Can Bristol Be Even Better?
Thursday August 23, 2007
This Saturday night Bristol Motor Speedway runs the 2007 Sharpie 500 under the lights. This is normally my favorite race of the season. However, things are a bit different this year as Bristol Motor Speedway has been dug up and replaced with a new configuration.
The racing has always been great here as cars battled to be on the bottom. After watching the Craftsman Truck series race last night I think it is possible that Bristol is now better than ever. The track seems to have a second groove and getting stuck on the outside isn't necessarily bad.
Check out the full preview and predictions for this Saturday night's race.
Comments
I myself dont get it .Bristol is just to congested and the fumes must make you dizzy .Plus you never know whos first .I do watch Martinsville and bristol but think its more like a crash up derby then a race !!And heaven forbid something happen in the pits .
Those short tracks are great lot more action than the super speedways. I thought about go to this year untill I seen the prices of the tickets. $107-$509 per ticket! NO THANKS. Nothing worth that much for a ticket. I watch it on TV and put up with the commercials. Sooner or later just like anything else Nascar going to price themselves right out of bussiness.
I agree Larry. There comes a point when one must evaluate if what he or she is getting is worth what it costs. $500 to watch the race in person or $0 to watch same race at home. No brainer!!!
Bristol live in person is a racing experience like no other. I love my hometrack here in Texas, but I can honestly admit that Bristol takes the cake when it comes to watching a race live.
As far as ticket prices go, its simply supply and demand. The demand outstrips the supply and the prices skyrocket. I do however agree that I would probably have to come into some unexpected money before I would forego the $0 vs. the $300 - $500 for a good seat.
Well, lets all get ready. Another race covered by ESPN, we will be treated to Rusty showing us the difference between clean air & dirty air 15 times!!
mick20 just think he gets paid for that also.
I’m glad its not just me that thinks this is ridiculous and condesending. Have you noticed that when the car coming around get his “clean” air, it does not throw off any “dirty” air behind it? Why is that?
I know why Rusty talks about that so much. It’s been several years ago, late 90’s? can’t remember. I remember he was racing and he had battery problems, he came in for a battery change. Then an anouncer asked him what is the problem, rusty got mad and took the mike out of the annoucers hands told him battery dead and through the mike out of the car. From that point in the race they did not mention Rusty name again that day. So my theory- he’s getting back for that. LOL
Along with that the entire crew seems to be about half a step late with calling all of the action. If something happens in turn 2 they seem be in turn 4. By the time they get to where it is happening it is over and they can’t seem to get a replay to show what happened. They might as well be showing pencil sketches.
John, the reason they seem can’t get to what happen in turn 2 is - Rusty has to finish explaining the clean air and dirty air thing. His contract requires him to explain at a minimum of 10 times every 20 minutes of the clean air and dirty air in motor sports, just in case some one has not heard of it yet.
espn coverage is beyond pitiful. Rusty; well my mooma said if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all!!!!!! so nothing to say about Rusty
For more than ten years Bristol has been one of my favorite races to watch. That was until the progressive banking. The truck race sucked! Never have I seen so many cars/trucks wash up the track going into the corners. They wrecked one of the best tracks in NASCAR. An honest, say it like it is driver like Stuart or Kyle Busch I am sure will have the same comments when asked the question on TV.
Rick S.
I thought it was just me, but Rusty Wallace is just BORING to listen to.
The first race ESPN did he used the term “RUBBERED UP”, refering to the recently rained on track at least 20 times during the race. Give me back DW.
Rusty is doing just fine. Do you think it is his choice to keep showing the clean air/dirty air BS during the race? Well it is not him it’s ESPN. They are trying to bring something new to the sport as far as coverage goes. I feel the clean air/dirty air is somewhat inaccurate though. For example, why does the car that passes another car not show dirty air in it’s tracks like the car it had passed? I have no problems with ESPN or Rusty Wallace. You want to talk about a station that sucks how about TNT!! How many commercials can you stand during a broadcast? ESPN is far, far better than TNT.
RS
Rusty doing a fine job? I don’t think so, take this piece, when his kid, Steve Wallace crashed into Jaun P Montoya, in the bush race at the “Glen” Rusty never said anything about it, and did not show what really what happend when JPM was crashed out…Them when Martin Truex hit him from behind (jpm) he kept beating a dead horse about him crashing with Kevin Harvick, so Rusty if your so good, why nothing on little stevie crashing jpm, not to good to me.!!!! Steve dont belong in nascar busch, he is going to hurt himself or someone else…If he drove for someone else he’d be long gone…Let him go back to arca and then he can learn how to drive…Rusty is Good ? I dont think so !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Espn better on commercials? good one. All networks about the same, just some of them does it better, and espn is not one of them. They need to stick with ball games. Then they can spend two hours on commercials and when they come back still no one missed anything.
One thing for sure rusty son is following his dads foot steps right to a tee on driving. Rusting should be the last person on complaining about a drivers skill like he did on harvick a week ago.
It may not be all of his choice about the clean/dirty air thing but he’s not helping it any.
I would rather see Rusty talk about clean air than to watch Darrell Waltrip cry because his brother won Daytona 5 years ago. Keep the announcing unbiased and lets go racing.. I agree with John and have said so already, ESPN should not try to do NASCAR events period. By the way my perdictions for Mich. was #24 and # 2 last week.. #20 and #17 are my choice for this week. And Bristol rocks! we have gone to the spring race for the last 6 years.
Any body that pays for those ticket prices need to get out of the sun more. Reminds me of that old Fried egg commercial. This is your brain and this is your brain when you sit out in the sun too long and become numb enough to buy those over priced tickets.
You know the difference between people that pays $500 for tickets and the ones watch it on tv for free? People think they have to spend that much just to have fun, while the rest of us that stay at home and watch it free can spend our money elsewhere and have something to show for it. What ever blows up your skirts I guess. Your money
I am so glad others think ESPN does a bad job for the races. It is almost like they have no interest in the race, too quiet. NO excitment. Anyway still a race to watch. If I had HD Espn would have a better pic, mine is blurred cause I don’t have HD I guess. Good thing my tv is 65″. Got it for Nascar watching.
Leanna 65 inch? Those big tv’s are made for “very” big rooms 65″ bigger the room the better it be. If you have it in a average size room it will be blurred, with that tv stand back to you next door neighbor it will clear up. Either that you have a poor reception/connection.
Look on the bright side, there really is no “clean or dirty” air at Bristol. I cant see how they will be able to use that ridiculous little segment.
It is very annoying when they spend time away from the race action to explain things we have all been watching for decades. Oh well, I guess they figure with a new fan base they feel the need to educate rather than commentate.
TLabonte Fan I bet you a dime to a dollar that Rusty will show us at least 3 times in the first 20-25 laps of the clean air and dirty air at Bristol. He already said he loves that demo of clean dirty air thing.
Nascar should drop pocono and race at Bristol more. Better raceing there than the boring pocono
ESPN & Rusty Suck!!!
See all that rain in the Midwest! Hope another race isn’t postponed. Can’t wait till Monday, getting cable installed. Haven’t had cable since 98! Hope to see a race soon!
I just noticed the tickets at bristol just went down in price now they are $97 to $397 from $107 to $509 Still have just about as many left what they had yesterday. Granted they did sold the majority of the track seats. Not standing room only yet.
i dont really like nascar but the rest of my family does Ilike Dale Earnheart Jr.
John, I use to have a very large room for it but now not that big. My house right now is a “shot gun” house. I can be in the kitchen or here at my puter and see the tv.It is clear till I go to ESPN. I have Dish network also. Oh and it is Sony, the best for looking at the side. I tried to sell it last year but gave up. As uaual it costs more than it is worth. On Speed it is clear too. Thanks for you input on it.
Kyle Busch robbed @ Bristol ?? way to go Nascar? OMG! must be cause’ he left Hendrick & going to Gibbs!! bad call come on, get it together??
To Mr. Just about the ticket prices, I never said I payed any amount for my tickets did I? They have been $85.00 to $96.00 For the lasy 6 years. Row 60 (two from the top) section K in turn 4.Sounds as though your a little scrambled yourself! Leanna, You can call dish if there is a problen with other events on ESPN. that are not clear. My sony is ok. if I am on hd. and only had a few beers. Ours is only a 46 inch lcd. though. Just remember, tickets to Bristol, $95.00 each. Gas to drive from central Indiana to eastern Tennesse $68,00. The memory’s are PRICELESS. Have a Great weekend race fans!
Bristol Rules…Nascar Rules…Saturday night is going to be a great race..Fridays race was awesome..way to go kasey…
I was not home so I tivo’d the Busch race and just watched it. ESPN has just topped themnselves. How can you lose the last two laps of the race? Their technicians must be as bad as their commentators.
Hey Mr Modoc, If you’ll read the comments, I don’t believe anybody accused you of buying any tickets. They only stated that they thought that one would have to have been out in the sun too long to pay that. Don’t be so defensive.
Mr Modoc I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. All I was getting at after looking at the prices of those tickets at the time I looked at them the cheapest was over $100 and up past $500 some odd. I always have and unless something happens I always will enjoy racing but not at those prices. It’s only racing and they are not the only show (races) in town. You say memories? I have memories of racing too but it didn’t cost me as much.
Finally, good racing at Bristol. You no longer have to rub and nudge your opponents out of the way or into the wall to pass or use the pits and lack of changing tires to gain spots. Passing can be done with the new configuration and yes there will be some track cleaning with the new banking, but most tracks will do it too. Look at Dover, best of them all. I can now enjoy watching a race at Bristol with passing to earn your position instead of the old “Let’s run around in single file until someone drives in too high and pass underneath” / no tires, gas mileage kind of racing. Kyle B showed that with his new tires and an attitude caused by another of many NASCAR blunders, that many positions can be earned on the track. Good job, Bristol track owners!!! Nice recovery Kyle, a few more laps and NASCAR might not look as bad as they did last night. Not a Kyle fan, just don’t like NASCAR forcing their rulings without checking all the facts. Two to three more caution laps and modern technology would have shut the official up and we may have had a different race at the end. Which by the way was a great challenge for five drivers and a great non-watched final two laps. Wish Mark M was racing tonight.
A partial list of how poorly ESPN covered the Friday race:
Lap 12 Rusty says looks like Burton’s car is off in need of adjustments
2 laps later Burton takes the lead
Lab 21 Missed wreck. Showed 5 commercials before showing
Lap 51 Camera on M. Wallace as he spins. ESPN doesn’t notice and goes to another camera. Missed restart not sure when the race restarted
Lap 75 Said Burten was lapping cars when he wrecked, he was midpack after pit stop
Lap 130 while showing labonte broken rim for the 2nd time, missed a big wreck
Lap 139 missed restart with wreck, due to commercial
lap 178 missed restart do to commercial
Lap 205 Nascar admits they made a mistake on the penalty for the 5, does nothing about it
Lap 212 missed restart with wreck, due to commercial
Lap 228 goes to commercial with 3 cars racing for the lead
Last 3 laps ESPN loses feed from track
What happened to Matt Kenseth? We see his hood open in the pits, then not another word about him!!!
ESPN should stick to baseball.
Well Mattfan at least there where no clean air dirty air thing!! LOL On Rusty, He’s over rated as far as I’m concern.
I would just like to say Kyle B. went over to the dark side (like he wasn’t already there) lol. rusty needs to quit well he is ahead.
So far after an hour of raceing 4 minutes of raceing and three minutes of commercials. Thanks ESPN we love you
Kurt rules what? You watch way too may movies.
Bristol reconfigeration took away the excitement out of the race.
ESPN does have too many comericals for my liking. i also, have 2 questions…. during the truck race(mikey in the booth) i noticed that he didn’t have his wedding band on, where was it? and, my finally question… why did the sullivan co. police keep ESPN from shooting shots from the stands of the fans during the busch race; my mother & sister who were @ home watching the busch race said the didn’t show ANY close ups of the crowd or the pits, what’s up with that?
anita jo Don’t know about mickey ring then again It’s none of my business, I try not to be a busy body and worry about others personel life. The other question where did you hear about the police thing?
Being a nascar fan for over 35 years this past Bristol Slot Car race was the worse Ive ever seen, even worse then boring Pocono Races they have and the never watch road races. The commentary was horrible leaving me wishing Benny was still with us and he was not one of the best. Evidently the announcers do not remember when Bristol was paved there was always 3 wide racing then. The COT or slot car, whatever you want to call it, is the worse thing (next to locking in the top 35) ever to happen to nascar. What happened to the day when a make of car would do something a little different that would leave the others scrambling to catch up. Nows it is just slap a few stickers on a car and you have a different make. How shall we say BORING. I’ll watch Busch races or trucks which are way more exciting then the CUP side.