Only One NASCAR Ford Finishes On Lead Lap At March 2024 Bristol: Video

Just five Cup Series racers finished on the lead lap at Bristol on March 17^th, 2024, as extreme tire wear proved a challenge for most of the field on Sunday. One of those lead-lap cars was the No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse of Brad Keselowski, who earned a hard-fought third-place finish.

Tire management was critical on the concrete surface at Bristol. In fact, most teams reported exposed cords after just 45 green-flag laps, prompting NASCAR and Goodyear to launch an investigation into excessive tire wear. Even so, Keselowski said that the threat of blowing a tire made the racing quite a bit more challenging.

“It was an interesting day,” he said. “There was a lot of discipline required and it was a fun race, to be honest, because you just had to be so smart behind the wheel. It would bite you in a heartbeat and you had to have a good set-up. I think we had a good set-up and tried to run the smartest race I could.”

Meanwhile, other NASCAR Ford teams didn’t fare as well. Ryan Blaney started on the pole position, but wasn’t able to maintain speed as his tires were eaten up, relegating the No. 12 Mustang to a disappointing 16^th-place finish. He battled Ross Chastain, driver of the No. 1 Chevy Camaro ZL1, for the position, and wasn’t happy when the Chevy driver nosed into his bumper to pass him. In a postrace interview, Blaney refused to comment on his ongoing rivalry with Chastain, saying he was “tired” being asked “Ross questions.”

Aside from Keselowski, the only other racers on the lead lap were Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota TRD Camry in first, Martin Truex. Jr’s No. 19 Camry in second, Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Camaro in fourth and Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Camaro in fifth.

# – Rookie
i – Points ineligible
* – Part-time driver

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