The NASCAR Cup Series concludes the Round of 16 with Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
A topsy-turvy first two races has put Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski below the cutline heading into the weekend.
A 500-lap race at Bristol is not the setting for a clean race if a driver needs it, but all three veterans have success at the track. Saturday’s race should have a different dynamic in terms of tire wear compared to the spring race in March, but those three drivers compiled the top 3 in the Food City 500.
Here are The Tennessean’s expert picks for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol:
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Mike Organ’s pick: Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy
I picked Elliott last week and that did not go well when he barely finished in the top 20 at Watkins Glen. I expect Elliott to bounce back Saturday night. Hendrick Motorsports has placed three drivers in the top 10 in four consecutive races at Bristol. Elliott traditionally runs well at Bristol. He won the All-Star race on the high-banked oval in 2020.
Tom Kreager’s pick: Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
It’s time for Denny to make a move if he wants to move to the Round of 12 in the NASCAR playoffs. Hamlin is a four-time winner at Bristol and can win his third straight race at Bristol on Saturday night.
Nick Gray’s pick: Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Bell has been a sneaky excellent performer at Bristol, and the pressure is off of the No. 20 team given the points situation. So Bell can go get more playoff points with an eye on the Championship 4.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Bristol predictions 2024: Expert picks for Cup Series night race
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