Backstretch Motorsports

“Do not go gentle into that good night” .. I doubt Dylan Thomas could’ve ever imagined his words would be used as a racer’s mantra for making the NASCAR playoff series.

But they work.

In truth, nearly all of the top finishers in the Sharpie 500 race at Bristol Motor Speedway could lay claim to the sentiments expressed in that poetic phrase. [read more...]

David Ragan, of whom Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards characterizes as “wise beyond his years” won the NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway last night.

The victory was win number 2 in the second-tier series for the Unadilla, Ga. native, the first coming at Talladega earlier this season.

The No. 6 Discount Tire Ford Fusion driver managed a strong restart on a green-white-checkered-flag finish and held off RFR teammate Edwards in what proved to be a relatively quiet final shootout by Bristol standards.
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Michigan’s dust-up has barely settled, the fuel milage battle was a game changer in many ways.

Brian Vickers gets the ‘all-important’ 10 bonus points, and albeit not comfortably, stays ahead of both Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch in actual standing.. but still not quite in the “Chosen Twelve” that get to the Chase.

The win was the important part, and another win would put him in no matter what others do. [read more...]

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Snickers Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), led five times for a race-high 378 laps en route to a winning performance in Sunday’s Food City 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“This thing really came to life today,” said Busch, who scored his second Sprint Cup win of the season after winning three weeks ago at his home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter where you start here. You have to bide your time and take it easy when you have a car that’s good.”

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BRISTOL, Tenn. — At age 33, Kevin Harvick won his 33rd Nationwide Series race in the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet — but the number that really mattered to Harvick at Bristol Motor Speedway was “one.”

A former series champion, Harvick won for the first time in a Nationwide car he owns when he took the checkered flag in Saturday’s Scott’s Turf Builder 300 at the .533-mile high-banked short track, beating Carl Edwards to the finish line by .798 seconds.

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Qualifying Fast Facts
Bristol Motor Speedway
FOOD CITY 500

Coors Light Pole Winner: Mark Martin
Age: 50
Team : No. 5 - CARQUEST/Kellogg’s Chevrolet
Owner: Mary Hendrick
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 16, 2009) – It’s still early, but seeing his name absent from the top 12 must be a growing concern for three-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.
There’s good news and bad news for Johnson where his points position is concerned.
The good news: It’s nothing new. After four races last year, he was 13th in points. This season, he is again in 13th after four races.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 27, 2008) – NASCAR announced today that it has placed Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards on probation for the next six races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of their on-track incident last Saturday at the conclusion of the race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Busch, driver of the No. 18 car and Edwards, driver of the No. 99 car, both violated Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing; hitting another competitor’s car after the race had concluded) of the 2008 NASCAR rule book.

The probation takes effect beginning with this weekend’s event at Auto Club Speedway.

BRISTOL, Tenn. — For the second straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, Carl Edwards beat Kyle Busch when it counted.

Executing an adroit bump and run on Lap 470, Edwards passed for the lead and pulled away over the final 30 laps Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, winning the Sharpie 500 by 1.969 seconds over Busch.

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After a restart on Lap 226 of Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Keselowski pressured points leader Clint Bowyer. On Lap 227, Bowyer slipped off Turn 2, giving Keselowski the opening he needed.

From that point, Keselowski kept the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet out front and beat Bowyer to the finish line by 1.025 seconds.

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