Diverse Schedule Planned For Bristol Motor Speedway

Race week in Bristol features a historic streak, a controversial star, a new form of speed and a high-stakes Chase.
Those are just a few of the enticing story lines for fans to follow at Bristol Motor Speedway.

For the last 10 days, race fans from around the country have been heading to the hills of Northeast Tennessee for one of the busiest and most diverse programs in track history.

Wednesday’s first act is a doubleheader involving the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the Camping World Truck Series.
The modifieds represent NASCAR’s oldest division, but this will be the first national event held in Bristol. Storied Tennessee drivers such as Brownie King of Johnson City and Bill Morton of Kingsport competed in a weekly modified series held at BMS in the early 1960s.

Brian Vance, who lives in Bristol, Tenn., serves as director of the northern division of the Whelen Modified tour. Wednesday’s University of Northwestern Ohio Perfect Storm 150 event combines drivers from both northern and southern tours.

“The modifieds put on an awesome show,” Vance said during a phone interview. “These cars are a lot different from a Sprint Car, and I think fans are in for a real treat.”

Sprint Cup regulars Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne plan to join the modified show, which has historically appealed to drivers from the northeast.

Newman, 31, plans to run all four BMS races this week, becoming the first driver in NASCAR history to compete in four NASCAR events in the same race week at one track.
No driver in any series is hotter than Ron Hornaday, who has won five straight truck races. That mark is the longest in all forms of NASCAR since Richard Petty and Bobby Allison won five consecutive Winston Cup races in 1971.

“You dream for years like this,” the 51-year-old Hornaday said in a phone interview. “We just want to keep it going at Bristol.”

Entering Wednesday’s O’Reilly 200 at BMS, Hornaday holds a margin of 216 points over Matt Crafton and 248 over Mike Skinner in the Camping World point standings. Hornaday and Skinner are former winners at BMS.

Kyle Busch, who won last year’s Truck race at Bristol, figures to earn the spotlight for both Friday’s Food City 250 Nationwide race and Saturday’s Sharpie 500.
Busch has earned almost more attention this season for his temper and theatrics as for his on-track success. Despite his enigmatic ways, Busch owns a commanding lead in Nationwide points.

The list of drivers entered in both Friday’s and Saturday’s race also features Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Kahne, Carl Edwards, David Ragan and Paul Menard.
Bowyer, Kahne and Edwards have all won Nationwide races at Bristol.

The big-picture question entering the Sharpie 500 centers on the race to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Busch is among a handful of drivers hoping to secure one of the 12 spots in the Chase that begins Sept. 20 in New Hampshire.

Television ratings have been down for all but two of the Sprint Cup events this season, and attendance has also been lackluster for many races.
BMS general manager Jeff Byrd announced Aug. 11 that all tickets for the Sharpie 500 have been sold, extending the sellout string at Bristol for Sprint Cup races to 55.

“We feel humbled by that stat,” BMS vice president of public affairs Kevin Triplett said. “We don’t want to just meet fan expectations, we want to exceed them.”

While the Sharpie 500 is a sellout, traditional and new fans continue to express regret about the tamer flavor of racing at BMS since the concrete track was resurfaced in 2007.

A variety of other special events are planned for the week, including Thursday’s Food City Family Race Night in downtown Bristol and the BMS Transporter parade that follows a 10-mile route through the streets of Bristol.
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