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Thursday, April 14, 2016

2016 NASCAR Week 8 Preview: Bristol

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!





**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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