Bristol Cup Race Thread

[Jonesi]

Entry list is up, 48 cars entered.
Top 35 - Mark Martin sits this one out and Aric Almirola is in #01. Kyle Petty is listed in #45, but I would think his status is still 'to be determined'.
Regular Need for Speed - Stirling Marlin in #78.
Partial schedule teams - Stanton Barrett in #34.
Joe Nemechek who qualified #08 for Michigan is not listed.

[Jonesi]

One change to the 'Top 35' after the Michigan race, #21 car is out and #22 car is back in.

Gap from #8 in 13th place to last qualifier for chase #2 now 163 points.

[MD24]

Kenny Wallace in the #45: Kenny Wallace announced on Tuesday that he will race in the Nextel Cup Series race at Bristol motor Speedway in the #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge, replacing the injured Kyle Petty. This is currently a one race deal, as Petty is expected to make a full recovery form an injured hand. Kenny says that he is excited and grateful for the opportunity. “I’m very honored that Kyle Petty has asked me to fill in at Bristol,” Kenny says. “ It always makes a driver feel good when someone recognizes their talent. I’m sure Kyle will be ready for California, so this is a one race deal.”

[Jonesi]

Bristol Cup Grid
9 KASEY KAHNE
42 JUAN MONTOYA
26 JAMIE McMURRAY
6 DAVID RAGAN
22 DAVE BLANEY (Best Toyota qualifing spot?)
12 RYAN NEWMAN
99 CARL EDWARDS
88 RICKY RUDD
48 JIMMY JOHNSON
31 JEFF BURTON
--
10 SCOTT RIGGS
17 MATT KENSETH
29 KEVIN HARVICK
4 WARD BURTON
07 CLINT BOWYER
55 MICHAEL WALTRIP
8 DALE EARNHARDT JR
24 JEFF GORDON
2 KURT BUSCH
5 KYLE BUSCH
--
19 ELLIOTT SADLER
43 BOBBY LABONTE
20 TONY STEWART
7 ROBBY GORDON
1 MARTIN TRUEX JR
21 BILL ELLIOTT
38 DAVID GILLILAND
49 JOHN ANDRETTI
41 REED SORENSON
25 CASEY MEARS
--
36 JEREMY MAYFIELD
45 KENNY WALLACE
44 DALE JARRETT
16 GREG BIFFLE
01 ARIC ALMIROLA
11 DENNY HAMLIN
40 DAVID STREMME
70 JOHNNY SAUTER
66 JEFF GREEN
18 J.J. YELEY
--
15 PAUL MENARD
96 TONY RAINES
84 AJ ALLMENDINGER

DNQ
00 DAVID REUTIMANN
78 STERLING MARLIN
83 BRIAN VICKERS
37 KEVIN LEPAGE
34 STANTON BARRETT

[Alexamateo]

I'm glad for Kasey and JPM, but that was not the front row I was expecting.

[dwboogityfan]

I'm really unhappy at NASCAR right now. Sterling had the speed to qualify for sure but the early qualifying draw effectively ruined his and Reutimann's chances. How can it be fair if the later go or go home qualifiers have a track that is at least 2mph faster than someone going out early in the session. If NASCAR needs to have this ridiculous top 35 rule then the least it should do is group the go or go home cars together to give them a more equal playing field.

[Erki]

Bristol Cup Grid
22 DAVE BLANEY (Best Toyota qualifing spot?)


Blany won the pole at Loudon. You should know that. :p

Also, very good effort by David Ragan. :up:
Disappointed with Vickers, Hamlin, maybe Almirola too. Did Aric even get a time recorded?

[Jonesi]

Blany won the pole at Loudon. You should know that. :p


Oops, brain taped up for qualifing! ;-)

[gm99]

Quite surprised to see JPM on the front row at a bullring, as these are notoriously hard to learn for a rookie (he qualified 36th there in March).

Strange that Vickers didn't qualify after the good run he had at Michigan ealier this week...

[Jonesi]

Disappointed with Vickers, Hamlin, maybe Almirola too. Did Aric even get a time recorded?

Yes 36th fastest
3601Aric Almirola (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/aalmirol00/cup/index.html)ChevroletU.S. Army 116.98616.402-0.386

[harvick#1]

oh ****, the big one is gonna happen by lap 1 :eek: :mark:

[RaikkonenRules]

I'm glad for Kasey and JPM, but that was not the front row I was expecting.

Not the top 5 I was expecting. David Ragan 4th!! :up:

Suprised Sterling Marlin didn't make it as this is more of a veterans track.

[Jonesi]

oh ****, the big one is gonna happen by lap 1 :eek: :mark:

Why? Because the Busch Bros start next to each other or Tony & Robby start next to each other? ;-)

[Mark in Oshawa]

It will be interesting. Good for AJ Allmendinger to make it too, the kid hasn't made a few races has he?

AS for the complaint the go and go home guys should be qualifying at the same time, I figure no matter what, someone is going to lose out because of the weather changing conditions. A cloud can come over at any time and change things for the better or worse. It is as fair a system as there is, and if the go and go home teams don't like it, they should start making more races then and not have this pressure on them.

Congrats to Kahne to get the pole...he has had a rough year so far....

[harvick#1]

Why? Because the Busch Bros start next to each other or Tony & Robby start next to each other? ;-)

see whos in 2nd :p

[dont_be_jack]

It is a bit terrifying that JPM is in P2 for the start, especially at Bristol. If I were Kahne, I'd let him go and get out of his way.

31 has no decals this weekend because of the ruling against AT&T. I really hope they get it settled soon and in favor of AT&T. They already owned Cingular, it was just a merging of the brand, not a totally new company entering NASCAR.

[Erki]

And should I ad, GOOD job by Ward Burton! Fingers crossed for a good finish! :up:

[muggle not]

Good racing at the finsh of the Busch race. Nice to see Kasey win again. i wonder what Nascar would have done if kyle had refused to go to the back of the line. It cost him a shot at the win.

[Sparky1329]

Good racing at the finsh of the Busch race. Nice to see Kasey win again. i wonder what Nascar would have done if kyle had refused to go to the back of the line. It cost him a shot at the win.

They would've pulled out the Robby Gordon rule book. One race suspension in the Cup series, a $35,000 fine and double secret probation until Dec.31, 2007. http://www.boomspeed.com/rockysmom/drippingsarcasm_small.gif

[Jonesi]

Good racing at the finsh of the Busch race. Nice to see Kasey win again. i wonder what Nascar would have done if kyle had refused to go to the back of the line. It cost him a shot at the win.

Historically Nascar has made good when they've been wrong. So now he's got One "Get out of deep doodoo free" pass.

[Erki]

Pre-race. :s nore: Thank god for Jamie Little(if it's her) for making it half-bearable... :kiss: :)

[harvick#1]

now thats cool :)

[Jonesi]

Engines are started.
Jayski says 01 & 11 to back for engine changes.

[Jonesi]

Green flag
#49 broke before the start.

[Jonesi]

10 laps in Montoya was a good boy at the start. 490 to go ;-)

[Erki]

now thats cool :)

What was cool? First 100 laps being green? :cool:

[Jonesi]

1st caution lap 127 for #70 contact

[Jonesi]

So far it's all Dodge & Chevy. Best Ford, Edwards has faded to 10th. All the Toyotas are at least a lap down.

[Jonesi]

2nd caution on lap 210, #11 spun in oil? engine appeared to go.

[SOD]

I like the the nu perefect Bristol

[Mark in Oshawa]

I don't know how they did it, but they made the banking more gradual in the transitions and it has made this track so much more racy. Before, it was a bump and run, bump and grind track. Now, you can run 3 wide in the corners...just outstanding!! Maybe the COT has a little to do with it, but I do believe the new Bristol is a far more fair race track than the old one.

[call_me_andrew]

I do like this new Bristol. :D

[harvick#1]

I don't, given the fact that its right before the Chase hurts the racing also

[Erki]

I don't, given the fact that its right before the Chase hurts the racing also

Had Harvick won, you'd have loved this track. :)

[DonnieDarco]

see whos in 2nd :p

You've got to get over it sometime! :D

[harvick#1]

Had Harvick won, you'd have loved this track. :)

no, to me, they ruined Bristol although the ending remained the same, leaders only racing lapped cars cause of the stupid rule.

maybe when it gets weathered it may get better, but its just not a Bristol feel anymore

[harvick#1]

You've got to get over it sometime! :D

maybe, its a long shot though, espcially if Harv doesn't make the chase

[Mark in Oshawa]

I don't, given the fact that its right before the Chase hurts the racing also

How does being able to get by people without giving them the chrome horn WRECK racing? Having the guys run 3 wide at Bristol makes it a whole new experience. Plus, without 14 yellows a night, we actually see the race end in 3 hours or so, as opposed to the 4 hour plus marathons we had.

You are deranged if you thought the old Bristol was better racing. It was a wreck em derby where no one could pass anyone without beating on each other....

[harvick#1]

maybe it was the COT then, cause the busch race was way better.

plus since the Chase has started, the Bristol night race has sucked. not even intense anymore.

plus I liked the beatin and bangin at Bristol, one of the few tracks that had it. It was alot better than tracks like Cali and all the other cookie cutters who spread out and finish that way.

there was something about bristol with a one groove and beatin and bangin for the win, where the boys became men was at Bristol, well not anymore

[IndianChiefJoy]

Harvick, after all the sh*t he was talking about Juan taking people out every week, and being frustrated by racing him for 16th, decided to take out Robby just for fun. If you look at what he's been doing lately (e.g. Busch canadian race), he doesn't do what he 's preaching. Montoya had a very clean race, too bad he couldn't end up higher.

[harvick#1]

yep you also missed Pruett running him in the grass, Pruett had what was comin, he was blockin the entire race and not trying to do anythin but stay in the drivers way

[call_me_andrew]

plus I liked the beatin and bangin at Bristol, one of the few tracks that had it. It was alot better than tracks like Cali and all the other cookie cutters who spread out and finish that way.

there was something about bristol with a one groove and beatin and bangin for the win, where the boys became men was at Bristol, well not anymore

I think "beatin and bangin" as you call it is just a cover for sloppy driving.

[RaceFanStan]

Ah andrew ..... beatin' & bangin' has nothing to do with "sloppy driving".
Bristol was a short track with only around a 1 1/4 racing groove, contact was unavoidable.
Many times coming to the checkers, the leader found himself spinning-out from an aggresive pursuer ...
those days are now gone for 2 reasons :
1. the new surface @ Bristol allows at least 2 full grooves of racing
2. the COT is a more stable racecar making the "bump & run" obsolete

One of the most exciting racetracks has now been squelched ... :s
If you don't understand that, then you can't understand the roots of NASCAR

[muggle not]

Maybe they did not ruin Bristol but certainly it does not give the same excellent racing as the pre-paved track. However, the racing was fairly good I thought. Guess time will tell. I did hate to see them mess with a track that was always maybe the best on the circuit.

What, with all the new drivers and reconfigured tracks I guess Nascar is kinda heading toward mediocrity.

[Hoss Ghoul]

Maybe they did not ruin Bristol but certainly it does not give the same excellent racing as the pre-paved track. However, the racing was fairly good I thought. Guess time will tell. I did hate to see them mess with a track that was always maybe the best on the circuit.

What, with all the new drivers and reconfigured tracks I guess Nascar is kinda heading toward mediocrity.

It certainly has become more homogenized; cars, tracks, and racing. About the only thing that has become consistently better(greater depth) is the drivers/teams.

[Sparky1329]

Maybe they did not ruin Bristol but certainly it does not give the same excellent racing as the pre-paved track. However, the racing was fairly good I thought. Guess time will tell. I did hate to see them mess with a track that was always maybe the best on the circuit.

What, with all the new drivers and reconfigured tracks I guess Nascar is kinda heading toward mediocrity.

From some of the drivers' comments the tire compound seemed to be an issue also. Jr said that the tires could've been a little softer for more grip on the new surface. I wonder too if the Chase has caused at least some of the drivers to play it safer than they would've otherwise. After watching a pretty good Busch race on Friday night the Cup race was a letdown.

[jeffmr2]

The drivers all seem to really like the new racing surface.I agree saturdays race was a bit of a let down dont know if thats a fault with the COT or more likely goodyear yet again.I thought fridays busch race was one of the best races of the year,personally i think the new multigrove track is amazing.Side by side racing is one of the features of nascar i really enjoy,single file racing is partialy what makes f1 so poor nowadays.Seems i am in the minority tho looking at nacar.com poll 59% prefer old bristol.

[Jonesi]

http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/39777/

[call_me_andrew]

From some of the drivers' comments the tire compound seemed to be an issue also. Jr said that the tires could've been a little softer for more grip on the new surface. I wonder too if the Chase has caused at least some of the drivers to play it safer than they would've otherwise. After watching a pretty good Busch race on Friday night the Cup race was a letdown.

I think this compound was too soft. A softer one would just create issues with marbles.

EDIT: Considering only 4 of the top 15 started in the top 15, I don't see what could have been so dull about the race.

EDIT2: And stop saying "new Bristol" and "old Bristol". The asphalt Bristol had the same racing line as the one we saw Saturday night.

As for the roots of NASCAR: http://www.racing-reference.info/race?id=1971-28&series=W

[muggle not]

New Bristol versus Old Bristol

Analysis: Good racin' gone bad?

By Dustin Long
Staff Writer
Monday, Aug. 27, 2007 3:00 am
DUSTIN LONG'S ANALYSIS
Bristol's new two-lane speedway rewarded the best cars. Instead of being stuck behind cars in the one-groove track of the past, the best cars could move through the field. This time, the best cars finished at the front with Carl Edwards winning and Kasey Kahne placing second.

What makes a good race? Was Saturday night's Bristol race a good one?

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Is this NASCAR's future?

Should you be scared?

Drivers praised Bristol's new dual-lane speedway, but not all fans were thrilled with one of the sport's crown jewels losing its luster.

Tony Stewart, who finished fourth, called Saturday night's race "the most fun I have had at Bristol in my career."

Hmmm. How often is Stewart happy after a race he doesn't win?

"I don't believe him," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "When's he ever said anything like that?"

Racers were as thrilled as commuters after a new lane opens.

Stuck in traffic? No problem. Drivers went high or low.

No longer were they stuck in a one-groove alley where they had to knock a rival out of the way to pass.

This sport, though, needs more than its competitors to be happy.

Internet message boards criticized the race. Many called it boring. Some wondered if the Bristol night race is dull, what hope is there for the sport?

There are five races that stand above most to many fans: the Daytona 500, The Coca-Cola 600, both Talladega races and the Bristol night race.

Make any of those events bad and fan backlash can be severe. They'll complain, or worse, they'll stop watching.

Bristol's new concrete surface changed Saturday night's race, which was won by Carl Edwards.

Fans saw two- and three-wide racing -- scenes as rare as empty seats at this coliseum that lures 160,000 fans.

There was more passing, but fans saw less beating and banging. The trade-off was unacceptable for some.

"Wow, this is easily the most boring Bristol night race ever," wrote one person on a NASCAR.com message board. "This may be the end of NASCAR for me. *yawn*."

Bristol represents the sport's raw edge. Nearly 100,000 seats have been added to this bowl-shaped track in the last decade -- and not because fans want to visit the Tri-Cities.

Conflict built those seats.

This track is about Dale Earnhardt Sr. punting Terry Labonte out of the lead on the final lap.

It's Jeff Gordon shoving Matt Kenseth on pit road.

It's Dale Jarrett wrecking Ryan Newman in retaliation.

Saturday night's biggest firestorm? Robby Gordon said he wasn't happy because Kevin Harvick "wrecked me."

Actions mean much more than words at this venue.

People want to see Jimmie Johnson give Robby Gordon a one-finger salute after a wreck as he once did. They want to see Ward Burton throwing his heel guards at Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car.

These are scenes rarely seen at many other tracks. These are scenes that give Bristol its brutish feel.

Yes, this is the track that makes NASCAR resemble pro wrestling. Is that so wrong? One of the NASCAR's most storied moments was a fight.

Some will say that such fans are not the sport's true fans. Wrecking is not racing, they'll say.

"I like the 'new' Bristol," one person wrote at NASCAR.com. "More than one racing lane, some passing, etc. Not the old Bristol: circle around, crash, re-start, circle around, crash, re-start, etc. ..."

This new track also did something not always seen -- it rewarded the best cars.

Edwards and runner-up Kasey Kahne combined to lead all but 13 of the 500 laps.

It's not often that the two best cars finish 1-2. But isn't that what racing should be?

Then again, any other race where two drivers led almost the whole way would generate complaints about the quality of the racing.

What Saturday night represented is change. Drivers blamed Goodyear's tires and offered hope the racing would be better with different tires.

But the reality is, this could be a sign of the past fading away.

The Southern 500 is gone.

The Car of Tomorrow is here.

Maybe Bristol's image is in the midst of a makeover.

Bristol bills itself as "racin' the way it ought'a be!"

Now the question is: Was Saturday night racing the way it should be?

[Alexamateo]

I loved the race, there was more passing for position than in a long time. There wasn't a lot of passing for the lead, but a ton of passing. It's funny, a boring race with a thrilling finish will be remembered as a great race, whereas a race with a lot of lead changes but a guy pulls away in the end will be seen as disappointing. Couple that with the fact that people don't like change in general and there you go. Here are the stats comparing the old to new layouts.


Green Flag Passes


2007 Bristol races

Spring Location Fall
184 Frontstretch 529
128 Backstretch 487
313 Turns 1, 2 571
366 Turns 3, 4 560
991 Total 2,147


How is that not better?

edit: sorry about the table, the format didn't copy correctly. The source is Duane Cross' column on Nascar.com and the data is Nascar scoring loop data.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I think whether anyone wants to admit it or not, they like the conflict that Bristol gave us in the past. This year, with the new surface, it allowed the cars to actually race. Yet, I have seen some so-so races at Bristol with the old surface too. Alex's stats there show that there was passing on this track. Just the two leaders were far away the best cars, but we saw a lot of interesting battles Saturday, so next year, the races at Bristol could be a lot different.

One thing is for sure. If you can get Bristol tickets 4 years from now, then you know that they did something wrong......

[wedge]

I don't know whether passing was the real issue. The 'old' Bristol gave us good ol' short track racing which was bumping and rubbing and trading paint. That what made the Bristol bullring special.

OK, I know they do the same at Dover too but I even miss the double apex and at each corner!

The 'new' Bristol is like a 0.5mile version of Homestead or 'old' Atlanta. This will take getting used to!