NASCAR Raceday: Pair scrapping for the 12th spot
Friday, Aug. 20, 2010
A little more to chew on while waiting for a green flag at Bristol Motor Speedway:
Three things to watch
1. Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin have been trading places for the 12th and final spot in the Chase the past couple of weeks.
Coming into Bristol, Bowyer holds a 35-point advantage. Both have strong records at the track.
2. Kevin Harvick is the newest “favorite for the championship” after his win last weekend at Michigan. Now, he's back at one of his favorite tracks, one on which he's had a lot of success – Bristol.
3. Kyle Busch has won three of the past seven Cup races at Bristol and swept the 2009 events. His brother Kurt is tied with Jeff Gordon with the most wins (five) at the track among active drivers.
Gordon's most recent win was in 2002.
Observations
Just win, baby!
There's a lot of talk about who will be Sprint Cup's “regular season champion.” But it means nothing unless that driver has the most wins entering the 10-race Chase.
With the playoff field set by bonus points awarded for victories, a driver could lead the standings – and wear the fictional regular season crown – but start last in the Chase if he fails to win a race.
In actuality, the bonus points formula makes the pre-Chase standings virtually meaningless.
Applauding an upgrade
Many thanks to the staff at Bristol Motor Speedway and its parent company, Speedway Motorsports Inc., for the construction of a new and first-rate media center. One of NASCAR’s most popular stops now has a media center that equals the track.
Hear that Phoenix?
Wish you were here
Get-well wishes to Bristol track president Jeff Byrd, who continues his recovery from a recent illness.
“Our race fans, who are the best in the sport, know how much I want to be there this weekend, especially with it being our 100th Cup race,” he said.
Just the facts
Irwin Night Race at Bristol
Where: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn.
Track type: 0.533-mile highly banked concrete oval.
Race distance: 500 laps, 266.5 miles.
When: Green flag is 7:45 p.m.
Weather: A 30 percent chance of thunderstorms with a high in the mid-80s.
TV: Coverage begins at 7 p.m. on ABC.
Radio: Performance Racing Network.
Picks
JIM UTTER
He’s won twice on restrictor-plate tracks and was very fast in his victory last weekend at Michigan. Now, he’s at one of his favorite tracks.
Winner: Kevin Harvick.
BOB HENRY
I didn't crunch a lot of numbers and nothing resembling thoughtful analysis was even remotely involved. It just felt right when the deadline got here.
Winner: Kurt Busch.
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