Tennessee Army National Guard 250
Location: Bristol, Tenn.
Course: Bristol Motor Speedway
Format: 0.53-mile oval
Laps: 250
Tennessee Army National Guard 250 Preview
Corey Heim powered to a dominant but close-fought victory in last week's race at Rockingham Speedway. The defending series champion swept both stages and then outdueled his teammate Kaden Honeycutt in a tight battle for the win. This marked Heim's second win of the season, even as he continues to pursue a part-time schedule. After the event, fourth-place finisher Chandler Smith was disqualified due to a ride-height violation, wiping away his points for the day. With Heim's win and Smith's disqualification, Heim's part-time campaign now has him tied for the top spot in the championship standings with Honeycutt, while Layne Riggs sits just 11 points back.
This week, the series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, where Riggs claimed the most recent victory. The Front Row Motorsports driver will be striving to close the gap on Honeycutt and distance himself from Smith and Ty Majeski, who are close behind. This will be the 31st series event at Bristol, and it promises to set the stage for an intense points battle as the summer season heats up.
Key Stats at Bristol Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 30
- Winners from pole: 7
- Winners from top-5 starters: 18
- Winners from top-10 starters: 25
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 91.919 mph
Previous 10 Bristol Winners
2025 fall - Layne Riggs
2025 spring - Chandler Smith
2024 fall - Layne Riggs
2024 spring - Christian Eckes
2023 - Corey Heim
2022 - Ty Majeski
2021 - Chandler Smith
2020 - Sam Mayer
2019 - Brett Moffitt
2018 - Johnny Sauter
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series heads to the tight confines of Bristol Motor Speedway this week for a short-track battle. This half-mile oval is known for its steep banking and concrete surface, both presenting unique challenges for drivers. Navigating the tough concrete and steep turns, while managing the constant threat of slower traffic, makes Bristol an exciting venue. That traffic means track position is one of the most important advantages to have on Friday night, too. No driver has ever started deeper than 18th and won this race, and only five out of 30 races have been won by someone starting outside the top 10.
Recently, driving a Ford has been an advantage, as blue oval branded trucks have claimed the last three Bristol victories, with Riggs and Smith leading at least 80 laps in each win. While track position and navigating traffic are clear determinants of success, equipment management is also crucial. Despite its small size, Bristol's steep banking produces high speeds, which can punish tires, brakes, and suspension. The long pit road means cautions will likely dictate strategies, and late restarts could be the key to coming out on top this week.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Truck Series Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Tennessee Army National Guard 250
Based on Standard $50k Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Corey Heim - $11,000
Kyle Busch - $10,700
Layne Riggs - $10,500
Christopher Bell - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chandler Smith - $10,000
Carson Hocevar - $9,700
Chase Briscoe - $9,500
Kaden Honeycutt - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Ross Chastain - $8,500
Christian Eckes - $8,300
Ty Majeski - $8,100
Tyler Ankrum - $7,800
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Daniel Hemric - $7,100
Jake Garcia - $6,800
Stewart Friesen - $6,700
Ben Rhodes - $6,600
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the UNOH 250
Kyle Busch - $10,700
Kaden Honeycutt - $9,000
Ty Majeski - $8,100
Tyler Ankrum - $7,800
Gio Ruggiero - $7,500
Jake Garcia - $6,800
Bristol is a track where only a handful of drivers consistently excel, and Kyle Busch is undoubtedly one of them. Winning in a part-time appearance is always challenging, but Busch has repeatedly managed to pull it off in this series. He boasts five Bristol series victories, which is the most of any other competitor in this week's race. While Busch may not be off to the start he hoped for in the Cup Series this season, his time in the truck this week presents a prime chance to return to Victory Lane. In fact, he's finished first or second in four of his last five series starts at Bristol.
After Busch's selection, the rest of the roster consists of full-time drivers aiming for one of the coveted top-10 spots in points, which is their ticket to a shot at the championship. Kade Honeycutt is already making a name for himself in that group. Aside from Corey Heim, who isn't running a full schedule, Honeycutt currently sits atop the standings, thanks to four top-10 finishes in the first five races. With four finishes of 13th or better across six Bristol series starts, he's got a real chance at another top-10 this week. Honeycutt has raised his game this season at Tricon Garage, and that momentum is expected to carry through to this week's race at Bristol.
Ty Majeski currently sits fifth in the points as he chases his second series championship. He captured a win at Bristol in 2022 and has averaged a starting position of 8.0 over six attempts. Despite recording two DNFs, Majeski has earned three top-10 finishes from those starts and surged to a fourth-place result at the track last fall. If he can steer clear of trouble this weekend, Majeski is poised for another strong finish that could help him climb the standings.
Tyler Ankrum is hovering just outside the Chase positions after notching another top-10 finish last week at Rockingham. That marked his second top-10 of the season and snapped a two-race streak of finishes outside the top 20. At Bristol, Ankrum has earned four top-10 finishes in nine starts, with three of those coming in the last four races. He tends to perform best in the spring race, posting finishes of 11th, fifth, and fourth over the past three years. If you're looking to pick him, this first Bristol visit of the season is the one to do it.
Gio Ruggiero is also establishing himself solidly in the top 10 in points. He has three top-10 finishes from the first five races with back-to-back top-three finishes to start the season on the superspeedways. He has just two Bristol starts in the series from last season starting 14th in both and finishing 10th and 13th. That is a good way to start a career at this track and his early-season speed suggests he should be capable of replicating those results this week.
Also close to breaking into the top 10 is Jake Garcia. He has two finishes of 11th or better from his six Bristol starts, but his qualifying suggests there is room to improve on those results. He started fifth and first in the two races here last season, turning the spring race into his only Bristol top-10 with a seventh-place effort. Delivering on the race plan this week could put him in position to net another top-10 finish at the end, helping boost his championship hopes.
Best Bets for the Tennessee Army National Guard 250
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 3:30 PM ET Thursday
Race Winner - Kyle Busch +360
Top-Three Finish - Layne Riggs +170
Top-Five Finish - Chandler Smith +165
Any time Kyle Busch shows up in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, he is going to be favored to win. That is especially true at Bristol. The veteran is always ultra-competitive and Bristol is one of his best tracks. This week will be his 13th series start at the oval and he won five of those. His most recent Bristol event in the trucks was 2024 when he finished second. That year off from running this track shouldn't affect him much, though. Busch already has one series start from 2026 which was a win at Atlanta, and it would not be a surprise to see him in Victory Lane again at Bristol.
Busch could face some tough competition from the series regulars, though. One of those hoping to carry that torch is Layne Riggs. He already has two wins at this track from four tries, and his worst result from those races was a 10th-place finish in the spring of 2024. This team believes they have a legitimate shot at the season championship, and capitalizing on Riggs' talent at Bristol would help them close the gap to Kaden Honeycutt who leads the early points standings.
Another driver that could factor into the mix at the front this week is Chandler Smith. After being disqualified a week ago at Rockingham, Smith has some ground to make up, too. Like Riggs, Smith is a two-time Bristol winner and the pair combined have brought home victories in the last three Bristol races. Were it not for an electrical issue in the fall race, Smith might have extended his string of top-10 Bristol finishes to six, too. After his disqualification last week and Bristol problems last fall, Smith will be as hungry as ever and fans should expect to see him among the top contenders this week with a top-five finish within reach.
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