Bristol Motor Speedway Officials Look Back And Plan Ahead

BRISTOL, Tenn. –  Bristol Motor Speedway officials have spent the past few weeks in review mode.
They have examined possible additions to the fan experience, chatted with patrons and taken a big-picture glance at the Aug. 22 Sharpie 500.

According to BMS vice president of events Wayne Estes, the cathedral of short-track racing continues to outperform larger facilities in high-profile media markets. 

“When you match the performance of the races at Bristol up against every other [NASCAR] event this year, you’ve got to be ecstatic from our standpoint,” Estes said.

The full 2010 NASCAR schedule is expected to be released by Monday. No major changes are expected in the BMS race dates.

Many of the story lines of the 2009 NASCAR season have focused on the negative. Due to the grim national economic climate, there have been cutbacks from auto manufacturers, sponsors and teams.
Attendance has dipped as much as 25 percent at some tracks and empty seats have become the norm. As teams prepare for the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, there have been no confirmed sellouts for any other NASCAR races this season, including the famed Daytona 500.

Meanwhile, BMS earned its 55th straight sellout for a Sprint Cup event. In fact, the sellout string at Bristol is unmatched in the modern era of major league motorsports.

“And that’s something that everyone in the Bristol community should take pride in,” Estes said. “I know that [sellout] streak makes us swell with pride.”

A crowd of more than 160,000 attended the Sharpie 500, while more than 100,000 fans attended the Food City 250 Nationwide Series race the night before.

One of the highlights of the most recent week of Bristol speed was the debut of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series Tour. In addition to spotlighting famed drivers such as Mike Stefanik, the University of Northwest Ohio 150 attracted many fans from outside the traditional NASCAR fan base.

“We actually have heard from some folks in the New England area who came down just for that race,” said Kevin Triplett, BMS director of public affairs. “The event literally left folks very little time to catch their breath, so I can’t imagine what the drivers were dealing with.”

There was a degree of uncertainty entering the modified race at BMS. More than a dozen drivers spun out during the two test sessions. Many of the stars of the series had never experienced the highs-speed demands at a track such as BMS.

In post-race ceremonies, race winner Donny Lia wore the expression of a prizefighter who had endured a grueling 15-round bout.

“[Lia] was tired,” Triplett said. “It was fast and physically demanding, and we knew it would be.”

Triplett said the BMS staff was pleased with the reaction of the race sponsors, fans, competitors and NASCAR officials.
As for a possible return of the Mod Squad to BMS, Triplett said that decision will be made later between NASCAR and track officials.

“We have not had time to digest all the details that go into bringing the series back. But at first blush, I think most everyone was pretty pleased with it,” Triplett said. “That doesn’t mean there’s not room for a tweak here or there, but it was a good inaugural event.”

Estes, who helped bring dirt late model racing and World of Outlaws sprint car racing to BMS in 2002, pointed out that all new drivers approach the high-speed track with a sense of trepidation.

“The same thing happened when the first time the late model guys came here,” Estes said. “Drivers take it very careful on their first trip here, then the second race tends to be a little wilder.
“Hopefully, the modifieds can return.”

Meanwhile, Estes is also working out the details for next year’s United States Racing Association Pro Cup Series and NASCAR legends race. The USARacing Series, which did not run at BMS this season, returns Saturday, May 15 for a 200-lap contest.

Estes said the second legends race at BMS will be held following the spring Nationwide Series race. The list of driver confirmations includes Caleb Yarborough, L.D. Ottinger, Phil Parsons, Larry Pearson, Jack Ingram and Charlie Glotzbach.

There was considerable debate in the days leading up to Sharpie 500 over the quality of racing since the concrete surface was replaced and progressive banking was added following the 2007 spring race. Estes said the drivers are gradually finding a comfort zone on the new-look track.

“It’s interesting to watch the drivers get accustomed to the track,” Estes said. “Where they used to stay on the bottom, now they can use the high and low side of the track to make passes.”

Boosted by the dramatic finish involving fan favorite and eventual race-winner Kyle Busch, ESPN official reported an 8.6 rise for the Sharpie 500 for an average of 5.323 million viewers. There was a 7.1 percent jump for the Food City 250.

Those BMS numbers are impressive when contrasted to other Sprint Cup events which have experienced double-digit declines in viewers this season.

Estes said he has been encouraged by the postrace comments of fans, many of whom viewed the opportunity to see the night race at Bristol in terms of a NASCAR bucket-list. For the first time since the sellout streak began, tickets were made available.

“We put a lot of effort into promotion and advertising, and the vast of majority of fans gave us positive race reviews,” Estes said. “We know that many fans had waited years and years to see this race, so we had to work harder than ever before. Our mission was to meet and exceed those expectations. “

In a season where NASCAR sputtered in several areas, Estes said the positive reviews add to the motivation for the BMS staff.

“The NASCAR world still likes coming to Bristol, and that makes you swell with pride,” Estes said.
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