The Post Race Inspection - 2025 Food City 500 at Bristol

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

By Adam Carabine & Logan Morris

Logan Morris: Adam, we’re back here again after Kyle Larson has given nearly the entire field an old-fashioned drubbing at Bristol Motor Speedway. As much as it was a great week for him, I feel like it was a step backward for the much-discussed short track package. What were your thoughts?  

Adam Carabine: Hey Logan, good to be back here with you! I have to agree with you about the short track package, though we can dive deeper into that later.  At the end of the day, the drivers are all reacting to the same package, and Kyle Larson reacted best.  I know we expected crazy tire wear, and we got none of that, which was a tad disappointing, but as I always say, a bad day at the races is better than a good day at work! 

LM: That he did!  Everyone faced the same conditions and nobody stinks up a show more than Kyle Larson these days and credit to him. He was the class of the field on Saturday and Sunday. I feel like the sun coming out really changed how the track reacted to having rubber and that changed the whole ballgame so to speak. 

AC: I love that - nobody stinks up a show more than Kyle Larson!  He certainly is an interesting driver, but him leading 411 of 500 laps doesn’t exactly make for a nail-biter.  He was close to completing the full sweep too, finishing P2 at the Truck race Friday night!  Though he did say post-race that this was his last triple-header of this year, and he may try again next season.

As for the tire wear, let’s get into it.  Practice/qualifying on Saturday was difficult on the ol’ Goodyears.  You had tire runs only lasting like 40 laps or so.  Fast forward to Sunday, the temperature is about 15 degrees warmer, as you said, and suddenly we’re getting green flag pit stops for FUEL at BRISTOL?!  A fuel run is like 160 or so laps.  This is craziness!  Was it just temperature? Or do you think there was something else going on here?

LM: I genuinely believe as far as the tires and rubber go it was because of the change in conditions. Nothing else accounts for it. We saw tires on Saturday looking like the local scrap yard and then suddenly after some sun on Sunday, they were more durable than the Flintstones car. I was looking for more chaos on Sunday and clearly, it was not to be. Drivers seemed antsy to say the least heading into race day. As fate would have it, it was much ado about nothing. 

AC: Even the first 50 or so laps, you saw a lot of cautious drivers, not wanting to be the first to pop their tires.  As you said, it was all for not, and it really was Kyle Larson who took control of the race by being one of the first to put down some really competitive lap times.  He charged to the front and figured he could force someone else to make mistakes and hurt their tires.  While that strategy didn’t exactly play out, he now had the track position to control the rest of the race - and that’s certainly what he did.  Did anything else stand out to you this Sunday?

LM: My hat’s off to Spire Motorsports, they didn’t exactly get the finishes they deserved but for much of the race two of their cars looked extremely strong. I think the future looks incredibly bright over there. It’s a slow process. However, signs of growth are there.

AC: Spire has been looking great this season.  Obviously they’re not in the top tier of teams, but for the expectations they should have for themselves, I would say they’re overachieving.  It’s funny, because I assumed that Michael McDowell heading there would be a real bright spot for the team, and while I’m sure his leadership has had an effect all the way around, it’s actually been the other two Spire drivers who have made the biggest strides - Justin Haley and Carson Hocevar.  What’s been the special sauce for them?

LM: I think having McDowell is paying off in other areas at the moment, and while it’s been a not-so-great start for him at Spire, we know it takes time to gel. Look no further than how Josh Berry ran in the second half of last season. Speaking of Josh Berry, I think his former crew chief is helping make a lot of improvement. Rodney Childers is one of the modern-day all-time great crew chiefs and while we don’t have any inside info, it’s a safe bet that he’s making a big impact over there. 

AC: That’s a fair assessment, absolutely. And to be fair, when I look at the point standings, Michael McDowell is leading Spire in points, but it really does feel like the other two have been flashier.  Whatever it is, it’s working for them!

I also wanted to touch on a few drivers we’ve been dogging on lately, having a great race at Bristol.  Ty Gibbs had his best finish in a long time, coming home P3, and his teammate Chase Briscoe finished P4.  Joe Gibbs Racing finished 2, 3, 4, and 8th.  While Denny Hamlin wasn’t able to complete his three-peat, it was a good day for the team.  What do you make of Ty Gibbs and Chase Briscoe this past weekend?

LM: Ty Gibbs has shown some improvement over the last two weeks, all things considered, he had a respectable finish at Darlington, and momentum could be building for that team. Momentum looks to be building for Briscoe as well.  When you have the most wins as a team, even at this early portion of the season, some of that has to trickle down. Something is clicking for Coach Gibbs and crew so far this season. I don’t know that it lasts, but right now they’re cooking.   

AC: I know you say it’s early, but we did officially just hit the ¼ mark of the season, which is crazy to me.  And yes, there’s some good momentum brewing at JGR… just in time for the one off-weekend of the year.  Hopefully they can carry that forward in a couple weeks when we get back to racing.

Let’s move on to our weekly awards!

Best Performer

LM: The best performer has to be Kyle Larson, it was nothing short of a clinic. During an emotional week for Hendrick Motorsports, they got it done in blow-out fashion. 

AC: Yeah, this award usually has a bit more drama around it, but I’m not sure there’s any other possible answer here.  Maybe an honourable mention to Justin Haley for a great run, but Larson blows everyone else out of the water.

Biggest Move of the Race

LM: Ryan Blaney and company tried to make it interesting, and it just wasn’t to be, but I’ll go with them to not have everything go to the 5 team.

AC: I mean, when’s the last time you saw a driver have a lap on the field?  I know it was due to a differing pit strategy, but that was pretty cool to see (though I’m glad it didn’t finish that way)! I’ll go with Blaney as well, but in a different way.  Because he stayed out so long, he wound up being on a bit of a disadvantage when a caution never did come out, and he somehow battled his way back to a P5 finish.  So I’ll say Blaney, but after the long-pit strategy.

Biggest Disappointment

LM: For my  biggest disappointment this week, I’ll go with Legacy Motor Club. Erik Jones has had a lot of success at Bristol, but you wouldn't have known this week. Both of their cars seemed to be stuck in the back of the pack all day long. They’re certainly a team looking forward to the off week, I’d bet. 

AC: My biggest disappointment is going to be Alex Bowman.  Again, another week with an engine blowing up, though this one was a Chevy with Hendrick Motorsports.  Bowman looked strong after securing the pole, but he wound up with a P37 on the day after retiring early.

What to Watch for Next Weekend

LM: It’s the Easter holiday for all those who celebrate, so the Cup Series gets a very rare off weekend - the only one of the season! I would bet a lot of money that many of the teams don’t take full advantage of the week off. Those who are off to a less-than-stellar start will be grinding, and preparing for Talladega, and the rest of the season. 

AC: Yes, the one and only off weekend of the year.  It’s nice for the drivers to get a bit of time away, but as a fan I’m sad there won’t be any NASCAR to watch next weekend.  Talladega is up next on the schedule in two weeks, and you and I will reconvene here after that race to break it all down.   Enjoy YOUR off weekend, Logan - catch you in a few weeks!

LM: Don’t forget the return of The Rock, and I don’t mean Dwayne Johnson!