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CUP: SPEED Crew Sets The Stage For Bristol
SPEED's NASCAR experts get you primed and ready for a big weekend of racing at Bristol...
The Bristol Motor Speedway track surface will have a new look this weekend. (Photo: Bristol Motor Speedway)
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour took first cracks Wednesday at the revamped track surface at Bristol. Next up are the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series this weekend. Below, SPEED on-air personalities share their observations from Wednesday’s Truck Series race and offer their take on the rest of the week’s news:
Q: All eyes were on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Wednesday night at Bristol to see how the revamped track surface affected the racing. What did you see and can you draw any conclusions about this weekend’s Nationwide and Cup Series races?
“I think the changes reduced the racing groove and I think we’ll see the Nationwide and Cup cars have to run much closer together. When cars are that fast and that close around a half-mile track, I think you’ll see them spinning around. There have been a lot of green-flag laps in the last few years, but there will be more yellows and beating-and-banging. It could be closer to the old Bristol than it’s been in a long time.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“The verdict is still out until this weekend, but in the Truck race, it looked like the bottom two grooves are still the same. It was basically the same old Bristol with maybe a little more bump-and-run than before. We’ll know a lot more when we get the Cup cars on the race track in practice Friday.”
--Bob Dillner, SPEED reporter
“The good news is there was plenty of very aggressive, side-by-side racing. The bad news was there wasn’t a single lead change. It didn’t look to me like the on-track competition was much different than recent Bristol races, although the Cup cars have a lot more horsepower and a different tire package than the Trucks, so we could see something entirely different.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
“It’s early in the going, but I think Bruton did a good job. I like that if a driver is running well on the bottom, he can pass. I think we’ll see a good race because the lapped cars will become an issue like they did on Wednesday night. That creates bumping-and-grinding and that’s what people want to see, no matter what anyone says.”
--Jimmy Spencer, SPEED analyst and former driver
Q: Shane Wilson is out as Kevin Harvick’s crew chief and Gil Martin, Harvick’s crew chief last season, is back atop the pit box in at least a temporary role. Could this reunion turn the No. 29 team around?
“I think Gil will have a positive impact on that No. 29 team. I think he feels like he has something to prove. They finished third in points in two consecutive years, but Harvick said third wasn’t good enough. So, they made wholesale changes on the No. 29 car, including the crew chief, and I think that hurt Gil. He might feel like he has something to prove, so the reunion could help Harvick.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“It’s hard to view this as a permanent fix because Kevin Harvick adamantly wanted Gil out as his crew chief at the end of last season. When a driver ousts his crew chief and then they’re reunited, the result might be good for a few races, but I have a hard time believing that’s a permanent solution.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: What is your take on the penalties handed down to the No. 27 team? Were they too lenient, too harsh or appropriate?
“I think NASCAR made their point. NASCAR takes a very dim view of teams altering their cars in any way once they leave the R&D Center after being certified. NASCAR dropped the hammer on the No. 27 team. I don’t know what impact that will have on other teams, but NASCAR got their message across loud and clear.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“Messing with the chassis in the COT era is as big a ‘no-no’ as soaked tires or a big engine would have been 30 years ago. I’m a little surprised NASCAR didn’t hand down stiffer penalties in. Look back to 2012 when Clint Bowyer was penalized after the Chase race in Loudon. His penalties were heavier for something that wasn’t publicly disclosed as a deliberate violation, so I’m quite surprised NASCAR didn’t come down harder.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: A lot of attention was given to Jeff Gordon’s reaction over his radio to teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s on-track moves at Michigan. What is your take on that?
“Jeff Gordon won Pocono and then they went to Watkins Glen, a place where he’s had so much success, and he struggled. They finally got inside the top 10 and he hit that oil on the last corner of the last lap. Then they were searching for speed the entire weekend at Michigan. I’m sure a lot of that was about Dale Earnhardt, Jr., but I think a lot of it was just frustration across the board on Gordon’s part.”
--Larry McReynolds, SPEED analyst
Q: Any parting thoughts?
“We’re still waiting for someone to step up and assert themselves in the ‘Wild Card’ race. No one really stood out last week at Michigan as having a great weekend, so we’ll see if anyone stands out at Bristol.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: All eyes were on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Wednesday night at Bristol to see how the revamped track surface affected the racing. What did you see and can you draw any conclusions about this weekend’s Nationwide and Cup Series races?
“I think the changes reduced the racing groove and I think we’ll see the Nationwide and Cup cars have to run much closer together. When cars are that fast and that close around a half-mile track, I think you’ll see them spinning around. There have been a lot of green-flag laps in the last few years, but there will be more yellows and beating-and-banging. It could be closer to the old Bristol than it’s been in a long time.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“The verdict is still out until this weekend, but in the Truck race, it looked like the bottom two grooves are still the same. It was basically the same old Bristol with maybe a little more bump-and-run than before. We’ll know a lot more when we get the Cup cars on the race track in practice Friday.”
--Bob Dillner, SPEED reporter
“The good news is there was plenty of very aggressive, side-by-side racing. The bad news was there wasn’t a single lead change. It didn’t look to me like the on-track competition was much different than recent Bristol races, although the Cup cars have a lot more horsepower and a different tire package than the Trucks, so we could see something entirely different.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
“It’s early in the going, but I think Bruton did a good job. I like that if a driver is running well on the bottom, he can pass. I think we’ll see a good race because the lapped cars will become an issue like they did on Wednesday night. That creates bumping-and-grinding and that’s what people want to see, no matter what anyone says.”
--Jimmy Spencer, SPEED analyst and former driver
Q: Shane Wilson is out as Kevin Harvick’s crew chief and Gil Martin, Harvick’s crew chief last season, is back atop the pit box in at least a temporary role. Could this reunion turn the No. 29 team around?
“I think Gil will have a positive impact on that No. 29 team. I think he feels like he has something to prove. They finished third in points in two consecutive years, but Harvick said third wasn’t good enough. So, they made wholesale changes on the No. 29 car, including the crew chief, and I think that hurt Gil. He might feel like he has something to prove, so the reunion could help Harvick.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“It’s hard to view this as a permanent fix because Kevin Harvick adamantly wanted Gil out as his crew chief at the end of last season. When a driver ousts his crew chief and then they’re reunited, the result might be good for a few races, but I have a hard time believing that’s a permanent solution.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: What is your take on the penalties handed down to the No. 27 team? Were they too lenient, too harsh or appropriate?
“I think NASCAR made their point. NASCAR takes a very dim view of teams altering their cars in any way once they leave the R&D Center after being certified. NASCAR dropped the hammer on the No. 27 team. I don’t know what impact that will have on other teams, but NASCAR got their message across loud and clear.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“Messing with the chassis in the COT era is as big a ‘no-no’ as soaked tires or a big engine would have been 30 years ago. I’m a little surprised NASCAR didn’t hand down stiffer penalties in. Look back to 2012 when Clint Bowyer was penalized after the Chase race in Loudon. His penalties were heavier for something that wasn’t publicly disclosed as a deliberate violation, so I’m quite surprised NASCAR didn’t come down harder.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: A lot of attention was given to Jeff Gordon’s reaction over his radio to teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s on-track moves at Michigan. What is your take on that?
“Jeff Gordon won Pocono and then they went to Watkins Glen, a place where he’s had so much success, and he struggled. They finally got inside the top 10 and he hit that oil on the last corner of the last lap. Then they were searching for speed the entire weekend at Michigan. I’m sure a lot of that was about Dale Earnhardt, Jr., but I think a lot of it was just frustration across the board on Gordon’s part.”
--Larry McReynolds, SPEED analyst
Q: Any parting thoughts?
“We’re still waiting for someone to step up and assert themselves in the ‘Wild Card’ race. No one really stood out last week at Michigan as having a great weekend, so we’ll see if anyone stands out at Bristol.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
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