Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports staff placed on a masterclass in profitable Sunday’s Meals Metropolis 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Larson led 411 of the five hundred laps, simply lacking out on a weekend tripleheader sweep after ending second in Friday’s Craftsman Truck Sequence race and prevailing in Saturday’s Xfinity Sequence go.
Loads of different robust performances had been value noting from Sunday’s occasion, as had been a handful of showings that would have used some enchancment. With the Cup Sequence’ lone off weekend of the season developing, listed here are our nods for 3 drivers up and three drivers down after Race 9 of the 2025 season:
RELATED: Race outcomes | At-track pictures: Bristol
THREE UP ⬆️
1. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Began: 14th
Completed: 4th
What occurred: Briscoe righted the ship after a subpar Twenty eighth-place end the week earlier than at Darlington Raceway, netting his third top-five end of his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing. Briscoe’s day within the No. 19 Toyota rounded out a strong efficiency throughout for JGR, which positioned three vehicles within the prime 5 and all 4 Camrys among the many prime 10.
What’s subsequent: The Cup Sequence is idle subsequent weekend whereas the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Sequence go to Rockingham Speedway, however Briscoe & Co. will return the next Sunday (April 27) at Talladega Superspeedway, the place the No. 19 driver will intention so as to add to his tally of only one top-five end in eight begins.
2. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Began: thirty fifth
Completed: seventh
What occurred: The Trackhouse driver wound up with a seventh-place final result for the second straight week, making up probably the most spots of any driver within the subject over the course of the five hundred laps. Chastain bumped up yet another spot to eleventh within the Cup Sequence standings after recording his third consecutive top-10 run.
What’s subsequent: Chastain had become some on-brand flannel for his post-race interview, and he stated his off-weekend plans contain getting again to his roots on his household’s watermelon farm. After that, he’ll be again in motion in two weeks at Talladega, the place he drove the No. 1 Chevy to victory in 2022.
3. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Began: eighth
Completed: ninth
What occurred: The ‘Dinger backed up his top-10 qualifying effort with a top-10 consequence Sunday, securing his third prime 10 within the final 5 races. The Kaulig veteran additionally pocketed some extent within the Cup Sequence standings for registering the Xfinity Quickest Lap, handing over a 15.38-second heater on Lap 396 on recent tires after a pit cease.
What’s subsequent: Allmendinger is likely to be out of his road-course consolation zone when the Cup Sequence resumes after a uncommon idle weekend, however he’s heading to Talladega — the positioning of an Xfinity Sequence victory for him in 2022.
THREE DOWN ⬇️
1. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Began: 1st
Completed: thirty seventh
What occurred: An in any other case promising day for the No. 48 driver started to bitter shortly after the ultimate stage set sail. An engine problem sapped Bowman’s Chevy of its aggressive pace, finally forcing him to the storage and saddling him along with his first DNF of the 12 months.
What’s subsequent: The season to this point has been an undulating experience for Bowman, who strung collectively 4 straight top-10 finishes earlier than touchdown on his present run of three consecutive outcomes exterior of the highest 25. Talladega has produced a blended bag of outcomes for Bowman, who was fifth within the monitor’s springtime 500-miler final season.
2. Joey Logano, No. 22 Workforce Penske Ford
Began: thirty eighth
Completed: twenty fourth
What occurred: Logano began in the back of the pack after bopping the wall in his Saturday qualifying run, and he was unable to beat that deficit within the Meals Metropolis 500. The Workforce Penske vet is a two-time winner at Bristol, however he’s gone the final 9 races within the Tennessee hills and not using a top-10 end.
What’s subsequent: The defending collection champ heads to Talladega in two weeks nonetheless searching for his first top-five results of the season. The two.66-mile Alabama monitor has been sort to him prior to now with three wins (2015, 2016, 2018), however his final top-five effort there got here in 2021.
3. Daniel Suárez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Began: twenty third
Completed: thirty third
What occurred: Suárez began within the again half of the sector, and his Bristol journey was difficult by an eventful Stage 2 pit cease. An errant wheel from John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 42 Toyota clanked into Suárez’s again bumper, simply lacking his No. 99 crew, and the staff was hit with a eradicating tools penalty for a separate violation.
What’s subsequent: Suárez has been 4 straight races and not using a top-10 end, and in two weeks he’ll go to a Talladega monitor that traditionally has been unkind. Suárez is 0-for-16 for his Cup Sequence profession relating to top-five outcomes.
