Bristol loses its identity, racing turns into a snoozer (cont'd)

As it was, there eventually were nine cautions covering 61 laps during a race that once featured a total of 167 caution laps.

Not that caution laps make for a great race. They don't. But long-time race promoter Humpy Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, once explained that the greatest appeal of stock-car racing was the fact that it was akin to watching a bunch of folks trying to put on a high-wire act at high speed -- with no safety net underneath to catch them if they fell.

Lap-by-Lap

Carl Edwards clinched a spot in the Chase with his win at the newly-resurfaced Bristol Motor Speedway. Check out all the lead changes, pit stops and cautions from the Sharpie 500.

• Lap-by-Lap, click here
• Race Video, click here

"Keep the net there and it's not as interesting to watch. Take it away and suddenly everybody is at the edge of their seats the whole time they're watching," Wheeler said.

Apparently, the resurfacing of the concrete at Bristol ended up serving as the dreaded safety net more than the good folks who run the facility intended. But most of the drivers appeared to love the new style of Bristol racing that hard-core fans are likely to be slow to embrace if it's here to stay.

"I think a lot of it is just this racetrack," Hamlin said. "Guys can move around, so you don't have to run into each other to make a pass. You know, really I think that's why you were seeing the long green-flag runs like you haven't seen here before. Some guys were kind of worried about points. This race seems to be a little more tame each year. We saw last year was kind of the same way. Really I think it's just the layout of the track that's making us go green so long."

Tony Stewart, who finished fourth, gushed like he had just finished a dirt race at his beloved Eldora Speedway.

"I hope the fans had as much fun watching this race as I did driving in it," Stewart said.

Others, such as driver Greg Biffle of the No. 16 Ford, weren't as enthusiastic.

"It's OK," said Biffle, who finished 10th. "It's pretty good racing, but it's not old Bristol."

No, it's not. Yet Hamlin even went so far as to insist that the new, calmer Bristol is in no way a bad thing for the sport.

"I think it's a great thing," Hamlin said shortly after taking his early exit. "I think at the end of the race, you're going to see two-wide and three-wide finishes somewhat like you did [in the Busch race Friday] night. It might be a little boring toward the middle, but you're going to have a great finish."

There was that hope, right up until the end. But it never really materialized. Eventual winner Carl Edwards basically drove away from the rest of the field in his No. 99 Ford over the final laps (watch video).

And the ERT guy presumably was plenty rested when it came time to pack up and head for home.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.