NASCAR Food City 500 preview: Favorite, underdog, top storylines
3 minute readPublished: Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 3:48 am
NASCAR Food City 500: Blaney Favored, Underdog Herbst to Watch
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500 this Sunday. The race, the eighth of the 2026 season, promises high-speed action on the half-mile track.
Ryan Blaney, fresh off a win at Phoenix earlier in the season, is the favorite, with odds of +350. Blaney will start from the pole position and has consistently performed well at Bristol, finishing in the top six in his last three races there. Kyle Larson, with odds of +400, is another driver to watch. Larson has a strong track record at Bristol, having won two of the last three races there and leading a significant number of laps in the 2025 event.
An intriguing underdog to keep an eye on is Riley Herbst, with odds of +5000. Despite being 30th in the Cup Series standings, Herbst qualified well and will start fourth. Josh Berry, a short-track specialist, is also a potential dark horse, with odds of +10000. Berry is coming off a top-10 finish and has shown promise at Bristol in the past.
Alex Bowman will return to the Cup Series after a four-race absence due to health issues. Bowman, currently last among full-time drivers in the standings, will need a strong performance to make the Chase field.
Another key storyline revolves around Tyler Reddick, the current points leader. While Reddick has been dominant this season, short tracks have been a weakness for his team. Reddick qualified second for Sunday's race.
BNN's Perspective: The Food City 500 offers a compelling mix of established favorites and potential upsets. While Blaney and Larson are strong contenders, the performance of underdogs like Herbst and Berry could add an exciting element to the race. The return of Bowman and Reddick's performance on a short track will also be key factors to watch.
Keywords: NASCAR, Food City 500, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Riley Herbst, Josh Berry, Alex Bowman, Tyler Reddick, Bristol Motor Speedway, Cup Series, racing, auto racing, sports.