4 Burning Questions: Will There Be More Extreme Tire Wear at Bristol?

How will the tires wear during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway?

The brightest-burning question, especially for drivers and crew chiefs, doesn’t really have a great answer.

Before drivers hopped into their cars to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon (April 12), there were no major concerns over tire wear. In fact, many drivers looked at the spring race a year ago as an anomaly, expecting this weekend to look more like the fall event at night.

Once cars hit the track, however, there was an obvious lack of rubber going down into the track. Instead, little bits of rubber balled up in the high groove, making the bottom the preferred line throughout practice.

As tires came off the car, they had marks from cording after a short run. The sun going in and out did affect lap time, but it did not impact the way the tires were wearing.

The difference between last spring and this weekend is that crew chiefs have experience with the extreme tire wear. However, the Sunday race will take place on a warmer day, which could throw in yet another variable. 

Can Denny Hamlin win three straight races?

Denny Hamlin’s 56 wins have come all kinds of ways and at all points in his career. One thing Hamlin has never done, however, is win three races in a row.

It’s something that’s become even harder to accomplish in the Next Gen era of racing, but it’s nonetheless something Hamlin could easily do this weekend.

Much like Christopher Bell earlier this year, Bristol is one of Hamlin’s better tracks, lining up perfectly for Hamlin to notch that third-consecutive win. Especially given the circumstances.

With practice showing similar signs of tire wear, pointing to the possibility of a repeat of the 2024 spring race, Hamlin has to be listed as one of the favorites. 

First, Hamlin won last year under those conditions. While he was technically penalized months later, the penalty had nothing to do with the No. 11 having an unfair competitive advantage in the race.

Secondly, Hamlin is an excellent short track driver, and he just might be the best in the field at saving his tires.

We will see what happens tomorrow, but expect to see that blue No. 11 pace the front of the field at some point. It might even end up in victory lane.

Just how good are the JR Motorsports cars?

It took a Cup driver driving the best car in the NASCAR Xfinity Series field to beat the JR Motorsports cars at Bristol. 

For some time in stage two, the four battled each other for the runner-up position, with three of the four finishing second, third and fourth. Connor Zilisch slid back to 12th after William Sawalich hit him hard in the rear end.

“All of the JRM cars are kind of in a league of their own,” Jesse Love said after finishing sixth.

The running order was mostly Larson, the JRM cars and then everyone else, and it’s becoming a bit of a theme. The JRM bunch has won a third of the races so far this season; Zilisch has one victory and Justin Allgaier triumphed twice. You could even argue Allgaier should have won Phoenix Raceway.

We know how good Allgaier — the defending champion — can be, and Zilisch is a prodigy in his own right who will likely contend at every road course this season.

While those two have found victory lane already, Carson Kvapil has found himself competing for the win on a number of occasions already, and he was best of the rest at Bristol. As he returns to more tracks this season, Kvapil could very well notch a few of his own wins.

Then there’s Sammy Smith, riding a streak of three straight top-10 finishes. Smith is also a two-time race winner, and he is also gaining confidence as the organization, along with his No. 8 team, are gaining speed.

Combine that with a slightly below-average start from the Joe Gibbs Racing group, and JRM could regain its status as the dominant force in the Xfinity Series in 2025.

Which young NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver has the best chance to compete with the veterans?

A Chandler Smith victory in the Weather Guard Truck Race continues a trend of experienced drivers winning races to start the Truck season. 

By experience, I mean each race winner in 2025 has at least one other win in NASCAR’s top three series, and multiple years of experience across the three levels as well. 

Corey Heim is the youngest winner this year, but he’s been dominant already in the Truck Series for the past two seasons and has won three so far this year.

Of course, Kyle Busch and Larson are veteran, championship-winning Cup drivers who have picked up one win each already this season. 

Martinsville Speedway winner Daniel Hemric has been in the sport for more than a decade, with an Xfinity championship and multiple Cup seasons to his name. As for Smith, he began racing trucks in 2019 and ran his first full season in 2021.

While the veterans continue to lead the way, other drivers like Layne Riggs and Rajah Caruth — both race winners as well — have led laps, but have not been able to convert their solid runs into wins. 

As for any newcomers, Smith shared after his victory that Gio Ruggiero is one to watch to be a contender in the future.