NASCAR - Sprint Cup - Jeff Byrd 500 Preview
From The Sports Network
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| DATE: Sunday, March 21st |
| SITE: Bristol Motor Speedway (1960) -- Bristol, Tennessee |
| TRACK: 0.533-mile oval - 650 feet (Frontstretch); 650 feet (Backstretch) |
| CAPACITY: 160,000 |
| ANNUAL: 51st |
| 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: Jimmie Johnson |
| RUNNER-UP: Tony Stewart |
| POLE WINNER: Joey Logano (Finished 27th) |
| 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: $5,506,217 (2010 figures) |
| PAYOUTS: 1st Place - $199,978; 2nd Place - $161,323; 3rd Place - $167,523 |
| 2010 Finish |
| Finish | Driver | Start | Finish | Driver | Start |
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 4 | 6 | Carl Edwards | 8 |
| 2 | Tony Stewart | 11 | 7 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 18 |
| 3 | Kurt Busch | 2 | 8 | Jamie McMurray | 17 |
| 4 | Greg Biffle | 25 | 9 | Kyle Busch | 38 |
| 5 | Matt Kenseth | 7 | 10 | Jeff Burton | 14 |
| 2010 Food City 500 Facts and Figures |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 79.618 m.p.h. |
| TIME OF RACE: 3 hours, 20 minutes, 50 seconds |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.894 second |
| CAUTION FLAGS: 10 for 109 laps |
| LEAD CHANGES: 29 among 8 drivers |
| POLE WINNER: Joey Logano (124.630 m.p.h.) |
| Past Food City 500 Winners (Starting Position) Car -- Speed |
| 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). |
| Past Food City 500 Pole Winners (finish) |
| 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 6th) |
| SITE: Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- Las Vegas, Nevada |
| MILES: 400.5 |
| LAPS: 267 |
| WINNER: Carl Edwards |
| RUNNER-UP: Tony Stewart |
| THIRD: Juan Pablo Montoya |
| FOURTH: Marcos Ambrose |
| FIFTH: Ryan Newman |
| POLE WINNER: Matt Kenseth (Finished 11th) |
| TIME OF RACE: 2 hours, 57 minutes, 20 seconds |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 135.508 m.p.h. |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.246 seconds |
| CAUTION FLAGS: 7 for 35 laps |
| LEAD CHANGES: 21 among 14 drivers |
| LAP LEADERS: M. Kenseth 1-2; G. Biffle 3-9; M. Kenseth 10; J. Gordon 11-12; T. |
| Stewart 13-50; G. Biffle 51-54; M. Truex Jr. 55; P. Menard 56-58; |
| D. Blaney 59; M. Skinner 60; T. Stewart 61-97; M. Ambrose 98; T. |
| Stewart 99-150; M. Truex Jr. 151; C. Edwards 152-197; M. Truex |
| Jr. 198; T. Stewart 199-234; J. Montoya 235-241; Kurt Busch 242; |
| C. Bowyer 243; D. Reutimann 244; C. Edwards 245-267. |
| Food City 500 Entry List |
| Car | Driver, Hometown | Car/Name |
| 00 | David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL) | Toyota/Aaron's |
| 1 | Jamie McMurray (Joplin, MO) | Chevrolet/Bass Pro Shops |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hills, MI) | Dodge/Miller Lite |
| 4 | Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA) | Toyota/Red Bull |
| 5 | Mark Martin (Batesville, AR) | Chevrolet/GoDaddy.com |
| 6 | David Ragan (Unadilla, GA) | Ford/UPS |
| 7 | Robby Gordon (Orange, CA) | Dodge/Speed Energy/Bashas |
| 09 | Bill Elliott (Dawsonville, GA) | Chevrolet/Rydex |
| 9 | Marcos Ambrose (Launceston, Australia) | Ford/DeWalt |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield, VA) | Toyota/FedEx Express |
| 13 | Casey Mears (Bakersfield, CA) | Toyota/GEICO |
| 14 | Tony Stewart (Columbus, IN) | Chevrolet/Office Depot |
| 16 | Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA) | Ford/3M |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth (Cambridge, WI) | Ford/Crown Royal |
| 18 | Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV) | Toyota/M&M's |
| 20 | Joey Logano (Middletown, CT) | Toyota/Home Depot |
| 21 | Trevor Bayne (Knoxville, TN) | Ford/Motorcraft/Quick Lane |
| 22 | Kurt Busch (Las Vegas, NV) | Dodge/Shell/Pennzoil |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon (Vallejo, CA) | Chevrolet/Pepsi Max |
| 27 | Paul Menard (Eau Claire, WI) | Chevrolet/Menards/Certain Teed |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA) | Chevrolet/Budweiser |
| 31 | Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA) | Chevrolet/Caterpillar |
| 32 | Ken Schrader (Fenton, MO) | Ford/VA Mortgage Company |
| 33 | Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) | Chevrolet/BB&T |
| 34 | David Gilliland (Riverside, CA) | Ford/Taco Bell/T Mone |
| 36 | Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH) | Chevrolet/Tommy Baldwin Racing |
| 37 | Tony Raines (LaPorte, IN) | Ford/TBA |
| 38 | Travis Kvapil (Janesville, WI) | Ford/Long John Silver's |
| 39 | Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN) | Chevrolet/Tornados |
| 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya (Bogota, Colombia) | Chevrolet/Target |
| 43 | A.J. Allmendinger (Los Gatos, CA) | Ford/Best Buy |
| 46 | J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, AZ) | Chevrolet/Red Line Oil |
| 47 | Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX) | Toyota/Bush's Baked Beans |
| 48 * | Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon, CA) | Chevrolet/Lowe's/Kobalt Tools |
| 56 | Martin Truex Jr. (Mayetta, NJ) | Toyota/NAPA |
| 60 | Landon Cassill (Cedar Rapids, IA) | Toyota/Big Red |
| 66 | Michael McDowell (Glendale, AZ) | Toyota/HP Racing LLC |
| 71 | Andy Lally (Northport, NY) | Chevrolet/Eco-Fuel Saver |
| 78 | Regan Smith (Cato, NY) | Chevrolet/Furniture Row Racing |
| 83 | Brian Vickers (Thomasville, NC) | Toyota/Red Bull |
| 87 | Joe Nemechek (Lakeland, FL) | Toyota/NEMCO Motorsports |
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Kannapolis, NC) | Chevrolet/Amp Energy/Nat'l Guard |
| 92 | Brian Keselowski (Rochester Hills, MI) | Dodge/K-Automotive Motorsports |
| 99 | Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO) | Ford/Scotts |
| Leading Contenders (Finish the last nine years) |
| Driver | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 7th | 8th | 16th | 6th | 30th | 16th | 18th | 3rd | Won |
| Tony Stewart | 15th | 26th | 24th | 3rd | 12th | 35th | 14th | 17th | 2nd |
| Kurt Busch | Won | Won | Won | 35th | Won | 29th | 12th | 11th | 3rd |
| Greg Biffle | --- | 5th | 12th | 9th | 7th | 5th | 4th | 39th | 4th |
| Matt Kenseth | 6th | 2nd | 5th | 16th | 3rd | 11th | 10th | 33rd | 5th |
| Carl Edwards | --- | --- | --- | 26th | 4th | 12th | 16th | 15th | 6th |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr | 4th | 16th | 11th | 4th | 11th | 7th | 5th | 14th | 7th |
| Jamie McMurray | --- | 11th | 8th | 24th | 35th | 9th | 43rd | 37th | 8th |
| Kyle Busch | --- | --- | --- | 28th | 8th | Won | 17th | Won | 9th |
| Jeff Burton | 26th | 13th | 38th | 36th | 34th | 2nd | Won | 8th | 10th |
| Kevin Harvick | 10th | 7th | 3rd | Won | 2nd | 4th | 2nd | 30th | 11th |
| Martin Truex Jr | --- | --- | --- | --- | 38th | 37th | 13th | 26th | 12th |
| Brad Keselowski | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 13th |
| Jeff Gordon | 31st | 9th | 9th | 15th | 21st | 3rd | 11th | 4th | 14th |
| Brian Vickers | --- | --- | 35th | 12th | 37th | 15th | 39th | 29th | 15th |
| Ryan Newman | 37th | 22nd | 7th | 30th | 9th | 39th | 33rd | 7th | 16th |
| Paul Menard | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 32nd | 25th | 18th |
| Denny Hamlin | --- | --- | --- | --- | 14th | 14th | 6th | 2nd | 19th |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 32nd | 15th | 9th | 26th |
| Joey Logano | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 38th | 27th |
| Kasey Kahne | --- | --- | 40th | 14th | 10th | 19th | 7th | 5th | 34th |
| Mark Martin | 11th | 29th | 23rd | 31st | 6th | --- | --- | 6th | 35th |
| David Reutimann | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 20th | 12th | 38th |
| Clint Bowyer | --- | --- | --- | --- | 29th | 8th | 3rd | 13th | 40th |
| Mover of the Week |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr - Started 33rd on the grid and finished 8th |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Kyle Busch |
| Darkhorse - Clint Bowyer |
| Last Week's Pick to Win (Matt Kenseth) - Finished 11th |
| Last Week's Darkhorse (Kasey Kahne) - Finished 14th |
| NOTES: |
|
Repeating at Bristol Motor Speedway is certainly the norm, as the
Sprint Cup Series heads to Tennessee. Seven drivers over the years have posted
back-to-back titles eight times at BMS. Jimmie Johnson will try to join that
list.
Last season, 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 alone in 10th with 53 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 100 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 80 of the 100 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.
Kyle Busch continues to improve on his resume at Bristol Motor Speedway. Since
2008, Busch has recorded seven NASCAR wins (3 Sprint, 1 Nationwide and 3
Truck) and 12 top-10 finishes in 15 starts.
The Sprint Cup Series moves on to Fontana, California for the March 27th
running of the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. Jimmie Johnson will defend
his 2010 title.
03/15 18:37:23 ET
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As of March 15, 2011, at 06:37 PM ET
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