Sharpie 500 preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
The biggest block party in history is taking place this week in Thunder Valley when they’ll be overflowing off of Highway 394 into Bristol Motor Speedway for the annual NASCAR race under the lights. Throughout the entire area, there are several parties happening. Should you not come as prepared as many do with all the fixings, most of the folks will welcome you into their area like you’ve been friends or family for years. The smoke BBQ fills the air, the ice chests are filled with the coldest beverages, and you sing “Rocky Top” in unison in what has to be the greatest party man has ever known.
The party and celebration is simply because there may be no better entertainment in the world for some of these folks and they’re darn happy about having a ticket to get in. So why not celebrate and be thankful?
Truth is, the Bristol night race is the most sought after ticket in NASCAR. It is one of those races that’s always sold out and those who have tickets aren’t too easily bought out. In comparison, perhaps a Yankees/Red Sox game could compare, but they play 22 times. The Bristol night race is once a year and only 170,000 lucky people can go.
They ran the spring race in Bristol back in March. It was a day race, which normally keeps the tempers and aggressiveness of the drivers to a minimum, but this year some let it fly and it turned out to be pretty good TV.
The night race traditionally has evoked battles, fights, and rivalries with some drivers that last forever. Grudges are held and kept throughout some drivers careers just because of happenings on the track. The layout of the track can be noted as the culprit, or instigator. The track is a half mile, but because of the banking, it’s the fastest half-mile track in the world. When you get all these drivers bunched together where there is only a small window for making passes, road rage takes over.
The night race only magnifies it. Not sure if they get their juices flowing a little more at night, if it’s the moon, or if they want to show that prime-time audience at home a good show. It may be a little bit of all 3, but whatever it is, it’s definitely worthy of a great party, with BBQ and singing.
In the March race, all 3 Childress cars finished in the top 3 with Jeff Burton winning. That race went into 6 laps of overtime which essentially cost the race for Denny Hamlin. Unfortunately for Hamlin, Burton had much fresher tires and took him on the re-start where Hamlin was a sitting duck. The main fireworks occurred when Kevin Harvick, who finished 2nd, punted Tony Stewart, who was in 2nd, with two laps to go and caused the caution, which ultimately caused Hamlin to lose.
In that race, the Gibbs tandem of Stewart and Hamlin led 365 of the 506 laps run. Jeff Burton led just two laps and it was the only time he led all day.
Is it possible that we may see the same drivers competing for a win again this week? It’s likely and almost probable, but I wouldn’t expect Stewart to sit and wait to be punted again. I believe Stewart will come up with his first win of the season it will be him doing the punting.
Harvick and Stewart call themselves friends. After they mixed it up in that race, both took the blame. But I think Stewart has a different perspective on it after watching the replay. Because of Harvick’s great career record at Bristol it is likely that he’ll be in a position where Stewart just may be able to extract some revenge.
Clint Bowyer led 81 laps in the March race and was our pick to win the race at 25 to 1. He finished 3rd for the 2nd consecutive Bristol race, but wasn’t good at the end of the race. The team is really struggling right now and getting back into that chassis that has been so good for the last two seasons. No more surprises with Bowyer however. His odds will be in the 15 to 1 range.
TOP 5 BRISTOL Finish Prediction:
1- #20 Tony Stewart (6/1)
2- #29 Kevin Harvick (11/1)
3-#11 Denny Hamlin (6/1)
4- #18 Kyle Busch (7/1)
5- #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr (9/1)
Twenty-Six Points from Being In the Chase or Not; Enter Bristol Motor Speedway
Backstretchmotorsports.com
The Race to the Chase – the 10 races preceding the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – is shaping up to be the closest in its five-year history.After 23 races, the Chase cut-off bubble is the second-tightest in the Chase’s history:
• In 2004, six points separated Jeremy Mayfield in 11th and Kasey Kahne in 10th.
• In 2005, 51 points separated Dale Jarrett in 11th and Jamie McMurray in 10th.
• In 2006, 49 points separated Kahne in 11th and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 10th.
• Last season, 163 points separated Earnhardt in 13th and Kurt Busch in 12th.
• This year, only 26 points separate both Clint Bowyer and David Ragan who are in 13th and 14th, respectively, from 12th-place Denny Hamlin.
But with three races remaining until the Chase’s start, the battle for a Chase berth wages well beyond 12th through 14th. Currently, 82 points separate ninth-place Jeff Gordon from the Chase cut-off. Going deeper, sixth-place Tony Stewart is 162 points ahead of the cut-off.In one race, 161 points can be made up.According to the Loop Data statistics, Kevin Harvick (eighth), Matt Kenseth (10th) and Stewart seem the likeliest candidates to hold on to their current top-12 position.At the next three tracks, all three drivers have an average Driver Rating of over 100.0 since 2005. Harvick has a 102.5; Kenseth has a 102.3; Stewart has a 101.9. Only one other driver, Kyle Busch, has a Driver Rating over 100 (103.7), and he has already locked up a Chase berth.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 at Bristol Motor Speedway
Driver Races Poles Wins Top Fives Top 10s DNFs Average Finish Driver Rating
1 Kyle Busch 7 0 1 2 4 0 14.0 90.6
2 Carl Edwards 8 0 1 2 3 1 15.4 86.2
3 Jimmie Johnson 13 0 0 2 6 1 16.2 78.2
4 Dale Earnhardt Jr 17 0 1 7 10 1 11.3 96.8
5 Jeff Burton 29 0 1 8 12 5 17.7 94.5
6 Tony Stewart 19 1 1 5 6 2 16.8 102.4
7 Greg Biffle 11 0 0 4 7 0 9.7 103.2
8 Kevin Harvick 15 0 1 8 10 1 9.9 102.6
9 Jeff Gordon 31 5 5 12 18 5 11.7 101.4
10 Matt Kenseth 17 1 2 7 10 3 12.4 109.0
11 Kasey Kahne 9 1 0 1 3 2 18.6 92.7
12 Denny Hamlin 5 0 0 0 2 1 16.6 93.1
Selected Driver Highlights
Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Bristol Motor Speedway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last seven races at Bristol. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.
Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Four top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 9.7
• Average Running Position of 10.7, fourth-best
• Driver Rating of 103.2, second-best
• 178 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
• 221 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
• Series-fastest Average Green Flag Speed of 114.678 mph
• 2,709 Laps in the Top 15 (77.2%), fourth-most
• 131 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fourth-most
Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
• One win, eight top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 17.7
• Average Running Position of 12.7, seventh-best
• Driver Rating of 94.5, seventh-best
• 136 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
• 210 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
• 2,307 Laps in the Top 15 (65.7%), sixth-most
• 122 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
• One win, two top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 14.0
• Average Running Position of 16.7, 14th-best
• Driver Rating of 90.6, 11th-best
• 143 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
• 228 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
• 126 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP/National Guard Chevrolet)
• One win, seven top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 11.3
• Average Running Position of 11.8, sixth-best
• Driver Rating of 96.8, sixth-best
• 85 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
• Series-high 288 Green Flag Passes
• 2,614 Laps in the Top 15 (74.5%), fifth-most
• Series-high 146 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
• One win, two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 15.4
• Average Running Position of 14.8, ninth-most
• Driver Rating of 86.2, 13th-best
• 146 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
• 2,224 Laps in the Top 15 (63.4%), eighth-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Five wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s; five poles
• Average finish of 11.7
• Average Running Position of 8.9, second-best
• Driver Rating of 101.4, fifth-best
• 125 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
• 2,954 Laps in the Top 15 (84.2%), second-most
• 141 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), tied for second-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
• One win, eight top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.9
• Average Running Position of 10.2, third-best
• Driver Rating of 102.6, third-best
• 158 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
• 229 Green Flag Passes, third-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 114.673 mph, second-fastest
• 2,743 Laps in the Top 15 (78.1%), third-most
• 141 Quality Passes, tied for second-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
• Two wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 12.4
• Series-best Average Running Position of 7.3
• Series-best Driver Rating of 109.0
• Series-high 218 Fastest Laps Run
• Average Green Flag Speed of 114.665 mph, third-fastest
• Series-high 3,263 Laps in the Top 15 (93.0%)
• 119 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
• One win, five top fives, six top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 16.8
• Average Running Position of 11.6, fifth-best
• Driver Rating of 102.4, fourth-best
• 195 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• 2,283 Laps in the Top 15 (65.0%), seventh-most
• 123 Quality Passes, sixth-most
At Bristol Motor Speedway:
History
• Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960. The track was an exact half-mile.
• Bristol held its first NASCAR Sprint Cup race on July 30, 1961.
• In the fall of 1969, the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533 miles with the turns banked at 36 degrees.
• The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.
• The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.
• The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race was held on March 13, 1982.
• The first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race was held on June 23, 1995.
• The track surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992.
• The name changed to Bristol Motor Speedway in May 1996.
• The track was resurfaced between races in 2007.
Notebook
• There have been 95 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the first race there in 1961, two races each season.
• All races have been scheduled for 500 laps – except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400-lap events.
• Fred Lorezen won the first pole.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was won by Jack Smith (with relief from Johnny Allen).
• There have been 41 different pole winners led by Cale Yarborough (nine); 19 drivers have more than one.
• 37 different drivers have won races, led by Darrell Waltrip (12); 14 drivers have more than one victory there.
• The race winner has started from the pole 21 times, the most productive starting position.
• 78 of 95 races at Bristol have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 51 from the first four spots. However, four of the past nine race winners have started outside the top 10.
• The deepest in the field that a Bristol race winner has started was 38th, by Elliott Sadler in 2001.
• Junior Johnson won 21 races at Bristol, more than any other car owner. His victories came between 1965 and 1986 and were scored by five different drivers, including one himself.
• Richard Childress and Jack Roush are the leading active car owners at Bristol, each with nine victories.
• There have been five different pole winners in the past seven Bristol races. Qualifying was canceled in the spring of 2006 and 2008. There have been seven different race winners in the nine races at Bristol since Kurt Busch won three straight in 2003 and 2004. Matt Kenseth won the fall race in 2005 and 2006.
Bristol Motor Speedway Data
Race #: 24 of 36 (8-23-08)
Track Size: .533 miles
Race Length: 500 laps/266.5 miles
Banking/Corners: 24 to 30 degrees
Banking/Straights: 4 to 9 degrees
Driver Rating at Bristol
Matt Kenseth 109.9
Greg Biffle 103.2
Kevin Harvick 102.6
Tony Stewart 102.4
Jeff Gordon 101.4
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 96.8
Jeff Burton 94.5
Denny Hamlin 93.1
Kasey Kahne 92.7
Kurt Busch 91.4
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2008 races (7 total) at Bristol.
Qualifying/Race Data
2007 pole winner: Kasey Kahne (119.805 mph, 16.016 seconds)
2007 race winner: Carl Edwards, 89.006 mph, 8-25-07)
Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (128.709 mph, 14.908 seconds, 3-21-03)
Track race record: Charlie Glotzbach (101.074 mph, 7-11-71)
Estimated Pit Window: Every 120-130 laps, based on fuel mileage.
Driver to win the Sharpie 500
Kyle Busch +650
Carl Edwards +750
Dale Earnhardt Jr +900
Jeff Gordon +900
Jimmie Johnson +1000
Denny Hamlin +650
Tony Stewart +800
Greg Biffle +1500
Matt Kenseth +1500
Kevin Harvick +1000
Kurt Busch +1800
Kasey Kahne +1500
Jeff Burton +1800
David Ragan +2500
Clint Bowyer +2500
Ryan Newman +3500
Martin Truex Jr +3500
Brian Vickers +4500
Elliot Sadler +5000
Jamie McMurray +6000
Field +2500
TheGreek
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 – And Beyond: Week 24
Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 along with other notable drivers, going into the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Note: Drivers listed below who are outside the top 12 are chosen based on past performances at the upcoming track and/or are within striking distance of the top 12.)
1– Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 111.5
2008 Rundown
• Eight wins, 14 top fives, 15 top 10s
• Average finish of 10.2
• Led 17 races for 1,165 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 90.6
• One win, two top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 14.0
• Finished 17th in March’s Bristol race
• Led five of seven races for 74 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high Average Running Position of 9.2
2 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 105.3
2008 Rundown
• Five wins, 10 top fives, 17 top 10s
• Average finish of 10.5
• Led 13 races for 552 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 86.2
• One win, two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 15.4
• Finished 16th in March
• Led two of eight races for 198 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high 630 Fastest Laps Run
3 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 104.1
2008 Rundown
• Two wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.5
• Led 18 races for 738 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 78.2
• Two top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 16.2
• Finished 18th in March
• Led four of 13 races for 43 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 10.1, second-best
4 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.7
2008 Rundown
• One win, seven top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.5
• Led 17 races for 706 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 96.8
• One win, seven top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 11.3
• Finished fifth in March
• Led six of 17 races for 743 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 413 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
5 – Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.5
2008 Rundown
• One win, four top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 11.4
• Led nine races for 73 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 94.5
• One win, eight top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 17.7
• Won March’s Bristol race
• Led six of 29 races for 320 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 999 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fifth-most
6 – Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.2
2008 Rundown
• Eight top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.0
• Led 10 races for 532 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 102.4
• One win, five top fives, six top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 16.8
• Finished 14th in March
• Led nine of 19 races for 1,352 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 249 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
7 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.8
2008 Rundown
• Seven top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.0
• Led 11 races for 329 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 103.2
• Four top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 9.7
• Finished fourth in March
• Led four of 11 races for 202 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 283 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
8 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.5
2008 Rundown
• Four top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 14.7
• Led four races for 88 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 102.6
• One win, eight top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.9
• Finished second in March
• Led nine of 15 races for 390 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Seventh-fastest average Green Flag Speed rank
9 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.5
2008 Rundown
• Eight top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.8
• Led 11 races for 270 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 101.4
• Five wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s; five poles
• Average finish of 11.7
• Finished 11th in March
• Led 24 of 31 races for 2,437 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 12.4, fifth-best
10 – Matt Kenseth (No. 14 DEWALT Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.5
2008 Rundown
• Five top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.8
• Led 11 races for 201 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 109.0
• Two wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 12.4
• Finished 10th in March
• Led seven of 17 races for 742 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 180 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
11 – Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.5
2008 Rundown
• Two wins, three top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 16.4
• Led eight races for 185 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 92.7
• One top five, three top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 18.6
• Finished seventh in March
• Led one of nine races for 305 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 246 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
12 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.0
2008 Rundown
• One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 16.9
• Led 11 races for 696 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 93.1
• Two top 10s
• Average finish of 16.6; Finished sixth in March
• Led two of five races for 275 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high 1,082 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)
13 – Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 77.5
2008 Rundown
• One win, four top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 16.4
• Led four races for 150 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 83.3
• Two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 16.2
• Finished third in March
• Led one of five races for 81 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 160 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
14 – David Ragan (No. 6 AAA Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 80.2
2008 Rundown
• Five top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 16.2
• Led five races for 14 laps
Bristol Motor Speedway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 56.9
• Average finish of 29.3 in three races
• Finished 21st in March
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 1,077 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
Sharpie 500 PreQ
Kevin Harvick has not been much of a factor this season when it comes to winning. He has just four top 5s on the season but things are looking up for the #29 Pennzoil / Rheem Chevrolet. Harvick has posted three straight top 10 finishes and heads into Bristol Motor Speedway where he recorded his best finish of the season (2nd) earlier this season. Harvick does love short track racing especially at Bristol. He has 10 top 10 finishes in 15 career starts with one win. Harvick is the early week favorite to get the win this Saturday night – at the very least he should be a contender for a top 5 finish.
Many look at Dale Earnhardt Jr. and expect him to be the most dominant driver when it comes to longer tracks, especially restrictor plate tracks, not short tracks. Well that is not the case as Junior has the best average finish of any driver over the last 27 short track events with an 11th place average finish. He has three wins, one at Bristol, with 14 top 10s in that span. Junior will be primed for the night race this weekend and with plenty of fans in the seats cheering for the #88 Mountain Dew Chevrolet he could very easily end up in victory lane.
The driver to keep your eye on this weekend is Jeff Burton. Burton was consistently producing top 15 finishes through the first 17 events. Now, over the last six races, he has struggled some. He has posted just one top 10 and just one other top 15 place finish in that span while falling to 5th in the point standings. Burton’s lone win of the season came at Bristol and he has a good chance as any of repeating that performance. Burton has fallen off a little but still remains a threat to win the championship this season. A win will get the team back on track and a top 5 finish should be expected.
This could be the race that Martin Truex Jr. sees his dreams of competing in a second consecutive Chase for the Championship come to an end. Truex is in striking distance of the top 12 currently sitting 16th in the point standings. He hasn’t run particularly well at Bristol in his career however. A poor finish, or an even halfway decent finish, could end Truex’s hopes of contending for a championship this season. In five career starts he is averaging a 23rd place finish with zero top 10s. He does have a couple of top 15 runs but even a finish like that could see Truex too far out of the with just a few races remaining until the Chase begins. We’re not saying he will have a bad day but there are other top notch driver’s available for the Sharpie 500.
Like Truex, David Ragan needs a good day – well night – to have a chance to make the Chase. Ragan is 14th in the point standings and is coming off his best finish of the season after taking 3rd at Michigan. Ragan, however, has not liked racing at Bristol in his short career. In three starts he has yet to produce a top 20 finish with a 29th place average finish. Ragan has been running much better this season at tracks where he has historically performed poorly but he still gets our ‘buyer beware’ label for this race.
profantasysports.com
Schrader in the No.96 car for HOF at Bristol
Tue 19th, August 2008
Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader will drive the No.96 Toyota in place of Brad Coleman for Hall of Fame Racing in this weekend's Sharpie 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Schrader has 722 career starts in NASCAR's premier series. He has competed in only five races this year. Schrader is entered in Wednesday's O'Reilly 200 Craftsman Truck Series race at Bristol.
"Ken Schrader has a lot of experience at Bristol, and we felt with as competitive as the field will be this weekend, he gives us the best chance to be successful," Tom Garfinkel, co-owner of Hall of Fame Racing, said. "Brad Coleman will test for us next week at Kansas Speedway, and we plan on having Brad compete in more races throughout the remainder of the year. We look forward to working with Brad as he continues to gain experience at the Sprint Cup level."
Coleman, a Nationwide Series regular this year, has served as a test driver for HOF since November 2007. He took over driving duties for the No.96 car when J.J. Yeley was released from the team earlier this month. Road-racing specialist P.J. Jones drove the car at Watkins Glen. Coleman made his Sprint Cup debut last weekend at Michigan, where he finished 38th.
Sharpie 500 Driver Rating
Matt Kenseth leads NASCAR’s driver stats this week with an Average Driver Rating of 109.0. Kenseth has had a lot of success at Bristol. In 17 career starts, Kenseth has two wins and ten top 10 finishes. More impressively, he has finished within the top 15 in 11 of his last 13 races there. Kenseth is 10th in the Sprint Cup standings, but only 74 points ahead of 13th place. He must be trilled to be coming to a track that he has had so much success at.
Greg Biffle is a comfortable 7th in the standings and should feel safe coming to Bristol. Although never winning there, Biffle has seven top 10s in his ten career starts. Even better, his career-worst finish at the short track was a 22nd place finish in 2003. He’s 145 points ahead of 13th place, so he just needs a three consecutive average finishes. Bristol should be a place that he can easily accomplish that.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has simply dominated Bristol over the last four years. Since 2004, Junior has finished in the top 10 in seven of nine races. His worst finish during that span was 11th, one in 2004 and another in 2006. From a fantasy prospective, it doesn’t get much safer than picking Junior at Bristol. He’ll look to repeat his 2004 victory and rebuild some momentum headed into the Chase.
profantasysports.com
Driver Handicaps: Bristol
Racingone.com
This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday's Sharpie 500. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 500-lap event.
Who's HOT at Bristol
• Two-time winner Matt Kenseth has the best driver rating over the last seven races.
• Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch lead all drivers with five wins each.
• Jeff Burton is coming off his first win and 12th top 10.
• Greg Biffle has the best average finish (9.7) among all drivers.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has one win and seven top 10s in the last eight races.
• Kevin Harvick has one win and eight top fives in 15 starts.
Keep an Eye on at Bristol
• Tony Stewart has led 769 laps in the last three spring races, but has yet to lead a lap in the last six August Bristol events.
• Clint Bowyer has posted three consecutive top 10s at Bristol.
• Series points leader Kyle Busch has one win and an average finish of 9.0 in the three COT races at Bristol.
• Carl Edwards, who finished 16th in the spring, is the defending night race winner at Bristol.
• Kasey Kahne led 305 laps in this event last year.
• Deny Hamlin has two sixth-place finishes and has led 275 laps in the last four races.
Bristol Rookie Report
Regan Smith was the top finishing rookie at Bristol Motor Speedway this past March after he took the checkered flag in 26th. Patrick Carpentier, who finished 25th in Wednesday night's Truck Series race, failed to qualify for the race after rain washed out qualifying. Rookie Standings
Qualifying Tidbits
Since 2002, only six drivers have combined to win the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon leads with five poles in that span. Ryan Newman, the current qualifying record holder, won the pole for the spring event in 2003 and 2004. Elliott Sadler and Matt Kenseth won the poles in 2005. The Dodges of Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne have taken the top spot in the last two races in August. Kenseth is the last driver to win a race from the pole. Weather cancelled qualifying for the 2006 and 2008 spring races. 21 of the 95 events at Bristol have been won from the pole and the last two have been won from a top 10 starting position.
RacingOne Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Carl Edwards
Pete Pistone: Kyle Busch
Rachael West: Kyle Busch
Kym Opalenik: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Top 20 Driver Notes - Based on Current Standings
1. Kyle Busch: Busch ended a streak of four consecutive top 10s at Bristol Motor Speedway in March after he finished 17th. Busch led 29 laps en route to his win in the first-ever race with the new car in 2007 to help lower his overall finishing average at Bristol to 14.0. This weekend will mark Busch's eighth career start at BMS.
2. Carl Edwards: Edwards won this event last year at Bristol Motor Speedway last season after leading 182 laps from the sixth starting position. The victory came in a span of four consecutive finishes of 12th or better, which came to an end this past spring after finishing 16th. Edwards got off to a rough start in his first three starts at BMS, posting an average finish of 27.7. This weekend he will be racing the same chassis (No. RK-596) that finished second at Dover in June.
3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has posted an average finish of 21.8 in his last six starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. His best finish in that span was a 10th in the 2006 night race. The finish also marked his sixth top 10 in 13 starts. This weekend Johnson will race the same chassis (No. 433) that finished 18th after starting from the pole in March at BMS.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr: In the 2004 August race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. led 295 of 500 laps en route to his only Cup victory at the track. That weekend he also became the first driver to sweep the Nationwide and Cup events at the .533-mile speedway. Since 2002, Junior has scored 10 top 10s and has finished 16th or better and has led 743 laps. This weekend Junior will be driving the same car (chassis No. 88-421) that finished fifth at Bristol in March.
5. Jeff Burton: Burton is coming off his first win at Bristol Motor Speedway after leading the final two laps. The win was his 12th top 10 in 29 starts at the half-mile track. In his eight Bristol races with Richard Childress Racing, Burton has posted an average finish of 12.5. In the 2006 August event, Burton led a career-high 263 laps at Bristol from the second starting position. This weekend Burton will drive the same chassis (No. 243) that finished eighth at Dover.
6. Tony Stewart: In 19 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Stewart has one victory and five top-five finishes. Since his win in this event in 2001, Stewart has scored three top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place run last summer. He appeared to be on his way to another victory in the last three spring events after leading 245, 257 and 267 laps, respectively. In the first race he lost the handling in the car, in the second the No. 20 broke a fuel pump cable and this past spring he was involved in a late-race incident with Kevin Harvick. This weekend Stewart will race the same car (chassis No. 192) that finished 14th at BMS in March.
7. Greg Biffle: Biffle has posted four top fives and seven top 10s in 11 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. The last three races have resulted in top 10s, including a fourth-place run in March. Biffle has a 9.7 average finish and the second-best driver rating of 103.2 at BMS. This weekend Biffle will return in the same car (chassis No. RK-546) that finished third (Las Vegas), 43rd (Darlington) and 21st (New Hampshire) in its three starts this season.
8. Kevin Harvick: After finishing second on two previous occasions, Harvick finally reached victory lane at Bristol Motor Speedway in the 2005 spring event. This past spring, Harvick scored his eighth top five in 15 starts when he recorded his fourth runner-up at BMS. This weekend Harvick will pilot the same chassis (No. 238) that has posted an average finish of 10.3 in its four starts this season.
9. Jeff Gordon: Gordon has five career victories, including four-straight spring wins from 1995 - 1998, and a stellar starting average of 5.4 in 31 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has started outside the top-eight only six times and his five poles at Bristol have come in the last 13 races. Gordon has led the most laps in an event seven times and has led an overall total of 2,437 laps at BMS. His last two finishes have resulted in finishes of 19th and 11th.
10. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has been solid at Bristol Motor Speedway in five of his last six starts posting two wins and an average finish of 10.8. His overall finishing average, of 12.4, in 17 starts took a hit in this event last year when he recorded his third DNF with a 39th-place finish. In 2005, he won his first Bristol race from the pole after dominating this event, leading 415 of the 500 laps. Kenseth's second win in 2006, again in the night race, marked his ninth of 10 career top 10s at the track. This weekend he will be back in the same car (chassis No. RK-516) that finished sixth at Darlington in May.
11. Kasey Kahne: Kahne scored his first top five (second) at Bristol Motor Speedway in this event last year after leading 305 laps. He went on to score his third top 10 at BMS in March with a seventh-place finish. His finishing average of 18.6 is hampered by two DNFs of 40th and 42nd.
12. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin is making his sixth start at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. He is coming off his second sixth-place finish at the track after leading 98 laps in March. Hamlin also led 177 laps in the 2007 spring race before he lost the lead on a late race restart due to a fuel pick-up problem. All he could do was coast to the finish line and settle for a 14th-place finish. Hamlin's finishing average fell to 16.6 after he finished 43rd due to engine problems in this event last season. This weekend Hamlin will be piloting the same chassis (chassis No. 154) that raced at BMS in the spring.
13. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer is coming off an eighth and two third-place finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway. Those finishes helped lower his finishing average to 16.2 in five starts. This weekend he will be back in the same car (chassis No. 192) that has competed in the last three races at Bristol.
14. David Ragan: Ragan has posted a 29.3 average finish in three career Sprint Cup starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. He will shoot for his first top 10 at the track when he gets behind the wheel of the same car (chassis RK-568) that finished 15th at Dover.
15. Brian Vickers: In eight career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Vickers has an average finishing position of 26.4. In his two starts at the track with Team Red Bull he has finished 15th and 39th, respectively.
16. Martin Truex Jr: Martin Truex Jr. hasn't had the best success in the Sprint Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway. In five starts, he's suffered one DNF and failed to break into the top 10. He lowered his overall finishing average to 23.4 with respective finishes of 11th and 13th in the last two races.
17. Ryan Newman: Newman currently holds the qualifying record at Bristol Motor Speedway with a fast lap of 128.709 mph. To go along with two BMS poles, Newman collected three-straight top 10s from August 2003 - 2004. He scored his best finish of second in the 2004 August event. After a DNF in the 2005 August race, Newman bounced back with finishes of ninth and eighth, respectively, in 2006. Last year in the spring event, Newman recorded his second DNF after a crash took him out of contention. He finished seventh and 33rd in his last two starts.
18. Jamie McMurray: McMurray has posted one top 10 at Bristol Motor Speedway in his five starts with Roush Fenway Racing. His other three top 10s at the track came with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2003 and 2004. This weekend McMurray will be racing the same car (chassis No. RK-456) that finished 10th at Dover in June.
19. Kurt Busch: In only 15 Sprint Cup starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Busch has captured five victories. In the three COT races at the track Busch has posted one top 10 and an average finish of 15.7. For Busch, it seems to be either feast or famine at the short track. He's captured the five wins and an additional four top 10s, but he's also finished 25th or worse in his five other starts.
20. Elliott Sadler: Sadler captured his first Sprint Cup Series win at Bristol Motor Speedway in March 2001 after starting from the 38th position, the furthest back of any driver at the half-mile track. In this event in 2005, Sadler captured his first pole at Bristol with a lap of 127.733 mph. He went on to finish second in that event for his fourth top 10, and second consecutive top five. Sadler has competed in four races with his current team, Gillett-Evernham Motorsports, and has posted an average finish of 28.5.
Fantasy Picks 'N' Pans: Is Someone Else Worth Picking Over Kyle And Carl At Bristol?
Mike Neff
The toughest ticket in NASCAR. Jet fighters in a gymnasium. Bristol has been nicknamed many things; but when it comes your fantasy team, it’s likely been called something we can’t print on this page in front of you. Indeed, Saturday night’s 500-lapper is the one race left you’re cursing out on your schedule, almost as much of a crapshoot for fantasy players as Talladega or Daytona. With cars lapping the track in just over 15 seconds, it is very easy for a driver to get caught up in someone else’s problem; and the danger is even greater now that the track has been resurfaced and there are multiple racing grooves.
With so many driver’s success or failure dependent on luck, this speedway is bound to offer you more questions than answers heading into the weekend. Will Kyle Busch continue his winning ways? Can Carl Edwards win the night race at Bristol again? Is Tony Stewart finally going to break the winless streak? Can Dale Earnhardt, Jr. avoid another pit road issue? Will Jamie McMurray continue his run of strong finishes? Only this week’s Picks ‘N’ Pans will tell you which guys you should keep on your roster and which ones should be riding the bench after spending half the night with crumpled sheet metal in the garage.
Bryan’s Race Rewind:
One year ago — as the Sprint Cup Series tackled the newly repaved Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time — it was a tale of two drivers and of two distinct racing grooves. And while Kasey Kahne backed up his pole-winning run by leading 305 of the 500 laps run, it was Carl Edwards who scored the victory, leading 182 laps en route to his first Cup win on the half-mile bullring. Only two teams, Penske Racing and Roush Fenway, had multiple drivers finish in the Top 10 on a night where parity simply reigned supreme. Chase longshots did perform well, with 13th place Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finishing fifth and 14th place Ryan Newman coming home seventh. Short-track ace Denny Hamlin blew an engine 209 laps in and finished 43rd.
Mike’s Keys to the Race:
Bristol is a track that throws a huge amount of variables at the teams, as fantasy players look at this week’s options for their rosters. The track was repaved and reconfigured last year, and the new car configuration was also brought to the track for the very first time. Drivers now have two legitimate racing grooves and very well may have the option to run all of the way to the top of the track if the need arises. When looking at driver options for this week, gamers have to consider just the last three races — because everything that held true before that no longer applies. The one exception to that is, like most every week, there are horses for courses, and some drivers will run well at Bristol no matter what they are driving. Fantasy owners should consider putting a RCR driver in their lineup this week after they finished 1-2-3 in the Spring race, but also keep an eye on Hendrick and Joe Gibbs’ drivers because they have successful histories at Bristol — and ran well at the race track back in March.
Mike’s Picks:
Crank ‘Em Up:
Kevin Harvick has had a very successful career at Bristol no matter what he drives or who he’s driving for. He’s won in Cup and Nationwide, and should have in Trucks were it not for a flat tire at the end of the race back in 2003. Harvick has an average finish of 9.9 at Bristol in 15 career starts with only five finishes outside of the Top 10 — and one of those was 11th. Back in March, Harvick also had a great chance to win the Spring race until he and Tony Stewart got together at the very end. With both history and recent momentum on his side, look for the No. 29 to have a real shot at Victory Lane this weekend.
Kyle Busch won the very first race held with the new car configuration at Bristol. He also led 117 laps in the Spring race before a steering issue caused him to finish the event a disappointing two laps down. On top of that, Busch is having an incredible season, and he’s coming off of a second place run at Michigan with a car that he thought was running horribly. Busch’s previous four races at Bristol before this year led to finishes in the Top 10. It may be an obvious pick right now, but there is no reason to think that the point leader won’t continue his strong run this season.
Sit ‘Em Down:
Brian Vickers is coming off of another great run at an intermediate track, cashing in on a seventh-place finish at Michigan. Unfortunately for Vickers, though, Bristol is not an intermediate track. While Vickers has made some strong gains this year and even still has a longshot chance at making the Chase, Bristol has not been kind to him. The veteran has run at the track eight times, and he only has two finishes higher than 20th throughout his career there. Vickers also only has one Top 10 at Dover and one Top 10 at Martinsville listed on his “short” track resume … yikes! As you can see, short tracks are not a forte for Vickers — so keep him on the sidelines this weekend.
David Ragan had another fantastic run this past weekend but, as with Brian Vickers, it was on an intermediate track. In the last 10 races at tracks of one mile or less, Ragan has just one Top 5 finish, and that was a third at Richmond in 2007 — which is more of an intermediate style track than a short track. Ragan’s average finish at Bristol is just 29.3 in three races, with a highest finish of 21st. Adding to the forces against him at Bristol is the pressure of running out of time to make the Chase, as there are only three races left in the regular season — including this weekend. Ragan may surprise and have a good finish here, but the odds are certainly stacked against him.
Roll The Dice:
Ken Schrader is back in a Cup series car for this weekend, driving the No. 96 Toyota for Hall of Fame Racing. Schrader may not have that high of an average finish at Bristol — he’s sitting at 21.2 — but he did run in the Top 10 with a car from BAM Racing in the past. And due to the fact that he isn’t in Cup full-time these days, any time we get a chance to give a shoutout to one of the elder statesmen of the sport, we’re going to do it. You can pick up Schrader for a song, and he will give you an added bonus this weekend: a Top 15 finish.
Bryan’s Picks:
Crank ‘Em Up:
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. hasn’t been scoring great finishes of late, but that’s not an indication of how well the No. 88 car has been running in recent weeks. Despite finishing 22nd and 23rd the last two events, Earnhardt has led significant laps in both races, becoming more of a victim to poor pit strategy than of poor performance. Enter Bristol Motor Speedway, which is not a track that lends itself to strategy — and you can see how Junior might be in a position to get himself back on track. The problem? Junior scored a fifth place finish at the track in the Spring race, and has not finished outside the Top-20 at Bristol since 2001. Jr. has scored four consecutive Top 10s at Bristol, and that streak will continue this weekend.
Matt Kenseth struggled at Thunder Valley through the first years of his Sprint Cup career, but since 2002 has been a fixture near the front of the Bristol field. In his last 13 races at the track, Kenseth has finished outside the Top 15 only three times, with 13 Top 10s and two wins to his credit. This consistency is remarkable given the unpredictable nature of racing at the lightning fast half-mile speedway. Kenseth is coming off a strong run at Michigan which largely cemented his No. 17 team’s place in the Chase, and there’s no reason to think that Chip Bolin and company won’t unload well once again with a Chase berth on the line. Kenseth and Bolin have finally clicked as a 1-2 punch; and it will show this weekend.
Sit ‘em down:
It has never failed since Jamie McMurray joined Roush Fenway Racing. McMurray every season will struggle long enough to leave critics wondering why he has a Cup ride, and then he’ll hit a hot streak of sorts, doing just enough to ensure he keeps the job he’s in. McMurray has run considerably better in recent weeks, with three Top 10s in the last four races; but this streak, like all of McMurray’s hot stretches with RFR, will likely come to a premature end this weekend. Since leaving Chip Ganassi Racing, McMurray has scored only one Top 10 at Bristol with his No. 26 team. In that car, McMurray has an average finish of 28.4 at the track, and posted a 43rd place finish earlier this season. Clearly, there are much better Ford options to start on Saturday night.
Casey Mears’ entire 2008 season has been a struggle, but his inability to perform on the high banks of Bristol has been a career-long problem. In his 11 career starts, Mears has only an average finish of 28.4 down in eastern Tennessee; more distressingly, he has finished on the lead lap only twice in his Bristol career. Mears’ posted a 42nd place finish in this season’s Spring race, and while he should perform better than that this weekend, Mears and crew will likely be shooting for a Top 30 — not the Top 10 fantasy racers are looking for. Stay far away from the No. 5 team this weekend.
Roll the Dice:
It has been a dismal season for former Cup champion Kurt Busch, but Bristol may well be the track for him to show his title-winning talent. Busch has won five times at the Bristol Motor Speedway, and wasn’t too far off the mark at BMS earlier this season, scoring a 12th place result. Kurt Busch is one of the best drivers at Bristol, bar none, and if his No. 2 team can put a decent Dodge under him this weekend, he’ll show fans and competitors just that.
frontstretch.com
Bristol Success for Earnhardt Jr.
Racingone.com
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has his sights set on his second win of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with a win in Saturday's night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The high-banked half-mile track has always been one of Earnhardt's favorites and his career record at BMS is impressive.
Earnhardt has made 17 series starts at Bristol and has one win, seven top-five finishes and 10 top-10s.
He has led 743 laps and made his best start -- from the outside pole position -- on Aug. 24, 2002. He scored the win on Aug. 28, 2004, when he rallied back from starting 30th and led 295 laps on his way to Victory Lane.
"I'm looking forward to Bristol because I've had some success there, and it's good short track racing," Earnhardt said. "Although I like racing at the Michigans and Atlantas because they are fast and you can choose your groove, I've grown up racing at short tracks and just like them."
Earnhardt drove hsi first Bristol Sprint Cup race for Hendrick Motorsports when the series visited back in March. He was able to pilot his No. 88 Chevrolet home to a fifth-place finish.
"We did good last time at Bristol so hopefully we can be consistent and finish next weekend out from start to finish," he said.
His statistics point to a solid finish Saturday night. Since that August 2004 win, Earnhardt has recorded six top-10 finishes in the last seven events at Bristol Motor Speedway. Four times during that stretch, Earnhardt posted top-five finishes, including the last two races -- August 2007 and March 2008.
Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. isn't surprised by his driver's Bristol success.
"I think it's just a track that fits his style," he said. "It takes a rhythm, and it's fast paced. He's raced there a ton of laps on simulation, and I think it just fits his driving style. We've run good there ever since we were in the Busch (now Nationwide) cars. We've always run really well there. We've won one time, but it just seems like we've had really good cars just not capitalized on them."
Top 5 and 5 to watch: Bristol
Sporting News
Here's a look at the top five in points and five drivers to watch in Saturday's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. All statistical references are for Sprint Cup races at Bristol unless otherwise indicated. Driver rating is based on the past seven races at the track.
1. Kyle Busch, 90.6 rating. Busch finished 17th in March, snapping a string of four consecutive top 10s at Bristol, including the first victory in NASCAR's new car in March 2007. With nothing to lose Saturday night, Busch can gamble all he wants in pursuit of win No. 9.
2. Carl Edwards, 86.2. Edwards' one win at Bristol came last August. He will be as aggressive as Busch as he tries to cut into Busch's lead in bonus points before the Chase begins next month.
3. Jimmie Johnson, 78.2. Most of Johnson's success at Bristol came in his first seven races-five finishes in the top eight and an 11.3 average finish. Over the past six, however, he has one top 10 and a 21.8 average finish. He did start from the pole in March.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 96.8. Earnhardt has excelled at Bristol. Since 2002, he has finished outside the top 11 once (16th). His win and all 10 of his top 10s have come in those 13 races.
5. Jeff Burton, 94.5. In his 29th start at Bristol, Burton got his first win in March. He has 12 top 10s.
5 to watch
6. Tony Stewart, 102.4. Stewart has one win at Bristol, in 2001. His high driver rating, fourth best, is enhanced by the number of laps he has led, 769 (21.9 percent). In fact, four times he has led at least 225 laps -- including three times in the past five races -- and not won.
7. Greg Biffle, 103.2. Biffle is winless at Bristol, but he has a 9.3 average finish in his 11 races with seven top-10 finishes. He finished fourth in the spring and needs another strong run to put some distance between himself and 13th place.
8. Kevin Harvick, 102.6. Harvick's numbers -- and situation -- are similar to Biffle's except Harvick has a win among his 10 top 10s. Harvick finished second in the spring and his average finish is 9.9. And, like Biffle, needs to separate himself from 13th place.
9. Jeff Gordon, 101.4. Gordon needs everything -- a win (to snap a 28-race drought), points (to stay in the top 12), confidence ... He has had a lot of success at Bristol -- five wins -- but most of it came earlier in his career.
10. Matt Kenseth, 109.0. Kenseth has the best driver rating -- his two wins came in the past six races -- and his average position of 7.3 is tops, too. As much as Kenseth would like to get his first win of the season, it's more important for him to finish ahead of the drivers in 13th place, Clint Bowyer and David Ragan.
Edwards takes the pole for Bristol Cup race
Brooklyn, MI (Sports Network) - Carl Edwards' winning momentum during the month of August continued Friday as he captured the pole for the Sharpie 500 at the Bristol Motor Speedway. The No.60 Roush Fenway Racing driver circled the 0.533-mile, high-banked oval in 15.746 seconds (121.860 m.p.h.).
Edwards recorded his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole of the season and the fourth of his career. It was his first pole at Bristol.
"That's cool," Edwards said. "We're going to be in the Budweiser Shootout. I honestly didn't expect to have this be a place where I could sit on the pole, just an awesome car."
Edwards should secure the second position in the championship "Chase" standings after Bristol. Edwards is currently second in points, and trails leader Kyle Busch by 222 markers. If he finishes 25th or better, regardless of any other driver's performance, he's in. Despite five victories for the year, Edwards has 40 bonus points since he was deducted 10 points for a rules infraction after winning at Las Vegas earlier this year.
He has won two of the last three races, including last Sunday's 3M Performance at Michigan.
Edwards is also the defending champion of the Sharpie 500.
David Reutimann will start on the outside pole after posting a time of 15.835 seconds.
Jeff Gordon (15.842) and rookie Regan Smith (15.847) will make up row two.
Other drivers of note and their starting positions: Kevin Harvick (sixth), Busch (ninth), Kasey Kahne (13th), Greg Biffle (14th), Jeff Burton (18th), Denny Hamlin (21st), Clint Bowyer (22nd), Matt Kenseth (25th), David Ragan (27th), Tony Stewart (28th), Jimmie Johnson (34th) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (40th).
Two-time defending series champion Johnson, currently third in points, will secure his spot in the "Chase" at Bristol if he records a top-five finish there.
Fourth-place Earnhardt, Jr. can clinch at Bristol if he wins the Sharpie 500 and leads the most laps. The same clinching scenario applies for fifth- place Burton as does Earnhardt, Jr. Burton won this year's spring race at Bristol.
Gordon, Kahne and Hamlin each dropped three positions in the standings after disappointing finishes last weekend at Michigan. All three drivers failed to finish the race. Gordon fell to ninth in points, Kahne to 11th and Hamlin to 12th.
Gordon is just 82 points ahead of 14th-place Ragan. Gordon has yet to win this season. His last trip to Victory Lane was 38 races ago in October 2007 at Charlotte. Gordon and Kurt Busch lead all active drivers with five victories at Bristol.
Hamlin led in the closing laps at Bristol earlier this year, but a fuel pickup problem prevented him from capturing the victory. The Food City 500 concluded with a green-white-checkered finish. Hamlin had a good restart, but suddenly slowed as Burton flew past him. Kevin Harvick and Bowyer then grabbed the second and third spots from Hamlin as the Richard Childress Racing trio took the checkered flag one-two-three.
Bill Elliott was the fastest among those drivers required to qualify on time. Elliott drove the No.21 Ford for the Wood Brothers to a fifth-place qualifying run. Ken Schrader will start seventh as replacement driver of the No.96 Toyota for Hall of Fame Racing. Schrader also had to qualify on time.
Jeff Green, Patrick Carpentier and Johnny Sauter are those drivers who failed to qualify.
The green flag is scheduled to drop Saturday night around 8 p.m. (et).
Sharpie 500 Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard
Carl Edwards did his customary fifth back flip of the season after he won at Michigan last week as he appears to be one of the few drivers to give Kyle Busch a challenge for the Sprint Cup this year. They'll duel it out under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway at 7 p.m. on Saturday and the race will be televised by the ESPN.
Investors who follow trends should be aware that Chevrolet has won at Bristol three times in the last four races. When you see Smoke leading at Bristol, not an unusual sight, don't expect him to win the race because something always happens to poor Tony at Bristol.
Who will win the Sharpie 500?
Last week we backed Carl Edwards to win the 3M 400. He won thanks to a great pit stop on Lap 180 when he beat race leader Kyle Busch out of the pits. Then on restart Edwards beat Busch at his own game and won the race and cashed my ticket at 5/1. Edwards also won the Nationwide race on Saturday, sweeping the weekend at MIS.
Edwards managed to gain on point's leader Busch and now sits 222 points out of first. The good news for Edwards is that he is the defending event champion at Bristol. This week it's short-track racing at its best under the lights. But it will take a lot for Edwards to get his third win in four races for his sixth back flip of the year.
That said I don't think either Busch or Edwards will win on Saturday night. With the distractions at Joe Gibbs Racing this week, a pit crew that has let him down a few times in recent weeks, and a mid-week truck race (he won), Busch will have to pray for rain to wash out qualifiers or start from the top of the grid. In March Busch started in slot 22 and only improved five spots by the end of the race. At Bristol don't confuse him for Kurt who won here four times in a row back in the Winston and Nextel Cup days.
The strategy I went with was the team that specialized in 2-mile tracks and it worked. This week I'll use the same logic and jump on the team that does well at the half-mile oval. This is why I like the No. 29 car and Kevin Harvick. Harvick has been racing really well lately. He has posted four top-10 finishes in the last five races of which two races he finished in the top-five. Harvick is in eighth place on the Sprint Cup leaderboard at 617 points behind Busch. In the March race he finished second, but led for 32 laps.
It was a banner day in March for Richard Childress Racing as they took 1-2-3 at the Food City 500 with Jeff Burton winning the race and Clint Bowyer in third. My pick in that race, Tony Stewart, had the race all but won until Kevin Harvick took him into the wall on lap 497.
Pick! Kevin Harvick, No. 29, (10/1)
Solid Gold Picks
Sportsbook.com has listed many matchups on the Sharpie 500 this weekend. Last weekend we did not have a matchup. My record Over-the-Wall stands at 12-13 and -.70 units on the season after 23 of 36 Sprint Cup races completed. This week there are plenty of matchups to choose from and, as usual, "the man" has laid several traps for the casual investor. I'm going beyond P/E ratios on this week's investment and banking on what I like to call, "the intangibles."
Long Odds Pick
Last week's long odds pick, Brian Vickers, (20/1), startled even me by being the fastest at qualifying and started the race from the pole. But even being the pole-sitter Vickers finished a respectable, but disappointing, seventh. This week I like RCR's Jeff Burton to spice-up my Saturday evening entertainment. Burton, who has been in the top five all year, is currently in fifth place in the Chase for the Sprint Cup with 3,080 points. He's only 349 points behind the leader. With the next two out of three races on short-tracks Burton could conceivably make up some points, if not against Busch, but the other drivers ahead of him. Another incentive is the 10 bonus points awarded per win by NASCAR for the Chase. It is not entirely inconceivable that Burton could sweep Bristol this year. It's obvious from the spring race that RCR has figured out BMS. It's up to their drivers to implement the plan.
Pick! Jeff Burton, No. 31, (18/1)
Square Tire Pick
Martin Truex, Jr., No. 01, (even) vs. Clint Bowyer, No. 07, (-1.15)
This play is strictly team vs. team with my investment backing the better of the two. DEI has more questions than answers despite re-signing Treux Jr. for the next few years. The other side of this matchup is Richard Childress Racing who came in 1-2-3 in the March race; with Bowyer finishing third to Treux Jr's 13th place finish. At Martinsville, another half-mile track, the following week, Truex Jr., battled from 42nd to finish the race in 21st place while Bowyer held steady with another top-ten finish.
Pick! Clint Bowyer, No. 07, (-1.15) for three units
Docsports.com
Trading Paint: Sharpie 500 picks
Welcome to Trading Paint, a weekly entry where a statewide panel of four auto racing "experts" will make picks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. This week: Saturday's Sharpie 500 in Briston, Tenn.
The rules are simple:
1. A panelist can't pick the same driver in back-to-back weeks.
2. Standings will be calculated each week based on the actual points earned by the drivers each panelist picks to win.
After 23 races, the standings are as follows, with their pick of last week's winner in parentheses:
1. Steve Kaminski (Carl Edwards) -- 3,481
2. Jeff Bleiler (Jeff Gordon) -- 3,091
3. Mike Pryson (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) -- 3,067
4. Antoine Pitts (Kyle Busch) -- 2,944
Jeff Bleiler -- Jackson Citizen Patriot
NASCAR's visit to MIS came and went rather swiftly -- unlike the last August race at the track -- and it's pretty obvious that the Hendrick folks have it out for me. I went with Gordon for both Pocono races and was rewarded with a 14th and a 10th. Unwavering, I hang in there with Jeff (we share the same first name, so it seems logical) for the series' visit to MIS, and not only do I get jobbed, but his Hendrick teammate has a hand in doing it. What gives?
I need a track such as Bristol to cure what ails me. There's really no bad pick in that cereal bowl of a track, so here goes:
• Winner -- Greg Biffle. Three straight top-10 finishes there, including two in the top five, prove he knows how to maneuver around trouble. That's key in the tight quarters Bristol's famous for.
• Sleeper -- Jeff Gordon. I can't pick him this week, due to the rule that we can't go with the same driver on consecutive weeks, so this is likely his week. That seems to be the way Hendrick wants to play it this year with me.
• No chance -- Kyle Busch. I know this is dangerous to say this guy doesn't have a chance, but some stroke of bad luck has to strike at some point. It does to me practically on a weekly basis on this panel.
Steve Kaminski -- The Grand Rapids Press
I have only one question for Jeff, Mike and Antoine now that I have opened up a 390-point lead: Had enough?
• Winner -- Jeff Gordon. He's desperate and will get on track with his first win of the season.
• Sleeper -- Kurt Busch. He's 19th in points, but has won five times at Bristol.
• No chance -- Whatever happened to the guy in the No. 11 car? What's his name? Oh yeah. Denny Hamlin.
Antoine Pitts -- The Ann Arbor News
Good to see we weren't stuck at MIS extra days this year waiting for the rain to clear. What wasn't good was watching my guy (Kyle Busch) edged out by a driver trying to audition for the U.S. gymnastics squad. It's off to Bristol now where I'll continue my rise through the standings.
• Winner -- Jeff Gordon. A five-time winner at the track, we all know he'll looking to rebound from a bad day at MIS
• Sleeper -- Denny Hamlin. The last few weeks have been up and down for Denny, but he's due for his second win of the year.
• No chance -- Michael Waltrip. In 43 starts at Bristol, his best finish is fifth, and that was 14 years ago.
Mike Pryson -- Jackson Citizen Patriot
How cool would it be if NASCAR just scrapped Bristol and added a figure-8 race? That would rock.
On second thought, that's pretty much what Bristol has become. It's a place where just about anyone can be put into the wall at any time and a place where predictions go to die. All I know is Kaminski wouldn't want me in his rearview mirror at Bristol.
Here's this week's dart:
• Winner -- Denny Hamlin. Hamlin's last two Bristol starts are typical the this track. He finished sixth there earlier this season after a 43rd in 2007. The key this week is that Hamlin has the most to gain (or lose) of anyone among Chase contenders. He's 12th with David Ragan (this guy will win a championship one day) and Clint Bowyer breathing down his neck. Hamlin needs a top-five finish big time.
• Kurt Busch -- Bristol is notorious for being a place where crazy things happen. It wouldn't surprise too many people for the "Other" Busch to win. Let the guys up front take each other out, and watch Busch plow through the carnage. Hey, it could happen. He won at Bristol in 2006.
• No chance -- Tony Stewart. He is a hot head. Bristol can make hot heads out of just about everyone else. Not a good combination. Plus, Stewart is all but locked into the chase. He might find himself playing it too safe. He's got just one top 10 in his last five Bristol starts.
MLIVE.COM
Most drivers love racing at Bristol
August 22, 2008
For most NASCAR fans, there is nothing better than the Saturday night race at Bristol in August.
There's just something magic about 160,000 fans packed into a tiered, football-style grandstand watching the lights play off the cars, seeing the sparks fly as they bottom out in the turns on the fastest half-mile oval in Sprint Cup.
At least some of the drivers feel the same way, even though the 36-degree banking - the steepest in the sport - often creates some of the wildest action of the season, along with frayed tempers.
Australian driver Marcos Ambrose, a regular in the Nationwide Series and a part-time driver in Sprint Cup this year, first saw the Tennessee track on a visit five years ago. He was already a racing star down under, but Ambrose decided that night he wanted to race in NASCAR.
And now that he has driven several times at Bristol, the Aussie hasn't changed his mind.
``It is a real intimidating place,'' Ambrose said earlier this week. ``It is a real buzz to get back there and actually drive the track.
``I had some fans with me to watch the first (Nationwide) race this year and they got debris in their beer cans,'' he added. ``That's all they could talk about was how they were sitting so close that they got debris in their beer cans. Bristol is a great place. It's one of the best tracks we go to because of the atmosphere.''
Elliott Sadler is another driver who just loves going to Bristol.
Sadler and his family regularly visited the track when he was a youngster growing up about five hours away in Emporia, Va. He also got his first Cup victory there while racing for the Wood Brothers in 2001.
``People ask me all the time which racetrack is my favorite and before they can even get the question out I tell them it's Bristol,'' said Sadler, who now drives for Gillett Evernham Motorsports. ``Bristol is racing heaven. A super fast short track with unbelievable banking, and it's only gotten better since they repaved it (after the spring race in 2007).
``Now you can race high and low and it opens up the track for more passing and better racing. The two races at Bristol are by far my favorite of the year. Daytona is Daytona and Indy is Indy - they are historic, pressure-packed and prestigious - but Bristol is just awesome. Bristol is fun, fast paced, challenging, edge-of-your-seat racing - everything I love about racing.''
There is a downside to racing at Bristol.
``You just have to realize that, more than likely, you're going to make someone mad or you're going to get mad at someone else,'' Martin Truex Jr. said. ``You can't help it. You're turning 500 laps around the place. That's a lot of time to get into it with someone.''
The spring race is run on Sunday afternoon, but the summer event has been run at night for 30 years.
``Races at Bristol are always crazy, but they seem to get a little wilder when we're racing at night,'' Truex said. ``I don't know why the night races seem to have more wrecks. Maybe it's because the fans are so hyped up by the time the race starts, the drivers just feed off of their excitement.''
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PLAYING CATCH-UP: Jimmie Johnson didn't win the Cup championship each of the past two years by being intimidated.
Despite trailing points leader Kyle Busch and runner-up Carl Edwards through the 2008 season, Johnson remains confident that he can make a run for the title when the Chase for the championship begins four weeks from now.
If the Chase began this week, Johnson, with two victories, would trail Busch, with eight wins, by 60 points and Edwards, with five wins - only four of them counting toward the Chase seeding because of a penalty - by 20 points.
``I think we are there,'' Johnson said. ``I think we are close. I think we are competitive.
``We still need a little bit more speed to be in our comfort zone of what we want, but we have made a lot of progress over the summer. We just get into those final 10 (races) and see what happens.''
Johnson doesn't expect the Chase to be just a three-man show.
``Carl has shown a lot of strength. I think we have over the last few weeks as well. Kyle has been rock-solid all year, so you know those three are the obvious ones,'' he said. ``But when you get into the Chase and that points margin closes up, there are going to be some other guys we will need to think about and worry about as well. We are just going to keep doing our jobs and give 100 percent and, hopefully, get the job done.''
When the regular season ends at Richmond on Sept. 6, each of the top 12 drivers who make the Chase field will start with a base of 5,000 points. They will then be seeded, with 10-point bonuses for each win up to that point.
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MONKEY BUSINESS: Michael Waltrip has had a generally forgettable season.
Other than finishing second at New Hampshire in a rain-shortened race, the two-time Daytona 500 winner's best finish came last week at Michigan, where he placed 19th. And he may have had a little outside help on that one.
``In all of the years that I have been racing, I have never taken anything to my car like a good luck charm,'' Waltrip said. ``But, at Michigan, a nice lady working in the NAPA suite handed me a furry monkey. She told me that I had a monkey on my back and she wanted me to put the monkey in my car so I could get the monkey off my back.
``I carried it with me and I think we got it done. He just rolled around in my car and behaved. We ended up finishing in the top 20. We had a solid run. All I wanted to do was compete and be competitive. We accomplished that on Sunday.''
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STAT OF THE WEEK: Heading into Saturday night's race, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, both battling for spots in the Chase, led the Cup series in consecutive races in which they were running at the finish. Harvick had finished 67 straight events, while Bowyer had run to the end in 60 in a row. Matt Kenseth, another driver fighting for the berth in the NASCAR postseason, was next with 28 straight.