Survival is still the name of the game at Bristol.

When the subject of Bristol racing comes up among racing fans, the react seems to be very surprising since NASCAR and the Bristol Motor Speedway both introduced two new eliminates into the racing, the first one coming from NASCAR being there new Car of Tomorrow that debuted at this very race last year under heavy criticism, the second was introduced last fall by Bristol Motor Speedway themselves, the new variable banking with a smoother surface. Both have resulted in fans asking what happened to the old Bristol, why change Bristol?

When I look back at the previous Bristol races that most fans remember (1992 – 2007), the first description that comes to mind is a one grove racetrack that in order to pass, the driver would have to almost and in some case bump the car in front and move them out of the way, if you went into the higher grove, you got freight trained to back and at Bristol, that doesn’t take much… it’s a beating and banging race of survival that created instead excitement.

Three races that come to mind during are, first August 1995, one the last lap, Dale Earnhardt tries to pass to Terry Labonte and clips him, sending Terry into the wall across the start finish line winning the race, the victory picture was amazing, how about the spring 1994 race were Dale Earnhardt spun out Terry Labonte into the wall and went on to win, or even the famous last lap bump and runs that went down countless times, one that I remember in 1997, Jeff Gordon gave a bump and run to Rusty Wallace in the middle of 3 and 4, like I said, all legendary races, some of the best races and best finishes in NASCAR history were at Bristol.

So when you look back at all of that excitement that fans live for, what’s the real difference between then a now? In a lot of ways, you can’t compare, it’s was a different track, different car, different time and for many, different drivers (Earnhardt, Labonte, Waltrip, Wallace, Jarrett to name a few), welcome to the new age. Through the eyes of this racing fan, the old Bristol, the concrete, one grove, game of survival days that produced amazing racing for the fans and nightmare for the drivers, now, with the new COT that debuted at this race one year ago, that still produced good one grove survival racing that was a little different, but not much.

So, what about this past weekend race (Spring 2008), this one was one for the record books in my opinion, I would say it’s more like the asphalt surface days, the side-by-side racing that produced good racing before the concrete was laid. That was a time that some remember, however don’t when they are describing Bristol, it was the days of Petty, Earnhardt, Waltrip, Allison, Yarborough, Gant, Junior Johnson, the days mostly before I started watching, those races were on asphalt which included Darrell Waltrip’s 7 consecutive victories from 1981 - spring 1984, those races remind me a lot of today’s racing. It’s still mostly the same, a game of survival and this time, even if you got the bottom grove, there were no guaranty of making the pass.

The COT does make for better racing and remember what I said after last fall’s Bristol race, give the surface some time to age, the racing will get better and what do you know, it has gotten better, I can’t wait until the fall Bristol race under the lights, I can’t think of a better way to spend my birthday (August 23rd).

This Bristol racing was a good combination (being the COT and new surface), it worked for me, it wasn’t boring and as always, it produced a great finish, who would have thought Burton in 5th place with less than 10 to go would have won this one, although new tires and avoiding a late race wreck will do that, how many times have we seen that and just like back in Daytona with Newman winning the 500, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, Chevrolet back in the winner’s circle. One person told me, he was routing for anyone not driving a Toyota, damn, it’s still an American sport, but that’s for another time.

Like I said, one for the record books including a RCR 1-2-3 plus Dale Jr. in 5th, a good day all around. Comments.

(Image Credit: Terry Labonte 1995 Bristol win - AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

- Racedriven