CHECKERED FLAG
Keselowski dodged the race's only major wreck on lap 29, and eventually went to the point shortly before halfway. Drivers seem to win in spurts at Bristol. Will Brad's streak continue come August?
GREEN FLAG
MWR had three cars, Martin Truex Jr (3rd), Clint Bowyer (4th), and Brian Vickers (5th) finish in the top five on Sunday. EGR's Jamie McMurray (7th) and Juan Pablo (8th) stayed out of trouble on the tight half mile track. RCR had all three cars finish in the top eleven.
YELLOW FLAG
Somehow Kasey Kahne and Reagan Smith were arguing over real estate on lap 29.... only 479 to go.... and wrecked each other along with pre-race favorites like Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and Kevin Harvick.
RED FLAG
The half filled grandstands at BMS! What a shocker... just a couple of years ago the high banked half miler was the toughest ticket in motorsports. Now, tix are going for less than face value in the parking lots outside the track. Of course, high gasoline prices kept some fans from making the trip, but the real reason is....
BLACK FLAG
The "progressive" banking the track installed in 2007 has killed the short track, must-see, action at BMS. The track went from a single groove, to about two and a half racing grooves. The track went from 20 cautions every race, to four or five. The track went from using the chrome horn, and rattling someone's cage to pass, to cars without a mark on them after 500 laps at Bristol. The track went from edge of your seat action, to napping on the sofa instead.
I'm thinkin' Brad is a force to be reckoned with for many years to come and Penske is moving to Ford? He may be very tough to beat...
ReplyDeleteWho better than you to ask... Have you ever seen a three car team completely place in the top 5 of a NASCAR Cup race before?
I truly believe Bruton Smith and his race tracks are a detriment to NASCAR. With the Sonoma road course the only exception, the Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, Kentucky, Las Vegas, New Hampshire and Texas speedways produce some of the worst racing on the circuit and they account for one third of the races... Just remember the tracks he has retired in order to give NASCAR fans a string of boring races that lend themselves to drivers just interested in gathering points under the Chase process. Bristol was a shining monument to what NASCAR fans got excited about that has devolved to the owner saying he'll spend a million bucks to remake the track as it used to be... We'll see...
Thanks Gene!
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ReplyDeleteDwindy... I recall HMS finishing 1-2-3 in the Daytona 500 back around 1997. I'm sure HMS and RFR have had races with three cars in the top-5.
ReplyDelete5 or 6 years ago when I had season tix at Bristol, they were over $500 for four races. Multiply that by at least 50,000 empty seats last Sunday, and it's easy for Bruton to spend $1 million to get the fans back.
Bristol fits BK's driving style perfectly and was happy to see Penske appears to have solved the pesky fuel pump issue.
ReplyDeleteI am seriously considering going to the night race this year - I didnt love the single file racing with no ability to pass except knock someone out of the way either, wish there could be two grooves but more beating and banging. I want a unicorn too though!
I seem to recall RCR all finishing in top 5 too...not that rare Dwindy just for MWR! LOL