Nobody seems to know what to expect from Bristol Motor Speedway. During Saturday’s practice session, the tire wear was identical to last year’s spring race at ‘The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.’ However, the playoff fixture in September failed to recreate those conditions, with Kyle Larson taking home a dominant win at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Sunday’s Food City 500 looks like a mystery, too, with the NASCAR grid wondering how big a role tire management could play in getting a result.

Alex Bowman, who finished on pole at Homestead-Miami, will start from the front again at Bristol. And just like at Homestead, his biggest competitor is going to be his teammate, Kyle Larson. If you remember, Larson’s skilled driving while hugging the wall at Homestead forced Bowman into a late-race error, which gave Larson the lead with 6 laps to go. Bowman called his teammate the “baddest man on the planet” after that performance. However, Larson might have won Homestead this year and the Bristol fall race last year, but Bowman put on a stellar show in the Bristol spring race, and this weekend’s pole-winner made his call on how he thinks the Food City 500 will transpire in 2025.

Alex Bowman feels a sense of déjà vu

History repeated itself at Bristol Motor Speedway. Alex Bowman ended up on the pole at ‘The Last Great Colosseum’ for the second consecutive time, finishing ahead of fellow Chevy driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and teammate Kyle Larson by recording a lap time of 14.912 seconds. It was Bowman’s seventh career pole and the first time in his Cup Series career that he’d be leading the field multiple times in a single season. Driving the No. 48 car, the Arizona native will be aiming to break his 24-race winless streak at the short track.

If the practice session and qualifying are anything to go by, tire management could be key to getting a result in the upcoming race, a factor that plays into Alex Bowman’s strengths. “I think all signs point to a race like the spring,” the Hendrick Motorsports driver said. “I think it’s going to be like (it was last spring), but we’re going to find out together, I think.” Interestingly, Bowman finished 4th during the spring race last year after starting 29th! He was also the only driver not to win a single stage point among the top-5 finishers. The tire strategy seems to work in Bowman’s favor, and after starting on pole this weekend, he will be aiming to capitalize on this golden opportunity. However, the 31-year-old does have a contingency plan in place, as he said, “If the tires don’t wear out, then we will just start to increasingly run harder throughout the day.”

Last year’s spring race was a thoroughly entertaining affair, with a record 54 lead changes before Denny Hamlin secured a victory over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. However, the fall race was a complete contrast, with Kyle Larson leading a staggering 462 of 500 laps during the playoffs. The signs are promising this time as tires last around 30 laps, similar to last year’s iteration of the Food City 500. Bowman’s sentiments were echoed by other racers on the grid as well, with Chase Briscoe saying, “It’s a lot like last year. Definitely odd. The fall race, no issues, the spring race everybody’s cording.” 

Joe Gibbs Racing’s #11 Denny Hamlin, who won the tire-wear race last year at Bristol, was surprised that NASCAR opted for this compound again. “Truthfully, I wouldn’t have expected it, but certainly, it looks like the formula is striking again. So, yeah, it’s going to be an interesting race.” Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell also chimed in, saying, “It’s hard to tell … but it does feel a little bit like last spring, which I was not anticipating.” If the Xfinity Series race is anything to go by, there was major tire wear at the 2025 SciAps 300. This indicates that the 2025 Food City 500 will follow suit, rendering Alex Bowman’s prediction about the upcoming race true. Fans are hopeful of seeing yet another entertaining fixture at Bristol Motor Speedway, filled with action, drama, and controversy at the short track.

“I think we’re all much more prepared than we were last spring,” said Bowman ahead of Sunday’s race, anticipating a tire-wear thriller at Bristol. While Alex Bowman is filled with confidence after clinching the pole, there’s one man he will have to keep a close eye on, just like he had to at Homestead Miami Speedway.

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Kyle Larson is hopeful of securing another Bristol triumph

Expectations were high for Kyle Larson going into the Bristol triple-header weekend. The Hendrick Motorsports racer entered the weekend to compete in the Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series races, hoping to achieve a feat that only Kyle Busch has managed to so far. However, things didn’t begin on the best note, as ‘Yung Money’ finished runner-up at the Weather Guard Truck Race to Chandler Smith.

However, momentum is now on Larson’s side after he redeemed himself at the SciAps 300 in the Xfinity Series. After a dominant performance at the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the 32-year-old is expected to challenge for a triumph yet again, especially after a promising performance in qualifying, as he’ll be starting third. Sharing his thoughts about the track, the racer said, “I love Bristol as much as I love Homestead, two of my probably most successful tracks, so I love to go there. To contend for all of the races would be cool.”

At Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kyle Larson had won a Truck Series race before narrowly missing out in the Xfinity Series. He then went on to secure his first triumph in the Cup Series for the season after an impressive display. This time around, he has missed out in the Truck Series, only to win in NASCAR’s second tier instead. With Chevy looking strong at the short track, could he go on to make it two wins in a row at Bristol? Time will tell. However, standing in his way will be teammate Alex Bowman, who is looking lightning-fast at Thunder Valley as well.