With Bristol being the third race on the CUP playoff schedule, drivers from both teams are dominating the standings. Both Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing responded to our team previews. Here is the news from Bristol.
5 KYLE LARSON Age: 33 (July 31, 1992) Hometown: Elk Grove, California Last Week: 12th (WWT Raceway) Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels Standings: 3rd No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet 2025Cup CareerBristolRaces2839418Wins3323Poles1221Top 5111308Top 101619813Laps Led93910,1951,762Stage Wins9717Average Finish14.014.110.4 Kyle Larson enters the Bristol Night Race having won the last two events at Bristol Motor Speedway (April 2025, September 2024) while sweeping the stages in both races. The Elk Grove, California, native can become the fifth driver to win three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol with a win Saturday night. Larson has led 873 laps of 1,000 laps (87%) in the last two Bristol races combined, the most over two races on a short track since 1972 (Bobby Allison led 903 at Bristol). The 33-year-old set a new Hendrick Motorsports record for the most laps led in an event with 462 in last fall’s Bristol Night Race. He’s led 1,762 circuits at Bristol in his career, his most at any venue. The driver fo the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet has finished in the top 10 in 11 of his last 12 Bristol starts including top-five showings in all six starts with Hendrick Motorsports. His average finish of 2.8 at Bristol in the Next Gen era is his second best (Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 1.5). Larson also has a pair of NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at The Last Great Coliseum (August 2018, April 2025).He is two top-10 finishes away from 200 for his Cup career and three away from his 100th with Hendrick Motorsports. Larson and the No. 5 team enter this weekend’s Round of 16 finale needing just eight points to clinch a spot in the Round of 12.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT Age: 29 (Nov. 28, 1995) Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia Last week: 3rd (WWT Raceway) Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson Standings: 9th No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 2025Cup CareerBristolRaces2835016Wins1200Poles0121Top 581125Top 10141859Laps Led3975,923444Stage Wins1393Average Finish11.812.811.3 Following his third-place run last weekend at WWT Raceway, Chase Elliott improved to ninth in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings, 28 points above the cutline to advance to the Round of 12.Regardless of who wins at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, the 29-year-old driver would advance with 40 points.Elliott’s average finish of 11.82 leads all Cup Series drivers in 2025.The 2020 Cup champion’s nine top-10 finishes at Bristol are his second most at a track without a points-paying win. Elliott won the 2020 All-Star Race at the 0.533-mile oval. In his five starts at Bristol in the Next Gen era, Elliott has two runner-up finishes and four top 10s with an average finish of 6.8.Elliott has one points-paying short track victory in his Cup career, capturing the win at Martinsville Speedway in the fall of 2020. He also won the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium exhibition event earlier this year.
24 WILLIAM BYRON Age: 27 (Nov. 29, 1997) Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina Last Week: 11th (WWT Raceway) Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle Standings: 6th No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet 2025Cup CareerBristolRaces2828012Wins2150Poles2150Top 59632Top 10131175Laps Led9153,8930Stage Wins7300Average Finish14.015.116.4 After the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 16, William Byron is sixth, 39 points above the cutline.So far in the 2025 season, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has led the second most laps (915), run the second most laps in the top five (2,931) and the most in the top 10 (4,315).In the Next Gen era on short tracks, Byron has three wins which is tied for the third most. One of those came earlier this year at Iowa Speedway.In the last 10 short track races, Byron has two wins, one runner-up result, three top-five finishes, six top 10s and 280 laps led with an average starting position of 10.6 and an average finish of 8.7.During the spring event at Bristol Motor Speedway, the driver of the No. 24 earned 31 points, sixth most among playoff drivers.Out of 12 starts at the Tennessee short track, Byron has a best finish of third which came in back-to-back races in 2021 and 2022.
JOE GIBBS RACING JGR AT BRISTOL: Joe Gibbs Racing owns 15 NASCAR Cup Series victories at Bristol Motor Speedway. In 170 combined starts at the track, the organization has recorded 49 top-five finishes, 73 top-10s, 12 pole awards, and 7,251 laps led. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, and Tony Stewart have all driven JGR entries to victory lane at The Last Great Colosseum.AVERAGE FINISH: Joe Gibbs Racing drivers hold three of the best four average-finishing positions among full-time drivers through 28 races this season. Chase Briscoe ranks second with a 12.8 average-finishing position followed by Christopher Bell (12.9) and Denny Hamlin (13.1).
DENNY HAMLIN No. 11 King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Bites Toyota Camry XSE ST LOUIS WIN NOTES: Denny Hamlin captured his 59th career NASCAR Cup Series victory last Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway. It was his fifth victory of the season and his first win at the 1.25-mile track. This is the fifth time in Hamlin’s career that he has won five or more races in a season. It was the ninth time that Hamlin has won after starting on the pole.HAMLIN AT BRISTOL: Hamlin is a four-time Cup Series winner at Bristol Motor Speedway, including two of the last four trips to the World’s Fastest Half-Mile. Overall, Hamlin has 13 top-five finishes, 20 top-10s, four pole awards, and 1,199 laps led at Bristol. He has earned six consecutive top-10 finishes at the track dating back to 2021. Earlier this year, Hamlin started fourth and finished second at Bristol. KING’S HAWAIIAN: Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota will feature King’s Hawaiian this Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of King’s Hawaiian. While the company has grown since Robert Taira founded his first bakery in Hilo, HI in 1950, King’s Hawaiian has remained a family-owned business dedicated to making irresistible food that brings people together, sparking good times and inspiring joy in every bite. Today, they are best known for their best-selling Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, Slider Buns, and Hamburger Buns, as well as the newest addition to the snacking game, irresistibly sweet and salty Pretzel Bites! For more information, visit www.kingshawaiian.com.
CHASE BRISCOE No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE BRISCOE AT BRISTOL: Chase Briscoe has 13 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway across NASCAR’s three national series. Earlier this year, Briscoe posted a career-best fourth-place finish at the short track. Briscoe also won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol in September 2020.ST LOUIS RECAP: Briscoe earned his fourth runner-up finish of the season last weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway. Briscoe started the race third and earned a valuable playoff point by winning the first stage. Some bad luck on pit road put Briscoe in the rear of the field for much of the second and third stages. Eventually, strategy and a two-tire call on the last pit stop put Briscoe back in the mix before the final restart with 24 laps remaining. Briscoe battled with teammate Denny Hamlin for the lead before ultimately crossing the finish line in second.2025 PLAYOFFS: Briscoe clinched his spot in the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Playoffs with his win at Darlington Raceway in the opening race of the post-season. He currently sits second in the overall standings .ON A ROLL: The Mitchell, Indiana native has set career highs in nearly every statistical category this season. He has 12 top-five finishes (doubling his previous season-high and tied for the most in 2025), 13 top-10s (tied for sixth most in 2025), and a series-leading six pole awards. He is third for the most laps led in 2025 and is one of seven drivers with multiple wins this season. His 9.8 average-starting position is the best in the series, and his 12.8 average-finishing position ranks second. Briscoe has led more laps in 2025 (643) than his previous four Cup Series seasons combined. MEET CHASE BRISCOE: Briscoe will sign autographs at the Bass Pro Shops in Bristol, TN (1 Bass Pro Drive, Bristol, TN 37620) Friday, September 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET. 150 wristbands will be distributed at the store beginning Friday morning at 9 a.m. ET. JAMES SMALL: 2025 marks James Small’s sixth season as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief. The first five years of his tenure as crew chief were spent with Martin Truex Jr. as Small led the No. 19 team to eight wins, 46 top-five finishes, 86 top-10s, and four NASCAR playoff appearances. The Australia native led Truex to a runner-up finish in the 2021 championship and to the 2023 regular season championship. Small earned his 10th career win with Briscoe in the 2025 Southern 500 at Darlington.BASS PRO SHOPS: Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Newsweek as “America’s Most Trusted Retailer for Outdoor Gear”. For more information or to shop online, visit www.basspro.com.
CHRISTOPHER BELL No. 20 DEWALT Toyota Camry XSE BELL AT BRISTOL: Christopher Bell’s best NASCAR Cup Series performance at Bristol Motor Speedway came in September 2023 when he qualified on the pole, led 187 laps and finished third. Overall, he has earned three top-five finishes and six top-10s at Bristol. The Oklahoma native also has four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 0.533-mile oval, including a win in April 2019 and a runner-up finish in August 2018. Additionally, Bell has three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at BMS highlighted by a pole and two top-10 finishes.BRISTOL DIRT WINNER: Bell won the dirt race at Bristol in April 2023. After starting fourth, he led the final 100 laps to take home the win.ST LOUIS RECAP: Bell qualified eighth and finished seventh last weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway. The No. 20 team ran inside the top five for most of the race. Bell was shuffled back on a late-race restart and crossed the finish line seventh. PLAYOFF STANDINGS: Bell is eighth in the playoff standings with a 32-point advantage over the cutline following the second race of the Round of 16. The first round wraps up this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway where Bell has posted five consecutive top-10 finishes..DEWALT DECKLID: DEWALT will feature GreenView Partners on the decklid of the No. 20 Toyota at Bristol. GreenView Partners has been providing commercial landscaping services in North and South Carolina since 2010. For more information, visit www.greenviewpartners.com.
5 KYLE LARSON Age: 33 (July 31, 1992) Hometown: Elk Grove, California Last Week: 12th (WWT Raceway) Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels Standings: 3rd 
No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet 2025Cup CareerBristolRaces2839418Wins3323Poles1221Top 5111308Top 101619813Laps Led93910,1951,762Stage Wins9717Average Finish14.014.110.4 Kyle Larson enters the Bristol Night Race having won the last two events at Bristol Motor Speedway (April 2025, September 2024) while sweeping the stages in both races. The Elk Grove, California, native can become the fifth driver to win three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol with a win Saturday night. Larson has led 873 laps of 1,000 laps (87%) in the last two Bristol races combined, the most over two races on a short track since 1972 (Bobby Allison led 903 at Bristol). The 33-year-old set a new Hendrick Motorsports record for the most laps led in an event with 462 in last fall’s Bristol Night Race. He’s led 1,762 circuits at Bristol in his career, his most at any venue. The driver fo the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet has finished in the top 10 in 11 of his last 12 Bristol starts including top-five showings in all six starts with Hendrick Motorsports. His average finish of 2.8 at Bristol in the Next Gen era is his second best (Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 1.5). Larson also has a pair of NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at The Last Great Coliseum (August 2018, April 2025).He is two top-10 finishes away from 200 for his Cup career and three away from his 100th with Hendrick Motorsports. Larson and the No. 5 team enter this weekend’s Round of 16 finale needing just eight points to clinch a spot in the Round of 12. 
9 CHASE ELLIOTT Age: 29 (Nov. 28, 1995) Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia Last week: 3rd (WWT Raceway) Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson Standings: 9th 
No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 2025Cup CareerBristolRaces2835016Wins1200Poles0121Top 581125Top 10141859Laps Led3975,923444Stage Wins1393Average Finish11.812.811.3 Following his third-place run last weekend at WWT Raceway, Chase Elliott improved to ninth in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings, 28 points above the cutline to advance to the Round of 12.Regardless of who wins at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, the 29-year-old driver would advance with 40 points.Elliott’s average finish of 11.82 leads all Cup Series drivers in 2025.The 2020 Cup champion’s nine top-10 finishes at Bristol are his second most at a track without a points-paying win. Elliott won the 2020 All-Star Race at the 0.533-mile oval. In his five starts at Bristol in the Next Gen era, Elliott has two runner-up finishes and four top 10s with an average finish of 6.8.Elliott has one points-paying short track victory in his Cup career, capturing the win at Martinsville Speedway in the fall of 2020. He also won the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium exhibition event earlier this year. 
24 WILLIAM BYRON Age: 27 (Nov. 29, 1997) Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina Last Week: 11th (WWT Raceway) Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle Standings: 6th 
No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet 2025Cup CareerBristolRaces2828012Wins2150Poles2150Top 59632Top 10131175Laps Led9153,8930Stage Wins7300Average Finish14.015.116.4 After the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 16, William Byron is sixth, 39 points above the cutline.So far in the 2025 season, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has led the second most laps (915), run the second most laps in the top five (2,931) and the most in the top 10 (4,315).In the Next Gen era on short tracks, Byron has three wins which is tied for the third most. One of those came earlier this year at Iowa Speedway.In the last 10 short track races, Byron has two wins, one runner-up result, three top-five finishes, six top 10s and 280 laps led with an average starting position of 10.6 and an average finish of 8.7.During the spring event at Bristol Motor Speedway, the driver of the No. 24 earned 31 points, sixth most among playoff drivers.Out of 12 starts at the Tennessee short track, Byron has a best finish of third which came in back-to-back races in 2021 and 2022.
