BRISTOL, Tenn. — After seeing how tires wore in Saturday’s observe session, drivers anticipate that Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway will mirror final spring’s occasion, which noticed tire put on create one of many extra memorable races at this high-banked half-mile monitor.
Final spring’s race had 16 completely different leaders and a track-record 54 lead adjustments.
NASCAR: Cup Observe and Qualifying
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Alex Bowman claims his second pole of the season.
A key issue with the tire put on is that the temperature is predicted to be round 60 levels in the beginning of Sunday’s race. That’s just like the temperature in the beginning of final spring’s race. Saturday’s temperatures had been cooler.
“I feel all indicators level to a race just like the spring,” pole-winner Alex Bowman mentioned Saturday. “We began observe with rubber already on the racetrack from the Xfinity automobiles and peeled it proper up.”
Factors chief William Byron additionally pointed to the climate as the primary issue.
“I feel it’s simply because it’s so chilly,” Byron informed NBC Sports activities. “The monitor temp performs such an enormous issue. … For no matter purpose it’s not laying rubber. In all probability look actually just like final (spring).”
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Requested if he was stunned by what occurred Saturday, Chris Buescher informed NBC Sports activities: “Each time I come to Bristol proper now could be a shock.”
What does Kyle Larson count on? He does not know.
“I wasn’t too stunned earlier as we speak when Cup observe went the way in which it did,” he mentioned. “However then I will not be stunned (Sunday) if it lays rubber. So, I do not actually know what to anticipate. You type of bought to be prepared for all the things.”
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Bristol is one in every of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s higher tracks, having scored 4 top-five and 7 top-10 finishes there.
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Groups may have 9 units of tires plus one set transferred from qualifying for the 500-lap race. Groups had been caught off guard by the tire put on in final spring’s race, so NASCAR had Goodyear present an additional set of tires for all groups.
No choice has been introduced if NASCAR will give groups an additional set of tires for Sunday’s race.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who begins second, has one other query in thoughts for as we speak’s race
“I feel the largest factor is simply ensuring we get with NASCAR to know when and the way they’re going to throw cautions as a result of I felt like that killed us final race,” Stenhouse informed NBC Sports activities. “I took care of my tires and guys would go laborious and blow (them) after which spin on goal and (NASCAR) would throw a warning, and I by no means might get my monitor place.
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“Then that final run, I’m saving my tires, saving my tires, pondering we’re going to get (a warning) and hastily there’s no warning. So simply type of figuring how how they’re going to police that might be the largest factor.”
Final spring’s race averaged a warning each 41 laps by the primary 369 laps after which didn’t have a warning the ultimate 121 laps.
