BMS Notes: Tire wear could play a role in the Food City 500

BRISTOL, Tenn. — One of the big unknowns heading into Food City 500 is the role that tire wear will play in the outcome of the race. NASCAR Cup Series teams will be running a 750-horsepower package at Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time on Sunday afternoon, up from 670 horsepower last year. Among other things, the extra horsepower is expected to put a little extra wear and tear on the Goodyear tires. During a media session at the track on Friday, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, who drives for Hyak Motorsports, was asked whether the uncertainty around tire wear might be an equalizer for the smaller teams that don't have as much money to spend on research & development as the top Cup teams. Stenhouse said that his team has come to Bristol in the past anticipating increased tire wear with setups designed to be easier on tires, and they weren't able to gain ground with that strategy. "So (this time) we kind of came here with our normal, you could call it our more aggressive package, to make speed," he said. "We were really good on the long runs, but it never paid off because you would finally pit later into the run, and there would be a caution before the end of the stage. You would never get back to where you were. The guys that pitted multiple times a little sooner seemed to have the best strategy." Will this year be different given the change to the rules package? "I'll let you know after Sunday," Stenhouse said. Bowman's Back After missing the past four races with vertigo, Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman has been medically cleared to return to action this weekend at BMS. Bowman will return to the No. 48 Chevrolet this weekend for the first time since he was forced to climb out of his car in the middle of a road course race at Circuit of the Americas in Texas last month. Justin Allgaier has piloted the No. 48 in each of the last three races. "It's been tough being out of the car, but we all wanted to make sure I was 100% ready before returning," Bowman said. "I feel really good, and I'm excited about being at the track with my team and getting back to racing." Bowman currently sits 36th in the championship standings and is 144 points away from the playoff cutline, which makes a playoff run a tall task. For now, he's grateful to be back in the car and focused on getting back into a groove. "We're headed into the weekend focused on building consistency and continuing to move forward with the season as a group," he said. Dynamic Duo If you're looking for a favorite in Sunday's Food City 500, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson would be a great place to start. Hamlin and Larson have combined to win six of the last 10 Cup races at BMS with each driver claiming three victories. During that stretch, Hamlin has finished in the top 10 in six of the last seven Cup races run on the half-mile bullring. Larson has finished in the top six in six of the past seven Cup races at BMS, his only blemish coming when he got caught up in a wreck that relegated him to a 32nd-place finish in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race last September. Worlds Collide Frankie Muniz called Friday an "insanely special" day as two of his passions were on full display. Muniz had a smile on his face as he climbed from his No. 33 Ford after a practice session ahead of Friday's Tennessee Army National Guard 250, and rightfully so. A reboot of Malcom in the Middle - the sitcom that ran for seven seasons in the early 2000s and made Muniz a household name - was released for streaming on Friday, the same day that he competed in a Craftsman Truck Series race in Bristol. Muniz spent much of the week promoting the reboot of Malcom in the Middle in New York City before making his way to Bristol. You might be wondering what the folks in Hollywood make of his career in racing. "I think most of them think I'm crazy," Muniz said. "Unless you're a racer or have the passion I do for this, nobody will ever understand." Join the Club On Friday, 23XI Racing announced the Boys & Girls Clubs of America will serve as the primary sponsor on Bubba Wallace's No. 23 Toyota at Kansas Speedway. The Boys & Girls Club paint scheme will honor Wallace's upcoming induction into the organization's alumni hall of fame. The race at Kansas Speedway will also mark Wallace's 300th-career Cup Series start. Toyota plans to make a donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for every lap led by Wallace during the Kansas race.