NASCAR at Bristol 2016: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, TV Schedule and More – Bleacher Report

After a delay and eventual Kyle Busch win in Texas, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next heads to Bristol for a race headlined by one Peyton Manning.

Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway will have Manning act as honorary race official, a fitting locale for one of the best to ever put on cleats to serve the role.

The Associated Press (via ESPN.com) captured Manning’s thoughts on the honor: “I’m thrilled to get a chance to watch Dale compete at Bristol Motor Speedway. I want to thank Nationwide for bringing me to one of the great NASCAR tracks to watch what I’m sure will be an exciting race in front of some of the most passionate fans in the sport.”

The usual suspects line the top of the leaderboard going into the high-profile event, perhaps crafting an early contender for race of the year given how they take to Bristol. Here’s everything to know about the event.

 

Viewing Details

Where: Bristol Motor Speedway

When: Sunday, April 17, at 1 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

 

Sprint Cup Standings

 

NASCAR at Bristol Lineup

 

Drivers to Watch

Matt Kenseth 

It’s early in the season, but it almost seems like now-or-never time for Matt Kenseth.

A rather long drop down the leaderboard, Kenseth has finished in the top 10 just once this season, though he now returns to a race he stole the checkered flag at last year.

Kenseth led 47 laps at this event last year but hasn’t come close to living up to expectations this year, most recently leading 20 laps in Texas before a lug-nut problem ruined his day and caused him to finish 11th.

Among active drivers, though, Kenseth ranks second in Bristol triumphs. He has four checkered flags there and 13 top-five finishes, so anything other than a large comeback performance would stand as a surprise.

 

Jimmie Johnson

If anyone will take down the rampaging Busch, it figures to be Jimmie Johnson. 

The owner of three consecutive top-four finishes at Bristol, Johnson also has three straight top-10 performances and a checkered flag in California. Given the momentum and history, he’s going to be the top competition for Busch on Sunday.

Though he hasn’t finished where some thought he might in certain events, Johnson has made it loud and clear he’s a fan of the new packages helping move the sport forward. He told Allen Gregory of the Bristol Herald Courier he’s “having a blast” with the new system.

“Fans just want to see good racing,” Johnson said. “I think more than anything this package involves Goodyear softening up the tire, which will give us more speed back. Tire wear creates passing, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve in the sport.”

Johnson having fun is bad news for the competition. Add it to the fact he finished second at Bristol last year and knows how to run the smaller track, and he might be back in Victory Lane quicker than most realize.

Really, Johnson’s only issue this year has been slow starts, as he’s started inside the top 10 just once. That said, it’s hard to imagine Johnson ever feeling like he’s playing from behind at Bristol.

 

Kyle Busch

Busch looks unstoppable right now, having bullied his way to a pair of consecutive checkered flags after what many considered a slow start to the season.

It felt like a matter of time before Busch broke out of the slump, though, a slump in which he had finished outside of the top five once before the two wins. He dominated Martinsville, leading 352 laps before getting the win, and then he started 15th in Texas to lead 34 and win.

NASCAR on NBC helped put Busch’s dominance into perspective, as he’s not just winning races at the top level:

4 wins in 8 days: Kyle Busch wins at Texas for fourth consecutive NASCAR victory https://t.co/pwf8lRp4Zt

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) April 10, 2016

“We just kept making changes to our racecar and making it better. … The racetrack kept coming to us as the night progressed, too,” Busch said after his win in Texas, according to USA Today‘s Brant James.

Expectations chased Busch into the season after his epic return from injury and tear one year ago. While he didn’t initially meet these, he’s proving by the week that maybe they weren’t so unreasonable in the first place. 

Busch looks to make it a three-peat on Sunday.

 

Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.