Motorsports FanHouse

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Sharpie 500

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:51:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Bristol Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup

Thoughts, ramblings and more from a 500 lapper in Thunder Valley.

Marcos Ambrose is certainly making a name for himself in the Sprint Cup Series, and the way he's doing it is just mind-boggling.

His Michael Waltrip Racing-prepared cars aren't on level with Hendrick, Roush or Gibbs and the guy truly has less experience in NASCAR-style stock cars than just about every driver out there. Yet, he's compiled 4 Top-5s and 7 Top-10s with a team that has obviously worked quite hard.

I'd say he's a shoe-in for the 2010 Chase.

I mentioned the battle between Mark Martin and Kyle Busch to close out Saturday night's race was a key element in why fans should realize that Bristol has changed for the better.

I still though can't get over how much car control each driver exhibited in the late-race dash for the win. Busch on the outside and Martin on the inside with inches to spare and hardly even a touch between them. It was NASCAR racing at its best, and for all the marbles at the end of the race.

Winning probably takes the cake, but I'd bet the adrenaline pumping through both Martin and Busch in the closing laps is a huge reason they do what they do.

There's been quite the precedent for Kyle Busch getting heavy boos from the grandstands, according to Martin.

"I'll tell you, anybody that wins a whole lot gets booed," said Martin. "Jeff Gordon never did anything, in my opinion, to get booed. And he got booed a lot because he won a lot. That's part of the sport. Kyle's incredibly talented and he's won a lot. That's part of it."

It's hard not to agree with that logic, especially after spending my fair share of time in the grandstands during Gordon's reign in the late ninties.

Jimmie Johnson disappointment has stretched to two weeks after running out of fuel at Michigan and then suffering a pit stop problem during the race's final stops on Saturday night at Bristol.

Ultimately, the issue ended up being a lug nut that had bounced up and lodged itself between the new tire and rotor, making it impossible for the rear tire changer to mount the left-rear tire appropriately. It cost Johnson, the leader prior to the pit stops, an extra pit road and likely his first win at Bristol.

"Fastest car out there," said Johnson after the race. "We should be in victory lane. It's just a bummer we had something on pit road screw us up. Just really disappointed."

I have a feeling that come Homestead in November, the disappointment will wear off. Yep, consider that my championship prediction.

David Ragan followed up his second career Nationwide Series win with a 14th-place finish Saturday night. Not great, but certainly not as bad as most of his should-have-been-breakout season has gone.

2009 has been terribly disappointing after the No. 6 showed so much promise at the end of 2008. He certainly could afford to make some late-season noise.

160,000 fans showed up to Bristol on Saturday night to sell out the joint yet again. Bad economy or not, all this talk about how bad NASCAR is doing is a bit premature if you ask me.

Show me another 'struggling' sport where 160,000 folks will show up. I've yet to see one.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Sharpie 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grown-Up Bristol a Whole Lot Better

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:34:00 EST

Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup

Tweets, comments, and a few emails in the past couple of days have questioned the very soul of why Bristol Motor Speedway was sold out Saturday night.

They've supposed that the main reason over 160,000 souls packed the half-mile concrete bowl in as-far-as-it-gets-from-New-York-City east Tennessee may not actually be there anymore -- thanks to NASCAR's new car, the new Bristol surface or even the championship format.

Bristol, as they'd tell it, has become what no one thought it could: boring.

Au contriare, I must say.

Bristol Motor Speedway's concrete facelift in 2007 may have started a new generation of racing at the track, but the level of satisfaction after Saturday night's race has certainly not lowered versus races from years past.

The facelift consisted of a full removal of the old track surface before a new layer of concrete was added to smooth out the venue weathered by years of hot sun and cold snow in the hills of east Tennessee. And instead of having a consistent banking, the track opted to go with a graduated system that made the track's pitch near the outside wall higher than that near the bottom yellow line.

The new banking was intended to produce more side-by-side racing at Bristol instead of one-lane action that produced a freight train effect when a would driver would pass another on the inside. Should more cars be following closely behind, many more positions would be lost thanks to the lack of grip in the high groove.

The one lane racing is also what helped to create the legend, if you will, of Bristol with its numerous crashes and heated tempers because drivers simply got tired of not being able to pass despite having a faster car.

So, after three night races with the new concrete configuration at Bristol, the racing has dramatically changed. For emphasis, just look at how many times the leader chose to start on the inside groove for a restart on Saturday night. That number coordinates with Jimmie Johnson's career win total at BMS -- zero.

Generally speaking, the low lane of Bristol is still the fastest. That's the case, though, until a driver gets to the outside in the corner. Instead of driving from the low lane to the outside wall coming off a corner, the bottom-side driver is forced to pinch the wheel further to avoid contact -- a move that hurts speed and momentum.

The result is plenty of side-by-side racing with drivers in control of their machines. And when drivers have control of their race cars, they are more apt to challenge longer for a position and not make contact or crash -- a key point that helps keep the green flag out and the yellow flag shelved.

That has led to somewhat of a problem for Bristol because the number of incidents has seemed to decrease with the new surface. When you're known for lots of crashes (which, of course, lead to finger-pointing and other types of exciting retaliation) fans expect that, year-in and year-out.

It's simple, fans dig the drama.

The crashes were certainly lacking Saturday night -- if that's what you tuned in to see -- but the racing itself wasn't. Two-wide was the norm, three-wide was just an eye-opener and, for a few instances, four-wide racing was straight jaw-dropping.

Of course, don't forget that fantastic ending -- despite the fact that it didn't have what fans of every sport nearly always want: an unexpected last-second change in outcome.

Mark Martin and Kyle Busch put on a whale of an exhibition on how to race appropriately for a win, and how to make it exciting. Busch knew he could likely hold off Martin off even if he left the inside open, and Martin knew that he might have a chance to win if he could get Busch to slip just a little bit in the closing laps.

Busch, though, held a pretty wheel and managed to stave off the corner-after-corner charges by NASCAR's resident AARP ringer -- OK, OK... he's not that old... -- to serve up a much-needed win for his team and a nailbiter of a finish for NASCAR fans.

In reality, we're just seeing the grown-up version of Bristol where drivers can exhibit their craft and fans can watch the talent in close-quarters action, thanks mainly to the new banking. The fast cars can race through the pack and the slower ones aren't rolling roadblocks.

Sure, some drivers may have that dreaded consistency on their minds with Bristol coming so close to the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and others may have just not figured out the Car of Tomorrow platform. The latter is a problem with the team not the track and the former could be easily resolved with the addition of Bristol to the Chase.

Wouldn't it be an awesome to know that the first Chase race is a knock-em-down, drag-em-out duel for the race win at BMS?

But Bristol's not boring, and if you think it is, I hope you've never heard of a race track in Fontana, Calif.

Grown-Up Bristol a Whole Lot Better originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Warmup: Sharpie 500

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 06:55:00 EST

Filed under: Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Bristol Motor Speedway

The Essentials

Race: Sharpie 500

Where: Bristol Motor Speedway
Time: Saturday night 7:00pm/EDT
TV/Radio: ESPN, Motor Racing Network
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mid-60s, 30% chance rain
Distance: 500 laps (266.5 miles)
Pole Winner: Mark Martin
2008 Winner: Carl Edwards

The Storylines

Brad Keselowski was the talk of the Bristol garage Friday evening after a few sources said that he's signed a deal with Penske Racing to be the driver of the No. 12 in 2010 -- uprooting a relationship with NASCAR's top team and another driver.

Keselowski at the moment is a full-time Nationwide Series driver who has dabbled in the research & development team with Hendrick Motorsports, in addition to racing a few events with Phoenix Racing's No. 09 car. He shocked the NASCAR world by winning in that No. 09 at Talladega in the spring.

He's been quite vocal about wanting to move up from his JR Motorsports (a partnership between Hendrick & Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide teams) to a Cup ride, but the success of Mark Martin in the No. 5 car seemed to slow that idea. Keselowski was once thought to be sharing that ride in the near future with Martin.

Instead, Martin was courted by Rick Hendrick to keep driving in 2010 and said just a few weeks back on Wind Tunnel that he doesn't really envision hanging it up for good -- ever.

So Keselowski was left as one of the most talented products of the Nationwide Series with nowhere to move up in the dominant Hendrick camp for 2010, and that appears to have landed him with Dodge at Penske Racing.

The big question, though, will be if Keselowski with his limited Car of Tomorrow experience can do better than David Stremme in that No. 12 seat -- if the reports are accurate, of course -- or if he's doing himself a disservice by wanting to jump up to the Cup ranks so quickly. In reality, Keselowski could stay with JR Motorsports in 2010 and probably challenge for that championship while expanding his brand.

The fork in Keselowski's road certainly has some big implications on the young Michigan driver's future.

On another Nationwide Series note, I'm still trying to figure out what NASCAR was thinking late in the going of Friday night's Bristol race by not red-flagging the event. They let a huge number of laps tick off during the late caution and left just a green-white-checkered.

Perhaps, though, that's just what they wanted -- especially with ESPN2's timeslot coming to an end.

Did you catch the opening of the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium during their preseason game? I couldn't help but imagine what Bristol would be like if they could manage to suspend 60-yard high definition screen above the track.

Bruton, are you listening?

We talked about it earlier in the week but it still rings true -- Kyle Busch is facing a do-or-die situation with this Chase thing starting tonight.

For a guy that's led 79 percent of the laps in the last two races at the track, he needs a similar performance tonight to even have a shot for the Chase in the last two races before the cutoff. Otherwise, he's going to be the one of the biggest stories of the year -- and for all the wrong reasons.

Lots of favorites for Saturday night's race had horrible qualifying efforts, which hopefully will turn up the excitement as they scramble for position during a race that has too often been bland thanks to a conservative approach by several teams.

Watch for Jeff Gordon (33rd) and Tony Stewart (29th) to scramble for the win because they have nothing to lose and bonus points in the Chase to gain. Last year's winner Carl Edwards starts between the two in 32nd, while Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson line up 15th and 21st, respectively.

Mark Martin, though, will have the best starting spot and one that I just don't think he'll give up too often after last week's fuel mileage mistake at Michigan.

The Prediction

Geoffrey: I'm taking the man who needs it -- Mark Martin.

FanHouse Warmup: Sharpie 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 06:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Martin Wins Pole at Bristol in Critical Race for Chase Standings

FanHouse Newswire — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:55:00 EST

Filed under: Mark Martin, Bristol Motor Speedway, Chase for the Sprint Cup

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) -- Alan Gustafson gambled at Michigan and it cost driver Mark Martin dearly in his chances to make the Chase for the championship.

There was no chance, though, they'd change their strategy at Bristol Motor Speedway, even though Martin is clinging to a berth in the 12-driver field.

Gustafson went with an aggressive setup Friday that won Martin the pole, his fifth of the season.

"It feels like I'm carrying a 200-pound gorilla on my shoulders," Martin said after turning a lap at 124.484 mph.

Cain: Bristol Bullring Exactly What Championship Needs

"I didn't need to choke today and we got a great lap. It's a real big battle, mostly because I want to make the (Chase) for my team. For me, I've had lots of brutal disappointments. I care for this team, that's why I want it so bad. They want it so bad, and they dig so hard."

Martin and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team head into Saturday night's race with a precarious 12-point lead over Brian Vickers, the 13th driver in the standings. Despite a series-high four wins this season, they're in this position because of early season bad luck and a disastrous pit call last week.

Gustafson gambled and didn't bring Martin in for fuel, a gaffe that turned a certain top-10 finish into a 31st when the tank ran dry in the closing laps.

Gustafson said Friday he immediately regretted the decision, but learned a valuable lesson.

"I wasn't gambling to stretch the gas, I was gambling that there would be one more caution," he said. "At the moment, I was thinking about racing for a win. I wasn't thinking about making the Chase. It was a poor job of considering the big picture, and, knock on wood, I'll be better about that in the Chase."

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BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Crew members work on the #18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota, in the garage area after being involved in a multi-car incident during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota, speaks to the media in the garage area during a red flag to the NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #33 Rheem Tankless Chevrolet, and Carl Edwards, driver of the #60 Save-A-Lot Ford, lead a group of cars during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Harvick

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Pole starter Brad Keselowski, front right, leads the pack into a turn in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 in Bristol, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Reed Sorenson, driver of the #1 Miccosukee Indian Gaming & Resort Chevrolet, shows damage to his car after being involved in a multi-car incident during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Reed Sorenson

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Pit crews stand in formation during the playing of the National Anthem before the start of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 in Bristol, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #88 Degree V12 Chevrolet, and Carl Edwards, driver of the #60 Save-A-Lot Ford, take the green flag to start the NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carl Edwards;Brad Keselowski

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Pole starter Brad Keselowski, front right, leads the pack across the starting line in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 in Bristol, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #88 Degree V12 Chevrolet, and Carl Edwards, driver of the #60 Save-A-Lot Ford, lead the field to the start the NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carl Edwards;Brad Keselowski

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Martin has been overwhelmingly supportive of Gustafson and the team in the days since the fuel mistake because he wants to make the Chase for his crew. Although he's considered the best driver to never win a championship -- he finished second an agonizing four times -- he's insisted winning a title was not his goal this year.

But now that the team has shown such muscle, he wants to reward his guys with a chance at a championship. He said earlier Friday his team would be "devastated" if they miss the Chase.

"All these guys on this team mean so much to me and they dig so hard," he said. "They give me such great race cars and we're just trying to let our performance do our work for us. We can't worry a whole lot about the racing Gods, but if we put our performance out there on the race track, we hope that takes care of us."

Martin also won the pole here in March and finished sixth, the first step in climbing from 34th in the standings to Chase contention.

Gustafson believes that barring bad luck -- and they had plenty at the start of the year, a rain-shortened race, two blown motors and a blown tire in the first four races -- Martin will be in the Chase.

"I have faith in this team, and I have faith in Mark," he said. "We're as good as anybody out there. And as long as we've still got hope, and we do, I'll continue to have faith."

Greg Biffle qualified second with a lap of 124.307, and rookie Scott Speed was third.

Biffle, who is 10th in the standings, is rooting for his former teammate to make the Chase even if it puts another title-worthy team into the field.

"I'd like to see Mark Martin in the Chase, personally," Biffle said. "We know that they're good and we know that they've won three or four races, and he's running well and they'll be a threat for the title."

Dave Blaney qualified fourth for Prism Motorsports, a start-and-park team, and was followed by Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer. Casey Mears was seventh, and Joey Logano, Ryan Newman and Reed Sorenson rounded out the top 10.

Meanwhile, feuding drivers Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch qualified 14th and 15th -- meaning they'll start one row apart in Saturday night's race. More interesting, they'll likely have to share the back of a pickup truck as they make their pre-race ride during driver introductions.

It could get interesting considering the former teammates are at odds over last weekend's Nationwide Series race at Michigan. Vickers was running first and Busch was second on the last lap, when Vickers became so preoccupied with Busch that he was unaware that Brad Keselowski was coming fast behind them.

Busch couldn't get around Vickers, and Keselowski passed them both for the surprise win.

Busch was angry at how Vickers finished the race, and Vickers continued to defend his position Friday.

"I don't know if you want to call it strike one or strike two, but either way, he's out of strikes," Vickers said. "I'm going to race him the way he races me. In my book, he's out of rope. I'm just done. I'm just to my limit."

Busch declined several opportunities to speak to reporters Friday.

Max Papis, Mike Skinner, Mike Wallace and Aric Almirola failed to qualify for Saturday night's race.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Mark Martin Wins Pole at Bristol in Critical Race for Chase Standings originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bristol Bullring Exactly What Championship Needs

Holly Cain — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:38:00 EST

Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, Chase for the Sprint Cup

Bristol Motor Speedway and Talladega SuperSpeedway bear no resemblance. The 2.66-mile high-banked Talladega, Ala., speedway is NASCAR's largest track and the half-mile Bristol, Tenn., bullring is the second shortest on the circuit.

What these two historic facilities have in common, however, is an unpredictable nature that makes them two of the most significant venues in the Sprint Cup Series homestretch.

More: Mark Martin Wins Pole at Bristol

Their fall races are essentially wild card events with the ability to affect the Chase for the Championship on a number of levels. Many teams and drivers on the verge (Bristol) or in the midst (Talladega) of a playoff run dread the races at these tracks for all the reasons fans anticipate them.

This is one example of NASCAR getting its schedule right.

"A lot can happen at this track,'' Jimmie Johnson said before qualifying for Saturday night's race at Bristol. "It's kind of like Talladega in a way. Things out of your control can take place. And being on the bubble at this time of the year is one of the most stressful things.

Bristol has its own edition of Talladega's "Big One" -- and the chain reaction accidents happen here more quickly and with less room for evasive action. "I'm very lucky that I have not been in that situation and certainly hope that I can avoid it through all my years of driving.''

Ask a driver which race he'd pay to sit in the grandstands and watch, and more times than not it's Bristol's summer Saturday night race.

Fans apparently agree as well -- selling out the massive 160,000-seat facility year after year to catch racing's version of a 100-mph grudge match. It provides a nice break in the summer monotony of big tracks in Indianapolis, Pocono, Pa., and Michigan and it can either derail a championship run or become the great equalizer with only three races remaining before the 12-driver playoff field is set.

Bristol has its own edition of Talladega's "Big One" -- and the chain reaction accidents happen here more quickly and with less room for evasive action.

As Mark Martin put it Friday, "I've been caught up in a lot of other people's wrecks.''

When sizing up their chances here, teams realize luck and timing are as crucial as a good set-up or qualifying position.

And multiple wins are the exception lately.

Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon lead the current crop of drivers with five wins each -- no one else entered Saturday has more than two. But those streaks of Bristol greatness came before the COT. The last time a driver won consecutive races at Bristol was 2003 when Busch won three straight including the 2004 spring race.

Carl Edwards is the two-time defending winner of the August night race, which is an impressive feat by today's standards.

But even he told reporters Friday that he's just trying to survive the weekend and guard points.

"There really is a lot of pressure,'' Edwards said, adding. "We're over 200 points inside of 13th, and that's still not far enough.

"This week, I feel like this race is a bottleneck. It's a lot like a Talladega or a Daytona where anything can happen. So, there are a lot of people right now with a lot of stress, and I've got just enough to keep me honest.

"I'm going to be careful here and go out and try to get through this one and gain ground and not lose too much."

But there are no guarantees for any game plan. Being conservative here is no more safer than being aggressive.

And that's the beauty of Bristol in a series whose championship format has now doubled the chance a driver will be points-racing instead of competing for the win.

A lot of drivers and media have lobbied NASCAR against having Bristol and Talladega figure so prominently in the championship. I'd argue that's exactly what keeps the title run honest. And exciting.

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BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Casey Mears, driver of the #07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, pushes his car after qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Casey Mears

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BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, climbs from his car after qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Jimmie Johnson

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BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Office Depot Chevrolet, climbs from his car after qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Tony Stewart

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BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 Pop Tarts/CARQUEST Chevrolet, climbs from his car after qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Mark Martin

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Driver Mark Martin gets out of his car after finishing his qualifying laps for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sharpie 500 auto race in Bristol, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 21, 2009. Martin won the pole position for the race that is scheduled to be run Saturday night. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 3M Ford, stands on pit road after qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Greg Biffle

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A happy Mark Martin is interviewed after finishing his qualifying laps for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sharpie 500 auto race in Bristol, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 21, 2009. Martin won the pole position for the race that is scheduled to be run Saturday night. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 21: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 DeWalt Ford, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Matt Kenseth

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Bristol Bullring Exactly What Championship Needs originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Expect Payback at 'Thunder Valley'

Steve Byrnes — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:44:00 EST

Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, Chase for the Sprint Cup, SPEED TV

One of the questions fans frequently ask me is whether or not NASCAR drivers harbor a grudge against one another from week to week. Well, if they do, Bristol Motor Speedway is the one place they can get away with returning the not-so-friendly favor.

Whether it's payback from a previous race or for something that happened just a few laps before, we usually can expect retaliation on the high banks of Bristol. And that tit-for-tat can be as simple as a complementary spin or as emotive as a post-race fight. One former series champion told me, "Any driver who says they don't have a 'payback' list is a liar." That mental list can be lengthy and likely covers misdeeds from many years back.

In fact, it's the numerous instances of on- and off-track reprisal at Bristol that have helped the track morph into the behemoth it has become. Bristol's popularity is off the charts - the facility enjoys its 55th sellout of 160,000 seats this weekend - and a good portion of that is due to the fireworks fans have come to expect from "Thunder Valley" and its angry drivers.

More Coverage: Get NASCAR on SPEED TV Schedule

Television doesn't do the place justice. The scene from inside Bristol Motor Speedway verges on an assault on the senses. The crowd noise, not to mention the roar of 43 cars, is deafening. With drivers literally out of control all around the track at any given moment, cameras can't physically capture all that intense action at one time.

It's this electric atmosphere combined with the sweltering heat of an August night that ratchets up the emotions and generally leaves someone fuming. But the blatant "dumps" that often occurred when a frustrated driver couldn't pass a fellow competitor have lessened since speedway officials ground the track surface a couple of years ago, creating a second racing groove that allowed for more passing. As a result, we haven't seen as many drivers literally bulldozing each other to make the pass.

However, there still remains the tendency for drivers to intentionally spin each other out on the track and on pit road, throw their helmets at the guilty party (Bobby Labonte comes to mind here) and occasionally break out into an all-out brawl after the race.

There have been innumerable squabbles at Bristol over the years but also remarkable achievements. Bristol truly brings out the best and worst in people. Here are a few of my favorites:

Dale Earnhardt/Sterling Marlin:
One of the first "Bristol-like" incidents I remember occurred in the mid-1980s when Sterling Marlin was driving the No. 44 car. Dale Earnhardt got underneath him late in the race and around Marlin went. Earnhardt told me he wasn't trying to wreck Marlin but just loosen him up a bit. However, for the first time, the media began to paint Earnhardt as out of control and reckless. This didn't evolve into a confrontation or fight but I believe it was pivotal in many people's perception of Earnhardt.

Dale Earnhardt/Rusty Wallace:
In 1995, Dale Earnhardt spun out leader Rusty Wallace early in the race and went on to win. An angry Wallace confronted him afterward but Earnhardt just downplayed the situation and flashed his trademark grin. Earnhardt's levity in the situation enraged Wallace, who hurled a plastic water bottle at his nemesis that bounced off his nose. Wrecks at Bristol often involve the "haves" and "have-nots" but this fiasco featured two heavyweights in the sport, contributing to the tension and buzz on pit road. I was surprised the squabble didn't go further than it did, but in retrospect, that was probably a good thing.

Earnhardt Wins Without Power Steering:
I remember Earnhardt losing power steering early in the spring race in 1985 at Bristol, the one place drivers do not want failures of this sort, but he and Ricky Rudd continued to battle for about half the race. Amazingly, Earnhardt won the event, which I still count as one of the most remarkable feats I've ever seen in NASCAR.

Kevin Harvick/Greg Biffle:
Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle shook things up in an off-track battle in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in March 2002. After the on-track incident that left Harvick out of contention, Harvick vowed to be waiting for Biffle when he emerged from his car after the race. Sure enough, fifth-place finishing Biffle got out of the car, which Harvick leapt over to reach and grab him by the neck and shoulders. They yelled for a while before finally being separated but not before making a huge scene.

With just that small sampling of Bristol incidents, it's easy to understand why the track is the hottest ticket in NASCAR. I won't go so far as to call Bristol recession-proof, but it has to be the best bet in motorsports during these economic times.

Part of the attraction is that it is a throwback to grassroots racing. I remember my first trip to Bristol in the spring of 1985, long before there were bleachers stacked as high as the eye could see. The backstretch resembled a high school football stadium with a large grassy area between turns three and four where fans sprawled out on blankets to watch the action.

I'm not going to lie and say I knew then that the track would become the giant it has, but I certainly saw potential for growth because Bristol has always been racing in its purest and earliest form. Although they now squeeze in 160,000 fans from 50 states, the facility hearkens back to the early days. With as terrific a product as Bristol produces, I am surprised nobody has built another high-banked, half-mile oval with that many seats, because I'd be the first in line to buy a ticket.

Steve Byrnes is the host of Trackside Live, NASCAR Live and This Week in NASCAR on SPEED, in addition to his duties as a pit reporter for FOX Sports. A NASCAR broadcaster for nearly 25 years, Byrnes also hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice and qualifying broadcasts, as well as the NASCAR Nationwide Series sessions. He broke into NASCAR broadcasting in 1985 as the host of Inside NASCAR on TNN and went on to host Darrell Waltrip's Racers on TNN, among numerous other programs. Byrnes also has served as a play-by-play announcer in the NFL. For more information about Byrnes or to access the NASCAR on SPEED programming schedule, please visit www.speedtv.com.

Expect Payback at 'Thunder Valley' originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wheel2Wheel: Dale Jr., 2009 Duds

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bristol Motor Speedway, Wheel2Wheel

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s performance -- or lack thereof -- in 2009 has become a contentious debate, last weekend's Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway lacked the pizazz we're used to at Bristol and a few drivers have struggled to put forth results that'll leave you scratching your head.

What, you ask yourself, does FanHouse's Holly Cain and Geoffrey Miller have to say on these issues?

Find out as FH's Wheel2Wheel takes a look at NASCAR's current stories and issues. Read on to see what we've got to say, and when you're done, tell us exactly how we're wrong. It'll be more fun than sneaking your family sedan on to Daytona's high banks for a late night joyride.

Well, almost.

Has the Car of Tomorrow made the short track races worse or more competitive?

Holly Cain: It depends on your definition of competitive. When one car dominates a race, as Kyle Busch's No. 18 Toyota did Sunday at Bristol, Tenn., it makes the race appear uncompetitive. There was no bump-and-pass, because no one could catch Busch. But ask the guys fighting for all the other positions and they'll tell you the race is just as competitive with today's COT as it was 10 years ago. In fact, they're working harder for each position.

What Bristol lacked was the in-your-face excitement that has been more typical of short track races. It's early in the season and everyone's been on their best behavior so that's limited the grudge-racing sideshow that spices up the short track season. Bottom line: Competition good, drama low

Geoffrey Miller: Amazingly, I think you could argue that NASCAR's new car -- the COT -- has made races more competitive for the driver but yet worse for the fans, especially when one looks at the recent action at Bristol Motor Speedway. The drivers have raved about how nice the new surface is that allows them to race two-wide with ease. Such ease leads to less contact and less helmet-throwing or shoves from Jeff Gordon.

Conveniently, the new car rolled out just one race before that new concrete, so its tough to say which has caused a downturn in Bristol drama, a.k.a. crashes and finger pointing. The cars are a little tougher than the predecessor, which makes them a little more suited for the close quarters of a short track. Bottom Line: Tough to say

Who's the biggest disappointment of the season so far?

GM: It's easy to jump on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s horse about not getting things done early in '09, but when looking at his performance compared with teammates Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson one has to realize that team really isn't that far off.

I'd say David Ragan's or Casey Mears' performance has been the most disappointing of any driver. Ragan just simply hasn't had any bit of consistency to start the season after rounding out 2008 on a high note and Mears is failing to impress anyone in his new Richard Childress Racing ride. They sit 25th and 26th in the current standings, respectively. Bottom Line: David Ragan, Casey Mears

HC: The rookie class. With the testing ban this group of drivers has had the hardest transition to Sprint Cup in years. But I really expected Joey Logano and Scott Speed to be more competitive than they've been. Both are with well- financed teams and in Logano's case, he's with a two-time championship crew. Yet they've only had one top-20 finish between them. Good job to Australian Marcos Ambrose, he's the least-hyped, best-performing of the first-year drivers and doing it with a new team. I'm not expecting the rookies to win right out of the box -- just give us a little glimpse of that special talent we've heard so much about. Bottom Line: It's the pedal on the right, rookies

Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. being unfairly taken to task?

HC: Junior has been unfairly taken to task since he climbed behind the wheel of a race car with the name Earnhardt painted above the window. Unfair, because the expectations and standard he's always been held to are those of the greatest stock car driver in history - his late father. No one can relate to the kind of pressure Junior's had. And that short learning curve coupled with massive expectation is unrealistic. He's gotten more criticism than he deserves - and more hype than he deserves.

Having said that, Earnhardt has always graciously accepted the exceptional opportunity. And it's not as if he hasn't proven himself as a driver. He's won two Nationwide championships, the 2004 Daytona 500, five Talladega races and events at every kind of track except a road course. So people should get off his back over a disappointing five-race run to start the season. He's with the best team in NASCAR, run competitively and incidentally has won more recently than his teammate, some guy named Jeff Gordon. Now isn't the time to issue a verdict on the season. Bottom Line: Who judges a season after 5 races?

GM: Yes and no. He's driving for what has been the best organization in NASCAR for three straight years, and with that and his name come a heavy dose of expectations to run up front. I mean come on -- this team has to put up for all the media coverage he got for his switch to Hendrick, right? So that part is fair.

What isn't fair, though, is that people 1) think 5 races determine a season and 2) Tony Eury Jr. doesn't have the tools to get it done. Minus mistakes, Earnhardt Jr. could have won Daytona and an engine failure at California didn't help anything. Rick Hendrick may love Dale Jr. like a son, but the man is smart enough to know that huge contract for that No. 88 has to put up numbers, and if Tony Eury Jr. wasn't the man for the job he sure as heck wouldn't be there. Bottom Line: Some ways yes, some ways no

Wheel2Wheel: Dale Jr., 2009 Duds originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch, Gibbs Finally Win at Bristol

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:14:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Bristol Motor Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing

It's been a long time coming for Joe Gibbs Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway, but Sunday afternoon driver Kyle Busch dusted off a tough run of bad luck for the team at the track to score his second victory of 2009 in the Food City 500.

Seeing a car from the Joe Gibbs Racing stable up front at NASCAR's most infamous short track is nothing new.

Pit road problems, late-race crashes, fuel pick-up issues and Carl Edwards all haunted the JGR organization for the past two years has allowed another team to find victory lane at the east Tennessee half-mile.

Busch scored his second win of the season -- one that's just five races old -- by not only leading some 378 of 503 laps, but by easily holding off teammate Denny Hamlin on a green-white-checkered restart after the pair's other teammate Joey Logano lost an engine with less than 10 laps to go.

The caution forced the race to go extra distance to ensure a green flag finish, and the two-lap dash wasn't even close as Busch crossed the finish line four-tenths of a second ahead of Hamlin.

"You can never ask a race track to pay you back," said Busch in victory lane.

The Hendrick Motorsports duo of Jimmie Johnson (third) and Jeff Gordon (fourth) followed closely behind the Gibbs bunch with Richard Petty Motorsports' Kasey Kahne taking fifth. Pole-sitter Mark Martin struggled early but made gains throughout the race to solidify his spot in the coveted Top-35 with a sixth-place finish.

Martin now heads to next week's race in Martinsville, Va., with a guaranteed starting spot.

Ryan Newman led 25 laps early and finished seventh, Jeff Burton was eighth, Juan Pablo Montoya picked up his second-career short track Top-10 in ninth and Australian Marcos Ambrose was a consistent fixture in the Top-10 until a slight engine problem slowed his advance. Regardless, Ambrose ended up 10th.

"I just feel like I'm breaking through -- got the shackles off," said Ambrose, in his first full Sprint Cup season.

Roush Fenway Racing's day at Bristol was quite a struggle with Carl Edwards -- second in last season's point standings by a narrow margin -- the only driver to finish in the Top-25 with a 15th-place finish.

Stay with FanHouse for more updates from NASCAR's day on the high banks of Bristol.

Kyle Busch, Gibbs Finally Win at Bristol originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Warmup: Food City 500

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Mark Martin, Bristol Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup

The Essentials

Race: Food City 500

Where: Bristol Motor Speedway
Time: Sunday 2pm/EDT
TV/Radio: FOX Sports, PRN Radio
Forecast: Sunny, 68
Distance: 500 laps (266.5 miles)
Pole Winner: Mark Martin
2008 Winner: Jeff Burton

The Storylines

If you need a better idea of how racing is being impacted by the economy look no further than Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol. For 13 straight years, the 165,000-seat facility in quiet, rolling hills of east Tennessee has been mecca for race fans -- and sold out each of its two Sprint Cup events without batting an eye.

2009, though, brought a swift change of pace to the days of ticket waiting lists after corporate ticket buyers dropped what reports say were 50 percent of the annual purchases at the track. As a result, the track was left in a mode it hadn't had to do in a long time -- get out and sell Sprint Cup tickets for Bristol Motor Speedway.

Saturday, track president Jeff Byrd told the Bristol Herald-Courier that those efforts had paid off, and that the track indeed had earned a sell out, meaning the 27th-straight event at the "World's Fastest Half-Mile" should be a packed house.

What remains to be seen, though, is if all of those fans will actually show up.

Bristol's respect isn't something Jimmie Johnson has had a lot of despite winning the the last three Sprint Cup season titles. The .533-mile track with banked corners reaching as a high as 30 degrees hasn't exactly been kind to Johnson over the years, and its one of six tracks on the current schedule he's never won at.

Last year, Johnson had finishes of 18th and 33rd, though his best results came in 2003 and 2004 when he picked up finishes of 5th and 3rd. Sunday, he starts 3rd.

Sterling Marlin took a legendary Saturday win after winning the first ever "Scotts Saturday Night Special". The race featured a number of former NASCAR racers in a special 35-lap race with late-model modifieds around Bristol's half-mile. Rusty Wallace finished 2nd, with other competitors including Jimmy Spencer, Terry Labonte, Larry Pearson, Harry Gant and more.

Interestingly, Marlin qualified for Sunday's Sprint Cup race in 43rd position.

The Prediction

Geoffrey Miller: Mark Martin

FanHouse Warmup: Food City 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harvick Races Own Car to Victory Lane

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kevin Harvick, Bristol Motor Speedway, Nationwide Series

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Kevin Harvick proved just how strong his organization is Saturday by winning the Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in his own race car.

Harvick led 44 laps in his Kevin Harvick Inc.-owned Chevrolet, his first victory in a car fielded by the race team he built with his wife.

"It is very emotional, he's tried so hard, so long in his own stuff," Delana Harvick said in Victory Lane. "Today was his day."

Although Harvick has won three times in a KHI-owned Truck - in 2002, '03 and '08 - he'd yet to win a race in the more prestigious Nationwide Series. Tony Stewart won twice for him in that series, and Bobby Labonte once.

At Bristol, though, it was finally Harvick's turn and he had a clear shot at the win after Kyle Busch was taken out of contention by a penalty on the final pit stop.

"It feels pretty good to get our car into Victory Lane," Harvick said. "Finally we got this out of the way. Delana and I built this company from basically dirt. It started as a hobby. It's been a tremendous amount of pressure that I've put on myself ... but it was well worth the reward today."

Harvick said his alternator failed during the race, making his cockpit almost unbearably hot as he rolled to the checkered flag.

Carl Edwards finished second and Clint Bowyer was third, and both credited Harvick for winning in his own car.

"To win in something that you build, I can only imagine what that feels like. That's pretty special," Edwards said.

Bowyer congratulated his Sprint Cup Series teammate, but also took a playful jab at the accomplishment.

"It's been a long time coming," Bowyer said. "Obviously, Kevin is qualified to win races. I knew it was only a matter of time. But forget him, I'm bummed I didn't win."

So was Busch, who led a race-high 157 laps but was taken out of contention when his crew let a tire slip away during the final pit stop. NASCAR sent Busch to the tail end of the longest line as punishment, and he was 14th on the restart with 41 laps to go.

"Ahhh, man, that's frustrating," Edwards said of Busch's penalty.

"Was he mad?" Bowyer deadpanned.

Was he ever.

Although he rallied to finish sixth, he appeared furious after the race when he stopped his car in Turn 3 and walked directly to the pedestrian tunnel to leave the track.

"We just got a gift with Kyle getting that penalty," Edwards said. "That's a great points day for us."

Edwards' lead in the Nationwide Standings was stretched to 114 points over Harvick and 124 over Busch, who still gained two spots in the standings despite the setback.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Harvick Races Own Car to Victory Lane originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Questions Arise for Bristol Lap Record

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Ryan Newman, Bristol Motor Speedway, Other Racing Series

Bristol Motor Speedway's public relations department got a nice kick this week thanks to a few NASCAR Whelen Modified Series drivers putting down some impressively fast laps at on the high banks of the half-mile east Tennessee track.

The laps, according to the track, were "record-breaking" because they eclipsed Ryan Newman's 2003 lap of 14.908 seconds (128.709 mph) during Sprint Cup qualifying at the track.

It turns out, thanks to the ever-mindful Jayski, that the laps might not have been so record-breaking after all.
.
From the Jayski.com Sprint Cup site:

"in an old July 2003 post on the uscsracing.com site, it says: Kenny Adams was one of four drivers who tested winged sprint cars with the United Sprint Car Series on Wednesday [July 2003] at Bristol Motor Speedway [...]

Adams [...] recorded a 14.29 second lap as did Doug Berryman from Mansfield, Ohio. Two time USCS champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee flew around the high 36 degree banks in 14.37 seconds and Jim Raptis from Marietta, Georgia, had a best for the day of 14.63 seconds. All four drivers unofficially broke the record of 14.908 seconds set by Ryan Newman during qualifying for the Winston Cup event at BMS last March [2003]"

Those lap times are important because the Modified driver Ted Christopher ran a lap of 14.479 seconds (133.269 mph) Tuesday after his team removed the carburetor restrictor plate in the waning hours of the test session. That lap was roughly two-tenths of a second slower than 14.29 that winged sprint car driver Dave Berryman was said to have run.

It should be noted, however, that these lap times are all completely unofficial and that "Rocket Man" Ryan Newman still holds the official track record because he made the lap during a sanctioned qualifying session. The general rule of thumb is that track single-lap speed records can only be challenged during a qualifying session -- often because the timing systems are set up to be highly accurate.

Regardless, if I was going to be in town for the fall Bristol night race in August, I'd certainly be buying a ticket for modified event because its quite obvious that those cars are going to fly around the half-mile. I'd imagine it'll be dangerous, but it would sure be a blast to watch

Questions Arise for Bristol Lap Record originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bristol Offers Ideal Last-Minute NASCAR Gift

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup

Looking for that ultimate gift for the NASCAR fan on your list with just hours left until Santa gets things rolling?

Well, Bristol Motor Speedway -- thanks to the oh-so-glorious state of the economy -- actually has tickets available for its Sprint Cup events in 2009.

Sure, any other track on the NASCAR schedule having empty seats is nothing to raise an eyebrow at, but Bristol has been sold out for years upon years upon years despite its capacity of over 160,000 folks. News of this comes courtesy of the track, of course, who's trying to find a way to sell the tickets they surely aren't used to having.

The track says that the season tickets -- the ones that give fans automatic rights for their same seats in the news season -- are still available, and earlier today, I was able to find a pair of tickets for $93 plus applicable fees in the track's third turn for the Spring Food City 500 at the track on Ticketmaster.

A word to the wise, however, would say that these tickets probably won't be available until, say, race time because as the season kicks back in high gear (it's only like 50-some days away!) fans will be falling in line to secure some seats to one of NASCAR's most exciting tracks.

So what are you waiting for? We're not talking about California, we're talking about Bristol tickets!

Bristol Offers Ideal Last-Minute NASCAR Gift originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Edwards Bumps Busch, Wins Sixth at Bristol

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:45:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Ford, Toyota, Roush Fenway Racing, Bristol Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

75 percent? That number works just fine for Carl Edwards.

Banging the Sprint Cup point leader out of the way for a win? Well, that works too.

For the third time in four races, Edwards has chopped into the bonus point lead held by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch via a race win in the Sprint Cup Series. Saturday night that win -- his sixth of 2008 -- came in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Edwards led 84 laps, but took the lead for the final time from Busch on lap 469 of the 500 lap race by giving the No. 18 a bump heading into turn one.

Busch finished second was hot after the race, slamming Edwards in the side after the checkered flag. Edwards responded by spinning out Busch before driving to the start/finish line to complete his trademark flip. Denny Hamlin finished third, Kevin Harvick fourth, and Jeff Gordon fifth.

"He hit me getting in to turn one. You know whatever. Carl will say he's sorry and he didn't want to race that way -- you know Mr. Ed like. We'll race him that way in the Chase if that's the way he wants to race," said Busch.

Instead, Edwards wasn't apologetic in victory lane.

"It was one of those deals where I couldn't get by him and couldn't get by him. And then I had to ask myself, would he do that to me? And the answer was yes, and he's done it to me before," said Edwards. "In the back of my mind I was still thinking about a Nationwide race at Richmond when he was driving through the field and he pile-drove me."

And he certainly didn't need to.

Edwards' move didn't take Busch out of the race and he had plenty time after the contact to get back to Edwards to make a winning pass, but the No. 18 could not come near Edwards as he pulled away from the field to take the checkers.

Simply, it was a well-timed move by Edwards at a short-track that did nothing but move a car out of the way.

Thank you, Carl Edwards, for a great finish and an appropriate response to Busch's late-race antics by not apologizing for what happened on track.

Dare we say it? NASCAR has a new rivalry -- just in time for the Chase to the Championship.

Edwards Bumps Busch, Wins Sixth at Bristol originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earnhardt Jr., Johnson, Mears Struggle During Early Laps of Bristol's Sharpie 500

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:51:00 EST

Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports

Halfway through Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, three of four Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets were nowhere near the lead as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and Casey Mears all had suffered early trouble.

Jeff Gordon, meanwhile, was managing to hang on to the Top 5.

Earnhardt Jr. started the struggles for Hendrick on Friday by qualifying his No. 88 40th in the 43 car field. On the start of the 500 lap event, Earnhardt Jr. drew a penalty for jumping the start, though his move of driving around cars on the outside on any subsequent restarts is allowed.

By lap 250, Earnhardt Jr. was still one lap down in 22nd.

Johnson had trouble just a few laps later after contact with another car along the straightaway slammed the side of the No. 48 into the wall. NASCAR opted not to throw a caution and Johnson ended up 13 laps down before he returned to the track with repairs to the front and rear of his Chevrolet.

He has since fell to 15 laps down, though he moved up to 34th after a multi-car crash midway through the race.

Casey Mears was the primary cause of that multi-car crash in his No. 5 Chevrolet. Mears cut off Michael Waltrip coming off the corner, setting off a wreck that took out those two, Clint Bowyer, Robby Gordon, and Kasey Kahne.

It was the second time in 2008 that Mears and Waltrip had tangled coming off the corner (remember Richmond in May when Waltrip went bezerk-o on Mears?) though this time Mears blamed the incident on his spotter.

On a replay on ESPN, Mears' case was confirmed as his spotter clearly said "Clear" when Mears wasn't, causing the wreck when Mears moved up the track.

Earnhardt Jr., Johnson, Mears Struggle During Early Laps of Bristol's Sharpie 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 21:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gordon Ready to Recapture Bristol Magic

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:10:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Gordon, Bristol Motor Speedway, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports

Jeff Gordon has had two weeks of racing in a row that he would just like to forget.

Combine that with a season of ups and downs, and 2008 has been nothing like 2007 was for the four-time Sprint Cup champion. Thankfully for No. 24, though, the annual late-summer Sprint Cup visit to Bristol Motor Speedway is on tap for Saturday night.

With finishes of 29th and 42nd the past two weeks at tracks Gordon is normally quite good at -- Watkins Glen and Michigan -- the points situation for the Hendrick Motorsports team has tightened up quite a bit. Prior to that two-race stretch, Gordon was nearly in the group of drivers who could have been considered locks to the Chase.

A flat tire and a poor handle on his road course car derailed those thoughts as now Gordon sits less than 100 points from the Chase for the Sprint Cup cutoff spot of 13th position. Gordon currently sits ninth in the standings, but he was as high as sixth two weeks ago.

To go along with his ugly stats of recent, Gordon has failed to win a Sprint Cup race in all of 2008's 23 events.

History, though, is on Gordon's side as the Sprint Cup Series prepares to line 'em up for 500 laps at Bristol Saturday night.

For one, Gordon has five career victories at the half-mile track, 12 Top-5's, and 18 Top-10's. His last victory at the track came way back in August of 2002.

That win, though, holds some special meaning as Gordon prepares for Saturday night's race.

In 2002, Gordon was mired in a similar slump, albeit much more hyped in the media. That drought in winning for Gordon ended after 31 races when Gordon bumped Rusty Wallace out the way to score his first victory of 2002. And what's more is that Gordon was struggling similarly to how he has this season, coming into the 2002 race fifth in the standings after dominating his way to a 2001 title.

This season's streak has stretched to 27 races combining four races Gordon didn't win at the end of the 2007 season.

So, could the fortunes for Gordon change on Saturday night at Bristol?

He'd sure like to think so. A win could definitely propel No. 24 into the Chase with not only bonus points, but momentum.

Gordon will start third on Saturday night in the Sharpie 500.

Gordon Ready to Recapture Bristol Magic originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keselowski Takes Second Nationwide Victory

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:54:00 EST

Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, Nationwide Series

Brad Keselowski made Dale Earnhardt Jr. a lot happier Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The 24-year-old driver (who's braces make him look a lot more like 16) picked up second career win and his second win of 2008 during the Nationwide Series Food City 250 after his team owner -- Earnhardt Jr. -- qualified third-from-last earlier in the day at the same track for Saturday night's Sprint Cup event.

Keselowski had a decent car all night long, but didn't take the lead for good until Richard Childress Racing driver Clint Bowyer got loose with 24 laps to go coming off of Turn 2. The slide ripped away Bowyer's momentum and Keselowski slung his No. 88 to the inside to complete the pass.

From there, Keselowski avoided lapped traffic and beat Bowyer to the line in the 250-lap event at the half-mile high-banked track to bring a big smile to Earnhardt Jr.'s face. Of course, the burnout that Keselowski did coming up the ramp to victory lane would make most people grin.

Bowyer had dominated the event after leading well over 100 laps, but the late bobble proved to be all the advantage that Keselowski would need to secure the victory.

Carl Edwards fell to third place in the point standings after early race trouble dropped him to a 37th-place finish. He now sits behind Bowyer and Keselowski in the run to the championship.

The rest of the Top-5 finishers were Greg Biffle, rookie Cale Gale, and David Stremme.

Keselowski Takes Second Nationwide Victory originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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