The new Bristol

updated by @richard-guido: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

Today's NASCAR = Boring... boring... boring. As for the current Bristol track, the racing was much superior when it was asphalt. Same for Dover, same for Martinsville's turns. Clay Earles once got down on his hands and knees with me in turn 2 at Martinsville and made me feel the track and how great the concrete was going to be. I don't think there's been a decent race at Martinsville since the asphalt was taken out of the turns. Give me the old asphalt Bristol with Earnhardt and Waltrip running side by side lap after lap any day. Heck, I'd even take the original banking from 1961. Racing could use a Joe Weatherly, Jabe Thomas, Hoss Ellingtonor Delma Cowart to bring a little comic relief. Points racing is for the birds and we really have RJ Reynolds to thank for that. When we no longer have drivers chasing points and owners guaranteed starting spots we might once again have some good racing. Oh yeah... get rid of those stupid headlight decals.


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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

Without itemizing all the changes which have occurred in NASCAR racing over the last 8-10 years............tracks, cars, rules, formats, etc.............it seems to me that the sport has just gotten progressively worse with each change. I believe the direct result of this regression has been the declining ticket sales and declining TV ratings. I don;t understand why the powers-that-be in the NASCAR "ivory tower" have been seemimgly blind to the reasons for these happenings..................especially since they have been brought to their attention so many times. It's as if they just turn a deaf ear to the fans............especially those loyal core fans who made the sport what it is.

To go along with what Robbie said, most of todays crowd doesn't want to see good close side-by-side racing, they want to see wrecks.And Robbie is exactly right about the lowest common denominator,look at all the Jerry Springer type shows on TV nowdays.If it weren't for TCM and public television I personally wouldn't have much to watch on TV.

I didn't like the "Old" Bristol, to me the RACING is much better there today. I told people for years that I hated Bristol because the Pace Car led the most laps due to the wrecks. I heard somewhere that Bristol went 11 years, or 11 races, without a green flag stop. Either way I didn't like it. I'm stillnot a big fan, I prefer faster tracks myself butagree that short track racing deserves a place in the sport. But for me, I wish they ran at Richmond 5 times a year.

The old asphalt Bristol was a great racetrack. I used to go to Bristol regularly, but quit going a couple of years after it was concreted. That being said, the current track is far better than the past several years if you like two and sometimes even three-wide racing. Evidently I'm in the minority on this because I've heard mostly complaints about it. I guess most fans today like nose-to-tail racing where the only way to pass is to dump the guy in front of you. I've also noticed that most people who like this kind of racing have never had to fix a wrecked racecar! I've been involved in local racing for 30 years and would much rather have a track where someone who is a good racer can pass cleanly. The Nashville Fairgrounds is far superior to the concrete Bristol in either configuration.

Don`t no much about the racing realy don`t watch that much if any maby the last 10 laps if i catch it but i totaly think they need to do away with them stupid fake headlight decals been saying that ever since they started puting them on lol

Found this view of Bristol from 1961 on National Speed Sport News' website tonight. Check out the relatively flat banking and just a simple guard rail in the turns.

And to Dave Fulton and your comment re: getting rid of the headlight decals, preach it my man!

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Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.