Twenty cautions mark 'typical' night at Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- That's Bristol.

At least that's the common excuse after another wild night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

For the record, there were 20 caution periods, matching an all-time NASCAR Winston Cup record. And 119 of the 500 laps were run under yellow. The longest green-flag run was 54 laps.

Jeff Green was involved in three cautions but fell out only after a blown engine. Joe Nemechek was in three yellows, too, but he soldiered to a 19th-place effort. Both Joe Gibbs Racing cars crashed in Turn 3 on the sixth caution that ruined Tony Stewart's and Bobby Labonte's nights.

Ryan Newman was in two cautions but still finished sixth. Winner Kurt Busch was in the sixth yellow.

	Bobby Labonte was involved in more than one incident at Bristol. Credit: Autostock

Crazy, huh?

"I heard it was a record number of cautions," Jamie McMurray said. "It's just this place. It's really cool for the race fans, but it's really hard as a driver to not get frustrated and run into somebody or somebody do that to you."

The 20 cautions matched the record set -- where else? -- at Bristol in April 1989 and April 1997. The 119 caution laps weren't a record -- there were 167 here in 1965.

Strangely enough, there was a caution-free race at Bristol in 1971.

That record was taken care of before seven laps were done when six cars tangled in Turn 4. Nineteen caution flags later -- well, that was enough. Amazingly, only seven cars dropped out of the race for accidents. But there were plenty more cars that limped off the track after the race was over.

A small sample:

SHARPIE 500 Busch celebrates a season sweep at Bristol Play video Hear from the top finishers in Saturday's race Play video Busch holds off Harvick in the closing laps Play video Busch takes the lead and Gordon is spun by Kenseth Play video Mark Martin is angry after hitting the wall Play video  •  Results  •  Standings  •  Photo Gallery

Jeff Gordon punts Newman.

Ted Musgrave hits Ryan Newman, and then Jeff Burton hits Musgrave, and then Dave Blaney hits Burton -- all in the same crash.

Jeremy Mayfield dumps Green, making several drivers happy since Green worked over more than one driver.

Ricky Craven pinches Musgrave in the wall.

Elliott Sadler loses it trying to pass Johnny Sauter.

Sauter slips and turns Mark Martin around.

Busch slams into the back of Sterling Marlin.

Gordon gets punted by points leader Matt Kenseth.

Mercifully, the last yellow waved when Tony Raines spun in Turn 2.

What gives? Is the explanation really that it's "just Bristol"?

Several drivers didn't think so.

"It's ridiculous," Dale Jarrett said. "You know that you can't hardly give up anything because track position is so important. If they wanted to make the cars equal, they did it, but that's more conducive to racing on bigger tracks, not half-mile tracks with 43 cars where there is basically one groove.

"The only thing people can do is you get impatient, and if you try to give a guy a break, then you get hit from behind. It's just tough racing."

Elliott Sadler, Jarrett's teammate, agreed that track position is more important than ever. But he went a step further, saying drivers are protecting that track position with a little too much ferocity.

	Mark Martin led the race, but was later involved in a wreck with Johnny Sauter.

"Everybody is doing a little bit more blocking and a little bit more cutting off," Sadler said. "I think that's why you're seeing more cautions because the competition level is getting better and better, and track position is getting more important every week."

Yes, putting 43 cars on a half-mile race track where laps are turned in the 16-second bracket is a little nuts. Even if the least competitive people were driving the cars, you'd still have people running into each other.

Put 43 testosterone-filled, competitive people in those same cars and you get 20 cautions.

"You've got all these cars out there," Martin said. "Everybody is driving for their jobs."

"You do all you can by yourself, but then you run into something you can't avoid," Dave Blaney said. "That's the way it goes here."

And the drivers expect it when they race here:

Ricky Rudd: "The race was going our way, but that's typical Bristol."

Todd Bodine: "It's just typical Bristol."

Jeff Burton: "It's just a typical Bristol deal."

That's Bristol, indeed.