Where's the love? Bristol shows off efforts to get its lower groove back

Ray Slover

Where's the love? Bristol shows off efforts to get its lower groove back image

Who doesn't love racing at Bristol Motor Speedway? Apparently, a lot of people.

Consider what AJ Allmendinger said on team radio during the 2014 night race: "I freakin' hate this track, man. The moment I get it figured out, the moment it goes to … "

MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. update | Bristol schedule | Chase trouble report

We'll leave the final word to your imagination. Yes, it is an expletive.

A better way to look at Bristol might be Tony Stewart's notion. "It's one of my favorite tracks, but Bristol is a track that's feast or famine. If you have a really good day, it's a lot of fun. But if you have one little problem, it normally makes for a very long day. Lately, we've had a couple long days there."

Stewart made those comments in 2005. He had another of those bad Bristol moments in 2012 when, after being wrecked by Matt Kenseth, Stewart flung his helmet at his antagonist's passing car.

Other drivers have similar feelings about Bristol, and fans have made their opinions known about a loss of excitement in Thunder Valley. The self-described "last great colosseum" in recent races had lost its luster.

But as Sprint Cup teams prepare for Saturday's race there is an element of the unknown, one which began to get attention when Truck Series drivers hit the track Wednesday. "Minor modifications" were made to produce a racing groove lower on the racing surface. Bristol's so-called polishing included preparation with an agent that improves tire grip.

That came with the approval of NASCAR and with input from drivers to answer fan criticism that racing at Bristol had become boring. Bristol? Boring? That's what happened with drivers began relying on an upper groove that took away side-by-side racing.

“We wanted to try a few things to see if we could make the lower racing groove more preferred by drivers,” track general manager Jerry Caldwell told the Bristol Herald Courier.

If it works, and fans are again treated to cussing and fussing and helmets thrown in anger, all the better. The proof will be in the racing.

And Wednesday, there was evidence of how the changes just might work. Rodney Childers, crew chief for Kevin Harvick, was dubious about the changes. He then had to eat his tweeted words.

Let's see what happens during night racing.

UPDATE: Dale Jr., who will not be racing this weekend, sounded cautiously optimistic while watching the trucks go round and round.

Word on Wednesday's Truck laps will filter back to teams. Consider what Daniel Suarez will impart to Joe Gibbs Racing.

"Honestly, whatever these guys, Bristol, did to the bottom, the racetrack has total grip," Suarez told Fox Sports 1. "You feel like you can get into the bottom super deep, the truck can stay there, and then you can go."

Reports suggested the sticky stuff started working as the track temperature rose. With highs in the mid-80s, daytime runs will benefit. But this is a night race, so there were questions about what cooler temperatures might bring. That's another reason why teams will pay close attention the Truck Series race and Friday's Xfinity Series race.

Hot and sticky beats cool and slick hands down.

Here are the entries for Aug. 20's race at Bristol.

No. Driver Hometown Brand Sponsor Owner
1 Jamie
McMurray
Joplin,
Mo.
Chevy Cessna
Chevrolet
Chip Ganassi
Racing
2 Brad
Keselowski
Rochester
Hills, Mich.
Ford AutoTrader Team
Penske
3 Austin
Dillon
Welcome,
N.C.
Chevy Dow -
Great Stuff
Richard Childress
Racing
4 Kevin
Harvick
Bakersfield,
Calif.
Chevy Busch Beer
Chevrolet SS
Stewart-Haas
Racing
5 Kasey
Kahne
Enumclaw,
Wash.
Chevy AARP Drive
To End Hunger
Hendrick
Motorsports
6 Trevor
Bayne
Knoxville,
Tenn.
Ford Advocare
Ford Fusion
Roush Fenway
Racing
7 Regan
Smith
Cato,
N.Y.
Chevy APC
Chevrolet
Tommy Baldwin
Racing
10 Danica
Patrick
Roscoe,
Ill.
Chevy Nature's Bakery
Chevrolet SS
Stewart-Haas
Racing
11 Denny
Hamlin
Chesterfield,
Va.
Toyota FedEx
Express
Joe Gibbs
Racing
13 Casey
Mears
Bakersfield,
Calif.
Chevy GEICO Germain
Racing
14 Tony
Stewart
Columbus,
Ind.
Chevy Haas
Automation
Stewart-Haas
Racing
15 Clint
Bowyer
Emporia,
Kans.
Chevy 5-Hour
Energy
HScott
Motorsports
16 Greg
Biffle
Vancouver,
Wash.
Ford Ford EcoBoost
Ford Fusion
Roush Fenway
Racing
17 Ricky
Stenhouse
Jr.
Olive Branch,
Miss.
Ford Fastenal
Ford Fusion
Roush Fenway
Racing
18 Kyle
Busch
Las Vegas,
Nev.
Toyota M&M's 75th
Anniversary
Joe Gibbs
Racing
19 Carl
Edwards
Columbia,
Mo.
Toyota Stanley Joe Gibbs
Racing
20 Matt
Kenseth
Cambridge,
Wisc.
Toyota Dollar
General
Joe Gibbs
Racing
21 Ryan
Blaney
High Point,
N.C.
Ford Motocraft/
Quick Lane Tire
+ Auto Center
Wood Brothers
Racing
22 Joey
Logano
Middletown,
Conn.
Ford Shell
Pennzoil
Team
Penske
23 David
Ragan
Unadilla,
Ga.
Toyota Dr Pepper BK
Racing
24 Chase
Elliott
Dawsonville,
Ga.
Chevy NAPA
Auto Parts
Hendrick
Motorsports
27 Paul
Menard
Eau Claire,
Wisc.
Chevy Knauf/
Menards
Richard Childress
Racing
30 Josh
Wise
Riverside,
Calif.
Chevy Curtis Key
Plumbing
The Motorsports
Group
31 Ryan
Newman
South Bend,
Ind.
Chevy Caterpillar Richard Childress
Racing
32 Jeffrey
Earnhardt
Mooresville,
N.C.
Ford Can-Am GO FAS
Racing
34 Chris
Buescher
Prosper,
Texas
Ford Love's
Travel Stops
Front Row
Motorsports
38 Landon
Cassill
Fairfax,
Iowa
Ford MDS
Transport
Front Row
Motorsports
41 Kurt
Busch
Las Vegas,
Nev.
Chevy Monster Energy/
Haas Automation
Chevrolet SS
Stewart-Haas
Racing
42 Kyle
Larson
Elk Grove,
Calif.
Chevy Target Chip Ganassi
Racing
43 Aric
Almirola
Tampa,
Fla.
Ford Smithfield Richard Petty
Motorsports
44 Brian
Scott
Boise,
Idaho
Ford Medallion
Financial
Richard Petty
Motorsports
46 Michael
Annett
Des Moines,
Iowa
Chevy Pilot
Flying J
HScott
Motorsports
47 AJ
Allmendinger
Los Gatos,
Calif.
Chevy Bush's
Grillin Beans
JTG Daugherty
Racing
48 Jimmie
Johnson
El Cajon,
Calif.
Chevy Kobalt Hendrick
Motorsports
55 Reed
Sorenson
Peachtree City,
Ga.
Chevy TBD Premium
Motorsports
78 Martin
Truex Jr.
Mayetta,
N.J.
Toyota Bass Pro Shops/
NRA Museum
Toyota Camry
Furniture Row
Racing
83 Matt
DiBenedetto
Grass Valley,
Calif.
Toyota Cosmo
Motors
BK
Racing
88 Jeff
Gordon
Vallejo,
Calif.
Chevy Axalta Hendrick
Motorsports
95 Michael
McDowell
Glendale,
Ariz.
Chevy Thrivent
Financial
Circle Sport-
Leavine Family
98 Cole
Whitt
Alpine,
Calif.
Chevy Carolina
Skiff
Premium
Motorsports

Ray Slover