This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams travels to the portion of Tennessee known as Thunder Valley. It’s time once again for the semi annual demolition derby at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Twice a year NASCAR lines up 43 cars on this half mile, high banked, track and hopes for the best. In most cases the best scenario involves over time for the team’s fabricators at the race shops who will be spending next week repairing wrecked cars. Here’s the breakdown for Sunday’s Food City 500:
The Bristol Motor Speedway is a 0.533 mile concrete oval with 30 degree banking in the turns. The race is 500 laps or 266.5 miles.
The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held at the speedway in 1961. The race was won by Jack Smith with some driver relief help from Johnny Allen. There has been 96 Sprint Cup races there since that time.
The speedway’s asphalt surface was changed to the now famous concrete oval in 1992.
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The speedway has a seating capacity of 160,000 and is unique because the grandstands circles the entire track oval. It also has 197 sky boxes. The speedway stands have been sold out well in advance for 53 consecutive races. However this year, with the nation’s economy, Sunday’s race is not quite a complete sell out although speedway officials remain optimistic that all the seats will be filled by race time.
The speedway’s double pit road is as unique and treacherous as the track itself. There are pit stalls on both the front and backstretch. Entry to the pit roads are off of turn two with the exit being at the base of turn one. Making this situation even more unique is the fact there are only 42 available pit stalls meaning two of the teams are going to have to share a pit area until someone falls out of the race.
The race has 45 entries for the Food City 500 meaning two of the teams will be going home.
There are ten teams on the go or go home list, or those outside of the top 35 in owner’s points, with Tony Stewart leading the list with a past champion’s provisional.
The defending March race champion is Jeff Gordon. Carl Edwards won the last race in August.
Ryan “The Rocket Man” Newman holds the Bristol Motor Speedway’s qualifying record, 14.908 seconds-128.709 MPH, set in March of 2003. A total of 22 races has been won from the pole position. Mark Martin has won a record high seven poles on qualifying day.
Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch are tied for most wins at Bristol among active drivers with five each. Darrell Waltrip has the most wins of all time with 12.
Chevrolet has the most manufacturer wins at Bristol with 41
Elliot Sadler holds the record for winning a race at Bristol from the lowest starting position in the field. Sadler won the 2001 race after starting 38th.
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A Bristol race often has the reputation of a crash fest. The highest number of caution flags during a NASCAR Sprint Cup race there is 20 which occurred three different times. Believe it or not the lowest amount of caution flags is zero. A race in 1971 actually went 500 green flag laps.The most caution laps is 167 which occurred back in 1965. The most cars running at the finish of a Bristol occurred this time last year when 42 cars crossed under the checkers. The fewest cars running at the finish was seven back in 1966.
The companion race, the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ Scotts Turf Builder 300. will be held Saturday beginning at 2 pm eastern. There are 52 entries for the 43 car starting field. Clint Bowyer is the defending race champion.
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