elliott finished fourth in the this race a year ago and 15th in the August Bristol race, giving him an average finish of 9.500.
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1
Kyle Larson
The numbers at Bristol are kind of ugly for the series points leader: Six starts, only two top 10s with a best of seventh place and an average finish of 21.50. Then again, he does have one win and four runner-up finishes in the fist seven races of the year.
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