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August 23, 2008
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tennessee
Race 24 of 37 on Sprint Cup circuit
TV: ESPN, 8 p.m. EDT
Laps: 500
Track length: 0.533 miles
Race length: 266.5 miles
Qualifying record: Ryan Newman, Dodge, 128.709 mph, (March 2003)
Race record: Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet, 101.074 mph, (July 1971)
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $3,611,272
One of the circuit's most consistent drivers has struggled of
late; ran in the top 15 through the first 17 races, but has an
average finish of 19th over past six starts - including just
one top 10 which came at the Brickyard; finished 11th at
Michigan to remain fifth in the standings, 349 points behind
leader Kyle Busch; won first Bristol race for lone victory of
the season; had 10 top 10s through first 19 races; finished
eighth in last season's standings, one year after placing
seventh; finished in the top 10 in half of the races last
season, including nine top fives; lone win of the 2007 season
came in April at Texas; finished the season strong with five
top-10s over the final six races; ran 12th in this race last
season.
Kyle Busch
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 18 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $5,102,988
Is in the midst of a stellar first season with Joe Gibbs Racing,
winning eight races and posting 14 top fives through 23 races;
lead dropped to 222 points atop the standings after finishing
second to Carl Edwards at Michigan; win at Watkins Glen gave him
a sweep of the road courses following victory at Sonoma in June;
prior to win at the Glen had "slumped" with a 15th at the
Brickyard and 36th at Pocono; also ran dead last at the first
Pocono race; ran 17th at the first Bristol race after power
steering failed and transmission issues relegated him to 38th
at Martinsville; has wins at Atlanta, Talladega, Darlington,
Dover and the second Daytona race; runner-up finish at Richmond
was marred by a late-race incident with Dale Earnhardt Jr.; had
the dominant car and led the most laps at the Daytona 500; is
building off a sensational run at Hendrick Motorsports in his
move to JGR and Toyota; finished fifth in the final 2007
standings after qualifying for the Chase for the second
consecutive season; had 20 top-10 finishes last season,
including 11 top fives; lone win came during the first Bristol
race - the inaugural Car of Tomorrow event; ran ninth in this
race last season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 88 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $3,309,270
The circuit's most popular driver remained fourth in the
standings, 345 points behind Kyle Busch after running 23rd at
Michigan; snapped a 76-race winless stretch by winning first
Michigan race on fumes; in eight races since has an average
finish of 16 and just one top 10; was involved in a late-race
incident with Busch at Richmond while racing for the win and
wound up 15th; has 12 top 10s through 23 races; ran fifth at
Bristol after a third at Atlanta and second at Las Vegas; was
the top finishing Hendrick car at the Daytona 500 with a
ninth-place showing; was involved in an early race crash at
California and finished 40th; made the move from his father's
Dale Earnhardt Inc., where he won 17 Cup events, to Hendrick
Motorsports; got off to a good start with his new team by
winning the Bud Shootout; suffered through a tough final season
at DEI, finishing 16th in the standings; had 12 top 10s last
season, but also posted 11 finishes of 25th or worse; finished
fifth in this race last season.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $5,099,200
Earned fifth win of the season at Michigan to pull within 222
points of series leader Kyle Busch; finished second to Jimmie
Johnson at the Brickyard - his fourth runner-up this season; was
also second to Busch at Darlington, Dover and the second Daytona
race; won at Texas for his third win of the season; was docked
100 points and fell from the top spot in the standings after
being penalized after his win at Las Vegas; victory at Texas was
his 10th career Cup win; had the dominant car again at Atlanta,
but blew an engine and finished 42nd; ran 19th in the Daytona
500; qualified for the Chase last year and won at Dover after
placing 12th at New Hampshire, but failed post-race inspection
and was docked 25 points; penalty dropped him from third to
sixth in the standings and he never recovered; won the 2007
NASCAR Busch Series championship; won this race last year.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $3,806,847
Ran 10th at Pocono for his 10th top 10 of the season, but
slipped to 29th at Watkins Glen and 42nd at Michigan to fall
three spots to ninth in the standings; has yet to win this season
but has eight top-fives; has four DNFs this season after posting
just one last year; rebounded to finish fifth at Atlanta after
being involved in a scary late-race crash at Las Vegas where he
finished 35th; bounced back with a third at California after
opening 2008 season with a disappointing 39th in the Daytona
500; only a dominant finish by teammate Jimmie Johnson kept him
from capturing a fifth championship last season; finished with
10 top-10 finishes in the final 11 races - the other finish in
that span was an 11th at Dover; totaled a remarkable 30 top-10
finishes and 21 top fives in 36 races last year; had six
checkered flags last season and 81 career, just two shy of
tying Cale Yarborough for fifth place all-time; ran 19th in this
race last year.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $4,568,573
Recent strong stretch was halted by running 17th at Michigan,
but remains third in the standings; finished third at Pocono
following a win at the Brickyard and runner-up at Chicago;
two-time defending series champion blew a motor at Lowe's and
finished in 39th place; bounced back with three top 10s,
including a sixth at Michigan; picked up his first win of the
season at Phoenix; had a disappointing three-race stretch at Las
Vegas, Atlanta and Bristol when his average finish was 20th; ran
second at California after starting this campaign with a 27th at
the Daytona 500; battled teammate Gordon for the top spot in the
Chase early last season, then took off - winning four straight
races over the second half of the Chase; finished last season
with 10 wins, 20 top fives, 24 top 10s, yet failed to finish
four races; finished 21st in this race last year.
Kasey Kahne
Team: Gillett Evernham Motorsports
Car: No. 9 Dodge
2008 Earnings: $4,684,376
Finished 40th at Watkins Glen and dropped to 11th in the
standings, just 47 points inside the Chase; bounced back from a
disappointing 33rd at Sonoma and 30th at Loudon by running
seventh at Daytona, 15th at Chicago and seventh at the
Brickyard; finished second to Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Michigan;
won first Pocono race from the pole; had a stellar two weeks at
Lowe's, winning the Sprint All-Star Challenge then snapping a
52-race winless skid by taking the checkered flag in the
Coca-Cola 600; has 11 top 10s this season; after winning six
races in 2006, struggled in 2007 when he finished 19th in the
standings with just one top five and eight top 10s; also had six
DNFs and dipped as low as 36th in the standings at one point;
took on the famed Budweiser sponsorship after Earnhardt moved to
Hendrick Motorsports; finished second in this race last year.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $3,643,056
Finished fifth at Michigan and sits 10th in the standings; ran
third at Daytona and first Michigan race; finished 38th at
Richmond and 41st at Talladega; ran 38th at Phoenix following a
ninth at Texas and 30th at Martinsville; had consecutive top 10s
at Bristol and Atlanta; was 20th at Las Vegas due to a late-race
incident with Jeff Gordon; ran fifth at California, fresh off a
disappointing 35th place showing at the Daytona 500; last season
had a late-Chase surge with a win at the season-ending race at
Homestead, following a third at Phoenix and a second at Texas;
finished fourth in the final standings; had 13 top five finishes
and 22 top 10s last season; won the series championship in 2003
despite capturing only one checkered flag, prompting NASCAR to
change to its current Chase format; enters this season without
long-time crew chief Robbie Reiser who has been replaced atop
the box by Chip Bolin; ran 39th in this race last year.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $4,331,239
Finished 12th at Michigan after running second the previous two
weeks; slid to a 23rd-place finish after running well at the
Brickyard; finished fifth at Chicago in first race since
announcing he will leave JGR at the end of the season to drive
for his own Stewart-Haas Racing team next season; fell ill at
Daytona and was relieved by J.J. Yeley who finished 20th; was
involved in an early crash at Dover and finished 41st; came
close to winning at Lowe's, but cut down a tire with three laps
remaining while leading and finished 18th; finished 38th at
Talladega then bounced back to finish fourth at Richmond; ran
14th at Phoenix following back-to-back top-10 finishes at
Martinsville and Texas; finished second to teammate Kyle Busch
at Atlanta, but was vocal about the poor Goodyear tire quality;
suffered a hard crash at Las Vegas, injured his ankle and
finished last; had another disappointment in the Daytona 500,
finishing third despite having the lead with one lap to go;
finished fourth in this race last year.
2007 Top 10
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1. Carl Edwards (99), Ford
2. Kasey Kahne (9), Dodge
3. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
4. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8), Chevrolet
6. Kurt Busch (2), Dodge
7. Ryan Newman (12), Dodge
8. Bobby Labonte (43), Dodge
9. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
10. Greg Biffle (16), Ford
Past Winners
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2007 Carl Edwards
2006 Matt Kenseth
2005 Matt Kenseth
2004 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2003 Kurt Busch
2002 Jeff Gordon
2001 Tony Stewart
2000 Rusty Wallace
1999 Dale Earnhardt
1998 Mark Martin
1997 Dale Jarrett
1996 Rusty Wallace
1995 Terry Labonte
1994 Rusty Wallace
1993 Mark Martin
1992 Darrell Waltrip
1991 Alan Kulwicki
1990 Ernie Irvan
1989 Darrell Waltrip
1988 Dale Earnhardt
1987 Dale Earnhardt
1986 Darrell Waltrip
1985 Dale Earnhardt
1984 Terry Labonte
1983 Darrell Waltrip
1982 Darrell Waltrip
1981 Darrell Waltrip
1980 Cale Yarborough
1979 Darrell Waltrip
1978 Cale Yarborough
1977 Cale Yarborough
1976 Cale Yarborough
1975 Richard Petty
1974 Cale Yarborough
1973 Benny Parsons
1972 Bobby Allison
1971 Charlie Glotzbach
1970 Bobby Allison
1969 David Pearson
1968 David Pearson
1967 Richard Petty
1966 Paul Goldsmith
1965 Ned Jarrett
1964 Fred Lorenzen
1963 Fred Lorenzen
1962 Jim Paschal
1961 Joe Weatherly
