Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
Kyle Larson is expected to rebound after a tough outing at Darlington, especially at Bristol where he’s been dominant recently. Since joining Hendrick Motorsports, he’s raced at Bristol five times, never finishing outside the top five. He’s collected two wins and led 710 laps in that span, making him a strong favorite for Sunday.
Denny Hamlin enters Bristol as the series’ hottest driver. After watching teammate Christopher Bell win three races earlier this season, Hamlin is looking to match that momentum. He’s won four times at Bristol, including last year’s spring race, and has claimed two of the last three races there.
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing (+600)
While Christopher Bell hasn’t finished higher than third at Bristol in seven career starts, he’s been consistently solid since joining Joe Gibbs Racing, with only one finish outside the top 10 in five starts. He also won the dirt race at Bristol in 2023 and has already earned three victories this season, putting him firmly in the contender conversation.
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske (+750)
Ryan Blaney nearly took the win at Darlington but came up short. Now he’s heading to Bristol, a track where he’s struggled historically with no wins in 16 races and an average finish of 18.6. Still, if he brings the speed he showed last week, he could surprise with a strong performance.Â
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports (+900)
Chase Elliott is arguably the best current driver at Bristol who hasn’t won a points race there. Although he did win the 2020 All-Star Race at the track, his 11.0 average finish in points races is tied for the series-best. Since a crash while battling for the lead in May 2020, he’s only finished outside the top eight once.
