Dale Jr's Brew Crew Site |
IT'S BRISTOL, BABY! by Sue Holbrook "If the Romans had any sense, they would've built Bristol instead of the Colosseum." - O. Bruton Smith Chairman, Speedway Motorsports Inc. From the outside, it looks like a football stadium perched on top of an east Tennessee hill. When at last you conquer the hill and pass from the outside to the inside, your jaw drops. It's the smallest venue for high-speed cars you've ever seen. If Daytona conjures up images of huge chariot races, Bristol is downright gladiatorial. What time do they bring out the Christians and the lions? Maybe there will be jousting and a medieval dinner. Or, on a more modern note...when does the Roller Derby start? The sign in red neon lights at the top of the stands proclaims this "The World's Fastest Half Mile." It's amazing what transpires in this tight space. Everything that has to do with a NASCAR race is crammed into the tiny bit of infield. The stands literally sit right on top of the track, rising straight up from the very edges of the concrete where the cars run. You'll never feel closer to the action than you do at Bristol, even in the seats on the very top row. It's all right there at your feet. Our August, 2006, Bristol experience lives vividly in my memory. Bright-colored haulers are angled cozily side by side in the middle of the huge circle. On Friday, the infield is doubly crowded with the teams, haulers and cars of both Busch and Cup leagues. They deftly alternate activities. Busch qualifying is followed by the final Cup practice and then the Busch race. As one event ends and another follows on its heels, each set of racecars, and all the paraphernalia that attends them, is tucked aside to make room for teams of the other series. "What are they gonna do," I wondered, "to get the Cup cars out of the way for the Busch race?" I soon had my answer. As practice wound down, the Cup cars were moved to their haulers, placed on the lifts, and hoisted into the air to hang there for the duration of the evening. The Busch cars took over the pit stalls. It was all part of a well-orchestrated maneuver, accomplished with the finesse of a corps of Rockettes. A track tour on Saturday afternoon let us see Bristol from the drivers' eyeview. Engines sitting stationary in their pits and being tested by sweating crews roared around us as we climbed the steep banking and gazed up at the stands stretching to dizzying heights in the afternoon sun. Here, just hours before the green flag, the world's fastest half mile was a beehive of activity, with crews making final adjustments and officials performing inspections. Bristol offers up the ultimate evidence that race fans are the hardiest sports fans of all. Say the name to someone who has been there and the first response is always about the sound at this racing bowl. The sound defies description. Deafening...thunderous...ear-blasting...the words don't come close. Sterling Marlin described it as "jet planes in a gymnasium." Ear protection is essential and the effect is surreal. People jump to their feet and wave their arms in excitement. Faces contort and mouths move. They're obviously screaming, but they can't be heard. The only sound is the totally pervasive roar of the engines going round and round and round. Weather extremes are common at Bristol. The Spring, 2006, race had an unusual feature...snow! Remember Kurt Busch and his victory snow angel? And in August, there's the heat...brutal, sweaty, sickening heat. Climbing the combination of the hill and the stands in the heat is a killer workout, worthy of the finest gym. Lots of money is exchanged for that workout. It's the most popular venue on the NASCAR circuit. For 156,000 fans twice a year, it's the only place to be. On this particular weekend, it was the Kenseth fans who went home happy. Matt swept the Busch and Cup races with decisive victories, only the second driver to have that distinction. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s 2004 sweep was the first. The driver of the #8 Budweiser Chevy treated fans to the best show of the night. Starting 40th, he patiently picked his way through the pack and eventually led the race for 35 laps. Since all the seats at Bristol perch right on top of the concrete, the fans get a birds-eye view of the moves on the track. You can see passes coming up and all the maneuvers that make them happen. With just a few laps to go, Junior was in the lead, holding off Kenseth and Kyle Busch. Finally, Kenseth's speed was too much. As Junior slid up the track, the #17 ducked beneath him to take the lead for the final time. Busch quickly followed and Junior took third spot. Outstanding work by the #8 pit crew played a huge part in his success, moving him up to 9th in the Nextel Cup point standings. There was no jousting or medieval dinner and the Christians didn't have to face the lions. But the show put on by those modern-day gladiators, the NASCAR drivers in their chariots of fire, was a crowd-pleaser of the first order. And what else would you expect? It's Bristol, Baby! |
