2019 Bristol I -- Food City 500 -- Pre-Race Thread

Johali

Johali

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THE RACE: Food City 500 Monster Energy Cup Series Race

TRACK: Bristol Motor Speedway

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race #8 of 36

Date: Sunday, April 7th, 2019, Bristol, TN.

Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 2:15 pm/et

=======================================
All Times E/T

Cup and Xfinity are racing this weekend.

Friday, April 5
3 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, FS1/FOX Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole qualifying, FS1/FOX Sports App

Saturday, April 6
8:30 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS1/FOX Sports App
9:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, FS1/FOX Sports App
11 a.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS1/FOX Sports App
12:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Xfinity Series, FS1/FOX Sports App
1 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway, FS1/FOX Sports App
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show, FS1/FOX Sports App

Sunday, April 7
12:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Bristol, FS1/FOX Sports App
2 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, FS1/FOX Sports App
11:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
 
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Whether I am in town to see this one or not, it would be nice to come back and see Hendrick Motorsports continue on the trajectory they seemingly took this weekend.
 
so..... I made the plunge. Wrong thread right track....... I JUST bought tickets to the NRA Night Race at Bristol in August. I am super excited my hands are shaking but now its time for the hard part. I'll be driving in from Chicago, we will be leaving Monday and stopping in Louisville then continuing on through Tennessee. That's all I know, the logsitics I hope some of you veterans can help me on as far as I have zero idea where to stay. Looking at a map its between Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg or driving into Ashville NC these seem to be where most hotels are.
 
Snappy D said:
so..... I made the plunge. Wrong thread right track....... I JUST bought tickets to the NRA Night Race at Bristol in August. I am super excited my hands are shaking but now its time for the hard part. I'll be driving in from Chicago, we will be leaving Monday and stopping in Louisville then continuing on through Tennessee. That's all I know, the logsitics I hope some of you veterans can help me on as far as I have zero idea where to stay. Looking at a map its between Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg or driving into Ashville NC these seem to be where most hotels are.
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Louisville to Knoxville is about 5 hours if you follow the speed limit. Asheville is about 6.5 hours.

Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in August are jammed full of tourists there for last-of-summer vacations not related to the race weekend. The rooms are marked up but the terrible traffic makes up for it. Avoid them like qualifying at a 2-mile track.

I love Asheville but I'm coming from the opposite direction. From your side, I-40 from Knoxville to Asheville adds an hour and a half, with the last 45 minutes being white-knuckle roller coaster through Smoky Mountains NP. I haven't tried to cut the corner from I-75 to I-81 on US-grade highways in decades, but the last time I did was enough of a challenge that I haven't tried it since. @Johali and @Nitro Dude may have opinions, but I don't think overall it's worth running that stretch of road unless you can't get into K'ville. In its favor, A'ville is about 30 minutes closer to the track than K'ville, which may be important coming back from a night race. There's a lot of great brewpubs and outdoor hiking and rafting, if you plan on being in the area for more than just the weekend.

Look at rooms in Knoxville and then work your way up I-81 until you hit your financial pain point. Also, check Erwin, TN, south of Johnson City on I-26.
 
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Snappy D said:
so..... I made the plunge. Wrong thread right track....... I JUST bought tickets to the NRA Night Race at Bristol in August. I am super excited my hands are shaking but now its time for the hard part. I'll be driving in from Chicago, we will be leaving Monday and stopping in Louisville then continuing on through Tennessee. That's all I know, the logsitics I hope some of you veterans can help me on as far as I have zero idea where to stay. Looking at a map its between Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg or driving into Ashville NC these seem to be where most hotels are.
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A few years back I stayed at a Super 8 in Kingsport (30 min from the track) and they had jacked their rates wayyyyyy up for race weekend. Something crazy like $300 a night (it's normally like $60 or so)
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Louisville to Knoxville is about 5 hours if you follow the speed limit. Asheville is about 6.5 hours.

Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in August are jammed full of tourists there for last-of-summer vacations not related to the race weekend. The rooms are marked up but the terrible traffic makes up for it. Avoid them like qualifying at a 2-mile track.

I love Asheville but I'm coming from the opposite direction. From your side, I-40 from Knoxville to Asheville adds an hour and a half, with the last 45 minutes being white-knuckle roller coaster through Smoky Mountains NP. I haven't tried to cut the corner from I-75 to I-81 on US-grade highways in decades, but the last time I did was enough of a challenge that I haven't tried it since. @Johali and @Nitro Dude may have opinions, but I don't think overall it's worth running that stretch of road unless you can't get into K'ville. In its favor, A'ville is about 30 minutes closer to the track than K'ville, which may be important coming back from a night race. There's a lot of great brewpubs and outdoor hiking and rafting, if you plan on being in the area for more than just the weekend.

Look at rooms in Knoxville and then work your way up I-81 until you hit your financial pain point. Also, check Erwin, TN, south of Johnson City on I-26.
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Thanks so much for the advice. We are making a week of it we are going to Louisville then Nashville each for two days. I was actually going to spend the rest of the time in Pigeon Forge because there’s things there my wife wants to see but my main goal: avoid driving through the Smokies at ALL Costs, I’m driving my dually truck down and I have zero experience driving in mountains I was going to stay on state interstate as much as possible. If we have to stay in Knoxville then so be it, it’s a college town so we’ll find things to do. Asheville I had thought of, I’ll look at it a bit more closely.
 
2 Sweet said:
A few years back I stayed at a Super 8 in Kingsport (30 min from the track) and they had jacked their rates wayyyyyy up for race weekend. Something crazy like $300 a night (it's normally like $60 or so)
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Yeah, Kingsport is notorious for that. Johnson City too. They're also known for requiring a two- or even three-night minimum stay.
 
Snappy D said:
Asheville I had thought of, I’ll look at it a bit more closely.
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If you want to avoid driving in the mountains, definitely take Asheville off the list.

You said you're going to be in Pigeon Forge anyway. I still wouldn't stay there Friday night before the race unless you plan on leaving for the track -very- early on Saturday. While the highway back to I-40 is four-lane, I've never seen it on a summer Saturday when it wasn't bumper-to-bumper, 10-mph. Ask the hotel desk when you make your reservations; they might be able to guess how long it will take to get to the slab. Otherwise, I'd stay in Knoxville.

Maybe check Newport, TN too. It's the last town on I-40 before the road starts climbing into the mountains, and is closer to the track than PF. There use to be a great short track there that ran on the Friday before Bristol.

Hey, consider booking a white-water rafting trip while you're there. August is prime season for that.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
If you want to avoid driving in the mountains, definitely take Asheville off the list.

You said you're going to be in Pigeon Forge anyway. I still wouldn't stay there Friday night before the race unless you plan on leaving for the track -very- early on Saturday. While the highway back to I-40 is four-lane, I've never seen it on a summer Saturday when it wasn't bumper-to-bumper, 10-mph. Ask the hotel desk when you make your reservations; they might be able to guess how long it will take to get to the slab. Otherwise, I'd stay in Knoxville.

Maybe check Newport, TN too. It's the last town on I-40 before the road starts climbing into the mountains, and is closer to the track than PF. There use to be a great short track there that ran on the Friday before Bristol.

Hey, consider booking a white-water rafting trip while you're there. August is prime season for that.
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That highway is now 6 lanes. Doesn't back up like it used to.
 
Snappy D said:
so..... I made the plunge. Wrong thread right track....... I JUST bought tickets to the NRA Night Race at Bristol in August. I am super excited my hands are shaking but now its time for the hard part. I'll be driving in from Chicago, we will be leaving Monday and stopping in Louisville then continuing on through Tennessee. That's all I know, the logsitics I hope some of you veterans can help me on as far as I have zero idea where to stay. Looking at a map its between Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg or driving into Ashville NC these seem to be where most hotels are.
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You will love Bristol at night, I live in Gatlinburg. Traffic can be bad that time of year, but if you use the Waze app that will not be an issue. I would book your room soon as hotels will fill up quick. It takes me one hour and fifty minutes to the track.
Have fun
 
FLRacingFan said:
:D

Goodyear debuts new tire combo at Bristol for Cup and Xfinity
https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/goodyear-debuts-new-tire-bristol/4363934/?nrt=119
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B2077732-E7D3-4724-94FA-8F3A2FE22D44.jpeg
Leaked pics of the new tires
 
we should probably start a pole to see how many laps before the left sides get replaced. I say some will leave them on for at least two full fuel runs. not much of a guess, they have been doing that all year long.
 
Snappy D said:
... but my main goal: avoid driving through the Smokies at ALL Costs, I’m driving my dually truck down and I have zero experience driving in mountains I was going to stay on state interstate as much as possible.
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I have driven about every road there is in that area in my long bed dually. From dirt/gravel park roads that were single lane to the interstates. The only problem I have outside the Smokies is old narrow streets in cities. Other than that, the dually goes everywhere I would take a car. Don't let your vehicle restrict you from going anywhere in that area.
I did a quick search and I found a hotel in Big Stone Gap, VA that is available for race weekend a little more than $100 a night. It is on your side of the track, but at least an hour away. Not much to do in that area though. There used to be a drug store with a restaurant in Big Stone Gap that was as old school as old school gets. I always enjoyed eating there. Bu it closed a few years back. Check out the menu. When was the last time you could get a good milk share for $1.29?
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DIDIT said:
I have driven about every road there is in that area in my long bed dually. From dirt/gravel park roads that were single lane to the interstates. The only problem I have outside the Smokies is old narrow streets in cities. Other than that, the dually goes everywhere I would take a car. Don't let your vehicle restrict you from going anywhere in that area.
I did a quick search and I found a hotel in Big Stone Gap, VA that is available for race weekend a little more than $100 a night. It is on your side of the track, but at least an hour away. Not much to do in that area though. There used to be a drug store with a restaurant in Big Stone Gap that was as old school as old school gets. I always enjoyed eating there. Bu it closed a few years back. Check out the menu. When was the last time you could get a good milk share for $1.29?
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I'd like to see their lunch menu. Love the old school menu board.
 
MRM said:
I'd like to see their lunch menu. Love the old school menu board.
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Here is the short order board from 2013. They also had daily meals.
Sorry for getting off track on this thread...but it is close to Bristol. :)
Just found out they were awarded a $90,000 grant and plan to renovate and reopen in a year.
Also I did not know that this place was featured in the movie "Big Stone Gap" starring Ashley Judd

564737_290926601039627_1988341264_n.jpg
 
StandOnIt said:
we should probably start a pole to see how many laps before the left sides get replaced. I say some will leave them on for at least two full fuel runs. not much of a guess, they have been doing that all year long.
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I dont know, sounds like a stiffer sidewall but a softer compound so they can rubber up. Temps will be in the 70's and low 80's on race day. I think no more than 1 stage. 125 laps.
 
Spotter22 said:
I dont know, sounds like a stiffer sidewall but a softer compound so they can rubber up. Temps will be in the 70's and low 80's on race day. I think no more than 1 stage. 125 laps.
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probably right, but not that great IMO. Hopefully it will be more than 2 tenths slower like Texas was. I kinda doubt it, I quit believing Goodyear last year.
 
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