Change Coming to Bristol Again?

[StewartHaas-Gibbs Racing]

Formula 1-Heard about people hating Michael Schumacher so I started watching some races. Now I a a Ferrari fan and never miss a race. In fact, I am hoping to go to Austin later this year.

Supercross-Saw some show about James Stewart. Now I watch every race in which James Steward competes.
The best part is that I have shared all of this with my son and the kid loves NASCAR and other types of racing.

I still want to smack whoever decided to make the Austin race the same weekend as NASCAR at Homestead. I was thinking about going to Austin cause I love F1 but NASCAR always comes first to me.

and btw I'm enjoying the hell out of watching James choke under the pressure of being on Gibbs team this year. I can't stand him or his brother Malcolm and their father. They are all clowns and I enjoyed seeing them both not qualify for the main last week.

 

[FenderBumper]

That's cool Matt. I used to watch a few in the early 90's, but didn't watch regularly until around '99. The battles between Tony and Jeff were fun, and Harvick vs the world was entertaining. Then nascar decided to 'open wheel' their sport, and everyone turned to pusses. Zzzzzzzz.......I tried to like Carl, but he started ramming people into walls his first year. I tried Kyle, but he was a total jackass like his brother. Matt and the rest of the sleeping aids driving the cars pushed me away. Watching that goofy kid Brad Keselowski get spun off his first truck win and handeling it well is what brought me back. When he finally got a fulltime ride with JRM, I started watching all the NW races and some Cup. Now some personality is coming back with all the drivers, and it's getting good again. I also enjoy the fact that I don't have to see drivers die or be injured anymore.

 

[Matthew2470]

I still want to smack whoever decided to make the Austin race the same weekend as NASCAR at Homestead. I was thinking about going to Austin cause I love F1 but NASCAR always comes first to me.

and btw I'm enjoying the hell out of watching James choke under the pressure of being on Gibbs team this year. I can't stand him or his brother Malcolm and their father. They are all clowns and I enjoyed seeing them both not qualify for the main last week.

I'm a fan because of James Stewart. I hate that Gibbs has been unable to give him a decent bike.

 

[MOEJOE]

I found this to be a pretty good read....http://racingwithrich.com/?p=1725

One of my followers(@TheKevo23) on twitter put it like this, “The racing is better, the entertainment level isn’t.”
Essentially, Bristol has become just another track. The racing may be good, possibly even better than before. But it’s no longer anything special. The passion has been lost.
Considering the limited hotel and restaurant space in the upper east Tennessee area and the price gouging that goes along with those shortages, fans from other regions of the country may just decide to stay closer to home since there is nothing particularly different about this track than those they would pass by to get to it.
On a personal note, I attended the Nationwide Series race on Saturday with my two sons and thought the racing was very good. There was a great deal of two and even three wide shuffling and some very daring moves by the leaders in traffic. I enjoyed what I saw.
However, as we were walking out of the track, my nine year old son said, “There were only four cautions. It wasn’t a very exciting race.” I believe he is not the only one who had that opinion.

Good stuff

Good one. That maniacle Bruton has killed the sport.

Maniacle, you said Maniacle.

 

[MOEJOE]

I've used very similar analogies.

For me, it's about having a favorite driver or team. Through the process of following that driver you learn about the sport and get hooked.

Over the past 15 years I've grown to love Motorsports:
NASCAR-Went to a friend's house in 1997 to watch a Red Wing's hockey game. They kept changing the channel to see what was happening in the race. Jeff Gordon was leading and they were all furious, calling him terrible names, yelling "he's Cheating!" and wishing for him to hit the wall. I was like "WTF is wrong with you effing idiots?" I was stunned at how passionate they were about it. As a result I started tuning in every Sunday for a few minutes to see where the Rainbow car was running. Then I started watching the last half of each race. Then I started watching the entire race. Then practice and qualifying. Within 6 months I was a total NASCAR junkie. (this is what I hope happens with the extra people who tune in to watch Danica)

INDY Car- Started watching because of Danica. Now I never miss a race and used to go see them run at MIS.

Formula 1-Heard about people hating Michael Schumacher so I started watching some races. Now I a a Ferrari fan and never miss a race. In fact, I am hoping to go to Austin later this year.

Supercross-Saw some show about James Stewart. Now I watch every race in which James Steward competes.

The best part is that I have shared all of this with my son and the kid loves NASCAR and other types of racing.

Weird how it happens ain't it.

I needed a reason for a nap on Sundays. I started waking up late in the races, and next thing, Im hooked. I watched my first season on a tv with bunny ears. Crazy. Then my buddy who thought they were just turning left started to watch because of Danica. Sweeeet. Not so sweet for my wife though. I need to add onto my house to solve that one.

I watch F1 all the time now. SHUMY is doing good lately BTW, isn't it exciting! Red Bull Struggles, McLaren out front and so strong without the duck bill nose. Ferrari Struggles, badly. I find it funny that in F1 the car is the real star. Ferrari is like Dale Jr.

I haven't gotten the bug for INDY or much else. I don't know how much racing my wife and daughter can handle.

I got a bun in the oven though, and Im hoping, what ever pops out, it likes to watch cars go fast.

 

[Matthew2470]

I joke that since none of my friends watch racing I had to make one of my own so I'd have someone to go to the races with me.

 

[StewartHaas-Gibbs Racing]

I'm a fan because of James Stewart. I hate that Gibbs has been unable to give him a decent bike.

That's an excuse, he won 2 main events this season and he has won quite a few heat races this year just to choke it away in several main events. There have been plenty of things this season that he has done that were all his own doing. I think the pressure got to him.

 

[Greg]

That's an excuse, he won 2 main events this season and he has won quite a few heat races this year just to choke it away in several main events. There have been plenty of things this season that he has done that were all his own doing. I think the pressure got to him.

Yep and the pressure aka Villopoto got to him last year too.


It would be interesting to see who has the most raw speed, Stewart had it for a long time.
But Villopoto may have it now, he does turn it up when needed, and Stewart crashes to often to put him to the test.


Stewart has been great, I have loved watching him and Reed battle. But he has been far to inconsistent for the last couple of years.

 

[ted@economy]

I've used very similar analogies.

For me, it's about having a favorite driver or team. Through the process of following that driver you learn about the sport and get hooked.

Over the past 15 years I've grown to love Motorsports:
NASCAR-Went to a friend's house in 1997 to watch a Red Wing's hockey game. They kept changing the channel to see what was happening in the race. Jeff Gordon was leading and they were all furious, calling him terrible names, yelling "he's Cheating!" and wishing for him to hit the wall. I was like "WTF is wrong with you effing idiots?" I was stunned at how passionate they were about it. As a result I started tuning in every Sunday for a few minutes to see where the Rainbow car was running. Then I started watching the last half of each race. Then I started watching the entire race. Then practice and qualifying. Within 6 months I was a total NASCAR junkie. (this is what I hope happens with the extra people who tune in to watch Danica)

INDY Car- Started watching because of Danica. Now I never miss a race and used to go see them run at MIS.

Formula 1-Heard about people hating Michael Schumacher so I started watching some races. Now I a a Ferrari fan and never miss a race. In fact, I am hoping to go to Austin later this year.

Supercross-Saw some show about James Stewart. Now I watch every race in which James Steward competes.

The best part is that I have shared all of this with my son and the kid loves NASCAR and other types of racing.

I like what you said there Matt . I would add that I was a hockey and foot ball fan prior to Nascar but the names started to change so often with expansion and trades that I got tired of learning the new ones every year. When I started watching Nascar , and learned 43 names, they pretty much stayed the same every year. A couple yougsters came up from Busch and a couple veterans retired but I was easily able to keep up with it. I enjoyed watching guys have a career.

 

[buckaroo]

Fans look for different things depending on the individual. I love good close racing that is close enough that you know one wrong move and a wreck is sure to happen. And a TV race has to be able to have their cameras on those races in the race that can lead to that.

But take into consideration something that IRL or maybe CART or just plain the Indy500 tried years ago. When a caution came out, cars were required to maintain a speed in order for a certain color in a light box would be the same when they passed that box. The idea was to keep the drivers in the approximate place they were when the caution came out. There was no double file restart and cars could be strung out all around the track. Drivers loved that because a driver that built up a good lead could keep it when the green fell again. Needless to say, that idea didn't last long and they went back to using a pace car.

I love the double wide restarts, but I would much rather forget about those pass arounds and let the cars line up behind the pace car like the old days. And believe it or not, I do so love watching the banging and beating of the short tracks. Part of the draw is the violence that can happen, just like the UFC.

 

[Thegroundpounder99]

Although he didn't announce the changes Bruton has made it official that he is changing Bristol. He will give us the changes at a later date but says the equipment will be there to begin work in a couple weeks. It's on NASCAR.com.

 

[Matthew2470]

Waste of money. Attendance will suck again next Spring.

 

[Joniki]

Although he didn't announce the changes Bruton has made it official that he is changing Bristol. He will give us the changes at a later date but says the equipment will be there to begin work in a couple weeks. It's on NASCAR.com.

I think Bruton will listen to the drivers and the majority of them love the new configuration of Bristol. I have been to races a Bristol with the old track and new and the new configuration presents a much better race for me.

 

[mike honcho]

Should just build a couple hotels close to the track and offer low cost deals during race week.Probably be cheaper.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

I think Bruton will listen to the drivers and the majority of them love the new configuration of Bristol. I have been to races a Bristol with the old track and new and the new configuration presents a much better race for me.

Bruton said he was listening to the fans. The drivers might like the new layout more, but they're not the ones buying tickets (or, in Bristol's case, not buying tickets).

As I've said 100 times before, when the drivers love a racetrack, it's usually a boring race. In the last six or seven years, NASCAR's done a lot to do things to please the drivers, and in the meantime, the fanbase is shrinking and the fans are complaining that they don't enjoy the product anymore. Now, over the last two years, NASCAR's made moves to try to please the fans (while the drivers whine more and more about "disrespect" on the track and stuff) and the ratings are going back up.

Bruton Smith and NASCAR are paying attention to the bottom line. If the fans aren't happy, everyone loses. Maybe if everyone raced like Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart race, the racing everywhere might be worth a flying fark.

 

[AndyMarquisLive]

So, the drivers might enjoy new Bristol... but how often do you hear a driver be upset about finishing second or third, or even 15th? Instead, it's always "we took care of our equipment and had a good points day so we're happy" meanwhile I'm asleep on the recliner while all the drivers are trying to take care of their cars to have a good points day.

 

[Joniki]

We have become a country of whiners and complainers. I am not sure when it happened, but even where I work I see it.

Me, I just love racing.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Should just build a couple hotels close to the track and offer low cost deals during race week.Probably be cheaper.

What do they do with these hotels the when the races aren't taking place? That's kinda the reason now there are so few places to stay. The only thing that really brings people into the area are the two races and what ever events are held at Thunder Valley.

 

[Matthew2470]

This has been discussed to death. No matter is done to the track, people are gonna bitch.

 

[mike honcho]

What do they do with these hotels the when the races aren't taking place? That's kinda the reason now there are so few places to stay. The only thing that really brings people into the area are the two races and what ever events are held at Thunder Valley.

Fill the track up with water and make it a waterpark and turn the hotels into a brothel and you can call it Wet & Wild on non-race weeks.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Waste of money. Attendance will suck again next Spring.

This is probably a very true statement unless the economy takes a drastic turn. Like I said before, the people that I talked to that didn't make the race this past spring cited the price as being the primary reason for staying away, not the track configuration. Gas, food, lodging is the primary factor IMO.

I have been to races a Bristol with the old track and new and the new configuration presents a much better race for me.

For me as well. People that are a fan of the bump and run aren't going to change their mind though. They'd rather see the train of cars traveling single file around the track until someone either screws up or gets bumped and moves up a lane.

We have become a country of whiners and complainers. I am not sure when it happened, but even where I work I see it.

And these are the people that respond to the open invitation to voice their opinions about the track. Of course the fans that are dissatisfied are the ones that are going to call or email. How many times does someone call the cable company to say..... 'Hey, thanks for the service that you provide.' ? People don't do that. They complain. That's our nature. I'm as guilty as the next guy.

Regardless of what is done to the track I still be there. I liked the event before the last reconfiguration and I loved the racing afterwards. For me it's always been more about the event as a whole more than the race itself. I'd probably take that nine hour drive just to camp with friends for the week even if I didn't go to the race.

I really don't care what Bruton says about having all of the specs from before the tracks reconfiguration. The odds of rebuilding that track to what it once was are probably slim to none. All of the bumps, sealer, seams, etc... can't be duplicated. I'm sure that the tire grip would not be the same. All of its original character is lost. Throw on top of that more than likely they will have to develop a new tire and do tire testing as they did after the last reconfiguration. My countdown widget on my smart phone is telling me that I have exactly 145 days until I leave home for the fall Bristol race. I'll be interested to see what is in store for us all.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Fill the track up with water and make it a waterpark and turn the hotels into a brothel and you can call it Wet & Wild on non-race weeks.

Now there's a man who thinks outside the box. I like it!

 

[ted@economy]

Should just build a couple hotels close to the track and offer low cost deals during race week.Probably be cheaper.

Why couldn't he just offer free camping for a year. People would love it, borrow a camper , whatever, and make it a weekend with the kids . It would fill all the camping areas he could find and sure send a message to the hotels in the area.If it works , he wins by selling more tickets , gets some goodwill back , and has a little fun with the motel owners.

 

[Joniki]

What if Bruton were to switch a couple of dates around and make the spring Bristol race a night race? The weather in Texas is much better earlier in the year than it is in Bristol.

 

[MOEJOE]

We have become a country of whiners and complainers. I am not sure when it happened, but even where I work I see it.

Me, I just love racing.

Right, like watching the F1 race instead of the nascar snooze-apalooza. Bring me Martinsville or bring me death!

 

[MOEJOE]

Why couldn't he just offer free camping for a year. People would love it, borrow a camper , whatever, and make it a weekend with the kids . It would fill all the camping areas he could find and sure send a message to the hotels in the area.If it works , he wins by selling more tickets , gets some goodwill back , and has a little fun with the motel owners.

Here's a great idea. At MIS you have to spend the $180 weather it's one night or 6. Bunch of crap if you ask me. Why not have a park and sleep. With some johns would be great. PLURAL. JOHNS. Not one per 10,000 cars. By the time 12 noon gets round, the thing is full and Im looking for a bush to commando with my second pair of socks because I know how they plan for these things.

What was somebody saying about complaining?

 

[FenderBumper]

By the time 12 noon gets round, the thing is full and Im looking for a bush to commando with my second pair of socks because I know how they plan for these things.

What was somebody saying about complaining?

Trying hard not to imagine what the extra pair of socks is for. Are you stuffing them things?

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Does anyone else out there think that Bruton may be thinking of some sort of asphalt coating there @ Bristol?

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Seen elsewhere.....

This pretty well sums up my opinion on the changes.....

Our August Bristol tickets now feel like tickets to Charlie Sheen's live show - dunno if we'll see brilliance, or a train wreck.

 

[MRM]

Bruton Smith has announced he's going to attempt to make Bristol the way it was prior to the night race of 2007.

There is no guarantee this will work. Even if they can get the track to how it used to be, there still could be lots of empty seats if hotels continue to gouge people.

My biggest fear on this project is we'll end up with a one-groove racetrack where no one can do any kind of passing and there won't be a lot of knocking heads to get a slower car out of the way.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Not sure if you just didn't see it but Andy already has a thread started on this subject.

 

[FenderBumper]

Not sure if you just didn't see it but Andy already has a thread started on this subject.

Andy was spawning this week, so he has a thread starting every subject.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

When I saw this thread about Bruton making changes at Bristol, I mistook that as being the same as Andy's thread talking about Changes coming to Bristol. For a minute there, I thought the two threads may have been talking about the same thing. My bad.

 

[FenderBumper]

Bruton Smith has announced he's going to attempt to make Bristol the way it was prior to the night race of 2007.

There is no guarantee this will work. Even if they can get the track to how it used to be, there still could be lots of empty seats if hotels continue to gouge people.

My biggest fear on this project is we'll end up with a one-groove racetrack where no one can do any kind of passing and there won't be a lot of knocking heads to get a slower car out of the way.

The CoT has made the bump and run much harder now that the bumpers line up. They have to slam the guy out of the way, instead of gently lifting the back end. I hope we don't have single file boredom coming our way.

Why not specify a dfferent rear bumper for short tracks? It's not a major change to make.

 

[robbybee]

So if this latest "experiment" fails, will he choose to go all the way back to a flatter asphalt track with a seating capacity of around 15K? That would guarantee a sell-out! Or will he re-install the progressive banking and return the track to it's present state?

Careful, Mr. Smith...

 

[dpkimmel2001]

So if this latest "experiment" fails, will he choose to go all the way back to a flatter asphalt track with a seating capacity of around 15K? That would guarantee a sell-out! Or will he re-install the progressive banking and return the track to it's present state?

Careful, Mr. Smith...

Flatter asphalt with a seating capacity of about 150K sounds better to me.

 

[Matthew2470]

The CoT has made the bump and run much harder now that the bumpers line up. They have to slam the guy out of the way, instead of gently lifting the back end. I hope we don't have single file boredom coming our way.

Why not specify a dfferent rear bumper for short tracks? It's not a major change to make.

Remember when the 24 was trying to know the 48 out of the way at Martinsville a few years ago? He hit him a few times but it didn't work. Personally, I wanted the 24 to knock the piss out of him and send up the track but cooler heads prevailed.

 

[FenderBumper]

Remember when the 24 was trying to know the 48 out of the way at Martinsville a few years ago? He hit him a few times but it didn't work. Personally, I wanted the 24 to knock the piss out of him and send up the track but cooler heads prevailed.

With this heavy car and the bumpers lining up, you risk wrecking your front end moving someone.

 

[MOEJOE]

With this heavy car and the bumpers lining up, you risk wrecking your front end moving someone.

Unless you start at the left side of their bumper with the right side of your bumper. Apply pressure, and steer right. The guy should clear outta the way like butter.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

Kevin Harvick on Bristol track change Bruton announced this week: "It's about time.''


Harvick on Bristol: "Hopefully, they'll do a good job. They had great intentions in mind & tried to make things better (before).'