At Bristol Motor Speedway, what looked like tires and concrete vs drivers, was actually experienced drivers vs the new drivers. And in the end, the experience took the lead, leaving others in the dust. And the top three finishers, Denny Hamlin(43)Martin Truex Jr(43), and Brad Keselowski(40), proved that exact point. Despite expectations of a boring fest because it was a short track and all the short track + next-gen car drama, its concrete surface actually kept the crowd on their toes. In addition to that, the tires, manufactured by Goodyear following NASCAR’s specs from last year, turned the event into a bit of a tire fiasco. The focus shifted to basic tire management instead of the technical nitty-gritty of aerodynamics.

Even though it’s not the mid-80s, veterans are still dominating the track

Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr, and Brad Keselowski led the pack, turning heads in one of the most riveting races of recent times. Earlier Jeff Burton tried to pin down why the seasoned pros managed to outperform everyone else at Bristol Motor Speedway, highlighting that it wasn’t by chance these veterans were leading the charge when the dust settled.

And now, Freddie Kraft echoed the same sentiment on his podcast, saying, “I may never get to say this again because it’s not 1985, out there in his 50s winning races. The top three guys are all 40 years old or older. That’s what I was getting ready to say so […] your experience mattered yeah.”

That’s because back in the day, the NASCAR races were primarily dominated by veteran drivers like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Kraft also highlighted the crucial role of experience in navigating race dynamics. He praised Denny Hamlin’s performance, noting that both Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr were masters at working through the field, especially during the green flag cycle where nearly every car was just trying to hang on.

Now, if you’re wondering what gave Denny Hamlin and other older drivers the upper hand, TJ Majors explained that too!

Why were the seasoned pros were ahead of the pack at Bristol Motor Speedway?

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It’s no secret that ace drivers like Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr can navigate through any curveball thrown their way, but their edge at Bristol had a bit more flair to it. It is safe to say that the drivers’ background in Late Model Stock Car and Modified Racing played a crucial role.

TJ Majors pointed that very aspect out, saying, “I was going say- those three guys up front have driven the cars like what back in the day. […] I was going to say you know Denny comes out of late-model stocks where tire management is critical. And Trux is a modified Guy where tire management is even more critical. I would say modified are beating the tires up worse than any car we have on the ovals. So, you look at guys that never ran any of that you know any kind of old school short track stuff, and those guys are really struggling.”

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So, it turns out, those runs outside the Cup and Xfinity series aren’t just for kicks—they’re prime training grounds for unexpected challenges on the track. It’d be interesting to hear what other NASCAR insiders, especially those who doubted the value of Cup drivers hitting other circuits, have to say now.