Five thoughts from Monday’s rescheduled race at Bristol Motor Speedway:
1. What a race!
Bristol was one of those races that was so enjoyable to watch, I was disappointed when it ended.
That’s it? Only 500 laps? How about 600?
Seriously though, I could have watched that racing all day. It was just SO much fun to see the drivers going all out, with close-quarters racing and two equal grooves (yes, even though the bottom wasn’t the dominant lane).
I found myself smiling through many of the battles for position (which seemed constant) — and even while watching the leaders navigate lapped traffic.
It didn’t matter there was no late caution or restart to spice things up (the last 32 laps were green), nor did it matter there was a typical winner (Jimmie Johnson, again?). Bristol was just highly entertaining all day long, with the VHT-aided bottom groove just good enough to even things up with the top lane. As it turned out, that made for perfect racing conditions.
“Honestly, I don’t think it gets much better than that,” Kyle Larson said.
The sticky VHT slowly wearing off through the course of the race made it so that the track was constantly changing, and Bristol and NASCAR deserve a lot of credit for making it work.
Jimmie Johnson explained it this way: When there’s anything that’s consistent in NASCAR, the garage will figure it out. Everyone is too smart. But when the surface underwent a constant evolution like it did on Monday, Johnson said no one could exactly nail the setup.
“The track intentionally tried to create the need to be on the bottom,” Johnson said. “… This race, without a doubt, would have been single-file around the top without the VHT on the bottom,” Johnson said.
There was only one bad thing about the race: It was held Monday, when many fans were at work or school and couldn’t watch. Thanks a lot, Mother Nature.
How unfortunate that so many people missed one of the best races in recent years.
2. Larson Legend
I made a beeline for Larson’s car after the race, because watching him was half the fun of Monday’s race. He got out of his car and we made eye contact, and he looked sort of puzzled because I was grinning.
It took a second for me to remember he finished sixth on a day where he could have won, and probably wasn’t thrilled about the result. But I don’t really care where he finishes; I just know he put on quite a show — and usually does.
This seems so premature to say about a driver with two career wins, but Larson is really going to be an all-timer in this sport. I don’t know if his dry wit will ever translate into superstardom outside NASCAR (he might be too reserved to be the Jeff Gordon type who can guest-host a morning talk show), but he’ll be a legend within it by the time he’s done.
Larson’s driving style makes races more interesting to watch, and that’s not something you can say about many drivers. No matter what his career stats say by the time he’s done, he’ll be remembered as one of the greats of this generation.
3. Ol’ Jimmie does it again
Seven-Time, already the best driver in NASCAR history, just keeps adding to his career tally.
He now has 82 wins, which is one short of Cale Yarborough and two shy of Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison. It seems very possible that by the end of the season, the only drivers ahead of him on the all-time list will be Richard Petty, David Pearson and Jeff Gordon — and he may be alone in championships by the end of November.
It will be extra special for Johnson to tie Yarborough whenever he does, because Yarborough was the only NASCAR driver he knew while growing up. Johnson recalled walking into a Hardee’s as a kid and thinking he was in Yarborough’s race shop.
However, I fully recognize it’s not so great for everyone else living in the Jimmie Era — not just fans of other drivers, but the other drivers themselves.
“The damn 48,” Clint Bowyer said. “You know what I mean? Hasn’t he had enough?”
He certainly has, but that doesn’t mean he’s about to stop winning.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. in trouble
If the playoffs started today, Earnhardt would miss the cut by 50 points. It’s not even close right now, and Earnhardt — with the exception of his top-five at Texas — just isn’t running that well.
That’s not news to him or his fans, of course. But if this keeps up, he’s going to be in the type of territory where he needs to win — and that changes how a team goes about a race, particularly with strategy.
It’s been a fairly miserable start for Earnhardt, who is 24th in the standings — behind rookies Daniel Suarez and Ty Dillon. He’s five spots behind Aric Almirola in the points.
I honestly don’t think Earnhardt has lost anything despite missing half the season last year, but he hasn’t had good luck (three DNFs due to crashes) and the car hasn’t been all that great in the other races. Bristol wasn’t going to be a memorable race for him even before his oil cooler broke.
He described his car as being too tight and said other drivers were “beating me really bad back to the gas” out of the corners.
“That ain’t no way to run anywhere, really,” he said.
5. Roush Fenway keeps plugging along
Chip Ganassi Racing’s hot start has been well-documented. Kyle Larson is the points leader and Jamie McMurray is tied for sixth in the standings.
But it’s not just Ganassi that is out-running some of the bigger teams this season.
Roush Fenway Racing is much improved, and both drivers finished in the top 11 on Monday (Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was ninth and Trevor Bayne was 11th). In addition, Bayne is 12th in the standings and Stenhouse is 16th (although would currently be on the outside of the playoffs because Kurt Busch has a win and is 18th).
If they keep collecting top-15 finishes, that will be enough to keep them in playoff contention all summer. And right now, they’ve combined for 11 top-15s after having a combined 24 all of last year — this after just eight races.
Are they going to win? Probably not anytime soon. But they’re both ahead of six drivers in the standings from Hendrick, Gibbs and Stewart-Haas, so that’s an accomplishment after the last couple years.
I like your take on this race. Thanks
SInce the reconfiguration Bristol is no longer Bristol. The single groove, fast 1/2 mile became something else. No matter how hard the NASCAR kool-aid drinking media tried the spin it, Bristol changed….and the fans have voted with their wallets in droves.
Face it, Bristol is no longer special. Today’s race was just another gimmick in a sport of gimmicks. Doctor up (PJ1) a lane to try to get it “racy”. When will someone in the NASCAR media have the balls to stand up and say what needs to be said: “Bruton Smith’s decision to reconfigure Bristol was a ENOURMOUS mistake” . Until the track is restored to a single degree of banking, Bristol is just another track on the menontious schedule, and no longer a “must see”.
One more thing. No sooner did the race finish did the Jim Utter’s of the world chime in and tell the fans today was racing, and if you disagreed you don’t know what you are talking about. Who the hell made Utter the determining factor of what is and what is not good racing? The fans decide if it was a good race or not. The Jim Utter’s of the world need to get their damn ego checked and realize THEY ARE NOT THE STORY!
No one in NASCAR will say what
I really wish people like you would stop watching the sport. And I say that knowing full well we need as many fans as we can get right now. But the fact is that the racing today was phenomenal, and if you disagree and think that it’s “not Bristol” then you probably just don’t actually like racing. I get so tired of people like you complaining about every single thing.
What is it exactly that you’re looking for that today didn’t have? If you’re a race fan you should be able to enjoy a show like the one we saw today, if this didn’t cut it for you it’s time to ask yourself if you just have impossible standards or an overly nostalgic view of the past. This race had multiple racing grooves, as many as 5 cars simultaneously battling for the lead at one point, fast cars fell to the back and raced their way forward, tire strategy worked for some teams. Honestly I would feel comfortable putting this event up against the racing of any era of NASCAR and it would compare favorably. As a paying fan it’s fine to be critical, but be gracious enough to admit when they get it right and enjoy the show..
Bristol would have been a multiple grove race track just because it was resurfaced. It was run very similar to how it is run now when it was asphalt. the “old” Bristol, the fist concrete version of the track so to speak that so many people “love” was only one grove because of 2 reasons. resn number 1 was the surface was done by hand in 4′ sections by the same small company that resurfaced the 2 small bridges along rt. 11 out in front of the speedway. No machines used and everything was hand trowed. No one had done a high banked speedway in concrete to that point and they did a horrible job. (hell in that time period they could not even do a flat highway and make it smooth). The surface was so rough that the drivers could not run anywhere but he bottom. Reason number 2….since you seem to hate gimmicks but you fail to realize that even on the beloved “old” Bristol the bottom 12″ of the concrete actually had sealer on it just like they used to use at RIR and NHIS. That sealer provided grip to a surface that had none. It was essentially the same thing as the PJ1. so even your “old” BMS had a doctor up surface to help make it what it was. Drivers would hook their left side tires on the strip of sealer to help get though the turns. The fact is when they resurfaced BMS it was going to be done with modern technology that is vastly different now then it was in 1992. It would would have been super smooth by comparison and that alone would have changed how the race track was raced. So reconfiguration or not BMS was not going to be the same. like it or not BMS has been using the “gimmicks” longer than most fans realize.
I’m not sure the degree of banking at Bristol off the top of my head if they would do half the degree that it is now it would be awesome racing
Agree completely . At any other track the race would have been pretty good , But at Bristol it just plain was disappointing …. again . I want to love it , I really do . Its just not the same . It wont be until its put back the way it was . Even a few people I know that went said that it just didn’t have the excitement . Thank God for the few in the media that does call for the bottom groove to come back 100 percent . NASCAR is falling farther and farther from what I fell in love with in 92′ and Bristol just breaks my heart . I honestly after over 25 years of never missing a race could almost care less if it didn’t even exist anymore .
SInce the reconfiguration Bristol is no longer Bristol. The single groove, fast 1/2 mile became something else. No matter how hard the NASCAR kool-aid drinking media tried the spin it, Bristol changed….and the fans have voted with their wallets in droves.
Face it, Bristol is no longer special. Today’s race was just another gimmick in a sport of gimmicks. Doctor up (PJ1) a lane to try to get it “racy”. When will someone in the NASCAR media have the balls to stand up and say what needs to be said: “Bruton Smith’s decision to reconfigure Bristol was a ENOURMOUS mistake” . Until the track is restored to a single degree of banking, Bristol is just another track on the menontious schedule, and no longer a “must see”.
One more thing. No sooner did the race finish did the Jim Utter’s of the world chime in and tell the fans today was racing, and if you disagreed you don’t know what you are talking about. Who the hell made Utter the determining factor of what is and what is not good racing? The fans decide if it was a good race or not. The Jim Utter’s of the world need to get their damn ego checked and realize THEY ARE NOT THE STORY!
The race was a ton of fun live. Sorry so few we’re able to stay and feel blessed we could make it wor. My son had a blast, he’ll be taking about it for months!
First time ever at Bristol. Went to the Xfinity race Saturday but had not planned on going to the cup race even if it was run on Sunday. Had a great time and will most likely go again. What ever the track was before, doesn’t matter to me, I only know it for what I saw this weekend and I loved it.
If I may, a shout out to Speedway Children’s Charities, Bristol Motor Speedway, Blake Koch and Chris Rice on the 5K walk/run Friday night. The hilly course nearly killed me ???? But what a great time!!????????
Great report. Unbiased,very accurate and entertaining. I wiil be following.
Great report Jeff. Accurate,entertaining and unbiased. I will be following you. Not literally. Keep it up my man.
This was a very entertaining race, only complaint I had is that I had to stream it at work….but at least it made the day go by fast.
Good God, great you are hyped on Larson. Legend….he has faltered greatly and is still doing it. I think he has the personality of a dead house plant, but hey that is me. Time is the greatest story teller, we shall see, won’t we? Where is your praise Jeff for other drivers that clearly are better than he and have won more races? Sad actually!