Sharpie 500 - GM Race Notes

Race: Sharpie 500
Distance: 500 Laps
Date: Saturday, August 23, 2003
Television: TNT (live coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. EDT)

A Pair of Firsts

The first NASCAR victory by the Chevrolet Monte Carlo was earned here in 1971 by Bobby Allison. The modern era began in 1972, and Chevrolet has won 402 races in that period. The first NASCAR race here at Bristol (1961) was won by Jack Smith in a Pontiac.

Pontiac Power

--Mike Skinner followed up his strong performance in the spring race at Bristol—he qualified sixth in the Kodak Pontiac—with a fourth-place effort in the U.S. Army Pontiac on Friday afternoon. Why is this important? Because 48 of the 85 races run here at Bristol have been won from the top four spots.

--Should Skinner, Ricky Craven, Johnny Sauter, Jason Leffler or Johnny Benson lead a lap in tonight’s Sharpie 500, it will be the first on a short track this season.

Chevy Domination

In 63 races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the modern era of NASCAR began in 1972, Chevrolet has won 36 of them If you add all the GM brands together, that total climbs to 46.

--Of the top 10 in NASCAR points after 23 races, only two drivers have won here. Jeff Gordon is one of them, with five victories, and the other is Kurt Busch, who has two.

Bristol Quick Shots

--Jeff Gordon’s pole on Friday was his third in the last four races here. Only Ryan Newman has bested Gordon in qualifying here the past two seasons.

--Chevrolet has won two of the three short-track races this season. Jeff Gordon won at Martinsville and Joe Nemechek won at Richmond.

--Kevin Harvick and Bobby Labonte have figured out the tough track at Bristol. Each has finished in the top 10 in the last four races here.

--Jimmie Johnson and Michael Waltrip are still in the top 10 in points through 23 races, the only drivers to have been there from the beginning of the season. Waltrip is also working on a streak of 33 straight races where he has been running at the finish.

NASCAR Winston Cup Manufacturer Points after 23 races:
(Victories in parentheses)
Chevrolet (11) 164
Ford (6) 141
Dodge (5) 119
Pontiac (1) 82

Racing Around

--Chevrolet’s Gen IV Indy V-8 will make its debut on a short track Sunday at Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway. Sam Hornish led the Chevy contingent in qualifying for the Indy Racing League event, posting the seventh-fastest time on the .946-mile oval. Teammates Robbie Buhl and Sarah Fisher will share the sixth row, Buddy Rice will start 15th and Buddy Lazier 19th.

-- The General Motors Chevrolet Corvette Racing team set the fastest time in the GTS class during Friday’s 90-minute test session before the Road America 500 at the legendary Road America circuit in Wisconsin. Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell, driving the #3 Compuware Corvette C5-R, posted a best time of 2:03:421, or 118.074 mph. Fellows’ test session time bests the previous qualifying record of 2:03:812, which he set last year, by roughly fourth-tenths of a second. Oliver Gavin and Kelly Collins, driving the #4 Compuware Corvette C5-R, recorded a best time of 2:04:755, or 116.811 mph.

--Chevrolet is the only manufacturer currently competing in the ALMS, Indy Racing League, NASCAR Winston Cup and NHRA.

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