Johnny Benson

NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow runs for the second time this year at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in Saturday night's Nextel Cup race, and figure on Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon as the best bets to get to Victory Lane.

There are several aims for the Car of Tomorrow. It is expected to increase driver safety, improve competition in races, and allow teams to manage their costs more efficiently, perhaps even reducing them.

Even though the COT ran at Bristol in the fifth race of the season, this time around it will be a whole new experience given that after the Cup race in March the concrete surface and the track were redone from the exterior walls inward.

Working in Gordon's and Stewart's favor
Gordon, who is first in points, has five wins at Bristol, tying him with Kurt Busch for the most among current drivers. In addition to his victories, the four-time Cup champion has collected five poles, 12 top-fives and 18 top-10s in 29 Bristol starts. He led six laps and finished third in the first Bristol race of 2007.

Gordon, who clinched a spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship two weeks ago, has been critical of the Car of Tomorrow in the past, but he's adapted a positive attitude towards it. This will be the 10th of 15 races this season for the COT, which will be used in all races next year.  

Stewart, who didn't have a good run at Bristol in March finishing 35th, has a win, two poles, four top-fives and five top-10s in the 17 times he's taken the green flag at this track. "Smoke" as he is nicknamed is on one of his trademark sizzling summer streaks and he has three wins and five top-10s in his last five races.

The two-time Cup champion missed last year's Chase by just 16 points. With three races to go to the cutoff for qualifying for this year's playoff, Stewart is fourth in points.

Both Gordon and Stewart have more going for them then just a wealth of experience. They are both able to adapt to new track conditions rather quickly as are the organizations they race for -- Gordon for Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Other drivers to watch
Kurt Busch's win at Michigan last Tuesday was his second victory of the season and it made him just the third driver on the Cup circuit to record multiple wins this season. The 2004 Cup champion has won five of the last 11 Cup races at Bristol. Busch holds the 12th and final spot for qualifying for the Chase, with a 163-point lead over 13th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr., who in 15 Bristol Cup starts has one win, five top-fives and eight top-10s.

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Kyle Busch had nothing to rave about in his rookie season of 2005 at Bristol, but in 2006 he posted a pair of top-10 efforts, crossing the checkers eighth and second. But the best was yet to come for the Hendrick Motorsports driver as in March he won this year's first Cup race at Bristol. Busch ran last Wednesday night's truck race -- finishing 15th -- so he should benefit from that experience in the Cup race.

Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton of Richard Childress Racing are both in position to make the Chase. Harvick is 10th in points and Burton is seventh. Harvick and Burton should run in the top 10 on Saturday night. Burton's never won in 27 Bristol races, but he does have seven top-fives and 11 top-10s.

Harvick won the April 2005 race at Bristol, and to go along with that victory he has seven top-fives and nine top-10s in 13 Bristol starts.

Matt Kenseth should be the top performer from Roush Racing at Bristol. The 2003 Cup champion's star is burning bright at this short track where in his last 11 races he has two wins, seven top-fives and nine top-10s. Kenseth locks up a spot in the Chase just by starting Saturday night's race.

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