NASCAR Barometer: Johnson Takes Second Bristol Win

The Food City 500 was affected by rain throughout the weekend with qualifying being canceled and the race being postponed to Monday. The delay didn't affect Jimmie Johnson, however. He was quick in between the showers and pulled everything together perfectly in the final stage of the race where he really came to life. While Kyle Larson dominated the early running, it was Johnson who methodically improved his car and gained track position to work his way solidly to the front of the field. One final rocket away from the other leaders in the closing laps gave him a big enough cushion to cruise to victory.

Monday's race also gave a number of other drivers an opportunity to show their wares. Clint Bowyer, Erik Jones and Joey Logano among others showed at various times throughout the 500 laps that they were capable of racing at the front of the field and in positions to win. There have been six different winners in the eight races so far this season, and with the majority of the schedule left to run, it wouldn't be surprising to see a number of new winners secure an all-important spot in the championship playoffs.

UPGRADE

Jimmie Johnson – Monday marked Johnson's second win of 2017 and his second win at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was a classic performance from the defending champion as he worked on his chassis throughout the afternoon to piece together the machine he needed along with the track position that enabled him to hold off other chargers. He started the afternoon in 11th position and achieved the rare feat of winning at Bristol despite starting outside of the top 10. He now stands next to Brad Keselowski as one of the only two drivers to have multiple wins in 2017 and a firm grip on a playoff spot. This kind of momentum is something fantasy players must pay attention to this week in Richmond where he has won three times.

Kyle Larson – Larson started Monday's rain-delayed race from pole after qualifying was washed out, and he used the opportunity to head the field and sail away from the competition in the early laps. He dominated every lap en route to a victory in stage 1. That advantage faded through the middle of the race, but he found his footing again late before a pit penalty put him too far out of position to effectively challenge for the race win. All in all, it was another top performance and he's proving to be a title contender this season. Looking ahead, he only finished in the top five at Richmond once, but that lone time was last fall when he finished second and led 15 laps.

Martin Truex Jr. – Bristol hasn't been the best track for Truex in his career, but he was the first to really challenge Larson for the lead in Monday's race. He spent more than 40 laps in the lead after taking the position to win stage 2, his fifth stage win of the season, and he remained mostly in the top 10 until the checkered flag. His race was above expectations given his history at the track, and he and Furniture Row Racing continue to be one of the more dangerous outfits in the garage each week. Truex grabbed top-10 finishes in both visits to Richmond last season and should be one of the top contenders to claim a spot in fantasy rosters.

Kasey Kahne – Earlier this year, Kahne showed that he made progress through the winter. That was on display Monday in Bristol where he turned his fast car from practice into a fast car in the closing stages of the race. The finish didn't pan out as well as he would have hoped, but his car was a contender, and with a bit more luck, he could have snuck in a win. That is exactly the type of effort he and the team need throughout the season to remain in contention for a spot in the playoffs. Kahne also tends to race well at Richmond. He scored two top-10 finishes at the track last season and won the spring race back in 2005. He is building confidence and has improved this year.

DOWNGRADE

Kurt Busch – Busch was the first driver to bring out a caution and head to the pits to make repairs after losing control while working to avoid Trevor Bayne. He sustained heavy damage, and the crew raced to repair the machine in order to return to action. When he did return, he was multiple laps down to the leaders, which made for another long afternoon with little reward. It's been a rough start to the season for his team aside from his Daytona win. Fantasy players may want to avoid selecting him in future lineups until he's able to return consistent top finishes. He could begin to change that tide this week in Richmond. He finished inside the top 10 there in both visits last season.

Chris Buescher – Buescher left Monday's Bristol race early in the afternoon after damaging the radiator in Kurt Busch's incident. The damage was enough to send him to the garage, which meant a retirement under NASCAR rules. It was a shame considering what a great afternoon Buescher had at Martinsville earlier this season as well as his fifth-place Bristol result last fall. His 11th-place at Martinsville earlier in the month raised fantasy expectations for another strong performance last week, but he was unable to live up to that potential. He'll have another short-track opportunity this week at Richmond. He finished 24th there in the fall last season, though his results there haven't been as good as the other short tracks, though.

Ryan Blaney – Early problems with power steering meant he fell off the pace and was lapped in the first stage of Monday's race. His practice times were worthy enough that he had the potential to walk away from the afternoon with a top finish, but the mechanical issue ended his chance. He has been racing better than expected so far this season and looks capable of visiting Victory Lane for the first time at some point this season. Fantasy players may want to hit pause for one more week, however. His best finish at Richmond last season was 28th. Waiting to see his practice speeds and qualifying position before choosing him would be a wise strategy.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Despite seeming to get back up to speed after missing much of 2016, Earnhardt's poor 2017 luck bit again in Bristol. He crashed after a mechanical issue left oil in his pit stall and on his tires. He had been working his way forward in the running order prior to the accident but will be credited with a DNF. He had just scored his first top-10 of the season in Texas, which led some to believe the bad results were behind him. He will try to right the ship again next week in Richmond. He has three wins at that track and hasn't finished outside of the top 15 there since 2011. An issue-free race next week could be a valuable confidence booster.

Kyle Busch – Busch returned from NASCAR's week off to dominate Bristol practice. It's not a stretch to think he would have claimed the pole position if qualifying hadn't been rained out, too. All those superlatives went up in smoke when he got loose and hit the turn 2 wall. The contact and subsequent repairs dropped him off of the lead lap, and he had worked his way forward only for it to happen a second time. That was the end of the line for his day and another disappointing finish from one of the fastest competitors this season. He has four career wins at Richmond along with three top-fives in the last five races at the circuit.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Erik Jones – Jones had everything going for him at Bristol. He was consistently among the top-five fastest cars in practice and that boosted his confidence heading into the delayed race Monday afternoon. The rookie spent most of the afternoon running in the top five in another impressive showing. Things only came undone when he collided with the wall with less than 100 laps remaining. An extra-long stop to fix the damage put him too far behind to make a challenge and he ultimately finished 17th. That result didn't reflect his potential on the afternoon. With three out of his four Xfinity races at Richmond being top-fives, he should be in store for another chance at a win this week.