2008 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway

2008 Food City 500 Is Jarrett's Farewell:

This weekend NASCAR will say farewell to one of its legends as 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Dale Jarrett will drive in his final NASCAR points race.

The 24-year veteran will race in his 668th event in NASCAR's top series this weekend before heading to the broadcast booth later this year. Jarrett will replace Rusty Wallace as expert color commentator for ABC/ESPN broadcasts later this year.

Tickets:

Speedway ticket office (423) 764-1161

Buy online from TicketsNow (direct link)

The Track:

Measuring in at .533 miles and featuring 36 degrees of banking in the corners. Bristol Motor Speedway is very tight and very fast. Racing here was once compared to racing jetfighters in a gymnasium.

The high speeds and close quarters makes for a lot of pushing and shoving on the track, and sometimes in the pits. Adrenaline (and tempers) run high as often the only way to pass is to shove the guy in front of you out of the way.

Race Distance:

500 laps = 266.5 miles

The Big Picture:

Point leader Kyle Busch won last week in Atlanta and extended his lead. Greg Biffle moved up to second with another strong 2008 run.

The top twelve are now:

1. Kyle Busch
2. Greg Biffle -73
3. Kevin Harvick -91
4. Ryan Newman -94
5. Jeff Burton -110
6. Kasey Kahne -131
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -134
8. Tony Stewart -140
9. Brian Vickers -174
10. Kurt Busch -187
11. Martin Truex Jr. -194
12. Matt Kenseth -195

Storylines:

The 2008 Food City 500 will mark Dale Jarrett's 668th and final NASCAR Sprint Cup points race. Jarrett has been in NASCAR's top series since 1984. In that time he has amassed 260 top ten finishes, 163 top five finishes, 32 wins and nearly $60 million in career earnings. Jarrett was also the 1999 NASCAR Champion.

Dale Jarrett is one of the true gentlemen of the sport. Jarrett is a genuinely nice guy and a class act in every way. While he is leaving the driver's seat I am glad that he is not leaving the sport. Jarrett will be moving to the TV booth when ABC/ESPN takes over NASCAR coverage later this season.

Media Coverage:

TV: Fox Sunday March 16th 1:30PM Eastern.

Radio: PRN and SIRUIS Satellite

Actual Race: 2:00PM Eastern

Recent Events:

2007 Winner: Kyle Busch 2007 Polesitter: Jeff Gordon

Last Year:

The 2007 Car of Tomorrow race was the debut for the Car of Tomorrow.

Kyle Busch won a thriller in the new car as he beat Jeff Burton back to the checkered flag by half a car length.

Predictions:

Short track racing at Bristol is nearly as hard to predict as a restrictor plate race. You can have a fast car and be minding your own business when lightning strikes and suddenly you're done for the day.

Lets do some NASCAR math: (Kyle Busch is leading the points) + (Kyle Busch won this race last year) + (Kyle Busch won last week in Atlanta) = an obvious favorite for this weekend in Bristol.

For my backup this week I am going with another driver that has been fast in 2008. Carl Edwards has two wins so far in 2008 plus he won at Bristol Motor Speedway last August. He makes a great backup pick for the 2008 Food City 500.