NASCAR Nextel Cup Drivers Places Bristol Motor Speedway At The Top Of The List

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Bristol Motor Speedway has been named in many polls as the favorite NASCAR track among fans. Now, NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers have placed it at the top of their list in the current issue of Sports Illustrated.

As part of the 2007 NASCAR Midseason Report in the July 2 issue of Sports Illustrated, drivers were polled to get their opinions and thoughts on a number of topics, both on-track and off. Approximately 40 percent of the Nextel Cup regulars responded to the poll.

Drivers were asked which racetrack was their favorite and 18 percent selected Bristol Motor Speedway as their No. 1 choice. Bristol finished ahead of such tracks as Atlanta Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Richmond International Speedway. Some drivers also wrote in “Wherever I get my next win.”

A tagline superimposed over a photo of a packed BMS leads the piece stating: BOWLED OVER for a lot of drivers, the high-banked Bristol bullring is what a racetrack should be.

BMS president and general manager Jeff Byrd wasn’t surprised that the drivers felt the same as the fans about Bristol Motor Speedway.

“I think a lot of drivers feel like racing at Bristol Motor Speedway is stock car racing in its purest form,” he said. “Short track racing is where most of these guys got started and they appreciate the skill it takes to win on a short track. I think the drivers also value the atmosphere here – when you pack nearly 160,000 around a half-mile track there’s just no way you can’t get excited about racing here.”

The popularity of Bristol Motor Speedway has led to it garnering top honors from a number of national magazines and websites over the past two years. Sports Illustrated listed BMS as one of the magazine’s “summer essentials,” recommendations for things fans “absolutely must do, watch, read or eat before Labor Day.” The Sporting News tabbed BMS and Bristol, Tennessee as “Best Sports City” in all of NASCAR and Racer magazine gave the Sharpie 500 top honors in an article entitled “50 New Year’s Resolutions. Also, ESPN.com tabbed the Sharpie 500 as one of the Top Ten Hottest Tickets In American Sports.”

Bristol Motor Speedway will host NASCAR’s most popular event, the sold-out Sharpie 500 on Saturday night, Aug. 25. On Wednesday, Aug. 22 the O’Reilly 200 Craftsman Truck Series event will take place, along with the Food City 150 USAR Hooters ProCup race. The Food City 250 Busch Series event is Friday, Aug. 24.