NASCAR - Sprint Cup - Food City 500 Preview
From The Sports Network
| |
| DATE: Sunday, March 18th |
| SITE: Bristol Motor Speedway (1960) -- Bristol, Tennessee |
| TRACK: 0.533-mile oval - 650 feet (Frontstretch); 650 feet (Backstretch) |
| CAPACITY: 160,000 |
| ANNUAL: 52nd |
| TELEVISION: FOX |
| ANNOUNCERS: Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds |
| RADIO: Performance Racing Network (PRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio |
| START TIME: 1 p.m. (ET)/Green Flag: 1:13 p.m. (ET) |
| DEFENDING CHAMPION: Kyle Busch |
| RUNNER-UP: Carl Edwards |
| POLE WINNER: Carl Edwards (Finished 2nd) |
| LAPS: 500 |
| MILES: 266.5 |
| QUALIFYING RECORD: Ryan Newman, 2003 (128.709 m.p.h.) |
| RACE RECORD: Charlie Glotzbach, 1971 (101.074 m.p.h.) |
| TOTAL PURSE: $5,439,768 (2011 figures) |
| PAYOUTS: 1st Place - $192,416; 2nd Place - $184,691; 3rd Place - $159,861 |
| 2011 Finish |
| Finish | Driver | Start | Finish | Driver | Start |
| 1 | Kyle Busch | 12 | 6 | Kevin Harvick | 15 |
| 2 | Carl Edwards | 1 | 7 | Kurt Busch | 20 |
| 3 | Jimmie Johnson | 6 | 8 | Greg Biffle | 2 |
| 4 | Matt Kenseth | 11 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | 10 |
| 5 | Paul Menard | 4 | 10 | Ryan Newman | 21 |
| 2011 Food City 500 Facts and Figures |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 91.941 m.p.h. |
| TIME OF RACE: 2 hours, 53 minutes, 55 seconds |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.946 second |
| CAUTION FLAGS: 10 for 57 laps |
| LEAD CHANGES: 17 among 8 drivers |
| POLE WINNER: Carl Edwards (128.014 m.p.h.) |
| Past Food City 500 Winners (Starting Position) Car -- Speed |
| 2011 -- Kyle Busch (12th) -- Toyota -- 91.941 m.p.h. |
| 2010 -- Jimmie Johnson (4th) Chevrolet -- 79.618 m.p.h. |
| 2009 -- Kyle Busch (19th) -- Toyota -- 92.139 m.p.h. |
| 2008 -- Jeff Burton (8th) -- Chevrolet -- 89.775 m.p.h. |
| 2007 -- Kyle Busch (20th) -- Chevrolet -- 81.969 m.p.h. |
| 2006 -- Kurt Busch (9th) -- Dodge -- 79.427 m.p.h. |
| 2005 -- Kevin Harvick (13th) -- Chevrolet -- 77.496 m.p.h. |
| 2004 -- Kurt Busch (13th) -- Ford -- 82.607 m.p.h. |
| 2003 -- Kurt Busch (9th) -- Ford -- 76.185 m.p.h. |
| 2002 -- Kurt Busch (27th) -- Ford -- 82.281 m.p.h. |
| 2001 -- Elliott Sadler (38th) -- Ford -- 86.949 m.p.h. |
| 2000 -- Rusty Wallace (6th) -- Ford -- 88.018 m.p.h. |
| 1999 -- Rusty Wallace (1st) -- Ford -- 93.363 m.p.h. |
| 1998 -- Jeff Gordon (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 82.850 m.p.h. |
| 1997 -- Jeff Gordon (5th) -- Chevrolet -- 75.035 m.p.h. |
| 1996 -- Jeff Gordon (8th) -- Chevrolet -- 91.308 m.p.h. |
| 1995 -- Jeff Gordon (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 92.011 m.p.h. |
| 1994 -- Dale Earnhardt (24th) -- Chevrolet -- 89.674 m.p.h. |
| 1993 -- Rusty Wallace (1st) -- Pontiac -- 84.730 m.p.h. |
| 1992 -- Alan Kulwicki (1st) -- Ford -- 86.316 m.p.h. |
| 1991 -- Rusty Wallace (1st) -- Pontiac -- 72.809 m.p.h. |
| 1990 -- Davey Allison (19th) -- Ford -- 87.258 m.p.h. |
| 1989 -- Rusty Wallace (8th) -- Pontiac -- 76.034 m.p.h. |
| 1988 -- Bill Elliott (13th) -- Ford -- 83.115 m.p.h. |
| 1987 -- Dale Earnhardt (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 75.621 m.p.h. |
| 1986 -- Rusty Wallace (14th) -- Pontiac -- 89.747 m.p.h. |
| 1985 -- Dale Earnhardt (12th) -- Chevrolet -- 81.790 m.p.h. |
| 1984 -- Darrell Waltrip (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 93.967 m.p.h. |
| 1983 -- Darrell Waltrip (13th) -- Chevrolet -- 93.445 m.p.h. |
| 1982 -- Darrell Waltrip (1st) -- Buick -- 94.025 m.p.h. |
| 1981 -- Darrell Waltrip (1st) -- Buick -- 89.530 m.p.h. |
| 1980 -- Dale Earnhardt (4th) -- Chevrolet -- 96.977 m.p.h. |
| 1979 -- Dale Earnhardt (9th) -- Chevrolet -- 91.033 m.p.h. |
| 1978 -- Darrell Waltrip (7th) -- Chevrolet -- 92.401 m.p.h. |
| 1977 -- Cale Yarborough (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 100.989 m.p.h. |
| 1976 -- Cale Yarborough (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 87.377 m.p.h. |
| 1975 -- Richard Petty (2nd) -- Dodge -- 97.053 m.p.h. |
| 1974 -- Cale Yarborough (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 64.533 m.p.h. |
| 1973 -- Cale Yarborough (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 88.952 m.p.h. |
| 1972 -- Bobby Allison (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 92.826 m.p.h. |
| 1971 -- David Pearson (1st) -- Ford -- 91.704 m.p.h. |
| 1970 -- Donnie Allison (2nd) -- Ford -- 87.543 m.p.h. |
| 1969 -- Bobby Allison (4th) -- Dodge -- 81.455 m.p.h. |
| 1968 -- David Pearson (2nd) -- Ford -- 77.247 m.p.h. |
| 1967 -- David Pearson (14th) -- Dodge -- 75.930 m.p.h. |
| 1966 -- Dick Hutcherson (6th) -- Ford -- 69.952 m.p.h. |
| 1965 -- Junior Johnson (3rd) -- Ford -- 74.938 m.p.h. |
| 1964 -- Fred Lorenzen (2nd) -- Ford -- 72.196 m.p.h. |
| 1963 -- Fireball Roberts (3rd) -- Ford -- 76.910 m.p.h. |
| 1962 -- Bobby Johns (6th) -- Pontiac -- 75.280 m.p.h. |
| 1961 -- Jack Smith (12th) -- Pontiac -- 72.450 m.p.h. |
| NOTE: Formerly called Southeastern 500 (1961-1979), Valleydale 500 |
| (1980-1991), Jeff Byrd 500 (2011). |
| Past Food City 500 Pole Winners (finish) |
| 2011 -- Carl Edwards -- 6th |
| 2010 -- Joey Logano -- 27th |
| 2009 -- Mark Martin -- 6th |
| 2008 -- None -- Weather |
| 2007 -- Jeff Gordon -- 3rd |
| 2006 -- None -- Weather |
| 2005 -- Elliott Sadler -- 2nd |
| 2004 -- Ryan Newman -- 7th |
| 2003 -- Ryan Newman -- 22nd |
| 2002 -- Jeff Gordon -- 31st |
| 2001 -- Mark Martin -- 34th |
| 2000 -- Steve Park -- 7th |
| 1999 -- Rusty Wallace -- 1st |
| 1998 -- Rusty Wallace -- 33rd |
| 1997 -- Rusty Wallace -- 2nd |
| 1996 -- Mark Martin -- 3rd |
| 1995 -- Mark Martin -- 8th |
| 1994 -- Chuck Bown -- 23rd |
| 1993 -- Rusty Wallace -- 1st |
| 1992 -- Alan Kulwicki --1st |
| 1991 -- Rusty Wallace -- 1st |
| 1990 -- Ernie Irvan -- 16th |
| 1989 -- Mark Martin -- 6th |
| 1988 -- Rick Wilson -- 25th |
| 1987 -- Harry Gant -- 6th |
| 1986 -- Geoff Bodine -- 24th |
| 1985 -- Harry Gant -- 20th |
| 1984 -- Ricky Rudd -- 6th |
| 1983 -- Neil Bonnett -- 4th |
| 1982 -- Darrell Waltrip -- 1st |
| 1981 -- Darrell Waltrip -- 1st |
| 1980 -- Cale Yarborough --5th |
| 1979 -- Buddy Baker -- 25th |
| 1978 -- Neil Bonnett -- 26th |
| 1977 -- Cale Yarborough -- 1st |
| 1976 -- Buddy Baker -- 21st |
| 1975 -- Buddy Baker -- 3rd |
| 1974 -- Donnie Allison -- 5th |
| 1973 -- Cale Yarborough -- 1st |
| 1972 -- Bobby Allison -- 1st |
| 1971 -- David Pearson -- 1st |
| 1970 -- David Pearson -- 18th |
| 1969 -- Bobby Isaac -- 14th |
| 1968 -- Richard Petty -- 2nd |
| 1967 -- Darel Dieringer -- 3rd |
| 1966 -- David Pearson -- 15th |
| 1965 -- Marvin Panch -- 4th |
| 1964 -- Marvin Panch -- 5th |
| 1963 -- Fred Lorenzen -- 1st |
| 1962 -- Fireball Roberts -- 2nd |
| 1961 -- Bobby Johns -- 17th |
| Last Race Results |
| RACE: Kobalt Tools 400 (March 11th) |
| SITE: Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- Las Vegas, Nevada |
| MILES: 400.5 |
| LAPS: 267 |
| WINNER: Tony Stewart |
| RUNNER-UP: Jimmie Johnson |
| THIRD: Greg Biffle |
| FOURTH: Ryan Newman |
| FIFTH: Carl Edwards |
| POLE WINNER: Kasey Kahne (Finished 19th) |
| TIME OF RACE: 2 hours, 54 minutes, 44 seconds |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 137.524 m.p.h. |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.461 second |
| CAUTION FLAGS: 8 for 33 laps |
| LEAD CHANGES: 16 among 11 drivers |
| LAP LEADERS: K. Kahne - pole; D. Earnhardt Jr. 1-43; K. Harvick 44-45; G. |
| Biffle 46; D. Earnhardt Jr. 47-73; G. Biffle 74; D. Ragan 75; K. |
| Harvick 76-77; M. Kenseth 78-98; J. Johnson 99-133; T. Stewart |
| 134-175; B. Keselowski 176; A. Allmendinger 177; J. Gordon |
| 178-179; T. Stewart 180-230; C. Bowyer 231-233; T. Stewart |
| 234-267. |
| Food City 500 Entry List |
| Car | Driver, Hometown | Car/Name |
| 1 | Jamie McMurray (Joplin, MO) | Chevrolet/McDonald's |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hills, MI) | Dodge/Miller Lite |
| 5 | Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA) | Chevrolet/Farmers Insurance |
| 7 | Robby Gordon (Orange, CA) | Dodge/Speed Energy |
| 9 | Marcos Ambrose (Launceston, Australia) | Ford/Mac Tools |
| 10 | David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL) | Chevrolet/Tommy Baldwin Racing |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield, VA) | Toyota/FedEx Ground |
| 13 | Casey Mears (Bakersfield, CA) | Ford/GEICO |
| 14 | Tony Stewart (Columbus, IN) | Chevrolet/Office Depot/Mobil 1 |
| 15 | Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) | Toyota/TBA |
| 16 | Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA) | Ford/811-3M |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth (Cambridge, WI) | Ford/Best Buy |
| 18 * | Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV) | Toyota/Wrigley |
| 20 | Joey Logano (Middletown, CT) | Toyota/Home Depot |
| 22 | A.J. Allmendinger (Los Gatos, CA) | Dodge/Shell/Pennzoil |
| 23 | Scott Riggs (Bahama, NC) | Chevrolet/North Texas Pipe |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon (Vallejo, CA) | Chevrolet/Drive to End Hunger |
| 26 | Josh Wise (Riverside, CA) | Ford/Morristown Driver's Service |
| 27 | Paul Menard (Eau Claire, WI) | Chevrolet/Menards/Moen |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA) | Chevrolet/Budweiser |
| 30 | David Stremme (South Bend, IN) | Toyota/Inception Motorsports |
| 31 | Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA) | Chevrolet/BB&T |
| 32 | Ken Schrader (Fenton, MO) | Ford/TBA |
| 33 | Brendan Gaughan (Las Vegas, NV) | Chevrolet/South Point Casino |
| 34 | David Ragan (Unadilla, GA) | Ford/TBA |
| 36 | Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH) | Chevrolet/Widow |
| 37 | Timmy Hill (Port Tobacco, MD) | Ford/poynt.com |
| 38 | David Gilliland (Riverside, CA) | Ford/Taco Bell |
| 39 | Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN) | Chevrolet/Quicken Loans |
| 40 | Tony Raines (LaPorte, IN) | Toyota/LittleJoe'sAuto.com |
| 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya (Bogota, Colombia) | Chevrolet/Target |
| 43 | Aric Almirola (Tampa, FL) | Ford/Charter Communications |
| 47 | Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX) | Toyota/Clorox/Scott Products |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon, CA) | Chevrolet/Lowe's/Kobalt Tools |
| 49 | J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, AZ) | Toyota/America Israel Racing |
| 51 | Kurt Busch (Las Vegas, NV) | Chevrolet/Phoenix Construction |
| 55 | Brian Vickers (Thomasville, NC) | Toyota/Aaron's |
| 56 | Martin Truex Jr. (Mayetta, NJ) | Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts |
| 74 | Stacy Compton (Hurt, VA) | Chevrolet/Turn One Racing |
| 78 | Regan Smith (Cato, NY) | Chevrolet/Furniture Row Racing |
| 83 | Landon Cassill (Cedar Rapids, IA) | Toyota/Burger King/Dr. Pepper |
| 87 | Joe Nemechek (Lakeland, FL) | Toyota/AM FM Energy Wood Pellet |
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Kannapolis, NC) | Chevrolet/Diet Mt. Dew/Nat Guard |
| 93 | Travis Kvapil (Janesville, WI) | Toyota/Burger King/Dr. Pepper |
| 98 | Michael McDowell (Glendale, AZ) | Ford/Curb Records |
| 99 | Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO) | Ford/Kellogg's |
| Leading Contenders (Finish the last nine years) |
| Driver | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Kyle Busch | --- | --- | 28th | 8th | Won | 17th | Won | 9th | Won |
| Carl Edwards | --- | --- | 26th | 4th | 12th | 16th | 15th | 6th | 2nd |
| Jimmie Johnson | 8th | 16th | 6th | 30th | 16th | 18th | 3rd | Won | 3rd |
| Matt Kenseth | 2nd | 5th | 16th | 3rd | 11th | 10th | 33rd | 5th | 4th |
| Paul Menard | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 32nd | 25th | 18th | 5th |
| Kevin Harvick | 7th | 3rd | Won | 2nd | 4th | 2nd | 30th | 11th | 6th |
| Kurt Busch | Won | Won | 35th | Won | 29th | 12th | 11th | 3rd | 7th |
| Greg Biffle | 5th | 12th | 9th | 7th | 5th | 4th | 39th | 4th | 8th |
| Kasey Kahne | --- | 40th | 14th | 10th | 19th | 7th | 5th | 34th | 9th |
| Ryan Newman | 22nd | 7th | 30th | 9th | 39th | 33rd | 7th | 16th | 10th |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr | 16th | 11th | 4th | 11th | 7th | 5th | 14th | 7th | 11th |
| Jeff Gordon | 9th | 9th | 15th | 21st | 3rd | 11th | 4th | 14th | 14th |
| Marcos Ambrose | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 22nd | 35th | 15th |
| Martin Truex Jr | --- | --- | --- | 38th | 37th | 13th | 26th | 12th | 17th |
| Brad Keselowski | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 13th | 18th |
| Tony Stewart | 26th | 24th | 3rd | 12th | 35th | 14th | 17th | 2nd | 19th |
| Jeff Burton | 13th | 38th | 36th | 34th | 2nd | Won | 8th | 10th | 20th |
| Jamie McMurray | 11th | 8th | 24th | 35th | 9th | 43rd | 37th | 8th | 21st |
| Joey Logano | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 38th | 27th | 23rd |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | --- | --- | --- | --- | 32nd | 15th | 9th | 26th | 24th |
| A.J. Allmendinger | --- | --- | --- | --- | 40th | --- | 16th | 17th | 31st |
| Denny Hamlin | --- | --- | --- | 14th | 14th | 6th | 2nd | 19th | 33rd |
| Clint Bowyer | --- | --- | --- | 29th | 8th | 3rd | 13th | 40th | 35th |
| Mover of the Week |
| Paul Menard - Started 26th on the grid and finished 7th |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Kyle Busch |
| Darkhorse - Paul Menard |
| Last Week's Pick to Win (Kyle Busch) - Finished 23rd |
| Last Week's Darkhorse (Jeff Burton) - Finished 14th |
| NOTES: |
|
What else could be left for Kyle Busch to do at Bristol Motor Speedway?
Busch has won five Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol -- three in the spring
and two in the August night-time event. He also has four Nationwide and three
Camping World Truck Series victories at this track.
Well, there is one thing Busch hasn't quite accomplished at Bristol...winning
the Sprint Cup race at Bristol in the spring in consecutive seasons. He won
the nighttime event in back-to-back seasons from 2009-10.
One year ago, Busch had to fend off Carl Edwards, the pole sitter, and Jimmie
Johnson during the final 30 laps to win his fifth consecutive NASCAR national
touring series race at Bristol. He led 153 laps, but a lightning fast pit stop
from his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team with less than 100 laps to go was
the key to victory.
Last year's Bristol spring race marked his 90th combined victory in Sprint
Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series competition.
Repeating at Bristol Motor Speedway is certainly the norm, as seven drivers
over the years have posted back-to-back titles eight times there. Busch will
try to join that list on Sunday.
In 2010, Johnson started fourth on the grid to register his 50th career
title. Not only did Johnson win at Bristol for the first time ever in 17
starts, but he also moved into a tie for 10th place on the all-time race
winners list. Johnson, who now stands tied for 8th with 55 titles, took four
new tires during the last round of pit stops, while most of the leader only
took two. With just 10 laps remaining and Johnson in the sixth spot, he
charged ahead to pass Tony Stewart for the lead with six laps remaining.
Stewart finished second, 0.894 of a second behind.
Kyle Busch defeated Denny Hamlin by less than a second for his 14th career
Sprint Cup title in 2009. Busch led 378 of the 503 laps for a 0.391 of a
second victory. Starting from the 19th position, Busch gained the lead for the
first time on lap 69 and dominated the race, leading on five separate
occasions. Pole sitter Mark Martin placed sixth. Busch returned to BMS in the
fall and also captured the Sharpie 500, the first driver to win both Bristol
races in the same season since Kurt Busch in 2003.
Kurt Busch, a five-time winner at BMS, was the last driver to repeat as
champion, when he won three straight from 2002-04. Other repeat winners are;
Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, Cale Yarborough (twice), Darrell Waltrip, Dale
Earnhardt and David Pearson.
Jeff Burton crossed the finish line just 0.588 of a second ahead of Kevin
Harvick and Clint Bowyer to capture his 20th career Sprint Cup title in 2008.
Tony Stewart led for most of the race, leading six times for 267 laps, but
faded to 14th. Jimmie Johnson started on the pole and placed 18th. Trailing
Denny Hamlin with just two laps remaining, Burton took the lead when Hamlin
suddenly slowed and then hung on to take the checkered flag. In his 668th and
final regular season race, Dale Jarrett finished 37th.
Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin dominated this race in 2007, but it was Kyle
Busch who took the checkered flag, as he clipped Jeff Burton by less than
a second for his fourth career Sprint Cup title. Stewart, who started fourth
on the grid, led four times for a race-high 257 laps, but faded to 35th and
Hamlin, who placed 14th, led for 177 laps. Pole sitter Jeff Gordon led the
first six laps, but could do no better than third. Busch reclaimed the lead
from Hamlin on lap 485 and held on for victory by 0.064 of a second.
Kurt Busch outran Kevin Harvick down the stretch to take the checkered flag in
2006, as he crossed the finish line 0.179 of a second ahead of the defending
champion for his 15th career Sprint Cup title and fourth at this race. Busch
reclaimed the lead on lap 496 of the 500-lap event and held on for victory.
Busch led for a total of 33 laps, while Matt Kenseth, who placed third, led
for 124 laps, including laps 410 through 495. Pole sitter Tony Stewart led for
a race-high 245 laps, but finished 12th.
When Harvick won in 2005, he snapped the three-year win streak of Kurt Busch,
as he raced to a 4.652 seconds win over Elliott Sadler. The win enabled
Harvick to post a rare double in NASCAR, as he also captured the Nationwide
race the previous day. Harvick started 43rd on the grid due to a faulty power
steering pump and did not take the lead until lap 91 and then reclaimed the
lead on lap 434 of the 500-lap race, leading a total of 109 laps, including
the final 67 for his fifth Sprint Cup Series title.
When Cale Yarborough won this race in 1973, he led all 500 laps. Jeff Gordon
and Darrell Waltrip have won this event four straight years. Gordon from
1995-98 and Waltrip from 1981-84. Waltrip won 12 races at Bristol, more than
any other driver. Gordon has an amazing five wins and 20 top-10s at this
track with an average finish of 11.6, leading 2,440 laps in 36 races.
Yarborough and Mark Martin are nine-time pole winners at BMS.
There has been only one race run caution-free at Bristol, the 1971 Volunteer
500, won by Charlie Glotzbach. The late-Dale Earnhardt won this race five
times. There have been 102 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol since the
track opened in 1961. The race has been won from the Pole on 22 occasions
at Bristol, the most of any starting position. Eleven of those have come in
the spring race; 11 in the fall. Fifty-two races at Bristol have been won from
the first four starting positions and a whopping 81 of the 102 from the
top-10. The furthest back in the field that a race winner has started was 38th
by Elliott Sadler in the 2001 Food City 500.
The Sprint Cup Series returns to the West Coast for the March 25 Auto Club 400
at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Kevin Harvick is the defending race
winner.
03/13 17:05:41 ET
|
As of March 13, 2012, at 05:06 PM ET
Powered by The Sports Network.
|
