Jeff Gordon to Run Final Race at Bristol

BRUTON SMITH, the executive chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., revealed that he was treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in June, and said he used this weekend’s races at Bristol Motor Speedway as motivation during his recovery.

Denny Hamlin was the fastest driver on the track Friday evening.

Driver introductions for the IRWIN Tools Night Race begin at 7 p.m. Listen for customized mixes of each driver’s preferred song by DJ DU, and watch for the 43 Midnight Silverado Special Edition trucks as they shuttle the Sprint Cup stars around the track.

Clint Bowyer may have the toughest job in all of the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage right now after this week’s announcement that Michael Waltrip Racing will fold after this season, leaving Bowyer without a ride for 2016. Matt Kenseth led a season-best 73 percent of the laps to win from the pole a week ago at Michigan global Speedway.

Last year’s victor : Joey Logano. Right behind him, however, are two heavy hitters in Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.

JGR has been the hottest team in NASCAR all summer and leads Sprint Cup with nine victories. Ty Dilllon was fourth, followed by JGR driver Daniel Suarez, Brian Scott and Chase Elliott.

Kyle Busch has five wins, but none since 2011.

“Bristol Motor Speedway plays so many roles in the industry and in our guests’ lives”, Jerry Caldwell, general manager for BMS, said in a release. His first seven races on the high-banked short track, he struggled with the concept that to finish first, you must first finish. “A win would be nice and a win would certainly make things easier over these next couple of weeks, but when you say “need” a win, I’ve won 92 times”.

Hamlin has never won this race and last competed in it in 2008. Ticket holders will also be treated to some familiar Aerosmith favorites. Kurt also boasts the second-most laps led (721) and second-highest driver rating (106.2) in the series this season.

Longtime veteran Hermie Sadler III will attempt to qualify for the Food City 300 this weekend, his first race since last season at Richmond. Gordon has won five times at Bristol, but not since August, 2002.

Joe Gibbs Racing captures the top three positions in qualifying for the second consecutive race. In another No. 22 Ford for Team Penske, he led every lap of the Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 back in April.