NASCAR: Five drivers most likely to win at Bristol

By Asher Fair | Aug 18, 2017

BRISTOL, TN - APRIL 24: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 24, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

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BRISTOL, TN – APRIL 21: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

BRISTOL, TN – APRIL 21: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing, No. 78 Toyota

Never mind the fact that Martin Truex Jr.’s track average in Bristol in 23 races is worse than 20th place. Truex Jr. has, quite simply, been a different driver this season than he has been any other year.

His leads in the championship standings, stage points and playoff points are massive, and no other driver has won as many races as he has this season with four. Given his success this season, you’d never guess that he has only once finished in the top 10 in the championship standings in his previous 11 full-time seasons in the Cup Series.

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Truex Jr. only finished in 8th place at Bristol earlier this season, but he did so after starting in 3rd and leading 116 of the race’s 500 laps. He has been a contender at pretty much every race track so far this season. While he does lead all drivers with four victories in 2017, the fact that he only has four wins is misleading. He has been the best driver at far more than four races this season.

Truex Jr. was originally only thought to be a true contender on 1.5-mile ovals. After all, through the first 22 races of the season, his only wins were at Las Vegas, Kansas and Kentucky, all 1.5-mile oval tracks. However, podium finishes at Dover, New Hampshire and Pocono as well as lots of laps led at other tracks proved he could contend anywhere.

Then, he broke through for a win at Watkins Glen to add evidence to that claim. He is currently on a three-race podium streak, including a 3rd place finish at Pocono, the win at Watkins Glen and a 2nd place finish at Michigan. Oh, and by the way, none of those tracks are 1.5-mile ovals. Just sayin’.