Food City 500
Bristol Motor Speedway
By Richard Tix
Considering last week NASCAR had it's first Saturday Night race of 2016, we are not entering Bristol after a night of fireworks. In fact, for the most part I got the feeling that many fan's were slightly disappointed last weekend with the racing action.
Now, every week you can find someone unhappy with how the race went, but this time it felt different. It seemed like the pulse of social media was a bit underwhelmed at Saturday Night other then the last 75 or so laps.
I was as well. However, any given week a certain fan will not full enjoy or think the racing was entertaining. That happens in sports. NASCAR can not shape the race to always be exciting (though some people on twitter think they're another form of WWE)... So, I am not complaining about Texas per say, but to me from start to finish it was one of the least thrilling races of 2016.
To rebound from that NASCAR heads to Bristol where drivers get up close and personal again like they did at Martinsville. Bristol has been getting a bad wrap now for a few years with it's new surface, but maybe the new aero package can start to turn that around. For the most part the racing has been alright the past few years, but the stigma still follows it around (similar to Auto Club that has been fantastic as of late).
Only time will tell if this package can help turn around the perception of Bristol, but this weekend is a good time to start!
Now, every week you can find someone unhappy with how the race went, but this time it felt different. It seemed like the pulse of social media was a bit underwhelmed at Saturday Night other then the last 75 or so laps.
I was as well. However, any given week a certain fan will not full enjoy or think the racing was entertaining. That happens in sports. NASCAR can not shape the race to always be exciting (though some people on twitter think they're another form of WWE)... So, I am not complaining about Texas per say, but to me from start to finish it was one of the least thrilling races of 2016.
To rebound from that NASCAR heads to Bristol where drivers get up close and personal again like they did at Martinsville. Bristol has been getting a bad wrap now for a few years with it's new surface, but maybe the new aero package can start to turn that around. For the most part the racing has been alright the past few years, but the stigma still follows it around (similar to Auto Club that has been fantastic as of late).
Only time will tell if this package can help turn around the perception of Bristol, but this weekend is a good time to start!
**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**
The Good
- Joey Logano- Are his career numbers at BMS very good? No. However, when you have won two of the last three at a track it is time to start thinking that driver may have started to figure it out. He is on a strange trend where the Spring race does not go as well as the second stop in a season.
- Matt Kenseth- Kenseth had engine issues the last time NASCAR stopped at Bristol, but this race in 2015 was one he did win. It was his 4th career wins at BMS and 13th top 5 in 32 starts.
- Jimmie Johnson- JJ has three straight top 5's and ten top 10's in the last 14 stops here. That is one of the better streaks right now, but it comes without a win in that time. JJ actually only has one Bristol win so I wouldn't count this as one of his best tracks.
The Middle
- Carl Edwards- Trying to figure out how Carl will finish at Bristol is like throwing darts at a dart board, blindfolded. You can get lucky, and if you're good enough hit the target, but at some point you will still miss. He has 11 finishes 15th or higher (seven outside the top 20), but he also has three career wins and ten top 10's, That's just the nature of Bristol.
The Bad
- A.J. Allmendinger- Dinger fans may want to look away as AJ's stats aren't too pretty at BMS. In 15 tries he has yet to finish in the top 10 and only has three top 15's. More concerning is that he only has six top 20's and seven top 25's.
- Denny Hamlin- Would you count out Denny of this race before it started? No way, he has three pole awards in the last five races he has run here. In those five he has two top 10's, but also three finishes of 26th or worse. He is a capable driver, but he has eight finishes of 19th or worse in his last 12 starts here.
- Casey Mears- The last and only time Mears finished in the top 10? 2007 when he finished exactly 10th. That's not the concerning part, what hurts is that he only has two top 20's since that top 10 (17 races). He only has 12 top 25's in 26 career BMS races.
About the Track
Track Stats
- Cup has run 110 total races at Bristol since 1961.
- Richard Petty ran the most career races at Bristol: 60.
- Darrell Waltrip has the most career Bristol wins: 12. Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt, and Cale Yarborough follow with 9 each.
- Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip are tied for the most career top 5's with 26.
- Richard Petty has the most career top 10's with 37.
- Mark Martin and Cale Yarborough are tied for the most career Poles with 9.
- Of current drivers. The Busch Brothers, Kyle Busch, and Kurt Busch have the most wins with 5.
Track Info
- Surface
- Concrete
- Length
- 0.533 miles
- Banking
- Turns: 26-30 degrees
- Straights: 6-10 degrees
Texas
Motor Speedway
|
|||||
Race
|
Date
|
Cars
|
Winner(s)
|
St
|
Make / Model
|
1961-36
|
7/30/1961
|
42
|
Jack Smith
|
12
|
'61 Pontiac
|
1961-50
|
10/22/1961
|
38
|
Joe Weatherly
|
2
|
'61 Pontiac
|
1962-17
|
4/29/1962
|
36
|
Bobby Johns
|
6
|
'62 Pontiac
|
1962-36
|
7/29/1962
|
44
|
Jim Paschal
|
12
|
'62 Plymouth
|
1963-13
|
3/31/1963
|
35
|
Fireball Roberts
|
3
|
'63 Ford
|
1963-37
|
7/28/1963
|
36
|
Fred Lorenzen
|
1
|
'63 Ford
|
1964-10
|
3/22/1964
|
36
|
Fred Lorenzen
|
2
|
'64 Ford
|
1964-42
|
7/26/1964
|
36
|
Fred Lorenzen
|
8
|
'64 Ford
|
1965-14
|
5/2/1965
|
33
|
Junior Johnson
|
3
|
'65 Ford
|
1965-34
|
7/25/1965
|
36
|
Ned Jarrett
|
6
|
'65 Ford
|
1966-07
|
3/20/1966
|
32
|
Dick Hutcherson
|
6
|
'66 Ford
|
1966-34
|
7/24/1966
|
36
|
Paul Goldsmith
|
4
|
'66 Plymouth
|
1967-07
|
3/19/1967
|
36
|
David Pearson
|
14
|
'67 Dodge
|
1967-33
|
7/23/1967
|
36
|
Richard Petty
|
1
|
'67 Plymouth
|
1968-05
|
3/17/1968
|
36
|
David Pearson
|
2
|
'68 Ford
|
1968-30
|
7/21/1968
|
36
|
David Pearson
|
6
|
'68 Ford
|
1969-09
|
3/23/1969
|
30
|
Bobby Allison
|
4
|
'69 Dodge
|
1969-33
|
7/20/1969
|
32
|
David Pearson
|
3
|
'69 Ford
|
1970-09
|
4/5/1970
|
30
|
Donnie Allison
|
2
|
'70 Ford
|
1970-28
|
7/19/1970
|
30
|
Bobby Allison
|
10
|
'69 Dodge
|
1971-09
|
3/28/1971
|
30
|
David Pearson
|
1
|
'71 Ford
|
1971-28
|
7/11/1971
|
30
|
Charlie Glotzbach
|
2
|
'71 Chevrolet
|
1972-07
|
4/9/1972
|
30
|
Bobby Allison
|
1
|
'72 Chevrolet
|
1972-18
|
7/9/1972
|
30
|
Bobby Allison
|
1
|
'72 Chevrolet
|
1973-05
|
3/25/1973
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
1
|
'73 Chevrolet
|
1973-18
|
7/8/1973
|
30
|
Benny Parsons
|
2
|
'73 Chevrolet
|
1974-05
|
3/17/1974
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
3
|
'74 Chevrolet
|
1974-17
|
7/14/1974
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
3
|
'74 Chevrolet
|
1975-05
|
3/16/1975
|
23
|
Richard Petty
|
2
|
'74 Dodge
|
1975-28
|
11/2/1975
|
30
|
Richard Petty
|
4
|
'74 Dodge
|
1976-05
|
3/14/1976
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
3
|
Chevrolet
|
1976-21
|
8/29/1976
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
1977-08
|
4/17/1977
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
1
|
Chevrolet
|
1977-21
|
8/28/1977
|
29
|
Cale Yarborough
|
1
|
Chevrolet
|
1978-06
|
4/2/1978
|
29
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
7
|
Chevrolet
|
1978-21
|
8/26/1978
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
4
|
Oldsmobile
|
1979-07
|
4/1/1979
|
30
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
9
|
Chevrolet
|
1979-22
|
8/25/1979
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
5
|
Chevrolet
|
1980-06
|
3/30/1980
|
32
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
4
|
Chevrolet
|
1980-22
|
8/23/1980
|
30
|
Cale Yarborough
|
1
|
Chevrolet
|
1981-06
|
3/29/1981
|
31
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
1
|
Buick
|
1981-22
|
8/22/1981
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
1
|
Buick
|
1982-03
|
3/14/1982
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
1
|
Buick
|
1982-21
|
8/28/1982
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
8
|
Buick
|
1983-11
|
5/21/1983
|
28
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
13
|
Chevrolet
|
1983-21
|
8/27/1983
|
29
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
1984-05
|
4/1/1984
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
3
|
Chevrolet
|
1984-21
|
8/25/1984
|
30
|
Terry Labonte
|
6
|
Chevrolet
|
1985-05
|
4/6/1985
|
30
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
12
|
Chevrolet
|
1985-19
|
8/24/1985
|
31
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
1
|
Chevrolet
|
1986-05
|
4/6/1986
|
32
|
Rusty Wallace
|
14
|
Pontiac
|
1986-20
|
8/23/1986
|
30
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
10
|
Chevrolet
|
1987-07
|
4/12/1987
|
30
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
3
|
Chevrolet
|
1987-20
|
8/22/1987
|
30
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
6
|
Chevrolet
|
1988-06
|
4/10/1988
|
32
|
Bill Elliott
|
13
|
Ford
|
1988-20
|
8/27/1988
|
32
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
5
|
Chevrolet
|
1989-06
|
4/9/1989
|
32
|
Rusty Wallace
|
8
|
Pontiac
|
1989-20
|
8/26/1989
|
32
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
9
|
Chevrolet
|
1990-06
|
4/8/1990
|
32
|
Davey Allison
|
19
|
Ford
|
1990-20
|
8/25/1990
|
32
|
Ernie Irvan
|
6
|
Chevrolet
|
1991-06
|
4/14/1991
|
33
|
Rusty Wallace
|
1
|
Pontiac
|
1991-20
|
8/24/1991
|
32
|
Alan Kulwicki
|
5
|
Ford
|
1992-06
|
4/5/1992
|
32
|
Alan Kulwicki
|
1
|
Ford
|
1992-20
|
8/29/1992
|
32
|
Darrell Waltrip
|
9
|
Chevrolet
|
1993-06
|
4/4/1993
|
35
|
Rusty Wallace
|
1
|
Pontiac
|
1993-21
|
8/28/1993
|
34
|
Mark Martin
|
1
|
Ford
|
1994-06
|
4/10/1994
|
37
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
24
|
Chevrolet
|
1994-22
|
8/27/1994
|
36
|
Rusty Wallace
|
4
|
Ford
|
1995-06
|
4/2/1995
|
36
|
Jeff Gordon
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
1995-22
|
8/26/1995
|
36
|
Terry Labonte
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
1996-06
|
3/31/1996
|
37
|
Jeff Gordon
|
8
|
Chevrolet
|
1996-22
|
8/24/1996
|
39
|
Rusty Wallace
|
5
|
Ford
|
1997-07
|
4/13/1997
|
43
|
Jeff Gordon
|
5
|
Chevrolet
|
1997-22
|
8/23/1997
|
42
|
Dale Jarrett
|
3
|
Ford
|
1998-06
|
3/29/1998
|
43
|
Jeff Gordon
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
1998-22
|
8/22/1998
|
43
|
Mark Martin
|
4
|
Ford
|
1999-07
|
4/11/1999
|
43
|
Rusty Wallace
|
1
|
Ford
|
1999-23
|
8/28/1999
|
43
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
26
|
Chevrolet
|
2000-06
|
3/26/2000
|
43
|
Rusty Wallace
|
6
|
Ford
|
2000-23
|
8/26/2000
|
43
|
Rusty Wallace
|
1
|
Ford
|
2001-06
|
3/25/2001
|
43
|
Elliott Sadler
|
38
|
Ford
|
2001-24
|
8/25/2001
|
43
|
Tony Stewart
|
18
|
Pontiac
|
2002-06
|
3/24/2002
|
43
|
Kurt Busch
|
27
|
Ford
|
2002-24
|
8/24/2002
|
43
|
Jeff Gordon
|
1
|
Chevrolet
|
2003-06
|
3/23/2003
|
43
|
Kurt Busch
|
9
|
Ford
|
2003-24
|
8/23/2003
|
43
|
Kurt Busch
|
5
|
Ford
|
2004-06
|
3/28/2004
|
43
|
Kurt Busch
|
13
|
Ford
|
2004-24
|
8/28/2004
|
43
|
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
|
30
|
Chevrolet
|
2005-05
|
4/3/2005
|
43
|
Kevin Harvick
|
13
|
Chevrolet
|
2005-24
|
8/27/2005
|
43
|
Matt Kenseth
|
1
|
Ford
|
2006-05
|
3/26/2006
|
43
|
Kurt Busch
|
9
|
Dodge
|
2006-24
|
8/26/2006
|
43
|
Matt Kenseth
|
4
|
Ford
|
2007-05
|
3/25/2007
|
43
|
Kyle Busch
|
20
|
Chevrolet
|
2007-24
|
8/25/2007
|
43
|
Carl Edwards
|
6
|
Ford
|
2008-05
|
3/16/2008
|
43
|
Jeff Burton
|
8
|
Chevrolet
|
2008-24
|
8/23/2008
|
43
|
Carl Edwards
|
1
|
Ford
|
2009-05
|
3/22/2009
|
43
|
Kyle Busch
|
19
|
Toyota
|
2009-24
|
8/22/2009
|
43
|
Kyle Busch
|
15
|
Toyota
|
2010-05
|
3/21/2010
|
43
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
4
|
Chevrolet
|
2010-24
|
8/21/2010
|
43
|
Kyle Busch
|
19
|
Toyota
|
2011-04
|
3/20/2011
|
43
|
Kyle Busch
|
12
|
Toyota
|
2011-24
|
8/27/2011
|
43
|
Brad Keselowski
|
8
|
Dodge
|
2012-04
|
3/18/2012
|
43
|
Brad Keselowski
|
5
|
Dodge
|
2012-24
|
8/25/2012
|
43
|
Denny Hamlin
|
8
|
Toyota
|
2013-04
|
3/17/2013
|
43
|
Kasey Kahne
|
2
|
Chevrolet
|
2013-24
|
8/24/2013
|
43
|
Matt Kenseth
|
5
|
Toyota
|
2014-04
|
3/16/2014
|
43
|
Carl Edwards
|
12
|
Ford
|
2014-24
|
8/23/2014
|
43
|
Joey Logano
|
5
|
Ford
|
2015-08
|
4/19/2015
|
43
|
Matt Kenseth
|
1
|
Toyota
|
2015-24
|
8/22/2015
|
43
|
Joey Logano
|
5
|
Ford
|
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