Race 2 Win: Sprint Cup Series Race Notes

Sprint Cup Series

Food City 500 - Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes

Sunday, March 16, 2008
Bristol Motor Speedway
Food City 500

DODGE CHARGER

The Dodge Charger has won at least one race in NASCAR’s premier series since it returned in 2005 and has 137 wins since 1966. Dodge has 198 wins with all nameplates.

Dodge continues the winning tradition legends Richard Petty, David Pearson and Bobby Isaac established in the 1970s by designating the Charger as the nameplate Dodge teams will use in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2008 and beyond.

Ryan Newman won the 50th running of the Daytona 500. He is the second Dodge driver to win The Great American Race since Dodge returned to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001. Ward Burton won in 2002 in a Dodge Intrepid.

DODGE AT BRISTOL

Kasey Kahne dominated the most recent race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He started from the pole, posted the fastest lap of the race and led 305 of the 500 laps in the fall race last year. The only thing he didn’t do was win the race. He finished second to Carl Edwards.

Kurt Busch posted his first career victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol. It came in the spring race in 2002 in his sophomore season. Busch also has the most recent Dodge win at BMS. He won the spring event in 2006. He has five wins at the .533-mile track.

Richard Petty provided Dodge with its only sweep at the .533-mile track as he claimed the win in both events during the 1975 season. He didn’t start on the pole for either race, but did have a top-five starting spot. Kurt Busch swept both races in 2003, but that was before he joined the Dodge ranks and Penske Racing.

Dodge drivers with wins at Bristol include Petty, Busch, David Pearson and Bobby Allison.

DODGE ROOKIE CONTENDERS

Dario Franchitti – The reigning Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series champion will be driving the No. 40 The Hartford Dodge Charger this weekend at Bristol. The Hartford will continue as an associate sponsor on the No. 40 Dodge from Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates after occupying the primary position at Bristol.

Sam Hornish Jr. – The three-time IndyCar Series champion and 2006 Indy 500 winner is assured a starting spot this weekend at Bristol. A transfer of points from Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch has Hornish and the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger in the top 35 in owner points. After Bristol, the top 35 will be determined by 2008 owner points.

Patrick Carpentier – The driver of the No. 10 Charter Dodge Charger this weekend at Bristol got off to a disappointing start this season, but has come on strong the last two races. A tire problem in one of the 150-mile qualifying races kept him out of the Daytona 500 and qualifying was rained out at California. He made impressive qualifying runs at Las Vegas and Atlanta.

ROOKIE STANDINGS

Raybestos Rookies of the Year contenders Dario Franchitti and Sam Hornish Jr. are 1-2 in the standings. Franchitti has 41 points, Hornish 39.

BRISTOL TRACK FACTS

Starting up front is definitely an advantage of BMS. The winner has started from the front row 33 times in 94 events.

Only 17 of the 94 races at BMS have been won from a starting position outside the top 10 and 29 from outside the top six.

Bristol was reconfigured from a .5-mile track to a .533-mile, high-banked racing surface in 1969. The banking was increased from 22 to 36 degrees which made BMS the fastest half-mile track on the NASCAR circuit.

The track surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992 between the spring and fall race.

The second event during the 1971 season was run without a caution as Charlie Glotzbach averaged 101.075 mph en route to victory.

The all-concrete track was resurfaced last summer.

DID YOU KNOW?

A total of 42 cars started the first race at BMS in July, 1961, but only 19 finished with Jack Smith taking the win. He won by a two-lap margin over Fireball Roberts.

.Darrell Waltrip made 12 trips to victory lane at Bristol, more than any other driver. He had a string of seven straight wins (1981-1984).

Junior Johnson fielded 21 winners at Bristol as a car owner.

Cale Yarborough led all 500 laps to win the 1973 spring race at BMS.

Quotes of the Week:
“Bristol is this weekend and anything can happen there. It has to be the most exciting race track in the world.”
- Bobby Labonte, No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Charger

“Since they added the variable banking last year, I really feel comfortable running the high groove there. It allows you to pull a lot more momentum off turns two and four and get position heading into the next corner. It also allows you to keep the guys running the bottom pinned down so they can’t carry their speed out to the wall. If our car works well up top again, that’s where you’ll probably see us running.”
- Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger