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  • Darrell Wallace Jr. Fastest in Practice for UNOH 200 at Bristol

    Darrell Wallace Jr. Fastest in Practice for UNOH 200 at Bristol

    Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) driver, Darrell Wallace Jr. was fastest in practice for the UNOH 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event slated for Wednesday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Wallace turned in a lap of 125.264 mph in his ToyotaCare Toyota Tundra to edge out his boss, KBM team owner, Kyle Busch. Busch was .041 seconds slower than the up and coming star who has visited victory lane twice already this season – once at Gateway Motorsports Park and then at the only dirt track on the series schedule – Eldora. The KBM team has visited victory lane seven times this season.

    This practice session will be the only session for the Camping World Truck Series drivers, as two thunderstorms passed through the area causing some items on the schedule for today to be postponed or cancelled.

    Another up and coming star in the series, Gray Gaulding, was also very impressive in practice. Gaulding wound up third on the practice sheet with a lap of 123.970 mph in his Gemini Southern/Krispy Kreme Chevrolet.

    Series veteran, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Cole Custer rounded out the top-five.

    The green flag will fall on the UNOH 200 at 8:30 pm local time on Wednesday night.

  • Preview and Predictions: Auto Club 400

    Preview and Predictions: Auto Club 400

    After bumping and grinding at Bristol Motor Speedway last week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to the 2-mile, low-banked oval of Auto Club Speedway. Despite being very similar in shape to its sister track Michigan International Speedway, the two tracks drive very differently. Since the repave at Michigan, the low and middle groove are the only fast ways of getting around the track. Auto Club Speedway has never been repaved since 1997, so it is one of the oldest surfaces on the Sprint Cup schedule.

    In qualifying, I saw drivers using the high line to try and find some grip, even though it isn’t the shortest way around the track. Winning at Auto Club not only requires great horsepower to pull you down the straightaways, but also a great suspension package to help you get a good drive off the corners. We know that someone will get it exactly right on Sunday, and here’s three drivers that probably will.

    Jimmie Johnson

    There are some instances where it is actually difficult to pick a definitive favorite to win the race. This is not the case with the Auto Club 400. Jimmie Johnson has won four of the last 10 races at his home track, and five overall including his first victory back in 2002. He’s also finished in the top five 12 times and has an astounding average finish of 5.7. Some may argue that he’s lost his touch over the past couple of years, and that his prime at Auto Club came in the Car of Tomorrow era, but I believe they’ve found the magic yet again. Johnson was fastest in the first practice and ended up third in qualifying. There’s no question he’ll be a factor in Sunday’s race.

    Matt Kenseth

    Although Kenseth hasn’t won a race at Auto Club since 2009, his record at the track has been pretty solid over the past few years. His average finish over the past 10 races of 9.5 is third only to Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson. Joe Gibbs Racing has found some speed at the past few visits to the track, mainly with Kyle Busch, who won the race last year. However, looking at the first practice speeds, it appears that Kyle Busch may not have the speed he did last year. Kenseth, who qualified on the pole, will pick up the slack for his teammate.

    Jeff Gordon

    The inaugural winner at Auto Club Speedway is back at it again with a fast Hendrick Chevrolet. In practice, Gordon was second behind his teammate Jimmie Johnson, and he actually ran faster than the track record. In qualifying, he was consistently at the top of the charts until the final round, where he ended up sixth. The four-time Sprint Cup champion hasn’t even had a top-five at Auto Club since 2009, but I believe they have found the magic yet again. Although it looks like his teammate will be leading the way on Sunday, Jeff Gordon won’t be far behind.

    Whoever shines brightest at Auto Club will be the driver that effectively communicates where the car is losing speed. That’s why Jimmie Johnson is so good here, because it isn’t just about pure speed. It’s about adjusting the chassis, the tire pressures and the wedge throughout the race so that you can develop a perfect drive off the corner. Then it’s all about what you’ve got under the hood to pull you down those long straightaways. There’s always one driver that hits the set up exactly right, and whoever that driver is, rest assured that they will be unstoppable on race day.

    Statistics retrieved from racing-reference.info.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Bristol Food City 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Bristol Food City 500

    Just as in the Daytona 500, starting in day and ending at night due to extensive rain delays, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the 54th annual Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Surprising:  Creating his own ‘March Madness’, the leader of the Stewart-Haas Racing team rebounded from having to use a provisional to get into the race to finishing in the top five.

    “To start 37th and end up fourth today, I’m pretty excited about that,” Tony Stewart said. “I’m really excited for Chad Johnston (crew chief) and everybody on this Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 team.”

    “We had a long way to go from Friday when we weren’t very good, and every day we just got better and better. So, I’m really proud of this team.”

    Not Surprising:  With a gladiator’s sword as the prize for the victor, it was appropriate that the race ended as a survival of the fittest contest. And the survivor of this race was indeed fit, as demonstrated by his back flip on a wet start finish line in the track known as ‘the Last Great Coliseum.’

    Carl Edwards, behind the wheel of the No. 99 Kellogg’s / Frosted Flakes Ford, scored his first win of the 2014 season, making him the fourth different driver to win in the season and qualifying him for the Chase. This was Edwards’s third victory and eighth top-10 finish at Bristol.

    “I just can’t believe it,” Edwards said. “We were terrible on Saturday, so I’m just glad we turned it around.”

    “We had no clue we were going to win this race.”

    Surprising:  While typically the action ensues when the green flag flies, in this race most of the intense crashing took place when the caution flag came out. There were two instances where the yellow flew yet two drivers were struck from the rear at fairly high rates of speed.

    The first incident occurred when Timmy Hill drilled Matt Kenseth from behind and the second occurred when Brad Keselowski was unable to slow down and hit Jamie McMurray in the rear.

    One of the more bizarre incidents occurred on pit road under caution when Danica Patrick attempted to pull out of her pit stall, got sideways and drilled Clint Bowyer’s machine.

    “It was an eventful night,” Patrick said. “I lost first and second gear and then finally third gear.  That’s why I hit Clint (Bowyer) in the pits.”

    “It wouldn’t go so I dipped the clutch and got sideways, and when it was about to spin around, I lifted, it caught and then it went straight and it wouldn’t stop.”

    “So, I hit him,” Patrick said. “I apologized to his crew after the race.”

    Not Surprising:  Kyle and Kurt Busch had an ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ moment on lap 394 when Kyle spun out after losing his car in the marbles and big brother Kurt hit the wall trying to avoid him. As a result of that damage, Kurt Busch had to go back behind the wall to repair the right front suspension.

    Kurt Busch finished 35th and brother Kyle finished 29th.

    “Had a moment of brightness but it went downhill from there,” Kyle Busch tweeted after the race. “Really thankful no one hit me when I was sideways.”

    Surprising:  While the streak of top five finishes sadly ended for NASCAR’s most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., another streak surprisingly was born.

    Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon scored his fourth consecutive top-10 finish, which the four-time champ has never been done before in his career to start the season.

    Not Surprising:  Bristol is one of the most physically demanding tracks so it was no wonder that Joey Logano was feeling the need to improve his upper body workout regimen. Logano lost his power steering prior to the rain delay but soldiered on to finish 20th in his No. 22 Shell Pennzoil For.

    “I was already huffing and puffing pretty hard trying to get the thing to turn,” Logano said. “It was intermittent for a while once we restarted and then it just went away.”

    Surprising:  Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief Chad Knaus must have remained in previous race Las Vega mode, gambling with taking left sides only early in the race and then cutting a right front tire down as a result.

    The tread on the No. 48 Kobalt Tools Chevrolet unwound, which forced him to the pits, losing several laps to the leader.

    “The tire still had air in it,” Johnson said. “It didn’t wear it out.”

    “Something made it come apart.”

    Not Surprising:   It was only a matter of time for these two drivers to have a bit of a break out in the Sprint Cup Series, both posting their career best finishes.

    Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., behind the wheel of his No. 17 Nationwide Insurance Ford, finished second, bettering his previous career high finish in third at Talladega in October 2013. And Aric Almirola, in his No. 43 Smithfield Ford Petty blue machine, finished third, bettering his previous career best at Homestead in 2010.

    “It helps our confidence for sure,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “We’re just slowly working and getting better and better.”

    “It was a good night for us,” Almirola said after the race was finally concluded. “It seemed like our car got better and better.”

    “I’m really proud of everybody on our team because they gave me a really good car.”

    Surprising:  A strange new hashtag on Twitter was surprisingly born after one of the most bizarre equipment malfunctions occurred. As a result, rookie driver Alex Bowman tweeted “#badluckbowman is getting freaking ridiculous. Solid top 20 car and the battery literally fell out. Now I get to ride around all day.”

    And with that tweet, the young Rookie of the Year contender picked up ad additional ten thousand followers of his Twitter handle @AlexBRacing.

    Not Surprising:  Speaking of rookie contenders, young Kyle Larson, piloting the No. 42 Target Chevrolet, finished top-10 and also was the highest finishing rookie of the race.

    “We had a really good run today,” Larson said. “Started off in 20th and got to the top ten pretty easily there in the beginning.”

    “Ran in second and third for a long time,” Larson continued. “Pretty much stayed in the top ten for the whole race and inched our way up to the front.”

    The Cup Series heads back across country next week for the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

  • Kasey Kahne Riding Momentum Train; Finishes 8th At Bristol

    Kasey Kahne Riding Momentum Train; Finishes 8th At Bristol

    Kasey Kahne hasn’t shocked fans so far this season, or battled inside the top five every lap; however, he’s been consistent, very consistent.

    Beginning in Daytona International Speedway, Kahne and the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS began Speedweeks strong. He started 10th in his respective Budweiser Duel and after working with fellow Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., he piloted his No. 5 to a runner-up finish, giving him a fifth place start in the Daytona 500.

    The beginning miles of the Great American Race witnessed Kahne overpower fellow competitor Kyle Busch for the race lead, and maintained that advantage until a caution, which would change his day completely. He entered pit road, running inside the top three, and spun when exiting pit road due to the dampness on the racetrack – keep in mind the race had been under a rain delay prior to the incident.

    The accident forced Kahne to restart in the rear of the field – which isn’t an ideal position with the new drafting pack at restrictor plate racetracks – and he wouldn’t ever regain a top ten position, and eventually was tangled up in a multi-car wreck. After the confetti cleared from Kahne’s teammate, Earnhardt Jr.’s, celebrating in victory lane, the No. 5 machine was officially scored 31st, which is his fourth all-time worst finish at Daytona.

    Entering Phoenix International Raceway after a dismal Daytona running, it seemed the team needed to step up their game – and they did quite nicely.

    They qualified 11th and quickly faded in the early going, eventually going a lap down, before crew chief Kenny Francis decided to make some key adjustments that would help Kahne regain the lap he had lost. During the final stint of the event, the No. 5 team flew past cars left and right to finish an acceptable 11th place, right where they began the 500 mile event.

    Following a reassuring 11th place finish in Phoenix, the team traveled to the gambling city of Las Vegas, attempting to score their first top ten of the season to really get the ‘ball rolling’.

    Kahne began the race 13th and remained inside the top 15 all afternoon, and with 30 laps remaining the team cracked the top 10 and finished a season-best eighth, giving them a little momentum heading forward.

    Then, the team prepared for the treacherous, but always entertaining, Bristol Motor Speedway. They rolled off the hauler hoping to repeat last season’s win at the half mile, however, during the first practice sessions, the team understood that wasn’t an easy task at hand.

    Kahne practiced 18th, 10th and 19th fastest, which was most likely disappointing, considering the team was dominate here last season. However, Kahne wasn’t giving up yet, he qualified 10th which seemed to give the No. 5 squad all the confidence they needed.

    But, the team quickly received a ‘wake up call’ as they were shuffled outside the top ten for the first 100 laps of the Food City 500. Then, the rains came, which wasn’t necessarily a horrible thing for Francis and Kahne, as they’d get to debrief about what happened in the first few runs.

    When the engines re-fired, Kahne quickly advanced inside the top ten, where he ran for the remainder of the event, and captured his second-straight eight place finish.

    However, finishing eighth wasn’t the big picture, it was the fact that if Kahne can continue posting top ten finishes week in, week out, then the No. 5 team could clinch a Chase berth without a victory – and that’s the ultimate goal for any organization, making the Chase.

    While making the Chase without a victory is a great thing to have going for you, Kahne and the No. 5 team are probably still anticipating a win. Nevertheless, despite one bad finish at Daytona, Kahne and his crew have been extremely consistent to date, and now, the team is riding momentum heading into Auto Club Speedway and beyond.

  • Kwasniewski crashes as qualifying ends for Nationwide race at Bristol

    Kwasniewski crashes as qualifying ends for Nationwide race at Bristol

    Turner-Scott Motorsports rookie driver, Dylan Kwasniewski, made the final round of qualifying Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. As the final session drew to a close, however, Kwasniewski, crashed his No. 31 Rockstar Energy Chevrolet.

    Kwasniewski, who won the 2012 K&N Pro Series West championship and followed that up with the 2013 K&N Pro Series East championship, is competing for Rookie of the year honors n the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season.

    Kwasniewski currently sits eighth in the standings, with one top-10 finish and has an average finish of 15th.

    It was also announced earlier this week, that the Las Vegas, Nevada native, has signed with Chip Ganassi Racing as a development driver. Chip Ganassi Racing driver, Kyle Larson, was also signed as a development driver two years ago, and is now competing for Rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    The Turner-Scott Motorsports team decided to not bring out a back-up car, therefore, Kwasniewski will be starting 11th in Saturday’s Drive to Stop Diabetes 300.

  • The biggest star of the Bristol may not be who you think

    The biggest star of the Bristol may not be who you think

    Bristol, TN – (March 15, 2014) – When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to the high-bank half-mile oval in beautiful northeast Tennessee, you think of the stars who usually perform well there. Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin quickly come to mind.

    For this weekend’s Food City 500, however, there is an unusual star getting the majority of the media attention. No, it’s not a rookie, or a start and park driver. It is a piece of pit equipment. Specifically, the Cool Down Box!

    Thanks to NASCAR’s modification to the qualifying format that no longer permits the slow speed cool down laps that teams were using to cool their cars after a hard qualifying run. The new rule permits the use of the Cool Down Box to cool the engine.

    What is a Cool Down Box you ask? It is a portable unit with a reservoir that contains water. The teams also add ice to the water. Additionally, attached to the unit is a radiator and fan. When a car comes in after a run, the crew hooks two hoses from the unit to connectors on the car. The cold water is pumped through the car’s cooling system removing the heat from the engine components. Once the engine is cool, it is ready to head back to the track for another run.

    The Cool Down Box was definitely the hot topic on Friday at the track. Media members, crew chiefs, and drivers were all talking about how the new rule will affect qualifying. Marcos Ambrose weighed in on the new rule, “This is way better. To even think we did it the other way is crazy. This is the way it should be because it allows the fastest cars to go out there and put on the right show and not confuse the fans. I think it’s a good change for us and I think these qualifying sessions are gonna get more and more exciting as the drivers and teams work out how to do it.”

    Before qualifying on Friday, Matt Kenseth talked about having no cool down laps, saying, “With no cool down laps, less chaotic and confusing hopefully. I think it’s going to look more practice somewhat and more like a normal qualifying session except there will be more cars out there.”

    2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Brad Keselowski, who, including this weekend at Bristol, has started on the front row three times in a row, was asked if the new rule made his run Friday possible. Brad replied, “Oh, absolutely. I think that rule change has just made qualifying even better.”

    When it was all said and done Friday afternoon, everyone seemed to be very complimentary of NASCAR’s changes. Increased safety, less confusion, and much less chaos led to a very exciting qualifying session at the World’s Fastest Half-Mile. Though many criticize NASCAR, it seems they have once again made the right call and, as a result, made the “Cool Down Box” the newest star of the Sprint Cup Series.

     

  • Preview and Predictions: Food City 500

    Preview and Predictions: Food City 500

    After we nearly saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. clinch his first multi-win season since 2004, the series heads over to the first short track race of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway. With zero top-fives in the last 10 races there, Dale Jr. will have his work cut out for him if he wants to maintain his streak of top-two finishes. However, his rival Brad Keselowski could very easily maintain his streak of top-five finishes.

    Bristol Motor Speedway is a tough half-mile race track, with racing there being equated to flying jet fighters in a gymnasium. With the current surface, we’ve seen a lack of bump-and-runs that made Bristol so exciting. But with this new points system that puts a large incentive on winning, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a driver put the bumper to another guy in order to win. Almost every driver will tell you they wouldn’t wreck a guy to win a race, but they may consider “rattling their cage.” In any case, here’s a couple drivers to keep an eye on, and one of them might end up in victory lane.

    Kyle Busch 

    In recent memory, when you think of Bristol, you think of Kyle Busch. He’s scored a whopping 160 more points than any other driver in the last 10 races there, and he’s found victory lane in four of those races, the latest being the spring race of 2011. Add that to his impressive average finish of 7.8 over the last 10 starts at Bristol and it becomes easy to see why Rowdy Busch is always the man to beat at Bristol. 

    Brad Keselowski

    I’m not entirely sure what Team Penske has done to their race cars, but they have been extremely fast all year long. Joey Logano sits fourth in points with two top-fives in three races, but his teammate Brad Keselowski is even better. Keselowski is just one point behind points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. and has three top-fives in three races. In very recent memory, Brad K. has made Bristol Motor Speedway one of his best tracks, winning two of the last five. His average finish of 13th may not sound so great, but with the success and speed Team Penske have had this year, it would be a surprise to not see the White Deuce run up front. 

    Jimmie Johnson

    When you think of Jimmie Johnson’s best tracks, Bristol usually doesn’t spring into mind, but after some research, I was surprised by how consistent Johnson has been at the half-mile race track. His five top-fives and seven top-10 finishes in the past 10 races there are equal to Kyle Busch, and he won a Bristol race in 2010. Also keep in mind that Johnson will be driving Chassis 728 this weekend. This chassis completely dominated at Pocono last year, won at Indy in 2012, and finished second at Indy last year. The success of Chassis 728 will continue on Sunday and Johnson will come home solidly inside the top-10. 

    Even though six-time has shown great consistency at Bristol over the past few years, I still believe the race will be between Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch, and I actually will give the edge to Mr. Keselowski. With the speed Team Penske has had in 2014, it’s evident that he looks a little better than his Joe Gibbs Racing rival Kyle Busch. As a diehard race fan, I can’t wait to see who conquers Thunder Valley.

    All statistics retrieved from Racing-Reference.info.

  • Why NASCAR fans love Bristol

    Why NASCAR fans love Bristol

    Ask any fan what their favorite NASCAR track is and usually you will get multiple answers; however, almost always, Bristol is on that list. Fans flock to Bristol, those that have been there cannot wait to get back, and for those that have never been there it’s usually on their “bucket list”.

    The beginning was in 1960 when two men, Carl Moore and Larry Carrier had gotten the idea when traveling to North Carolina to see the first race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, built by a local businessman turned race promoter O. Bruton Smith and the legendary driver Curtis Turner. Charlotte Motor Speedway would become the inspiration, however, they had decided they wanted a track that was smaller, more intimate, and the fact it would take up less land was a plus. In 1960, Moore, Carrier, and R.G. Pope began work on a half mile track that would become Bristol International Speedway. The track itself was a perfect half-mile, measuring 60 feet wide on the straightaways and 75 feet wide in the turns, which were banked at 22 degrees.

    Although, the track ran weekly races, the first NASCAR driver to take to the track in practice was Tiny Lund on July 27th, 1961. The first NASCAR race, The Volunteer 500, at the then renamed Bristol Motor Speedway was on July 30th, 1961 with another well known driver Fred Lorenzen on the pole. When the Volunteer 500 was over, a driver named Jack Smith would be written into the history books as the first winner.  However, with the heat blistering his feet badly after 290 laps, he would request a relief driver named Johnny Allen to finish the race in his place. A total of 42 cars started the first race at BMS but only 19 finished. For the next several years Bristol quickly became one of the most sought after wins for drivers, as it was one that was hard earned.

    Fast forward to April 5th, 1992, a new sponsorship would come to the track “The Food City 500” and actually is still the sponsor to this day. That day, Alan Kulwicki would dominate the race and it would be the final race on an asphalt surface, as well as the last one to be run on bias-ply tires. With the increasing tire traction and other factors, the track was beginning to need to be resurfaced or patched after every few races.  The track owners were looking for a solution to the problem and the answer came on August 29, 1992 for the “Bud 500”. Bristol became the first speedway to host a NASCAR Cup event that boasted a track surface of all concrete.

    Bristol is also known for some of the most horrific crashes fans have ever seen, despite its size. August 27th, 1988 during practice, driver Rusty Wallace slid into the fourth turn wall and ended up barrel-rolling about five times down the front straightaway. He escaped any major injuries and was kept overnight in the hospital for observation.

    It was 1990 when driver Michael Waltrip also survived unscathed from a horrific crash during a NASCAR Busch Series (now known as the Nationwide Series) race. He hit a turnout gate at the corner exit, breaking the gate and went head on into the end of the wall literally destroying his car to the point that no one believed anyone could survive that impact. To his brother Darrell Waltrip’s relief not only had Michael survived but like Wallace, had only suffered minor injuries.

    August 22nd, 2002 during a practice session for the Busch Series, driver Mike Harmon had something break in the car sending him into the wall and into a crossover gate where his car  would be virtually destroyed. It would come to rest on the track where it would be hit again by driver Johnny Sauter. Harmon was uninjured and walked away.

    That is the history of Bristol, but that is just a few of the reasons that fans are in love with Bristol. Fans love it because it is by far one of the toughest and most exciting tracks that NASCAR runs. It is side by side paint swapping racing, and the noise is said to be deafening as the cars race. It has been stated that Bristol is the equivalent of running fighter jets in a gymnasium. Bristol can make the most refined level headed driver lose his cool. We have seen helmets thrown, drivers going at each other, often creating feuds that will last throughout the year. At times there is so much going on that fans have a hard time keeping up with all that is happening. It tests the drivers’ skills and their ability to not let tempers get the best of them.

    We head into Bristol Motor Speedway this year with even more excitement now that NASCAR has put the emphasis on winning more than points. How will the drivers respond? Will it make for even more aggressive driving? One thing with Bristol is that it is anyone’s guess who will win or who will lose their temper, but either way the fans love it so bring it on as we can’t wait.

  • Hamlin wins the pole for the Food City 500

    Hamlin wins the pole for the Food City 500

    This week’s changes to qualifying procedures did not hurt Denny Hamlin’s strong start to the 2014 season. In Friday’s qualifying for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hamlin posted a fast lap of 129.991 mph in his Fed-Ex Toyota Camry. Hamlin’s lap once again broke the track record, a feat that has become the norm in the Sprint Cup Series. Today’s pole was the 18th of Hamlin’s career, and his second at Bristol.

    The changes that NASCAR implemented this week that eliminated the “cool down” laps that teams were using in the first three races of the season. Many teams, drivers and fans alike were raising concerns about the cool down laps due the significant difference in speed between them and cars that were on a full speed run. Drivers seemed to feel that there was no detrimental effects on their runs in regards to the changes.

    Brad Keselowski’s terrific qualifying runs continued as he scored a second place startning spot. Keselwoski’s Penske Racing teammate, Joey Logano, ended up fourth at the end of the session.

    Other notables: Matt Kenseth will start third, Jeff Gordon sixth, defending champion Jimmie Johnson will take the green in eleventh, and points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr will start 14th.

    The green flag will fall on the Food City 500 Sunday at 1:00 pm local time.

  • Marshall’s Madness: Reliving Bristol’s Best And Worst Moments

    Marshall’s Madness: Reliving Bristol’s Best And Worst Moments

    Bristol Motor Speedway has caused dramatic finishes and some horrific incidents during its 53-year career in NASCAR. The short half mile track located in Bristol, Tennessee has lived through some of the worst and best moments in NASCAR history – and this weekend they can only further that resume.

    Below, during this weeks edition of ‘Marshall’s Madness’, we relive the premier and most dangerous moments in the ‘The Bullring’s’ history.

     

    7. Mike Harmon’s Horrific Crash

    During 2002 NASCAR Nationwide Series practice Mike Harmon smashed the wall exiting turn two and his car was demolished. Luckily, he was uninjured and ended up racing the same day.

    6. Ernie Irvin Notches Memorable Victory

    Ernie Irvin, after being a seat welder at Charlotte Motor Speedway, entered the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winning the Rookie of The Year honors and scoring his first career victory at Bristol Motor Speedway – pretty impressive for a former seat welder.

     

    5. Michael Waltrip Scary Crash

    During the 1990 NSCS season, Michael Waltrip survived a brutal crash during practice at Bristol. After a similar incident to Harmon’s, he walked away not affected at all. Darrell Waltrip, Michael’s brother, was in tears when the incident happened, but was relieved when Michael got up and walked away okay.

     

    4. Darrell Waltrip’s Final Win At Bristol

    During the 1989 NSCS season, Darrell Waltrip captured his 12thBristol triumph, and his final NASCAR victory. His victory lane celebration was unlike others, as the 3-time champion was emotional – for the first time since his Daytona 500 win.

     

    3. Terry Labonte-Dale Earnhardt Battle For Bristol Triumph

    Bristol, Tennessee witnessed an intense duel between Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt Sr., during the 1995 season. Earnhardt, who was the dominant car of the event, was sent to the rear of the field for an incident with Rusty Wallace. But, everyone expected him to race his way through the field, and he did, quite easily. Once he caught Labonte for the lead they battled back and forth until the white flag when the two machines made contact sending Earnhardt around and Labonte to victory lane.

     

    2. Kyle Busch Sweeps Weekend

    During 2011, Kyle Busch shocked the racing world after scoring victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series, not that impressive right? Yeah, until you realize he did it all at one track in the same weekend. Oh, and it’s one of the toughest circuits on the schedule, but ‘Rowdy’ Busch handled it with ease after scoring the three victories at Bristol.

     

    1. Alan Kulwicki’s Tragedy

    When flying into the racetrack at Bristol, Alan Kulwicki’s airplane crashed due to the pilot’s failure to use the airplane’s anti-ice system to clear ice from the engine inlet system. Kulwicki didn’t survive the incident and was pronounced dead on April 1, 1993 – after winning the Sprint Cup championship the year before. ‘The Victory Polish Lap’ was created in remembrance of Kulwicki.