Rate The "New" Bristol Race

muggle not

muggle not

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Rate the race on a scale of 1 to 10. I thought it was a pretty good race but have seen many better at Bristol. I will give it a 8.
 
4 out of 10

This was the most boring Bristol race ever.
 
I don't know what screwed it up, the COT or the resurfacing. Not the usual exciting Bristol night race.
I woulda gave it a 6 but since Carl and Roush won, I'll give it an 8. :D
 
I liked the race. Coverage was H O R R I D though. blackout video, missing cautions, missed a restart or 2 i think, more blacked out video, chancy audio, etc etc.

race- 7 (8 had rousch not won/9 had kasey won)

Mikey's way of sponsor exposure- 7

Mikey's holding up kahne for exposure- -5

coverage- -10
 
Finally, my boy Kahne had a good race and even though he didn't win, he led the most laps. But I too didn't think that this race was as exciting as it has been in the past. It used to be the bottom was the place to race, but it seems that it's now the top and if you can't get on the outside, passing on the bottom is almost impossible.

I'll give the race a 7+
 
I beg to differ --- I thought this was a great race --- simply because there was RACING as opposed to wrecking.

I'll give it a 9

At least the 4-letter network did one thing right --- they showed the top 18 cars actually crossing the finish rather than showing only winner and the crew celebrating.
 
I'll give it a 7....pretty wierd that they did not have the camera on Jimmie for the first 1/3 of the race....Also nice to see Hendricks domination go bye bye.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
I beg to differ --- I thought this was a great race --- simply because there was RACING as opposed to wrecking.

I'll give it a 9
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Of course, you are right about the racing, but what has made this race so exciting before is the beating and banging. It's what makes short track racing so exciting. Quite honestly, I think that with this new configuration and banking, this race will loose some of it's excitement and will become just another race. Time will tell.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
I beg to differ --- I thought this was a great race --- simply because there was RACING as opposed to wrecking.

I'll give it a 9

At least the 4-letter network did one thing right --- they showed the top 18 cars actually crossing the finish rather than showing only winner and the crew celebrating.
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buckaroo said:
Of course, you are right about the racing, but what has made this race so exciting before is the beating and banging. It's what makes short track racing so exciting. Quite honestly, I think that with this new configuration and banking, this race will loose some of it's excitement and will become just another race. Time will tell.
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I have to agree with TRL. If I wanted to see all the wrecking I'd watch a demolition derby. And, the coverage was much much better than what we had for the Busch race. We still missed most of the cautions and restarts but they showed a lot of side by side racing.
But, buck you are possibly right. If the fans don't get their blood lust then Bristol may not enjoy its sell outs in the future.
 
barelypure said:
But, buck you are possibly right. If the fans don't get their blood lust then Bristol may not enjoy its sell outs in the future.
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Exactly what I meant. While it was exciting to watch Kahne, Edwards and Junior all trying to get around Michael, it wasn't the nail biter that it used to be. It took Carl finally putting the chrome bumper to Michael before that was settled and then it was over and done with.

Racing is more than just getting out there and seeing who crosses the finish line first. It's the excitment of not know what is going to happen next. It could be an accident, or it could be a blown tire or an engine let go. And yes, seeing the side by side action is much better, way better than follow the leader. I don't know if this race was one in which the guys were really just getting used to the track and therefore, the beating and banging (not wrecking) was at a minimum for what is normal here. The track got it's repuation if you will, for just that, and yes, wrecking including, but that is what the fans have been wanting and that's what has made that little track so famous. Maybe a softer tire would make for even less problems getting around the next guy, but would that be better? Maybe what is needed is a little bit harder compound in which the guys would need to be a little more aggressive. All I know and I'm not the only one who thinks this way is that yes, the race was good, but it didn't nearly have the excitement that we've become accustomed to. Will the fan accept it? Will the drivers change tactics? We can only wait and see. But personally, I liked it the way it was better.
 
IMO, since the Chase was instituted, it has taken a lot of the knock-em-into-the-wall attitude out of this race --- because it is so close to the beginning of the last ten races.

Guys inside the Chase are careful because they don't want to do anything that would take them out -- they potentially have a lot to lose.

Guys outside the Chase are careful because they don't want to be the "bad guy" that does something stupid to take out a contender.

The drivers may not realize their driving has changed, but I think it has.
 
I am leaning toward agreeing with buckaroo on this one. If we wanted to see who was fastest we would watch NHRA.

I am not particularly a fan of JPM but i do like the way he stands his ground against Harvick.
 
muggle not said:
...I am not particularly a fan of JPM...
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During the race yesterday, one of the genius ESPN announcers fumbled their words and called him "Wobblo". I about spit beer all over the place.
Where the hell did they get Daugherty, anyway? Isn't he a basketball guy? :confused:
 
I heard that too and thought I heard wrong!!! LOL I don't know, I didn't think the race was all that exciting. I thought the Busch race was better. I'd give it a 6.
 
BobbyFord said:
During the race yesterday, one of the genius ESPN announcers fumbled their words and called him "Wobblo". I about spit beer all over the place.
Where the hell did they get Daugherty, anyway? Isn't he a basketball guy? :confused:
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Brad is a former owner.
 
BobbyFord said:
Where the hell did they get Daugherty, anyway? Isn't he a basketball guy? :confused:
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You must not have been around NASCAR very long. Brad Daugherty was an owner of a Busch car some time back. Check out his credentials and you'll see that he's not a newbie to the sport.
 
They may not have ruined Bristol but it certainly does not appear to give the same excellent racing as the pre-paved track. However, the racing was pretty good I thought. Guess time will tell. I did hate to see them mess with a track that was always maybe the best on the circuit.
 
I have seen this discussion take place on my board and several other boards. I am amazed at the wide ranging opinions on the race. I've read everything from how great it was and much improved to how people were bored to death.

I must say the last 3 night races have been real snoozers. A driver would lead 400 laps and win the race with no real threat. Back in the field, it would be a lot of getting in line and riding. Kahne led a bunch of laps last night, but was challenged and lost.

I don't go to races to see wrecks. If that's why Bristol has 160,000 fans, then shame on them. I thought the first half of the race was good, plenty of passing with drivers moving forward, dropping back, and moving up again. Once Edwards passed Kahne, it seemed like other drivers started running the bottom and got that to work. But that ended most of the passing for the night.
 
MRM said:
I have seen this discussion take place on my board and several other boards. I am amazed at the wide ranging opinions on the race. I've read everything from how great it was and much improved to how people were bored to death.

I must say the last 3 night races have been real snoozers. A driver would lead 400 laps and win the race with no real threat. Back in the field, it would be a lot of getting in line and riding. Kahne led a bunch of laps last night, but was challenged and lost.

I don't go to races to see wrecks. If that's why Bristol has 160,000 fans, then shame on them. I thought the first half of the race was good, plenty of passing with drivers moving forward, dropping back, and moving up again. Once Edwards passed Kahne, it seemed like other drivers started running the bottom and got that to work. But that ended most of the passing for the night.
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Actually I thought the first part of the race was the best part.
 
I've seen better Bristol races but this one wasn't too bad.

As for wrecking...if makes no difference if I like or dislike them - they're going to happen no matter what I think as I have no influence on what takes place on the track.
 
Friday night's Busch race was the BEST race I have ever attended live. Saturday evening was a spectacular event that would have been a bit better if Carl hadn't gotten so tough at the end or Tony had gotten going 20 laps earlier. The side by side racing on that short track was UNBELIEVABLE in person!!!!

Whatever the take, I think it is unfair to label the resurfacing as a bust based on what I saw Friday night.

Wes
 
I think the racing will be even better next year. The guys will have a better handle on the car, and the tires will be tweaked for better grip.

I LOVED IT !
 
BobbyFord said:
Uh.............no, not new.
Apparently, he wasn't very sucessful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Daugherty_(basketball)


Basketball guy. Not NASCAR guy.
Shoulda stuck to basketball...
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Brad is in a good role. Pre-race and then some poignant questions, undoubtably fed to him by a producer, during the race. He doesn't sit there and blather on about meaningless things.
My only complaint is, damn he's got some of the whitest teeth on the planet. Tone those suckers down before we all go blind. Supermodels don't have teeth that white.
 
barelypure said:
Brad is in a good role. Pre-race and then some poignant questions, undoubtably fed to him by a producer, during the race. He doesn't sit there and blather on about meaningless things.
My only complaint is, damn he's got some of the whitest teeth on the planet. Tone those suckers down before we all go blind. Supermodels don't have teeth that white.
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I like Brad. As I said, I think he's easily the best of the 5.

Heck, Suzy Kolber would be a better play-by-play than Jerry Punch. I like Jerry Punch, and look up to him a lot, but he's a lot better on pit road.
 
AndyMarquisLIVE said:
I think he's the best announcer on ESPN. :idunno:
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I like Brad too. And he knows Nascar. At first I was a little leery but he's proven he knows what he's talking about. He has a personal history in nascar and apparently has been into racing since he was a kid growing up in NC.

I think he even went fishing will Bill France Jr. (back when he was young). He's a Nascar guy.
 
I don't know what it is about the guy; he just bugs me, I guess.
Prolly just a by-product of the crappy coverage...
 
SuperChuck5 said:
I like Brad too. And he knows Nascar. At first I was a little leery but he's proven he knows what he's talking about. He has a personal history in nascar and apparently has been into racing since he was a kid picking cotton for Red Farmer in NC.

I think he even went fishing will Bill France Jr. (back when he was young). He's a Nascar guy.
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:fixed:

Sorry, couldn't resist. :eek:
 
COT + New surface = Pure cow dung for a race. I can't stand it when one car dominates most of the race at Bristol and Dover for that matter. Truck races are getting to be more fun to watch.
 
sledge said:
COT + New surface = Pure cow dung for a race. I can't stand it when one car dominates most of the race at Bristol and Dover for that matter. Truck races are getting to be more fun to watch.
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Strange, last year(I think), Matt Kenseth lead over 400 laps to win. I call that domination.
 
Analysis: Good racin' gone bad?

By Dustin Long
Staff Writer

Monday, Aug. 27, 2007 3:00 am
DUSTIN LONG'S ANALYSIS

Bristol's new two-lane speedway rewarded the best cars. Instead of being stuck behind cars in the one-groove track of the past, the best cars could move through the field. This time, the best cars finished at the front with Carl Edwards winning and Kasey Kahne placing second.

What makes a good race? Was Saturday night's Bristol race a good one?

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Is this NASCAR's future?

Should you be scared?

Drivers praised Bristol's new dual-lane speedway, but not all fans were thrilled with one of the sport's crown jewels losing its luster.

Tony Stewart, who finished fourth, called Saturday night's race "the most fun I have had at Bristol in my career."

Hmmm. How often is Stewart happy after a race he doesn't win?

"I don't believe him," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "When's he ever said anything like that?"

Racers were as thrilled as commuters after a new lane opens.

Stuck in traffic? No problem. Drivers went high or low.

No longer were they stuck in a one-groove alley where they had to knock a rival out of the way to pass.

This sport, though, needs more than its competitors to be happy.

Internet message boards criticized the race. Many called it boring. Some wondered if the Bristol night race is dull, what hope is there for the sport?

There are five races that stand above most to many fans: the Daytona 500, The Coca-Cola 600, both Talladega races and the Bristol night race.

Make any of those events bad and fan backlash can be severe. They'll complain, or worse, they'll stop watching.

Bristol's new concrete surface changed Saturday night's race, which was won by Carl Edwards.

Fans saw two- and three-wide racing -- scenes as rare as empty seats at this coliseum that lures 160,000 fans.

There was more passing, but fans saw less beating and banging. The trade-off was unacceptable for some.

"Wow, this is easily the most boring Bristol night race ever," wrote one person on a NASCAR.com message board. "This may be the end of NASCAR for me. *yawn*."

Bristol represents the sport's raw edge. Nearly 100,000 seats have been added to this bowl-shaped track in the last decade -- and not because fans want to visit the Tri-Cities.

Conflict built those seats.

This track is about Dale Earnhardt Sr. punting Terry Labonte out of the lead on the final lap.

It's Jeff Gordon shoving Matt Kenseth on pit road.

It's Dale Jarrett wrecking Ryan Newman in retaliation.

Saturday night's biggest firestorm? Robby Gordon said he wasn't happy because Kevin Harvick "wrecked me."

Actions mean much more than words at this venue.

People want to see Jimmie Johnson give Robby Gordon a one-finger salute after a wreck as he once did. They want to see Ward Burton throwing his heel guards at Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car.

These are scenes rarely seen at many other tracks. These are scenes that give Bristol its brutish feel.

Yes, this is the track that makes NASCAR resemble pro wrestling. Is that so wrong? One of the NASCAR's most storied moments was a fight.

Some will say that such fans are not the sport's true fans. Wrecking is not racing, they'll say.

"I like the 'new' Bristol," one person wrote at NASCAR.com. "More than one racing lane, some passing, etc. Not the old Bristol: circle around, crash, re-start, circle around, crash, re-start, etc. ..."

This new track also did something not always seen -- it rewarded the best cars.

Edwards and runner-up Kasey Kahne combined to lead all but 13 of the 500 laps.

It's not often that the two best cars finish 1-2. But isn't that what racing should be?

Then again, any other race where two drivers led almost the whole way would generate complaints about the quality of the racing.

What Saturday night represented is change. Drivers blamed Goodyear's tires and offered hope the racing would be better with different tires.

But the reality is, this could be a sign of the past fading away.

The Southern 500 is gone.

The Car of Tomorrow is here.

Maybe Bristol's image is in the midst of a makeover.

Bristol bills itself as "racin' the way it ought'a be!"

Now the question is: Was Saturday night racing the way it should be?
 
Personally, I'd rather watch two wide racing at Bristol than caution laps any day/night.
 
Yes, I can see it now. People are praising this new surface, while fans complain and begin to leave the sport. This could be the beginning of what many people have wanted for years...the downsizing of the sport to be what it used to be. Nah, that's not what's going to happen. This is just a continuation of where things have been going for the last five or six years. In trying to make things perfect, they are making them less and less attractive to fans. With the success of JPM, now more owners are looking at other top stars in other series to come join in. JPM says that it won't be long before this "IS" the sport to be in. I say that if that happens, along with the old charm of Bristol will go the "good old boys" of NASCAR.

If this is what you want, you can have it. As long as those people don't invade my local track, I've still got a place to go to see some great racing fun.

Without exception, everyone that I've talked to in person tells me that the Bristol race was boring and nothing like it used to be. If this weren't the case, none of this would have been written. Sorry folks, I hated it.
 
I will add to what buckaroo stated one more thing......the racing is becoming homogenized.
 
sledge said:
COT + New surface = Pure cow dung for a race. I can't stand it when one car dominates most of the race at Bristol and Dover for that matter. Truck races are getting to be more fun to watch.
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I think you hit it here - it's the COT. The Busch race was great all night long. The Cup race was fantastic in the first half, but got pretty lame in parts. I think another part is that nobody I really like (other than Junyer, who's not allowed to win this year it seems) was ever really a contender.

When Kasey led, I was cheering for Jr and Carl, and when Carl led, I was pulling for Kasey.

Not to mention, ESPN did a horrible job.
 
I honestly had no problem's with Bristol. I give it a 10 . It's like I read else where . I want to see a race not a bunch of wreck's. I mean a few wreck's are fine ,but some people act like they want constant wrecking.

Also heard that one reason there wasn't a lot of beating and banging was due to the Chase being so close and people trying to get in to the 6 remaining spot's.

Maybe it was due to the fact that the track is "new" and they were driving the COT there .

I know there was a good amount of 3 wide racing at time's.

It seemed like the race lasted longer than usual. I know that whenever I've went to Bristol it seemed that the race was over before it started .Guess its due to the track being so small.
 
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