There's no place like Bristol
When one looks at Bristol Motor Speedway, it doesn't seem like much on the surface. A lap there runs barely a half-mile around - .533 miles, the second shortest track on the Nextel Cup circuit to Martinsville (.526). It has a distinctive shape with a full 36 degrees of banking in the turns and looks like Grandma's old salad bowl after it came out of the dishwasher.
But come Saturday night, that bowl will be surrounded by 160,000 screaming maniac race fans roaring for their favorite drivers.
That's the key about Bristol. No race on the schedule beats the night race at the Bullring.
With only three races to go until the Chase begins, this edition of the Sharpie 500 (pre-race show at 5 p.m., green flag just after 5:30 Saturday night on TNT) will have several nervous drivers.
While points leader Jimmie Johnson and second-place Matt Kenseth are likely locks for the Chase, the race for third through 11th is as tight as the turns the drivers will face at Bristol.
From Kevin Harvick to Kasey Kahne, the separation is just 216 points. From seventh-place Kyle Busch to Kahne, it's only 90 points.
Mistakes can't happen now. Qualifying spots will matter even more. Staying out of trouble is of paramount importance.
At Bristol, your basic race formula for success has three parts - stay on the bottom of the track, don't gamble on passes, and know where your pit stall is.
Pit road at Bristol, by necessity, is split in two parts. During green-flag stops, drivers will lose a bunch of spots if they pit too quickly.
But with so much on the line Saturday night, spotters will be communicating where their driver's pit stall is early and often.
And if Johnson and/or Kenseth falter, there may be some additional life for Kahne because all drivers within 400 points of the lead will qualify for the Chase. Currently, Kahne is 533 points off Johnson's lead.
It's time to sit back, relax, and try not to stress too much over your favorite driver's mishaps. Then again, his Chase chances may not survive if he can't at Bristol.
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