Track history
Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) was built after Larry Carrier and Carl Moore saw a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1960. They wanted to build a smaller version of CMS in Tennessee and decided on a half-mile oval. Work began on a former dairy farm in 1960 and a year later the speedway was born with 22 degree banking in the turns. 18,000 fans attended the first NASCAR race at BMS in 1961. In 1969 BMS was reshaped with the turns banked at 36 degrees. After the reshaping it became a 0.533-mile oval.
In August of 1992 the track was resurfaced from the original asphalt to become the first speedway to host a NASCAR Cup event on a concrete surface. In March 2007, right after the Food City 500, a multimillion-dollar project of removing and replacing the concrete racing surface, asphalt apron, pit road and all the retaining walls around the track was started. Conditions do not change during a race because concrete isn't as sensitive to weather changes like an asphalt paved track. Since the straightaways are only 650 feet long on the 0.533-mile oval, the drivers are constantly braking, turning and accelerating which makes for a demanding race. The key to passing at Bristol is to be at the bottom in the turns and getting a good run off the corners. That's why shocks, springs and brakes are critical in the race setup.
First Cup race
On July 30, 1961, Fred Lorenzen started the No. 28 Holman-Moody 1961 Ford on the pole for the Volunteer 500. He made it through 175 laps of the 500 lap event before losing the rear end and finished 33rd. Jack Smith, who started 12th in his own No. 46 Pontiac, led the most laps (243) and earned $3,025 for the inaugural BMS victory.
As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Mid-pack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. There were 47 cars on the preliminary entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualify will be competing in front of 160,000 fans in the grandstands. Here are our picks for Saturday night's Sharpie 500 in Bristol, Tennessee.
Mid-pack picks
Besides track favorite Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch is the only other active driver with five Cup wins at BMS. Three of those wins were in a row (2003-04). He finished 6th in this race last year and 12th here in the March Cup race. Busch knows he won't make the Chase this season so he can be more aggressive than some of the favorites who can't afford to have a bad points night this late in the season. We don't expect another win on Saturday night but he should be counted on for a top 10 or 12.
Ryan Newman has 2009 all set up with his new Tony Stewart team and can, basically, have fun at Bristol. Newman scored top ten finishes in three of his last five Cup starts at BMS. In six Nationwide Series starts at this track, he finished in the top 10 five times. In March 2003, Newman set the standing qualifying record at Bristol at 128.709 mph. Look for him to maintain his 8.9 average Cup start this week and finish somewhere near the front of the pack.
Elliott Sadler scored top 15's in four of the last five races this season, including a 4th at Indy and a 9th last weekend at Michigan. When asked to pick his favorite track, Sadler says "Bristol is racing heaven." He recorded his first Cup win at Bristol in the 2001 spring race. In 20 Cup starts, he earned one pole with nine top-10 starts and has three top-five and four top-10 finishes while leading five races for 113 laps. He hasn't done all that well in the last few Bristol races but we think the way he's running lately; he'll be a top 15 contender Saturday night.
Going deep with another driver all set for 2009. Aric Almirola will be the full-time driver of the DEI No. 8 car next season. Since he's ride-sharing the car with Mark Martin this year, Almirola should be a reasonable buy in most fantasy games. This will be his seventh Cup start of the season. His only top ten (8th) so far - you guessed it - Bristol in March. Almirola scored a 10th in his last Nationwide Series Bristol start (August 2007). While he may not match the 8th place finish he could be a good choice to round out your roster as a fourth or fifth driver.
