History

·         Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960. The track was an exact half-mile.

·         First NASCAR Sprint Cup race was July 30, 1961; Jack Smith won the event (with relief from Johnny Allen).

·         In the fall of 1969, the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533-miles.

·         The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.

·         The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.

·         The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992.

·         The name changed to Bristol Motor Speedway in May 1996.

·         The track was resurfaced between races in 2007, and the turns were ground down last season to eliminate part of the progressive banking.

Notebook

·         There have been 104 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the first race in 1961, two races each season.

·         All races have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps.

·         421 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol; 293 in more than one.

·         Terry Labonte has participated in the most Bristol NASCAR Sprint Cup races among active drivers with 57 starts.

·         Fred Lorenzen won the inaugural pole with a speed of 79.225 mph.

·         45 different drivers have poles at Bristol, led by Mark Martin and Cale Yarborough with nine each.  Martin swept both poles at Bristol in 2009.

·         The race winner has started from the pole 22 times, the most productive starting position. The last driver to win from the pole was Carl Edwards, in the night race of 2008.

·         Four drivers have won from the pole position more than once: Bobby Allison (1972 twice), Cale Yarborough (1973, 1977 twice, 1980), Darrell Waltrip (1981 twice, 1982) and Rusty Wallace (1991, 1993, 1999, 2000).

·         10 different drivers have posted consecutive poles at Bristol Motor Speedway; Mark Martin is the only driver of the 10 to win four consecutive poles at Bristol: Fireball Roberts (swept 1962), Fred Lorenzen (swept 1963), Richard Petty (1967-’68), Bobby Allison (swept 1972), Cale Yarborough (swept 1973; swept 1977; swept 1980), Darrell Waltrip (swept 1981), Geoff Bodine (swept 1986), Mark Martin (swept 1995-1996– all four races; and swept 2009); Rusty Wallace (swept 1998) and Jeff Gordon (swept 2002).

·         Jeff Gordon leads (active drivers) the series in average starting position at Bristol with a 6.775. 

·         Youngest Bristol pole winner: Joey Logano (3/21/2010 – 19 years, 9 months, 25 days) – his first series career pole.

·         Oldest Bristol pole winner: Harry Gant (8/27/1994 – 54 years, 7 months, 17 days).

·         40 different drivers have won at Bristol, led by Darrell Waltrip (12). Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch each have five wins, the most among active drivers.

·         Junior Johnson leads the series in car owner wins at Bristol with seven; Roger Penske and Jack Roush are tied among active car owners for the most wins at Bristol with 10 each. 

·         83 of the 104 races have been won from a top-10 starting position; including 53 from the first four spots.

·         34 of the 104 races at Bristol have been won from the front row: Pole position (22 wins); Second-place (12 wins).

·         Five of the 104 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 38th, by Elliott Sadler; in 2001.

·         Youngest Bristol winner: Kyle Busch (3/25/2007 – 21 years, 10 months, 23 days).

·         Oldest Bristol winner: Dale Earnhardt (8/28/1999 – 48 years, 3 months, 30 days).

·         Mark Martin leads the series (among active drivers) in runner-up finishes at Bristol (six); followed by Kevin Harvick and Terry Labonte with four.

·         Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty lead the series in top-five finishes at Bristol with 26 each. Terry Labonte leads the series among active drivers with 19 followed by Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin (16).

·         Richard Petty has 37 top-10 finishes, more than any other driver. Terry Labonte leads the series among active drivers in top-10 finishes with 33; followed by Mark Martin with 23.

·         Kyle Busch leads the series (active drivers) in average finish at Bristol with a 10.313.

·         Seven of the last eight races have ended with a margin of victory of less than a second.  

·         There has been three green-white-checkered finishes at Bristol – all three were the spring race: 2007 (500/504); 2008 (500/506); 2009 (500/503).

·         Kurt Busch posted his first series career win at Bristol (2002), and Joey Logano won his first pole at Bristol (2010).

·         12 drivers have won consecutive races at Bristol led by Darrell Waltrip with seven consecutive victories from 1981-1984. The other 11 are Fred Lorenzen (1963-1964 sweep), David Pearson (1968 sweep), Bobby Allison (1972 sweep), Cale Yarborough did it twice (1974 sweep and four straight from 1976-1977), Richard Petty (1975 sweep), Dale Earnhardt also twice (1985 sweep and 1987 sweep), Alan Kulwicki (1992 sweep), Rusty Wallace (2000 sweep), Kurt Busch (2003 sweep and 2004 spring race), Kyle Busch (2009 sweep) and Brad Keselowski (2011 fall-2012 spring).

·         All 14 active NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who have won at Bristol Motor Speedway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane – among the active winners Kurt Busch won in the fewest starts (third) at Bristol.

·         Jeff Burton competed at Bristol Motor Speedway 28 times before winning (2008 spring race); the longest span of any of the 14 active winners. Burton is the only active driver to have made 20 or more attempts before his first win at BMS.

·         Bobby Labonte leads the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Bristol without visiting Victory Lane with 40.

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol was the 3/25/2007 race won by Kyle Busch with a MOV of 0.064 second.

·         Two female drivers have made NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Bristol: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.

Driver	Starting Pos.	Finishing Pos.	Date
Janet Guthrie	21	11	4/17/1977
Janet Guthrie	9	6	8/28/1977
Danica Patrick	43	29	8/25/2012

·         Four car numbers have produced eight or more Bristol NSCS wins:

Car Number – (Number of Wins) – Most Recent Win

o    No. 11  - (19 wins) – Denny Hamlin, 2012

o    No. 2 – (12 wins) – Brad Keselowski, 2012

o    No. 17 – (eight wins) – Matt Kenseth, 2006

o    No. 3 – (eight wins) – Dale Earnhardt, 1999

 

Bristol Motor Speedway Data

Season Race #: 4 of 36 (3-17-13)

Track Size: 0.533-miles

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24-28 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24-28 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 4-8 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 4-8 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  650 feet

Backstretch Length:  650 feet

Race Length: 500 laps / 266.5 miles

 

Top 12 Driver Rating at Bristol

Kyle Busch............................... 102.3

Jeff Gordon.............................. 100.7

Matt Kenseth.............................. 99.8

Brad Keselowski......................... 97.4

Greg Biffle.................................. 96.2

Jimmie Johnson.......................... 93.8

Kurt Busch.................................. 92.0

Denny Hamlin............................. 89.8

Kevin Harvick.............................. 89.7

Carl Edwards.............................. 88.2

Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 87.9

Tony Stewart............................... 87.7

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (16 total) among active drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway

 

Qualifying/Race Data

2012 pole winner: Greg Biffle, Ford, 125.215 mph, 15.324 secs. 3-16-12

 

2012 race winner: Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 93.037 mph, (2:51:52), 3-18-12

 

Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman, Dodge, 128.709 mph, 14.908 secs. 3-21-03

 

Track race record: Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet, 101.074 mph, (2:38:12), 7-11-71

 

NASCAR in Tennessee

·         There have been 165 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Tennessee.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Bristol Motor Speedway	Bristol	104
Chattanooga International Raceway	Chattanooga	2
Kingsport Speedway	Kingsport	3
Nashville Speedway	Lebanon	42
Smokey Mountain Raceway	Maryville	12
Tennessee-Carolina Speedway	Newport	2

·         102 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Tennessee.

·         14 drivers from Tennessee have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series.

Driver	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
Darrell Waltrip	84	13	0
Sterling Marlin	10	2	0
Bobby Hamilton	4	1	10
Joe Lee Johnson	2	0	0
Trevor Bayne	1	1	0
Paul Lewis	1	0	0
Bobby Hamilton Jr	0	5	0
Jeff Purvis	0	4	0
L.D. Ottinger	0	3	0
Mike Alexander	0	2	0
Casey Atwood	0	2	0
Brad Teague	0	1	0
Chad Chaffin	0	0	2
John King	0	0	1

 

 

BRISTOL-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

 

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)

·         Six top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 12.2

·         Average Running Position of 12.4, third-best

·         Driver Rating of 96.2, fifth-best

·         292 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 114.450 mph, fourth-fastest

·         5,848 Laps in the Top 15 (73.0%), third-most

·         365 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), seventh-most

 

Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet)

·         Five wins, six top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 13.8

·         Average Running Position of 13.4, seventh-best

·         Driver Rating of 92.0, seventh-best

·         726 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 114.388 mph, sixth-fastest

·         394 Quality Passes, fourth-most

 

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)

·         Five wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s

·         Average finish of 10.3

·         Average Running Position of 13.0, fifth-best

·         Series-best Driver Rating of 102.3

·         Series-high 556 Fastest Laps Run

·         Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 114.499 mph

·         5,310 Laps in the Top 15 (66.3%), fifth-most

·         379 Quality Passes, fifth-most

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet)

·         One win, seven top fives, 12 top 10s

·         Average finish of 11.8

·         Average Running Position of 14.0, ninth-best

·         Driver Rating of 87.9, 11th-best

·         Series-high 837 Green Flag Passes

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 114.328 mph, ninth-fastest

·         4,787 Laps in the Top 15 (59.7%), ninth-most

·         363 Quality Passes, eighth-most

 

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Kellogg’s/Frosted Ford)

·         Two wins, four top fives, seven top 10s; two poles

·         Average finish of 14.4

·         Average Running Position of 14.7, 10th-best

·         Driver Rating of 88.2, 10th-best

·         290 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

·         5,208 Laps in the Top 15 (65.0%), seventh-most

 

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)

·         Five wins, 16 top fives, 22 top 10s; five poles

·         Average finish of 11.9

·         Series-best Average Running Position of 9.5

·         Driver Rating of 100.7, second-best

·         338 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

·         615 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 114.494 mph, second-fastest

·         Series-high 6,584 Laps in the Top 15 (82.2%)

·         427 Quality Passes, second-most

 

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota)

·         One win, four top fives, seven top 10s

·         Average finish of 14.8

·         Driver Rating of 89.8, eighth-best

·         337 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

·         725 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 114.335 mph, eighth-fastest

·         3,835 Laps in the Top 15 (54.7%), 13th-most

·         307 Quality Passes, 13th-most

 

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)

·         One win, nine top fives, 12 top 10s

·         Average finish of 12.5

·         Average Running Position of 13.9, eighth-best

·         Driver Rating of 89.7, ninth-best

·         237 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most

·         742 Green Flag Passes, third-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 114.390 mph, fifth-fastest

·         4,745 Laps in the Top 15 (59.2%), 10th-most

 

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet)

·         One win, seven top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 14.0

·         Average Running Position of 12.8, fourth-best

·         Driver Rating of 93.8, sixth-best

·         455 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 114.277 mph, 12th-fastest

·         5,681 Laps in the Top 15 (70.9%), fourth-most

·         336 Quality Passes, 11th-most

 

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 The Home Depot / Husky Toyota)

·         Two wins, 10 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 12.1

·         Average Running Position of 10.7, second-best

·         Driver Rating of 99.8, third-best

·         380 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 114.484 mph, third-fastest

·         6,412 Laps in the Top 15 (80.0%), second-most

·         Series-high 451 Quality Passes

 

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)

·         Two wins, two top fives, two top 10s

·         Average finish of 13.7

·         Average Running Position of 13.3, sixth-best

·         Driver Rating of 97.4, fourth-best

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 114.368 mph, seventh-fastest

 

Ryan Newman (No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

·         One top five, 12 top 10s; three poles

·         Average finish of 17.4

·         Average Running Position of 15.3, 12th-best

·         Driver Rating of 86.9, 13th-best

·         621 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most

·         5,227 Laps in the Top 15 (65.2%), sixth-most

·         359 Quality Passes, 10th-most

 

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)

·         One win, six top fives, eight top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 17.6

·         Average Running Position of 15.8, 13th-best

·         Driver Rating of 87.7, 12th-best

·         303 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 114.284 mph, 11th-fastest

·         4,291 Laps in the Top 15 (53.6%), 12th-most

 

Chase Contenders

The Top 12

Following Race 3 of 36

                                                                                Rank        Season

                                                                                Last          Driver

Driver                             Points   Wins      Poles        Week        Rating

1. Jimmie Johnson       129       1           0              1           125.4

2. Brad Keselowski        124       0           0              3           110.5

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.     119       0           0              2           105.8

4. Denny Hamlin            102       0           0               4             97.4

5. Carl Edwards               98       1           0             11             97.2

6. Mark Martin                  95       0           1               7             92.7

7. Matt Kenseth                93       1           0             18           112.2

8. Greg Biffle                    93       0           0              6             89.7

9. Clint Bowyer                89       0           0               5             86.0

10. Aric Almirola                88       0           0             10             81.3

11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.    87       0           0               9             78.6

12. Paul Menard                 82       0           0             17             78.7

    ___________________________________________________________

 

ADDITIONAL DRIVERS

13. Jeff Gordon                    79           30. Danica Patrick             53

14. Kasey Kahne                  77           31. Ryan Newman             50

15. Joey Logano                   76           32. Travis Kvapil                40

16. Marcos Ambrose             74           33. Michael McDowell        36

17. Kyle Busch                     72           34. AJ Allmendinger           33

18. Tony Stewart                  72           35. David Gilliland              29

19. Kevin Harvick                 68           36. David Ragan               29

20. Jeff Burton                     66           37. Scott Speed                28

21. Jamie McMurray             66           38. David Stremme            26

22. Martin Truex Jr.               64           39. Michael Waltrip            23

23. Juan Pablo Montoya        63           40. Terry Labonte              18

24. Bobby Labonte                63           41. Ken Schrader               17

25. Casey Mears                  60           42. Landon Cassill             14

26. J.J. Yeley                       58

27. David Reutimann             58

28. Dave Blaney                   58

29. Kurt Busch                     57

Note: The first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season determine which 12 drivers qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, contested over the final 10 races of the season. After race No. 26, the top 10 earn a berth in the Chase. Spots 11 and 12 – the Wild Cards – will go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20.

 

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2012 Top 12 at Bristol Motor Speedway

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Jimmie Johnson	22	1	1	7	13	1	14.0	93.8
2	Brad Keselowski	6	0	2	2	2	0	13.7	97.4
3	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	26	0	1	7	12	1	11.8	87.9
4	Denny Hamlin	14	0	1	4	7	1	14.8	89.8
5	Carl Edwards	17	2	2	4	7	1	14.4	88.2
6	Mark Martin	46	9	2	16	23	5	13.7	86.0
7	Matt Kenseth	26	1	2	10	17	3	12.1	99.8
8	Greg Biffle	20	1	0	6	11	1	12.2	96.2
9	Clint Bowyer	14	0	0	4	7	2	17.0	81.5
10	Aric Almirola	7	0	0	0	1	2	26.4	60.3
11	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	-
12	Paul Menard	11	0	0	1	3	0	19.5	69.6

* – Based on last 16 races at Bristol Motor Speedway.