Many sports have their highly anticipated events of the season. Baseball has the multiple series between the Yankees and the Red Sox. Football has the clashes such as Steelers-Ravens, Colts-Patriots, or Packers-Bears.
When it comes to NASCAR, one of the most anticipated, popular, and exciting events happens every August at a small track in Bristol, Tennessee. A short, 0.533-mile, high banked, and fast track that is surrounded by over 160,000 people wanting and waiting for catastrophe. This weekend was that event. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series made their second trip to Bristol, but this time the lights were turned on and it was time for a Saturday night shootout in the Sharpie 500.
Pole-sitter Mark Martin was making his 1,000th start at Bristol and brought the 43-car field to the green flag, bringing the sold out crowd to it’s feet. Martin got loose in the first corner, yielding to outside pole sitter Greg Biffle who managed to jump out front and lead the first lap. Meanwhile back in the field, points leader Tony Stewart began experiencing radio problems where he could hear the crew, but not the other way around. He was expected to come to pit road for service to change it out on the first caution.
Stewart didn’t have to wait long as the first caution flew on lap 11 when rookie Joey Logano got into the wall, then cut a tire down. Stewart came to pit road to replace his radio, but unfortunately went a lap down, setting him back early in the race.
The field got the restart on lap 15, with leader Biffle opting to used the outside lane for positioning. Right away, Biffle got out in front and held on, putting ten car-lengths between him and second-place Martin. His lead would remain the same as he started to maneuver lapped traffic, but the caution came out a second time on lap 64 when Denny Hamlin cut down a tire.
This would be the first opportunity for the field to work on their cars on pit road, with many cars complaining of a tight condition, while a few were having a problem of being loose. Biffle managed to hold his lead coming off pit road, with Martin right on his heels.
The field restarted on lap 69 and it was deja vu as Biffle once again decided to use the outside lane for the double-file restart. This time Martin was ale to keep up with the No. 16 car, and on lap 78 finally made the pass for his first lead of the night. Meanwhile behind him, Kurt Busch managed to make his way up to second and began challenging for the lead.
That challenge was once again slowed on lap 136 as the caution was posted for debris on the track as it was a brake rotor that failed on a car, cracking in two because of the extreme heat.
Pit stops did not change the field too much as it was Martin and Busch once again leading the field.
The green flag came back out on lap 143, and Martin quickly got out front with the outside lane, which would prove to be the preferred starting position for the leader on this night. Jimmie Johnson soon made his presence felt as he and Kurt began battling for second behind Martin.
The yellow came out for a fourth time on lap 163 as Bobby Labonte spun out on the front stretch, hitting the inside wall. No cars decided to come to pit road, which kept Martin out front for the restart once again.
Martin held his lead again, but the car on the move was Marcos Ambrose as he moved up to third by lap 220, and was gaining on second place Kurt Busch. That battle would have to wait as about 30 laps later the caution came back out.
This time it was Tony Raines experiencing trouble as he hit the wall, and the entire brake duct system came loose, scattering across the race track. Pit stops were the game plan as the field once again hit pit road, but once again it was Martin holding his position, remaining out front.
The field restarted on lap 263 with Martin out front, but Johnson hounding him from behind. When the field got strung out, Martin let his teammate lead a lap for bonus points and then retook his position out front. However, lapped traffic created a little havoc for Martin as Johnson was able to make a pass for the lead on lap 317 while Martin was battling slower cars.
Johnson’s competition was brought to his bumper as the field was slowed for another caution, this time for David Gilliland who got into the outside wall in turn two. Pit stops were the plan again, and should the race stay green the leaders could make it to the end on fuel. But, this was Bristol, that was highly unlikely.
Johnson again held his lead as the field was restarted on lap 361, and again Johnson was looking to get his first win at Bristol, and he held his lead up to the next caution flag on lap 421 because of a light rain on the track.
Pit stops this time really shook up the field, especially for Johnson. A miscue on pit road by his tire changer and jack man put him back in the field. The jack man dropped the car too early and the tire changer didn’t get the tire seated on the hub properly. This forced Johnson to come back to pit road and have it changed.
Meanwhile, up front, Michael Waltrip decided to stay out on track, while Ryan Newman decided on only two tires during his pit stop. Majority of the field took on four tires, and this time it was Kyle Busch winning the race off pit road, putting him in third spot.
On the lap 431 restart, Waltrip and Newman led the charge, but one lap later Kyle managed to put his car up front for the first time. Kyle held his lead until lap 438 as the caution flag came out again, this time for a major wreck on the front stretch.
Clint Bowyer got in the wall in the first turn, meanwhile behind him the field got halted trying to avoid it, with Johnson getting into the rear of Sam Hornish. Hornish couldn’t slow up in time and got into Casey Mears, meanwhile Harvick got spun into the outside wall by Bowyer in the chaos, while Kurt Busch suffered some front end damage during the Mears-Hornish collision.
Clean up would take 12 laps as the field was restarted on lap 451 with Kyle out front, but just as quickly the field slowed again for the caution as Hornish gets into the wall after his engine began overheating, spewing out water onto his tires.
Martin had made his way up to second, and was ready to pounce on the No. 18 car on the next restart. Unfortunately, with Martin restarting on the inside lane, he could not get the run he wanted, and fell back in line.
The caution came back out on lap 480 as Martin Truex Jr. cut down a tire following contact with Jamie McMurray. Once again, Busch and Martin led the field to green, but Martin again could not get the run he wanted and fell back in line behind the No. 18 car.
The race’s final caution flag came a mere eight laps from the finish as Bowyer and Waltrip got together, with Waltrip suffering heavy damage on the nose, blowing the radiator and having oil run down the track. Clean up would be extensive, so NASCAR elected to post the red flag so that the track crew had all the access to the area.
After 11 minutes, the field was restarted, and the leaders would get one last opportunity to get around Busch for victory. The green came out on lap 497, and this time Martin was able to keep up with Busch, staying right on his bumper. With two laps to go, Martin was able to get a look inside, and the two took the white flag side-by-side.
In the first corner Busch got the better run, and Martin fell back in line, and could not make a move in turn three. It would be a clean sweep for Kyle Busch at Bristol as he took the checkered flag, winning the Sharpie 500.
Afterwards, Kyle was extremely happy with the team and how the car ran, and was quick to point out that there is still more work to do.
“I just hope this isn’t a fluke,” Busch said in victory lane.
The win moves Busch up to 13th in points, just 34 points out from the Chase. He needs to have strong runs at Atlanta and Richmond to make it in, and both tracks he has won at. Busch got Toyota it’s first win in Atlanta last year, and he won the first Richmond race this year, so he will be a heavy favorite both races.
This weekend, the Sprint Cup Series has their final weekend off for the season. The next event will be in Atlanta on Sept. 6, which will also be the first time that a Sprint Cup race is scheduled to run under the lights. The series has run at night in Atlanta before, but only because of rain delays.
Coverage on ESPN is set to start at 7 p.m. on Sept. 6.
RESULTS: 1-Kyle Busch 2-Mark Martin 3-Ambrose 4-Biffle 5-Hamlin 6-Newman 7-Kurt Busch 8-Johnson 9-Earnhardt Jr. 10-Kenseth
NOTABLE FINISHES: 16-Edwards 23-Gordon 28-Kahne 33-Stewart 34-Logano (R) 38-Harvick
CAUTIONS: 11 for 81 laps.. 11-14, 64-68, 135-143, 163-169, 255-262, 355-360, 421-430, 438-450, 457-462, 478-485, 491-495
LEADERS: 12 lead changes among five drivers. Martin-Pole, Biffle 1-65, Martin 66, Biffle 67-77, Martin 78-273, Johnson 274-275, Martin 276-316, Johnson 317-356, Martin 357, Johnson 358-422, Martin 423, Waltrip 424-432, Kyle Busch 433-500.
POINTS (Two races until Chase): 1-Stewart 3364 points*, 2-Johnson -220**, 3-Gordon -254**, 4-Hamlin -423, 5-Edwards -454, 6-Kurt Busch -461, 7-Newman -569, 8-Biffle -578, 9-Montoya -589, 10-Martin -593, 11-Kahne-601, 12-Kenseth -619
*Already locked into Chase
**Clinched spot at this race