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Some bits on Bristol and WC from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Bristol sweep
Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 97 Ford, will go for the Bristol Motor Speedway sweep Saturday night in the Sharpie 500. Busch won the first Winston Cup race of his career when he captured the Food City 500 in March. He'll try to become the ninth different driver to win both Bristol races in the same season.
-- Three time sweepers: Darrell Waltrip (1981-82-83) and Cale Yarborough (1974-76-77).
-- Two time sweepers: Dale Earnhardt (1985 and 1987).
-- They swept once: Fred Lorenzen (1964), David Pearson (1968), Bobby Allison (1972), Richard Petty (1975) and Rusty Wallace (2000).
Title watch
The top-five drivers in the Winston Cup points race have a mathematical chance of leaving Bristol as the points leader. However, should Mark Martin win the Sharpie 500, Sterling Marlin can maintain his lead by finishing seventh or better regardless of lap leader bonus points for either.
Who's hot
-- Kevin Harvick has eight straight top-15 finishes.
-- Jimmie Johnson has 18 top-15 finishes in 23 races.
Who's not
-- Jeff Gordon, who was 19th at Michigan, has finished 22nd or worse in four of the last eight races.
-- Kurt Busch has finished 41st twice and 39th in his last three races.
On the right track
-- Jeff Gordon has finished eighth or better, including four victories, in 12 of the last 15 races at Bristol.
-- Dale Jarrett has finished ninth or better, including one victory, in 11 of the last 15 races at Bristol.
-- Rusty Wallace has scored 26 top-10 finishes, including nine victories, in 37 career races at Bristol and has three victories in his last seven races there.
-- Ward Burton has scored five top-10 finishes, including four of the last seven, in his 17 races at Bristol.
Headaches
-- Ricky Rudd has never won in his 49 races at Bristol.
-- John Andretti has only two top-10 finishes in 15 races at Bristol, both were top fives.
-- Joe Nemechek has finished 16th or worse in all 15 of his races at Bristol.
-- Bill Elliott has finished 15th or worse in the last nine races at Bristol, including back-to-back 36th-place finishes in the fall of 1999 and spring of 2000.
-- Michael Waltrip has just one top-10 finish in the last 11 races at Bristol.
-- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finished 14th or worse in four of his five races at Bristol.
-- Robby Gordon has finished 32nd or worse in all four of his races at Bristol.
Track position
Forty-seven of 83 Cup races at Bristol have been won from the first four starting positions (57 percent). Only 13 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
History book
-- Fred Lorenzen won the first pole at Bristol in 1961; Jack Smith won the inaugural Cup race at the track.
-- The track was re-configured to 36† banking, the most acute on the current schedule, and re-measured at .533 miles for the 1969 Volunteer 500.
-- The first night race at Bristol was the 1978 Volunteer 500.
-- The track surface was switched from asphalt to concrete for the 1992 Bud 500
The Bristol sweep
Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 97 Ford, will go for the Bristol Motor Speedway sweep Saturday night in the Sharpie 500. Busch won the first Winston Cup race of his career when he captured the Food City 500 in March. He'll try to become the ninth different driver to win both Bristol races in the same season.
-- Three time sweepers: Darrell Waltrip (1981-82-83) and Cale Yarborough (1974-76-77).
-- Two time sweepers: Dale Earnhardt (1985 and 1987).
-- They swept once: Fred Lorenzen (1964), David Pearson (1968), Bobby Allison (1972), Richard Petty (1975) and Rusty Wallace (2000).
Title watch
The top-five drivers in the Winston Cup points race have a mathematical chance of leaving Bristol as the points leader. However, should Mark Martin win the Sharpie 500, Sterling Marlin can maintain his lead by finishing seventh or better regardless of lap leader bonus points for either.
Who's hot
-- Kevin Harvick has eight straight top-15 finishes.
-- Jimmie Johnson has 18 top-15 finishes in 23 races.
Who's not
-- Jeff Gordon, who was 19th at Michigan, has finished 22nd or worse in four of the last eight races.
-- Kurt Busch has finished 41st twice and 39th in his last three races.
On the right track
-- Jeff Gordon has finished eighth or better, including four victories, in 12 of the last 15 races at Bristol.
-- Dale Jarrett has finished ninth or better, including one victory, in 11 of the last 15 races at Bristol.
-- Rusty Wallace has scored 26 top-10 finishes, including nine victories, in 37 career races at Bristol and has three victories in his last seven races there.
-- Ward Burton has scored five top-10 finishes, including four of the last seven, in his 17 races at Bristol.
Headaches
-- Ricky Rudd has never won in his 49 races at Bristol.
-- John Andretti has only two top-10 finishes in 15 races at Bristol, both were top fives.
-- Joe Nemechek has finished 16th or worse in all 15 of his races at Bristol.
-- Bill Elliott has finished 15th or worse in the last nine races at Bristol, including back-to-back 36th-place finishes in the fall of 1999 and spring of 2000.
-- Michael Waltrip has just one top-10 finish in the last 11 races at Bristol.
-- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finished 14th or worse in four of his five races at Bristol.
-- Robby Gordon has finished 32nd or worse in all four of his races at Bristol.
Track position
Forty-seven of 83 Cup races at Bristol have been won from the first four starting positions (57 percent). Only 13 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
History book
-- Fred Lorenzen won the first pole at Bristol in 1961; Jack Smith won the inaugural Cup race at the track.
-- The track was re-configured to 36† banking, the most acute on the current schedule, and re-measured at .533 miles for the 1969 Volunteer 500.
-- The first night race at Bristol was the 1978 Volunteer 500.
-- The track surface was switched from asphalt to concrete for the 1992 Bud 500