2 Kyles Finish 1-2 in Bristol's Redneck 300
Current NASCAR
I jumped out of the La-Z-Boy when he punted Virginia C.E. Falk for the win at Daytona, but I agree we'll be hearing much more from that young man.
Forum Activity for @dave-fulton
Current NASCAR
2 Kyles Finish 1-2 in Bristol's Redneck 300
Current NASCAR
I only got to see the final 35 laps of today's Nationwide Series Bristol race - the Jeff Foxworthy's Grit Chips 300.
Veteran Kyle Busch in the Gibbs' Toyota beat young upstart Kyle Larson in the Turner-Scott Chevy ride by a few inches, with the young Larson bouncing off both the wall and Busch at the finish line contesting the win. It was an extremely exciting finish. Be sure to watch the replays when available.
Larson is decidedly the real deal.
And don't forget what Jeff Foxworthy says - "If you name your son Dale, Jr. and your last name isn't Earnhardt, you may be a ....."
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
March 16, 1958: Double Chicken Money for Petty teams
Stock Car Racing History
I love the typo in the Spartanburg Herald Associated Press story describing Curtis Turner's spin at Wilson in the 2,000 lap race. Those good ole boys would have been too tired to eat any barbecue across Highway 301 at Parkers after 2,000 laps on a dirt half-mile, lol! Wonder why the crowd was so small?
A Roll of Duct Tape Might Fix That Problem
Current NASCAR
Well.... if NASCAR and Coach Joe thought they'd swept the recent Denny Hamlin fine controversy under the rug, Denny evidently didn't get the word. He was talking about it again Friday at Bristol. I can picture the NASCAR brass corralling Coach Joe Gibbs, Hamlin's car owner, and pleading, "Say it ain't so, Joe."
As much as I supported Denny's right to speak his thoughts, it may now be time for the Coach to go to that big ole #11 tool box and get a roll of duct tape. In the hands of an expert such as the Coach, I suspect Denny might be refrained from future remaks on the subject NASCAR said had been put to bed.
Denny Hamlin case may be closed, but public comment period is still open
By Jim Utter - jutter@charlotteobserver.com
Friday, Mar. 15, 2013
BRISTOL, Tenn. The Denny Hamlin-NASCAR face off was supposed to be over but Hamlin gave it a nudge back into the spotlight on Friday.
Less than 24 hours after Hamlin announced he would drop his appeal of a $25,000 fine for what NASCAR called disparaging remarks about on the performance of the new Sprint Cup Series car, Hamlin refused to give any ground in his public relations battle with the sanctioning body.
Hamlin insisted Thursday he would not pay the fine and NASCAR indicated it would seek to recover the amount from his race winnings. In its statement Thursday, NASCAR stated it considered the case closed.
On Friday, Hamlin cracked the door open again.
The biggest thing is I think that we won in the judge of the people and their opinion I think some of the peers of mine at least the ones that have a backbone had the nerve to stick up for what they know is right and wrong agreed, Hamlin said.
But what was the point in going another week or so. Weve got bigger fish to fry than to argue over what I said just for $25,000 and its better just to move on and let NASCAR get its credibility back and theyre going to do that and Im going to move on and just focus on a championship.
Hamlin repeatedly said he believed NASCAR overreacted with its penalty and said he believed NASCAR knows it did as well.
NASCAR elected not to dive back into the debate on Friday.
As was stated Thursday afternoon, NASCAR considers this matter closed, spokesman Kerry Tharp said.
Hamlin, who won last summers Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway and will start third in Sundays race, said his biggest gripe was that he was not notified by NASCAR before it elected to punish him.
That was the biggest complaint I had was that if I was Jeff Gordon, Tony (Stewart), Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. or any Hendrick (Motorsports) driver lets just say that they would have had a conversation with me before, he said. Just to slap the fine on me and not tell me anything is what really, really bugged me a lot.
That felt like I had not earned my place in this sport and Ive grinded it out here for eight years and I really feel like Ive done what it takes to earn the respect of both my peers and NASCAR and I felt like if I had been somebody else, the outcome may have been different.
Hamlin said he elected to drop the appeal after speaking with NASCAR officials, including NASCAR Chairman Brian France, and Joe Gibbs, his team owner.
I didnt need to prove anyone wrong. It was just it needed to end and just move on from this point, he said.
By me saying I was not going to hand them the check and I was not going to give them anything it was then in their court to decide what they wanted to do to ensure the fine (was paid).
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
The Way We Were - Bristol 1965 - Sleeping in a Plymouth Belvedere
Stock Car Racing History
I love the 1983 Bristol photo Jeff posted. That's the old asphalt Bristol I so loved. I didn't make it to Bristol for the first time until the Spring 1967 Southeastern 500 - but, it was still in its original "low banked" asphalt configuration then. I remember how shiny and white and new the concrete grandstands still looked after several years. You can see them in the old torn photo below I took from the infield of G.C. Spencer's #49 Plymouth after the race.
This morning, a local Charlotte television sports reporter showed a clip of Bill Elliott getting his first career short track win. It was at Bristol in the Spring 1988 Valleydale 500. That win was a springboard for a championship season by the Awesome One driving that familiar #9 Coors/Melling Thuinderbird.
The sportscaster, who used to be based in Atlanta, made two interesting observations while the tape rolled. He marvelled that you could actually tell the brand of car being driven and he commented that Bill was the only athlete he ever interviewed who turned "yes" into a three syllable word!
The 1-minute clip below of Bill Elliott's 1988 championship season highlights begins with Elliott's Bristol spin by Geoff Bodine and subsequent comeback victory.
The Way We Were - Bristol 1965 - Sleeping in a Plymouth Belvedere
Stock Car Racing History
I especially wanted our Legend, Tim Leeming - world's foremost Plymouth fan - to see Monte Dutton's excellent blog about his first Bristol race in 1965. You'll see why.
Bristol and I Go Back a Ways
This is the majestic view I wont have this weekend.
The first time I laid eyes on Bristol Motor Speedway, it was Bristol International Raceway and it didnt seem overly international. It looked like a small-college football stadium, though much larger because a half-mile ribbon of asphalt is twice as large as the quarter-mile track that rings the football field at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem. Asphalt coated the track, and the turns were moderately, not high, banked.
I was nonetheless overwhelmed because I was, (a.) seven years old, and, (b.) a bit fatigued, having slept sitting up in a 1964 Plymouth Belvedere along with Ralph, Steve and Marshall Barnes, none of whom survives, so I reckon I cant prove it.
Ned Jarrett won the Volunteer 500 in the autumn of 1965, and it was the first paved stock-car race I ever saw. I had already watched a bunch of flathead Fords circle a dusty quarter mile in Greenwood, S.C. Ralph was the sole full-time employee of my grandfathers curb market, and he took me to see Richard Petty, who was the only driver who counted and the reason we slept in a Plymouth. When it became obvious The King, not yet acknowledged as such, wasnt going to win, we walked back down the incline and listened to Gentleman Ned win on the radio. At the time, Petty was merely Rapid Richard of Randleman.
The second time I laid eyes on Bristol, I didnt get to see the inside because the family was participating in a nearby horse show.
If I had gone to bed in 1965 and awakened at the track this morning, I couldnt possibly know it was the same place. Its vastly different than when I wrote about my first Bristol race 20 years ago. Back then the press box was in turn one, whereas now it majestically overlooks turns three and four. I parked at the foot of a long asphalt incline, and making my way up to the press box was a bit like walking up an Olympic ski-jump ramp. Once up there, there were steps up to the press box proper. I remember when an elevator was first installed. When Bob Latford, also sadly departed now, touted the ease of movement afforded by the elevator, I told him the steps were nothing compared to the walk it required to reach them.
Well, Latford conceded, thats the truth.
What did resemble a small football stadium now appears as if an alien mothership landed in the shadow of Holston Mountain, particularly at night when it is illuminated by an eerie glow.
Some race tracks are drudgery to cover. Bristol is fun. Part of that is due to the quality of the racing. Part is due to the friendliness of the folks who work there. The late Jeff Byrd is the only track president who ever came out into the press parking lot, no longer at the foot of a would-be ski jump, to drink beer and listen to me sing Jerry Jeff Walker songs.
Theres a recurring theme. I keep writing about folks who arent around anymore. This weekend I wont be there, but Ill be fine, thank you, watching from the distance and with a spirit that imagines itself on the grounds.
Posted in NASCAR Tagged 1965 , bristol , changes , dutton , jarrett , jump , monte , petty , plymouth , ski 5 Comments
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
Rim Ridin' Rowdy Ropes Thunder Valley Pole
Current NASCAR
Green car with a Patrick driving... who knows? Stranger things have happened!
Rim Ridin' Rowdy Ropes Thunder Valley Pole
Current NASCAR
My suspicion is that the #10 will be the passee, not the passer. Time will tell. I suspect #10 will be loving that wave around rule and possibly the fortunate dog rule, too. If #10 gets in the way of the front runners at Bristol, they may be tempted to communicate the description that designates a female canine. However, last year at Bristol #10 turned in a performance that surprised many.