SPRINT Food City 500
Final
for this game
Food City 500 Preview
Mar 16, 2008 - 10:14 AMMarch 16, 2008
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tennessee
Race 5 of 37 on Sprint Cup circuit
TV: FOX, 1:30 pm EDT
Laps: 500
Track length: .533 miles
Race length: 267 miles
Qualifying record: Ryan Newman, Dodge, 128.709 mph, 2003
Race record: Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet, 101.074 mph, 1971
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $767,795
One of the circuit's most consistent drivers finished 13th in
the Daytona 500 and eighth at California; was fifth in Las
Vegas and 10th at Atlanta to sit fifth in the standings;
finished eighth in last season's standings, one year after
placing seventh; finished in the top 10 in half of the races
last season, including nine top fives; lone win of the season
came in April at Texas; finished the season strong with five top
10s over the final six races; finished second here in March last
year and has never won at Bristol.
Kurt Busch
Team: Penske Racing South
Car: No. 2 Dodge Charger
2008 Earnings: $1,352,620
Pushed teammate Ryan Newman across the finish line to give
Penske Racing a 1-2 finish in the Daytona 500; followed with a
13th at California, but finished 38th at Las Vegas and 11th at
Atlanta; bounced back from an inconsistent first season with
Penske to finish seventh in the standings last year; won at
Michigan and Pocono and posted 14 top-10 finishes; also had four
finishes of 30th or worse; won the championship in 2004 but was
released from his contract at Roush Racing after the following
season, when he finished 10th in the standings and was suspended
for the final two races after an incident with the Phoenix
police; finished 29th here in March last year, but has five wins
in 14 races at Bristol.
Kyle Busch
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 18 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $1,128,257
Has gotten off to a stellar start with Joe Gibbs Racing, placing
fourth in the first two races and winning last week at Atlanta;
had the dominant car and led the most laps at the Daytona 500;
was strong at Las Vegas early, but struggled late and wound up
11th; sits atop the standings, 73 points ahead of Greg Biffle;
is looking to build off a sensational run at Hendrick
Motorsports as he moves to JGR and Toyota; finished fifth in the
final 2007 standings after qualifying for the Chase for the second
consecutive season; had 20 top-10 finishes in 36 races last
season, including 11 top-fives; lone win came during the first
Bristol race - the inaugural Car of Tomorrow event.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 88 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $1,029,245
The circuit's most popular driver finished third at Atlanta
after running second at Las Vegas; was the top finishing Hendrick
car at the Daytona with a ninth-place showing; was involved in
an early-race crash at California and finished 40th; made the
move from his father's Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he won 17 Cup
events, to Hendrick Motorsports; got off to a good start with
his new team by winning the Bud Shootout; has not won a points
race since Richmond in May 2006; suffered through a tough final
season at DEI, finishing 16th in the standings; had 12 top 10's
last season, but also posted 11 finishes of 25th or worse;
finished seventh in the first Bristol race last season.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $1,129,695
Was docked 100 points and fell from the top spot in the
standings after being penalized after his win at Las Vegas;
victory at Las Vegas was his ninth career Cup win a week after
taking the checkered flag at California; had the dominant car
again at Atlanta, but blew an engine and finished 42nd to drop
to 17th in the standings; ran 19th in the Daytona 500; qualified
for the Chase last year and won at Dover after finishing 12th at
New Hampshire, but failed post-race inspection and was docked 25
points and fined; penalty dropped him from third to sixth in the
standings and he never recovered; won the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series
championship; finished with 11 top fives and 15 top 10s last year;
also won at Michigan and Bristol; ran 12th here in March last
year.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $856,757
Rebounded to finish fifth at Atlanta after being involved in a
scary late-race crash at Las Vegas where he finished 35th;
bounced back with a third at California after opening his 2008
season with a disappointing 39th in the Daytona 500; already has
two DNFs this season after posting just one last year; only a
dominant finish by teammate Jimmie Johnson kept him from
capturing a fifth championship last season; finished with 10
top-10 finishes in the final 11 races - the other finish in that
span was an 11th at Dover; totaled a remarkable 30 top-10
finishes and 21 top-fives in 36 races last year; spun with less
than two laps remaining at Watkins Glen while leading, costing
him another potential win - still managed to finish ninth; had
six checkered flags last season and 81 career, just two shy of
tying Cale Yarborough for fifth place all-time; reached a
landmark milestone at the first Talladega race, recording his
77th career victory to pass the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth
all-time; had 10 poles last season - double that of Ryan Newman
who had five; finished third in this race last year and has
five career wins at Bristol.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $911,214
Two-time defending series champion finished a disappointing 13th
at Atlanta after running 19th at Las Vegas; ran second at
California after starting this campaign with a 27th at the
Daytona 500; sits 13th in the standings; battled teammate Gordon
for the top spot in the Chase early on, last season, then took
off - winning four straight races over the second half of the
Chase; suffered through an up-and-down season before the Chase,
finishing 39th at the Brickyard after a fiery crash on the heels
of a 37th at Chicago; finished the season with 10 wins, 20 top
fives, 24 top 10s and failed to finish four races; finished 16th
at this race last year.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $743,477
Finished eighth at Atlanta a week after running 20th at Las
Vegas due to a late-race incident with Jeff Gordon; ran fifth at
California, fresh off a disappointing 35th place showing at the
Daytona 500; last season had a late-Chase surge with a win at
the season-ending race at Homestead, following a third at
Phoenix and a second at Texas; finished fourth in the final
standings; had 13 top-five finishes and 22 top 10s last season;
won the series championship in 2003 despite capturing only one
checkered flag, prompting NASCAR to change to its current Chase
format; enters this season without longtime crew chief Robbie
Reiser who has been replaced by Chip Bolin; ran 11th in the first
Bristol race last year.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $1,435,835
Finished second to teammate Kyle Busch at Atlanta, but was vocal
about the poor Goodyear tire quality after the race; suffered a
hard crash at Las Vegas, injured his ankle and finished dead
last; had another disappointment at Daytona, finishing third
despite having the lead with one lap to go; took sixth at
California after the Daytona 500; moved within two points of the
points lead after the first two Chase races last year, but could
not keep pace with Johnson and Gordon and faded to sixth in the
final standings; finished second at Richmond to enter the Chase
on a hot streak; pre-Chase surge included fourth at Bristol as
well as running 10th at Michigan on the heels of winning at
Watkins Glen - his third win; captured back-to-back victories at
Chicagoland and at the Brickyard; won three races in total to go
along with 23 top-10s; ran 35th in this race last year.
2007 Top 10
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1. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
2. Jeff Burton (31), Chevrolet
3. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
4. Kevin Harvick (29), Chevrolet
5. Greg Biffle (16), Ford
6. Jeff Green (66), Chevrolet
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8), Chevrolet
8. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
9. Jamie McMurray (26), Ford
10. Casey Mears (25), Chevrolet
Past Champions
--------------
2007 Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 81.969 mph
2006 Kurt Busch, Dodge, 79.427 mph
2005 Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 84.678 mph
2004 Kurt Busch, Ford, 82.607 mph
2003 Kurt Busch, Ford, 76.185 mph
2002 Kurt Busch, Ford, 82.281 mph
2001 Elliott Sadler, Ford, 86.949 mph
2000 Rusty Wallace, Ford, 88.018 mph
1999 Rusty Wallace, Ford, 93.363 mph
1998 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 82.850 mph
1997 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 75.035 mph
1996 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 91.308 mph
1995 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 92.011 mph
1994 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 89.647 mph
1993 Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 84.730 mph
1992 Alan Kulwicki, Ford, 86.316 mph
1991 Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 72.809 mph
1990 Davey Allison, Ford, 87.258 mph
1989 Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 76.034 mph
1988 Bill Elliott, Ford, 83.115 mph
1987 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 75.621 mph
1986 Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 89.714 mph
1985 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 81.707 mph
1984 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 93.967 mph
1983 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 93.445 mph
1982 Darrell Waltrip, Buick, 94.133 mph
1981 Darrell Waltrip, Buick, 89.530 mph
1980 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 96.978 mph
1979 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 91.033 mph
1978 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 92.401 mph
1977 Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 100.989 mph
1976 Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 87.978 mph
1975 Richard Petty, Dodge, 97.569 mph
1974 Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 71.758 mph
1973 Cale Yarborough, Chevrolet, 89.975 mph
1972 Bobby Allison, Chevrolet, 93.893 mph
1971 David Pearson, Ford, 92.758 mph
1970 Davey Allison, Ford, 87.521 mph
1969 Bobby Allison, Dodge, 81.455 mph
1968 David Pearson, Ford, 77.247 mph
1967 David Pearson, Dodge, 75.937 mph
1966 Dick Hutcherson, Ford, 69.952 mph
1965 Junior Johnson, Ford, 74.938 mph
1964 Fred Lorenzen, Ford, 72.196 mph
1963 Fireball Roberts, Ford, 76.910 mph
1962 Bobby Johns, Pontiac, 73.397 mph
1961 Jack Smith, Pontiac, 68.373 mph
