Nascar has many exciting races, but one of the best is th Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Nicknamed  “Thunder Valley”, this little half-mile oval of concrete has had numerous exciting finishes over the years, and hopefully this year it won’t disappoint. Also, this year the race has been renamed in honor of Steve Byrnes, a Nascar reporter who is currently fighting cancer.

Bristol is the second shortest track on the Cup circuit, bested only by Martinsville. But unlike Martinsville, Bristol has extreme banking. Many drivers have won here over the years, but one who really stands out is Kurt Busch. He has five wins here, which ties Jeff Gordon for the most among active drivers. And he has teammates who all have been good at Bristol. Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick have both won here, and each of them has been fast in recent years. And Danica Patrick has also been good here, and she is coming off the best start to a season she has ever had.

I mentioned Jeff Gordon earlier. He is tied for the most wins among active drivers, but he has had twice as much time to win as Kurt Busch. Thus the question, is he as good as Kurt? Well, maybe not quite as good as Kurt. But almost. Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have a consistent history at Bristol, but not overwhelming. The only Hendrick driver who has won here in recent years is Kasey Kahne. Kasey won the 2013 spring race here, so keep an eye on him. He has been fast the past couple races.

Joe Gibbs Racing has three drivers who have won here. Ironically, each of them has one once in the past three years. Denny Hamlin won in 2012, Matt Kenseth won in 2013, and Carl Edwards won in 2014. However, Edwards won with a different team. Kyle Busch has won at Bristol multiple times, but he is out with a leg injury. He has been replaced by David Ragan, who has run very well in Kyle’s absence.

Roush-Fenway Racing has won here multiple times in the past, but most of their wins in recent years came from Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, who now race for Joe Gibbs Racing. However, its current drivers have had speed at Bristol before. Most notable is Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished second last year. A win would go a long way for this struggling team.

One more team who seems to be fast here is Chip Ganassi Racing. Both its drivers, Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray, have had speed as of late, and Jamie is good at Bristol. Last year in the Summer race, McMurray had a very strong run, and nearly won the race.

So, I have said it before and I’ll say it again: who will win. Honestly, there are three drivers who I have noticed. First is Kurt Busch. His stats at Bristol are very impressive, and he has been fast week after week. Second is Jamie McMurray. His stellar run last year and the speed he has this year seem to say a victory is in sight, and Bristol is not an unlikely place. Last is Tony Stewart. Yes, I am a Tony fan, but that hasn’t influenced my decision. Stewart has had some newfound speed at bristol over the past few years, and if he can just avoid the misfortunes that have hit him over the past years he is a prime candidate for a strong run or even the win. That said, the only way to find out the winner is to run the race. Let’s race at Bristol!