After a chaotic race at Darlington, where Denny Hamlin won his second race of the season, NASCAR now shifts its focus to Bristol Motor Speedway. The JGR driver will be eying a hat trick of wins this weekend. However, his rivals are not likely to easily relinquish the substantial prize money at stake.
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According to the latest update from Bob Pockrass on X, the upcoming Food City 500 at Bristol boasts a prize purse of $11,055,250 for the Cup race, while the Xfinity race winner will pocket $1,651,939. Additionally, the Truck Series at Bristol is set to distribute $782,900 in prize funds.
Last year’s spring race offered $8,182,531 and $761,274 for the Cup and Truck races, respectively.
Purses for Bristol weekend include all payouts, all positions, contingency awards, year/end point fund contributions and for Cup, payout to Charter teams for participating and historical performance:
Cup: $11,055,250
Xfinity:: $1,651,939
Truck: $782,900
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 9, 2025
Moreover, last year’s autumn showdown at Bristol Motor Speedway flaunted a prize purse of $9,222,417 for the premier NASCAR series. The Xfinity Series competitors vied for $1,680,574, with the Truck Series contenders battling it for $720,063. Owing to the new television agreement, the purse for all races has seen a substantial increase this season.
Favorites for the Food City 500 race at Bristol
Last season, the race took everyone by surprise — drivers, teams, NASCAR officials, and Goodyear alike were baffled as cars began pitting unusually early, within the first 20-25 laps.
The anomaly was due to unprecedented tire wear. The same tires that had performed flawlessly in the fall night race of 2023 were used, yet last year, the concrete surface failed to retain rubber.
Instead, marbles — tiny rubber fragments from deteriorating tires — accumulated in the upper reaches of the corners, rendering the higher lines of the track virtually unusable.
Three seasoned drivers dominated, ending in a podium sweep led by Denny Hamlin, who edged out Martin Truex Jr. by 1.083 seconds. Meanwhile, Brad Keselowski finished P3.
With two consecutive wins under his belt, Hamlin is tipped as a favorite. Yet, with the highest track average of 11.0, Kyle Larson is also a strong contender. Fans may well be hedging their bets on the HMS driver.
Not to be overlooked, Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell, boasting impressive track averages of 11.0 and 12.6, respectively, are also prime candidates to watch. Additionally, Ryan Preece and Kyle Busch are in the running to end their winless spells.
