 |  | | Kurt Busch chalked up another win at Bristol in March. Credit: Autostock |
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
August 27, 2004
10:26 AM EDT (14:26 GMT)
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Bristol Motor Speedway's Saturday night Sharpie 500 has become the ticket to have in NASCAR Cup Series racing, which stretches back to Bristol's inaugural event in 1961. With Bristol being the third venue before the cutoff for the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup, the nerves of the 10 drivers who have a reasonable chance to either race their way into the top-10 or drop out of it are understandably somewhat frayed. Kurt Busch, who is riding a string of three consecutive victories at the lightning fast concrete half-mile, is the one most poised to add to the track's statistical legacy. 2 -- The number of drivers who have won four consecutive races at Bristol, Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip. 3 -- The number of drivers who have scored top-five finishes in each of the last five races at Bristol: Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth. 4 -- The number of races won by Kurt Busch in his last five Bristol starts. 4 -- The number of consecutive pole positions won at Bristol by Mark Martin, from 1995-1996. 6 -- Kevin Harvick's number of consecutive top-10 finishes at Bristol. 6 -- The number of times in 87 NASCAR Cup races at Bristol that a driver has started outside the top 15 and won the race, or 7 percent of the races. |  | | Credit: Autostock |
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7 -- The number of consecutive Bristol races won by Darrell Waltrip from 1981-1984. 7 -- Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin's leading number of Bristol pole positions among active drivers. 9 -- Rusty Wallace's career victories total at Bristol, most of any active driver. 9 -- The number of drivers who have scored season sweeps at Bristol, including Kurt Busch (2003), Rusty Wallace (2000), Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1985), Darrell Waltrip (1983, 1982, 1981), Cale Yarborough (1976-1977, 1974), Richard Petty (1975), Bobby Allison (1972, 1970), David Pearson (1968) and Fred Lorenzen (1964). 20 -- The number of top-10 starts Jeff Gordon has in 23 Bristol races. 20 -- The number of Bristol's 87 Cup races won from the pole position, or 23 percent. 24 -- The number of consecutive Bristol races in which Sterling Marlin has been running at the finish, since August 1992. 38 -- Elliott Sadler's starting position for the 2001 Food City 500, the furthest back a race winner has started at Bristol. 73 -- The number of Bristol's 87 Cup races won from starting positions inside the top-10, or 84 percent. 101.074 -- Charlie Glotzbach's Bristol race record average speed, set in two hours, 38 minutes and 12 seconds in July 1971. 128.709 -- Ryan Newman's Bristol track record Bud Pole Qualifying speed, set in 14.908 seconds in March 2003. 1978 -- The year the first Cup night race was held at Bristol, the Volunteer 500. | |
