NASCAR Nextel Cup teams return to Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) this weekend, the site for last spring's debut of the Car of Tomorrow. Plenty of fanfare surrounded that race weekend back in March as Kyle Busch pulled off the very first victory in NASCAR's newer, safer car design. Now UPS will have plenty to celebrate with their employees, customers and fans as Bristol becomes the site for the celebration of UPS's 100th anniversary.
To help celebrate the Centennial anniversary of UPS, driver Dale Jarrett will be pulling double-duty. He will race in Friday night's Busch Series Food City 250. He will then work to earn a spot in the starting grid for Saturday night's Nextel Cup Series Sharpie 500. Each of the two cars that he will race this weekend will be a #44 UPS Toyota Camry and will highlight a commemorative paint scheme designed by Joe Hill, a UPS employee out of the Louisville, KY facility.
As is always the case at Bristol, this week "The World's Fastest Half-Mile" will display a full spectrum of on-track action. And with Bristol Motor Speedway recently repaving the entire racing surface, it should prove to be an exciting week of racing. Activity will start as early as Tuesday with Craftsman Truck Series practice. Wednesday fans can attend a double-header, with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series O'Reilly 200 and the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Food City 150 races. Friday will be the final build-up with the Busch Series Food City 250 race leading up to Saturday night's sold out Sharpie 500.
There will be lots for fans to see and do away from the races, with Thursday being the busiest time. The downtown area of Bristol will be bustling as it hosts the Food City Family Race Night from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on State Street. Families can enjoy food, fun and games at several vendor displays.
The ever-popular NASCAR hauler parade will begin at 9:00 p.m. Fans can line up anywhere along Highway 11E from the Bristol Mall to the Bristol Motor Speedway to watch the parade. Or they can enter the speedway through Gate 10 to watch the haulers park in the infield.
Officials at Bristol Motor Speedway will attempt to top themselves at Saturday's Sharpie 500 with a new "card stunt" aimed to break the world record for participants at over 128,000 fans. In years past the Kulwicki grandstand in turns one and two have hosted card stunts involving approximately 30,000 fans. This weekend the track will attempt a new card stunt that is designed to wrap around the entire track. Fans will also see a new tradition continue with the singing of the national anthem. The Motor Racing Outreach will again bring the children of the NASCAR community members to sing the national anthem prior to the running of the Sharpie 500.
Bristol Motor Speedway Quick Facts
Bristol Lap Record: Ryan Newman (14.908 seconds and 128.709 mph), March 21, 2003
Bristol Race Record: Charlie Glotzbach (2 hrs., 38 min., 12 sec/101.074 mph), July 11, 1971
2006 Nextel Cup Winner: Matt Kenseth
Total Purse: $6,182,147
