Bristol, where did you go?

[Harmonica Bear]

Am I the only one who thought the race was extremely boring? The races at Bristol usually are a hard chareded affair, full emotion, bangin and bumpin, all the things that make the short tracks so fun to watch. I guess it picked up a little at the end, but for the most part I thought it was rather dull. I mean 110+ plus laps and the tires are still good and it's time for green flag stops? Maybe my memory is failing me, but I can't remember ever hearing about green flags stops at Bristol.

[harvey lee]

I didnt watch the race. Sounds like it was boring and Bristol is suppose to be action packed. Sounds like it was a good move to have gone fishing.

[LMITOUT]

You're exactly right....boring. It was typical to what you'd see on a race like the one coming up this weekend at California. They tried as much as they could to hype it up as an action-packed race, more than it ever has been, but it was a flop. Two guys led for a majority of the race! Side by side action they say? Well, there was but that wasn't very exciting. It looked like Daytona on a 1/2 mile without the adreneline or fun of a car trying to pick partners and draft it's way to the front.

One of the best tracks on the circuit, ruined Maybe it was a combination of the COT dud and the resurfaced track. When will they learn?

[outdoor ran]

So I wasn't the only one that thought it was boring. They have ruined the best race they have. Kenseth and Hamlin were both smiling despite dnfs. There in the chase, have nothing to race for I guess. I really don't like where Nascar is heading. At least football is right around the corner.

[HOF#13]

Yea, I have to admit it was definately NOT the Bristol of old. I wouldn't say I got bored watching it, but it definately wasn't near as fun to watch!

[VMS]

Well....guess I am on the other end of things for this...

Ever since the chase became part of the Cup series, the Bristol night race has been (IMHO) a "chip and dale chipmunks" sort of affair. Nobody wanted to bump and grind for fear of taking someone in the chase or close to being in the chase out. It was get in the low line and stay there because you couldn't pass on a higher groove. So...whomever started up front pretty much stayed there...or they used pit strategy to make gains on the track. If memory serves me, many teams would come in for gas only in order to gain position. If someone was pushy enough, they would push their way through some traffic...but not like the days before the chase where you'd see lots of caution laps due to many bumps, pushes, and drivers fired up over getting taken out. Is that really racing?....taking someone out just for a position?

Now...with the progressive banking, passing could take place on higher grooves. Before the new pavement, you would not see passes anywhere near like we did on Saturday. There were some 2000 green flag passes throughout the field. We had multiple groove racing EVERYWHERE. No need to bump and run, creating multiple-car crashes...they were able to pass on the top, in the middle, or on the bottom.. Problem with watching it on TV, though is they concentrate on who's leading and not much on the rest of the field.

Here are some stats from NASCAR.com

Green Flag Passes

2007 Bristol races

Spring Location Fall

184 Frontstretch 529

128 Backstretch 487

313 Turns 1, 2 571

366 Turns 3, 4 560

991 Total 2,147

I am sure many of you miss the agitation, frustration, actions etc that drivers have taken in the past, but those days were long gone before this race... Bristol lost that when the chase started. Even the spring race was boring before.

Sorry..I'm on the other side of this. I enjoyed the race. It was actually a RACE...and not bumpercars..

Steve

[LMITOUT]

Those passing statistics have to be taken with a grain of salt. Of course there were a ton more "passes" because they were side by side and who was ahead at every marker point changed constantly, yet most of the time a real pass never occurred. So, those inflated numbers are a bit skewed and misunderstood.

[outdoor ran]

All them passes must of been at the back of the race because there sure wasn't much of it at the front. I like the old Bristol days where it was bumper cars. Get out of the way or get moved. A few helmets flying and some pushing in the garage. Whats wrong with having one or two races where its exciting. We got all them other tracks where we can watch them race like there out for a sunday drive with the family on the freeway.

[def]

Gee! I watched all three races & loved them. Side by side racing & even three wide. Lots of passing. There were car's racing each other all over the track, front, middle & back. They even had a little bump & run plus bump drafting. I like the track the way they fixed it.