FOOD CITY 500 Bristol Motor Speedway March 16th 2008

Track Details
Completed : 1961
Distance : .533 miles
Shape : Oval
Banking : 36° turns
16° straights
Frontstretch : 650 feet
Backstretch : 650 feet
Seating : 160,000
Contact Info
151 Speedway Blvd.,
P.O. Box 3966
Bristol, TN 37625
(423) 764-1161
Official Web site
2007 Race Results
Sprint Cup Series
Sharpie 500 :: Carl Edwards - 08/25/07
Food City 500 :: Kyle Busch - 03/25/07

Cup Historical Race Winners

Nationwide Series
Food City 250 :: Kasey Kahne - 08/24/07
Sharpie Mini 300 :: Carl Edwards - 03/24/07

Craftsman Truck Series
O'Reilly 200 :: Johnny Benson - 08/22/07

Track Records
RACE RECORDS
Sprint Cup Race Record :: Charlie Glotzbach 101.074 - 07/11/71

Cup Historical Race Winners

Nationwide Race Record :: Harry Gant 92.929 - 04/04/92
Truck Race Record :: Travis Kvapil 88.813 - 08/20/03

QUALIFYING RECORDS
2008 Qual Records Data not available.

The land upon which Bristol Motor Speedway is built used to be a dairy farm.

Larry Carrier and Carl Moore traveled to Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1960 to watch a race and it was then that they decided to build a speedway in Northeast Tennessee. However, they wanted a smaller model of the Charlotte track, something with a more intimate setting and opted to erect a half-mile facility instead of mirroring the 1.5-mile track.

Work began on what was then called Bristol International Speedway in 1960 and it took approximately one year to finish. Officials scratched many ideas for the track on envelopes and brown paper bags.

The land on which BMS now sits, as well as construction of the track, cost approximately $600,000. The entire layout for BMS covered 100 acres and provided parking for more than 12,000 cars. The track itself was a perfect half-mile, measuring 60 feet wide on the straightaways, 75 feet wide in the turns and the turns were banked at 22 degrees.

Seating capacity for the very first NASCAR race at BMS, held on July 30, 1961, was 18,000. Prior to this race, the speedway had hosted weekly races. The first driver on the track for practice on July 27, 1961, was Tiny Lund in his Pontiac. The second driver out was David Pearson. Fred Lorenzen won the pole for the first race at BMS with a speed of 79.225 mph.

Atlanta's Jack Smith won the inaugural event, The Volunteer 500, at BMS on July 30, 1961.

In the fall of 1969 BMS was reshaped and remeasured. The turns were banked at 36 degrees and it became a .533-mile oval.

The speedway was sold after the 1976 season to Lanny Hester and Gary Baker. In the spring of 1978, the track name was changed to Bristol International Raceway. In August of that year, the first night race was held on the oval.

On July 6, 1983, Warner Hodgdon completed 100 percent purchase of Bristol Motor Speedway. Hodgdon named Larry Carrier as the track's general manager. On Jan. 11, 1985, Warner Hodgdon filed for bankruptcy.

Larry Carrier formally took possession of the speedway and covered all outstanding debts.

In August 1992, BMS became the first fully concrete speedway to host a Cup event.

On Jan. 22, 1996, Larry Carrier sold the speedway to Bruton Smith at a purchase price of $26 million. At the time of the sale, the facility seated 71,000.

On May 28, 1996, the track's name was officially changed to Bristol Motor Speedway. By August of that year, 15,000 seats had been added bringing the seating capacity to 86,000.

For the August 1998 Goody's 500 the speedway featured more than 131,000 grandstand seats and 100 skyboxes. On Aug. 26, 2002, work began on the most ambitious construction project since Speedway Motorsports Inc., purchased BMS in 1996. The new backstretch increased the venue's seating capacity to more than 160,000.

STARTING LINE UP: RAINED OUT

1 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's N/A N/A N/A
2 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont Cromax Pro N/A N/A N/A
3 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet DIRECTV N/A N/A N/A
4 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Carhartt N/A N/A N/A
5 5 Casey Mears Chevrolet CARQUEST / Kellogg's N/A N/A N/A
6 20 Tony Stewart Toyota The Home Depot N/A N/A N/A
7 77 Sam Hornish Jr.* Dodge Mobil 1 N/A N/A N/A
8 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet AT&T Mobility N/A N/A N/A
9 99 Carl Edwards Ford Dish Network N/A N/A N/A
10 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil N/A N/A N/A
11 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker N/A N/A N/A
12 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Freight N/A N/A N/A
13 12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL / Samsung HDTV N/A N/A N/A
14 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M N/A N/A N/A
15 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet AMP Energy / National Guard N/A N/A N/A
16 8 Mark Martin Chevrolet Principal Financial Group / Mark Martin's 700th start N/A N/A N/A
17 01 Regan Smith* Chevrolet Coors Light N/A N/A N/A
18 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal N/A N/A N/A
19 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Hamburger Helper "My Hometown Helper" N/A N/A N/A
20 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser N/A N/A N/A
21 42 Juan Montoya Dodge Wrigley's Juicy Fruit N/A N/A N/A
22 18 Kyle Busch Toyota Interstate Batteries N/A N/A N/A
23 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Energizer e2 Lithium N/A N/A N/A
24 6 David Ragan Ford So. Cal Insurance N/A N/A N/A
25 96 J.J. Yeley Toyota DLP HDTV N/A N/A N/A
26 40 Dario Franchitti* Dodge Target N/A N/A N/A
27 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge U2 3D / Best Buy N/A N/A N/A
28 7 Robby Gordon Dodge Jim Beam N/A N/A N/A
29 15 Paul Menard Chevrolet Quaker State / Menards N/A N/A N/A
30 28 Travis Kvapil Ford Yates Racing N/A N/A N/A
31 66 Scott Riggs Chevrolet Haas Automation N/A N/A N/A
32 38 David Gilliland Ford FreeCreditRep
ort.com N/A N/A N/A
33 70 Jeremy Mayfield Chevrolet Haas Automation N/A N/A N/A
34 22 Dave Blaney Toyota CAT Paving Products N/A N/A N/A
35 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Wells Fargo N/A N/A N/A
36 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite N/A N/A N/A
37 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota UPS N/A N/A N/A
38 21 Bill Elliott Ford Little Debbie N/A N/A N/A
39 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull N/A N/A N/A
40 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron's Dream Machine N/A N/A N/A
41 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA AUTO PARTS N/A N/A N/A
42 34 John Andretti Chevrolet Front Row Motorsports N/A N/A N/A
43 78 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing N/A N/A N/A

RESULTS OF THE FOOD CITY 500 JEFF BURTON #31 AT & T



1 8 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet AT&T Mobility 190/5 506 Running
2 10 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 175/5 506 Running
3 3 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Jack Daniel's 170/5 506 Running
4 14 16 Greg Biffle Ford Jackson Hewitt 160/0 506 Running
5 15 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet National Guard / AMP Energy 155/0 506 Running
6 12 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Express 155/5 506 Running
7 20 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser 146/0 506 Running
8 16 8 Aric Almirola Chevrolet U.S. Army 142/0 506 Running
9 32 38 David Gilliland Ford FreeCreditRep
ort.com 138/0 506 Running
10 4 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DISH Network 134/0 506 Running
11 2 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 130/0 506 Running
12 36 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 127/0 506 Running
13 11 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker 124/0 506 Running
14 6 20 Tony Stewart Toyota The Home Depot 131/10 506 Running
15 21 42 Juan Montoya Dodge Texaco / Havoline 118/0 505 Running
16 9 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot 115/0 504 Running
17 22 18 Kyle Busch Toyota M&M's 117/5 504 Running
18 1 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 114/5 504 Running
19 27 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Stanley Tools 106/0 504 Running
20 39 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron's Dream Machine 103/0 504 Running
21 24 6 David Ragan Ford AAA Insurance 100/0 504 Running
22 31 66 Scott Riggs Chevrolet Haas Automation 97/0 503 Running
23 40 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA AUTO PARTS 99/5 503 Running
24 28 7 Robby Gordon Dodge RVs.com / Camping World 91/0 503 Running
25 25 96 J.J. Yeley Toyota DLP HDTV 88/0 503 Running
26 17 01 Regan Smith * Chevrolet DEI / Principal Financial Group 85/0 503 Running
27 30 28 Travis Kvapil Ford Yates Racing 82/0 503 Running
28 35 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil 79/0 501 Running
29 7 77 Sam Hornish Jr. * Dodge Mobil 1 76/0 501 Running
30 33 70 Jeremy Mayfield Chevrolet Haas Automation 73/0 500 Running
31 23 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target 70/0 500 Running
32 29 15 Paul Menard Chevrolet PEAK / Menards 67/0 499 Running
33 13 12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 64/0 499 Running
34 34 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Caterpillar 61/0 498 Running
35 42 78 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet Furniture Row
/ DenverMattress.com 58/0 498 Running
36 26 40 Dario Franchitti * Dodge The Hartford 55/0 497 Running
37 37 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota UPS 52/0 496 Running
38 19 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios / Betty Crocker 49/0 489 Running
39 38 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 46/0 486 Running
40 43 84 Mike Skinner Toyota Red Bull 43/0 441 Running
41 41 49 Ken Schrader Dodge Qtrax.com 40/0 420 Running
42 5 5 Casey Mears Chevrolet CARQUEST / Kellogg's 37/0 417 Running
43 18 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Crown Royal 34/0 373 Running

SPECIAL DALE JARRETT ARTICLE...FAREWELL TO DALE JARRETT #44 UPS






BMS provides quiet ending for Jarrett's final Cup race

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- His fellow competitors gave him a standing ovation in the driver's meeting, spectators saluted with a goodbye message, and his father waved the green flag. Dale Jarrett's final Sprint Cup points race began with the kind of fanfare that Bristol Motor Speedway is known for.

But it ended quietly and unceremoniously, with a 37th-place result. The former series champion started in the same place, was lapped by leader Clint Bowyer just 46 circuits into Sunday's Food City 500, and then slipped out of Bristol without much of a fuss.


More than a champ
Dale Jarrett is a former Cup champion and three time winner of the Daytona 500, but there is so much more to the man than just numbers.

Complete story, click here
"Well, it wasn't the finish I would have liked," he said. "I'm able to go out with the best sponsor in the business in UPS, and I would have liked to have had a better day for them. But you really can't be too upset when you take into consideration the kind of career I have been fortunate to have."

That career, while somewhat eclipsed today by the more recent struggles that Jarrett endured with Michael Waltrip Racing, surely stands on its own. One title, two wins at Indianapolis, three Daytona 500 crowns and 32 total Cup victories are nothing to dismiss. His peak came between 1996 and 2001, when he won 24 times for Robert Yates Racing and never placed lower than fourth in championship points.

Sunday, the 51-year-old -- who has one exhibition start remaining, in the all-star race May 17 -- was honored in the driver's meeting preceding the event. During pre-race ceremonies, 33,000 fans flipped over cards that spelled out an outgoing thank-you message. The speedway presented him with gifts including a replica Revolutionary War rifle, 668 golf balls (one for each of his career starts), a putter and a Bristol Club diamond ring. Ned Jarrett, Dale's father and a former champion driver himself, waved the green flag to start the event.

Jarrett now embarks on a career as a television analyst for ESPN.

"I'm excited for him as a person, I'm sad as a driver to see him go," Tony Stewart said. "We're going to miss having him down in the garage area every week. You have to be excited for somebody like him that's done this as long as he has, and he's leaving on his own terms. He's got other things that he wants to do with his life, and I think we all ought to be happy for him for that."


POINTS AFTER BRISTOL
1 -- Kyle Busch 782 Leader 5 1 1 3 3
2 -- Greg Biffle 752 -30 5 0 0 3 4
3 -- Kevin Harvick 749 -33 5 0 0 2 4
4 +1 Jeff Burton 745 -37 5 0 1 2 3
5 +1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 686 -96 5 0 0 3 4
6 +1 Kasey Kahne 674 -108 5 0 0 0 4
7 +1 Tony Stewart 656 -126 5 0 0 2 3
8 -4 Ryan Newman 635 -147 5 0 1 1 2
9 +7 Clint Bowyer 606 -176 5 0 0 1 2
10 -- Kurt Busch 605 -177 5 0 0 1 1
11 +1 Matt Kenseth 604 -178 5 0 0 1 3
12 -1 Martin Truex Jr. 595 -187 5 0 0 0 1

13 -- Jimmie Johnson 581 -201 5 1 0 1 1
14 +1 Jeff Gordon 574 -208 5 1 0 2 2
15 +4 Denny Hamlin 568 -214 5 0 0 0 2
16 +1 Carl Edwards 548 -234 5 0 2 2 2
17 -8 Brian Vickers 537 -245 5 0 0 0 1
18 -4 Bobby Labonte 511 -271 5 0 0 0 0
19 +4 Juan Montoya 509 -273 5 0 0 0 0
20 -- Elliott Sadler 508 -274 5 0 0 0 1
21 -- David Ragan 498 -284 5 0 0 0 1
22 +6 David Gilliland 490 -292 5 0 0 0 1
23 +1 Robby Gordon 475 -307 5 0 0 0 1
24 +2 Scott Riggs 466 -316 5 0 0 0 0
25 -3 Reed Sorenson 461 -321 5 0 0 1 1
26 +1 David Reutimann 461 -321 5 0 0 0 0
27 -2 Paul Menard 449 -333 5 0 0 0 0
28 +1 Travis Kvapil 428 -354 5 0 0 0 1
29 -11 Mark Martin 421 -361 4 0 0 0 1
30 +3 Michael Waltrip 402 -380 5 0 0 0 0
31 +4 J.J. Yeley 386 -396 5 0 0 0 0
32 +2 Jeremy Mayfield 374 -408 5 0 0 0 0
33 -3 Casey Mears 368 -414 5 0 0 0 0
34 -2 Dale Jarrett 367 -415 5 0 0 0 0
35 +1 Sam Hornish Jr.* 356 -426 5 0 0 0 0
36 -5 Jamie McMurray 352 -430 5 0 0 0 0
37 -- Dave Blaney 334 -448 5 0 0 0 0
38 -- Dario Franchitti* 319 -463 5 0 0 0 0
39 -- Regan Smith* 317 -465 5 0 0 0 0
40 -- Kyle Petty 296 -486 5 0 0 0 0
41 -- Joe Nemechek 214 -568 4 0 0 0 0
42 -- Mike Skinner 198 -584 3 0 0 0 0
43 -- Aric Almirola 142 -640 1 0 0 0 1
44 +1 Ken Schrader 140 -642 2 0 0 0 0
45 -2 John Andretti 106 -676 2 0 0 0 0
46 -2 Patrick Carpentier* 101 -681 2 0 0 0 0
47 -1 Bill Elliott 85 -697 1 0 0 0 0
48 -1 Kenny Wallace 34 -748 1 0 0 0 0
49 -1 A.J. Allmendinger 0 -782 0 0 0 0 0
50 -1 Johnny Benson 0 -782 0 0 0 0 0
51 +1 Johnny Sauter 0 -782 0 0 0 0 0
52 -1 Boris Said 0 -782 0 0 0 0 0
53 -3 Burney Lamar 0 -782 0 0 0 0 0
54 -1 Eric McClure 0 -782 0 0 0 0 0
55 -1 Sterling Marlin 0 -782 0 0 0 0 0
56 -1 Jacques Villeneuve* 0 -782 0 0 0 0 0
57 -1 Stanton Barrett 0 -782 0 0 0 0 0
58 -1 Carl Long 0 -782 0 0 0 0 0

* Denotes Rookie

Bristol Motor Speedway - WEEKLY TOP 12: Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Impala SS

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 SHELL-PENNZOIL IMPALA SS met with media and talked about Bristol Motor Speedway, Dale Jarrett, tires issues at Atlanta, having a weekend off, and more. Full Transcript:

ON DIFFERENCES OF NEW CONFIGURATION OF BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY: "I don't think there are as many things to save you if your car is not right. Before you could hook a lip or trail the throttle or something to help your car. You could keep it on the bottom, you could kind of survive. Here, if your car isn't handling good, you are probably going to get passed. You can't just hold the bottom and wait for a caution to adjust it. Just a lot more options.

"For me, even this morning, I was sitting there thinking I really didn't remember what I did last time and what was right and what was wrong. Before when you came here, you knew exactly what you needed to do. I think our cars are better than they were the last time. I would assume the tire is a little bit different than it was last time. There will be a few things that have changed; we just have to adjust through it as it comes to us during the first practice.

"I liked the old style better."

ON WHAT DALE JARRETT HAS MEANT TO THE SPORT: "I think that is one thing we haven't done a very good job of as a sport is to maintaining the guys that helped get us to this point. I think the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500 should be what it looks like every weekend at a NASCAR. When you go to somebody's hometown, those older guys that are already retired and meant a lot to our sport should be very visible and the general public should know who those people are.

"Obviously, Dale Jarrett has been a huge part of our sport. I think it is going to be kind of strange not having Dale Jarrett in a race. He is going to be great for us and the sport in the TV booth. He has meant a lot to our sport as a competitor. I think it is important that those guys are remembered and don't ever disappear.

"He is one of those guys on the track that just picks and chooses his marks. He is respectful to race with. You race him clean because he races you clean. When it comes time, he will get up on the wheel and make something happen. He is one of those guys that when you get to lap 450, it seems like it is usually his style to kind of wait until that point and all of a sudden he just appears and wins races.

"He is a great person off the race track. He is just laid back, very cordial person. Very good with his sponsors and people, media and things like that. He is one of the good figures of sport that everybody can look up to.

"I told him after the Daytona 500 this year that no matter what happens in my career, I can always say that Dale Jarrett pushed me to 14th place finish in the Daytona 500 (LAUGHS). I told him that after the race this year. That is kind of neat, just being able to race with Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, a lot of those guys is neat because I like history of the sport. Those guys are a huge part of the history of our sport and deserve all the recognition for helping us get the sport to where it is today. It is important that the fans don't forget that. I don't think you can celebrate enough something like Dale Jarrett's last race for as much as he has meant to this sport."

ON WHAT IS NOW KNOWN ABOUT NEW GENERATION CAR THAT WASN'T KNOWN A YEAR AGO WHEN IT DEBUTED AT BRISTOL: "It is just the characteristics of it. Whether it be a handling characteristic or what. It is obviously a little less throttle time at all the race tracks that we have gone to so far compared to our old car. For the most part, it is very sensitive to the front bump stops and other things up in the front of the car. As we have gone through a year, I think our cars have come along ways from where they were a year ago at this time.

"We have had a very open mind to it. We know that nothing that we have done before will work and everybody been communicating well. It has taken all three teams to help progress things faster than it would by oneself. We have worked hard as an organization and still have a lot of work to do to continue going forward. That is the hard thing about it, you can't stop working because it is going to be a constant progression for a long time."

ON THE GOOD START THE NO. 29 SHELL-PENNZOIL CHEVY HAS GOTTEN OFF TO SO FAR THIS SEASON: "It feels good. This is the best we have ever started. As we have gone through years, usually we have some hiccups, whether it be Vegas or Atlanta or California. In the past, those always seemed to be hard spots for us to make something happen. This year we have been fortunate to have tests out there, which went really well. All the races went really well. We just have to keep it headed in that direction. As long as we do good on the tracks we normally do good on, we will be ok. The high-banked 1.5-mile stuff in the past has been hard for us, so we feel like we have made that better and have to continue to make it better."

ON STAYING HOME NEXT WEEK AS THE CAR OWNER: "They will keep us informed as to what going on. We will be at home, relaxing and just kind of taking it all in. This year on the Cup side, we have had so much work to do as far as testing and other things, this off week is timed at a really good point for not only myself but the race teams and everybody involved in our sport to really relax and take advantage of the off week. Before, the third week of the season, you weren't really ready for an off week. With all the stuff we have had going on this year, it comes at a perfect time."

ON THE ATMOSPHERE OF RACING AT BRISTOL: "It is definitely a different feel than going to a bigger race track. This place is very unique in the way the racing is and the way that the fans react. Everything is so much closer to you. So you can see, feel and be a part of all reactions that happen in the grandstands. The most unique thing about Bristol is you can't hear anything."

ON THE TIRE TALK FOLLOWING THE ATLANTA RACE: "The tires weren't very good last week. The only good thing that happened with the tires last week is that we didn't have a tire failure. As a competitor, our sport has advanced in numerous ways. I feel like the tires are probably the slowest thing to advance with the rest of our sport."

ON DISCUSSION FOLLOWING DARLINGTON TIRE TEST THIS WEEK OF GOODYEAR REVAMPING THE TIRE AND GOING BACK FOR A SECOND TEST: "We did the first tire test at Atlanta and we didn't have any problems. When we went back to race, probably half the cars had tire problems. For me, it looks like it is time to look at the procedure. I don't know what the right procedure is, what is going on. There has been for years a lot of inconsistency from one set of tires to the other. That is frustrating as a competitor. You work hard to get your travels right so you are within a 1/16th of an inch, and you bolt a set of tires on and the car goes to crap. You don't know why, you put another set on and go from there.
It just looks to me, and like I said, I don't have a solution, it might be time to re-evaluate how we approach it."

ON GUYS TRYING TO GET IN THE TOP-35 IN POINTS, IF BRISTOL IS A GOOD TRACK OR BAD TRACK FOR THAT: "I would say this might be a bad track. Most of those guys probably haven't raced a whole lot here, maybe once. That is probably the hardest thing for them coming in to this particular weekend. You have to be able to go fast but you have to be able to survive at the same time. It is probably not the most optimum race to make up points unless they have a 15-car pile up and you aren't in it."

ON IF HE CAN IMAGINE WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE FOR HIM IN A FEW YEARS: "Well, I am never going to say never. I always tell people I do this because I am competitive and like what I do and like to be a part of the sport. Financially we are very fortunate to be at a point in my life where I don't have to do it, but I want to do it. The day that goes away, I will probably just go away by myself."

ON OTHER COMPETITORS CRITICISM OF KYLE BUSCH DRIVING STYLE: "I have seen a lot of things that he does that I probably wouldn't do. But those are just different peoples styles and everybody has their own unique style. Just race as hard as you can."

ON IF HE CIRCLES THIS BRISTOL RACE ON HIS CALENDAR: "I used to. I don't know if it will still be that kind of place for me, it was good for us at the first race last year.
As we go forward, it will develop new characteristic of what type of race track it is and what type of place it is for us."

ON WHAT HE MIGHT SAY TO SAM HORNISH OR OTHER DRIVERS WHO ARE SEEING BRISTOL FOR THE FIRST TIME: "Good luck. (LAUGHS) I didn't realize Sam hadn't ever been here. Wow, that would be quite a position to be in, especially with the points position those guys are in. My best advice would be to make laps and try to stay out of the way and just survive because that is biggest part of Bristol is surviving."

ON HIS KEVIN HARVICK, INC. NATIONWIDE PROGRAM: "It has been a lot of hard work. Changing a lot of things over the winter. The biggest thing is I can be in there every day and drive the car weekly and be able to do the testing. In the past, the drivers wouldn't come to the test. Week to week, the drivers would change in the seat and you never got much feed back. Right now it is all about feedback.

"A lot of people forget that we kind of stand alone. I have some things in my mind that I can bring from what I do over here on the Cup side to what I do over there. But in the end, they only thing we buy are the chassis and the engines. The rest of it we do in-house. It has been a lot of work and we still have a long ways to go. We have been consistent so far at the beginning of this year and been in contention to win a couple of races that is all you can ask for. We just pretty much started from scratch this year and kind of went from there.

"I told them that I was a mad last week as I have ever been over losing a race, or finishing 30th or 35th and we finished second. For me it is probably one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my career. It would mean as much to me to take our car to victory lane as anything that I have probably ever done in this sport."

ON IF NASCAR HAS LOST ITS CORE FAN AND WHAT CAN DRIVERS DO TO GET THEM BACK: "I don't think NASCAR has lost its core fan. There are still a lot of people here that have watched these races for a long time. There are a lot of owners here that have watched these races for a long time. Right now, I think everybody is doing a good job. The consistency of the product that we have on the race track and around the garage is pretty stable and I think that is what everybody is looking for."

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WHAT A FANTASTIC RACE...BOY I HAVE BARELY ANYTHING TO BITCH ABOUT...I MEAN RCR FRICKEN RULES!!!! I THINK IT IS AWESOME THAT JEFF BURTON WON..OF COURSE WOULD OF LOVED TO SEE KEVIN TAKE IT BUT SECOND TO HIS TEAM MATE IS ACCEPTABLE..AND HOW ABOUT THAT CLINT BOWYER...CAN YOU SAY 1,2,3...JEFF, KEVIN, CLINT??? WHOO HOOO...

IT IS A SAD DAY FOR ME TO SAY GOOD BYE TO DALE JARRETT...GOD BLESS THE ERA OF THE WINSTON CUP DRIVERS...OTHER THAN MARK MARTIN...IN MY OPINION...THE GOOD OLE BOY RACIN IS GONE..ALTHOUGH KEVIN AND MY OTHER 4 DRIVERS ARE THE REASON WHY I STILL WATCH...TO ME AN ELEMENT OF RACING IS GONE...

WELL, THE SPRINT SERIES HAS THE WEEKEND OF NEXT WEEK WITH EASTER COMING...THAT IS OK..BECAUSE MY BIRTHDAY IS COMING AND ALONG WITH THAT COMES PARTYING WITH MY CLOSEST FRIENDS AT DAVEY'S...SO ONWARD AND UPWARD...HAPPY EASTER TO ALL AND SEE YA ALL IN MARTINSVILLE!!!!

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