It's Bristol Baby
One of the best ways to describe Bristol Motor Speedway:
"It's like flying F-16's in a gymnasium!"
This Saturday short track on steriods crams over 150,000
to look inside a fishbowl to witness 43 Nextel Cup cars do
their version of roller derby.
At the end of the night, if your car isn't bent, broke or banged
up...then you didn't run!
No other phrase in the English language can put a smile on the face of a NASCAR
fan quicker than those four magic words.
And no, it’s not “Gentleman start your engines.”
Try “Bristol racing at night.”
Charlie can have his Chocolate Factory; for a NASCAR fan attending the night
race at Bristol is their Golden Ticket. Because it’s a place where anything goes
and usually does. Where the racing is so close you can actually taste it.
And while Bristol is one of most anticipated races of the year for fans, for the
teams and drivers, Bristol could make or break a season especially as the cutoff
for the ‘Chase’ is fast approaching.
“Bristol will be the race that makes it or breaks it for a lot of teams, as far
as getting into the 'chase' is involved,” said Ryan Newman. “We went into last
year's race with that mentality and came out with our best ever finish there.
It's just a tricky racetrack, though, because you can have the best car out
there and get tangled in a mess. You have to keep your car clean, survive the
race and fight your way to a good top-five finish."
For Rusty Wallace this weekend means a final trip to the place he calls his
favorite track.
“It’s Bristol,” said Wallace in his weekly team preview. “I love the place. I
always have and I always will.”
Wallace has good reason to love Bristol: it’s the site of his first NASCAR Cup
win on Apr. 6, 1986, a victory that would begin a record that now stands at nine
here. He’s also firmly entrenched in the top ten in points right now and would
love nothing more than to leave here with a win in route to another NASCAR
Nextel Cup Championship in his final year of competition.
“I’ve always said it felt like my home track and there are so many reasons for
that, “Wallace said. “As for confidence on the Bristol track, when you’ve had
all the success we’ve enjoyed through the years – nine wins and seven poles –
hell, it’s easy to get all jacked up every single time we go there.”
Not only can Wallace talk the talk when it comes to Bristol, he has the stats to
back it up.
During his 22-season big league stock car career dating back to April 1, 1984 on
the .533-mile high-banked oval, he has amassed a record that along with the nine
wins, sports 21 top-five finishes. The active career statistical leader at
Bristol has led at least one lap in 28 races and a total of 3,734 laps (18.7
percent of all laps he was running in) in 43 prior races entering this weekend.
Don’t be expecting Wallace to be waxing poetically and reminiscing this weekend
though. He has his eyes squarely on the big picture.
“After the last few races, that 20 team is really on a roll and looks to almost
be in a league of their own,” said Wallace of Tony Stewart, the current points
leader who finished fifth at Michigan on Sunday to gain a 126-point advantage
over second-place Johnson.
“We certainly want to go out on top of our game at Bristol with a strong run and
I think we’re primed to come in there and do just that.”
Wallace will be among 43 drivers who’ll be trying to taste the sweet success of
victory this Saturday night. He’ll be hoping to carry momentum out of Bristol to
finish his career on a high note by adding another Championship trophy to his
collection.
“Bristol is a place where things happen really fast and it can have a big impact
on the points deal,” Wallace said.” We’re hoping to have a big night there on
Saturday night, both in the race and in the points.”
This weekend’s “impound race” schedule at Bristol has practice on Friday prior
to the 6:10 p.m. single round of qualifying that sets Saturday night’s 43-car
starting field.
Saturday’s Sharpie 500 has a 7:40 p.m. EDT starting time and with live coverage
by TNT-TV and PRN Radio.
Mark
"It's like flying F-16's in a gymnasium!"
This Saturday short track on steriods crams over 150,000
to look inside a fishbowl to witness 43 Nextel Cup cars do
their version of roller derby.
At the end of the night, if your car isn't bent, broke or banged
up...then you didn't run!
No other phrase in the English language can put a smile on the face of a NASCAR
fan quicker than those four magic words.
And no, it’s not “Gentleman start your engines.”
Try “Bristol racing at night.”
Charlie can have his Chocolate Factory; for a NASCAR fan attending the night
race at Bristol is their Golden Ticket. Because it’s a place where anything goes
and usually does. Where the racing is so close you can actually taste it.
And while Bristol is one of most anticipated races of the year for fans, for the
teams and drivers, Bristol could make or break a season especially as the cutoff
for the ‘Chase’ is fast approaching.
“Bristol will be the race that makes it or breaks it for a lot of teams, as far
as getting into the 'chase' is involved,” said Ryan Newman. “We went into last
year's race with that mentality and came out with our best ever finish there.
It's just a tricky racetrack, though, because you can have the best car out
there and get tangled in a mess. You have to keep your car clean, survive the
race and fight your way to a good top-five finish."
For Rusty Wallace this weekend means a final trip to the place he calls his
favorite track.
“It’s Bristol,” said Wallace in his weekly team preview. “I love the place. I
always have and I always will.”
Wallace has good reason to love Bristol: it’s the site of his first NASCAR Cup
win on Apr. 6, 1986, a victory that would begin a record that now stands at nine
here. He’s also firmly entrenched in the top ten in points right now and would
love nothing more than to leave here with a win in route to another NASCAR
Nextel Cup Championship in his final year of competition.
“I’ve always said it felt like my home track and there are so many reasons for
that, “Wallace said. “As for confidence on the Bristol track, when you’ve had
all the success we’ve enjoyed through the years – nine wins and seven poles –
hell, it’s easy to get all jacked up every single time we go there.”
Not only can Wallace talk the talk when it comes to Bristol, he has the stats to
back it up.
During his 22-season big league stock car career dating back to April 1, 1984 on
the .533-mile high-banked oval, he has amassed a record that along with the nine
wins, sports 21 top-five finishes. The active career statistical leader at
Bristol has led at least one lap in 28 races and a total of 3,734 laps (18.7
percent of all laps he was running in) in 43 prior races entering this weekend.
Don’t be expecting Wallace to be waxing poetically and reminiscing this weekend
though. He has his eyes squarely on the big picture.
“After the last few races, that 20 team is really on a roll and looks to almost
be in a league of their own,” said Wallace of Tony Stewart, the current points
leader who finished fifth at Michigan on Sunday to gain a 126-point advantage
over second-place Johnson.
“We certainly want to go out on top of our game at Bristol with a strong run and
I think we’re primed to come in there and do just that.”
Wallace will be among 43 drivers who’ll be trying to taste the sweet success of
victory this Saturday night. He’ll be hoping to carry momentum out of Bristol to
finish his career on a high note by adding another Championship trophy to his
collection.
“Bristol is a place where things happen really fast and it can have a big impact
on the points deal,” Wallace said.” We’re hoping to have a big night there on
Saturday night, both in the race and in the points.”
This weekend’s “impound race” schedule at Bristol has practice on Friday prior
to the 6:10 p.m. single round of qualifying that sets Saturday night’s 43-car
starting field.
Saturday’s Sharpie 500 has a 7:40 p.m. EDT starting time and with live coverage
by TNT-TV and PRN Radio.
Mark
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