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NASCAR: Five drivers most likely to win at Bristol

By Asher Fair

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)
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 – AUGUST 18: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Huggies Little Movers Chevrolet, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 18, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
BRISTOL, TN – AUGUST 18: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Huggies Little Movers Chevrolet, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 18, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images) /

Kyle Larson, Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 42 Chevrolet

Is it even accurate to say Kyle Larson is a “rising” star anymore? With three victories in the 2017 season to shoot him to 2nd place in the championship standings, Larson seems to have officially arrived in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Like Martin Truex Jr. and the 1.5-mile ovals, Kyle Larson is commonly associated with being dominant on 2.0-mile ovals and 2.0-mile ovals only, especially Michigan. The 25-year-old has won three races in a row at Michigan dating back to last season and four in a row on 2.0-mile ovals, with the other win coming at Fontana earlier this season.

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Aside of those wins on 2.0-mile ovals, however, Larson has never been to Victory Lane throughout his entire career. That could easily change at Bristol despite the fact that it is barely one-quarter of the length of the Michigan and Fontana tracks.

When the Cup Series visited Bristol earlier this season, Larson dominated the race, leading 202 of the race’s 500 laps. However, he was unable to convert that into a victory, and he ended up settling for a 6th place finish, which is still solid for a track where his finishing average is only 19.29 at.

While he doesn’t have a win to show for it, Larson has, in fact, improved at all kinds of tracks this season, not just 2.0-mile ovals. What better track for him to show this improvement at than one he already dominated a race at earlier this season?

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