NASCAR Countdown Pre-Race: ABC - 7:00pm/et

Television Race Coverage: ABC, 7:30pm/et

In the Booth: Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree
Pit Reporters: Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe, Brad Daugherty, Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham

SPEED's NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 5:00 pm/et with John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace

Scheduled Race Re-Air Dates/Times: Sunday, August 26 at 5:30am/et on ESPN2
Wednesday, August 29 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED

TV Listings, Links and Info:
Jayski's TV Listings Page
ESPN Network Schedules
SPEED TV Schedule
NASCAR on TV
TV Racer

This Week - Performance Racing Network (PRN) and SiriusXM Satellite NASCAR Channel 90

goprn.com

PRN Live Streaming

Practices:
Friday, August 24, 12:00 - 2:00 pm/et, TV-SPEED

Happy Hour 'Final' practice: Friday, August 24, pm/et, 2:45 - 3:30pm/et, TV-SPEED

Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Friday, August 24 at 5:10 pm/et, TV-ESPN2, no re-air scheduled.

Track Specifications:
0.533-mile concrete oval
500 laps, 266.5 miles
Degree of banking in corners: 24 to 30 degrees
Degree of banking in straights: 4 to 9 degrees
Straightaways: 650 feet long.
Concrete racing surface: 43 feet wide.
Seating capacity: 160,000
Bristol has two pits roads: 22 pit stalls on the front stretch and 21 on the back stretch
Pit Stall Size: 25.5 feet long, 15.5 feet wide
Pit Road Speed: 30 mph
Pace Car Track Speed: 35mph
Track Opened: 1960
First Cup race: 1961

Night Race Attendance:
2012: 145,000
2011: 156,000
2010: 155,000
2009: 160,000
2008: 160,000
2007: 160,000

Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: 300 America's Tradesmen
Command to start engines: Michael Buffer & 300 America's Tradesmen
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: TBA
Invocation: Sprint Cup driver Michael McDowell
National Anthem: Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) Children
Military Flyover: 2 T-45 V-9, Meridian Naval Air Station, Meridian MS

Track Websites:
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway's Online Ticketing Center
Speedway Motorsports
Bristol Raceway Ministries
Bristol Motor Speedway - Facebook
BMS Photo Page on Flickr

June 2012: see my Bristol Race Info page

August 2011: see my Bristol Race Info page

2012 March Race Winner: #2-Brad Keselowski, 93.037mph, started 5th

2011 August Race Winner: #2-Brad Keselowski, 96.753mph, started 8th

Track Race Record 1st Race: Cale Yarborough, Apr 1977, 100.989

Track Race Record 2nd Race: Charlie Glotzbach, July 1971, 101.074

Slowest Race Record: Ned Jarrett, July 1965, 61.826mph

Oldest Race Winner: Dale Earnhardt, 48 years, 3 months, 30 days, 8/28/1999

Youngest Race Winner: Kyle Busch, 21 years, 10 months, 23 days, 3/25/2007

Worst Starting Spot to Win: Elliott Sadler, March 2001, started 38th

2012 March Pole Sitter: #16-Greg Biffle, 125.215, finished 13th

2011 August Pole Sitter: #39-Ryan Newman, 122.811mph, finished 8th

Track Qualifying Record: #12-Ryan Newman, March 2003, 128.709mph, 14.908 secs

Oldest Pole Winner: Harry Gant, 54 years, 7 months, 17 days, 8/27/1994

Youngest Pole Winner: Joey Logano, 19 years, 9 months, 23 days, 3/19/2010

The Numbers for The IRWIN Tools Night Race:
0 - fewest cautions for a race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7/11/71)
0 - fewest lead changes for a race (3/25/73)
1 - fewest laps led by race winner (7/26/64 - Fred Lorenzen)
1 - fewest on lead lap at finish (22 times, most recent 8/22/81)
4 - number of jet dryers available for track drying during race weekend
4 - number of races won from outside a top-25 starting spot
5 - number of cautions in spring race
7 - number of consecutive wins by Darrell Waltrip at BMS (1981 - 1984)
7 - fewest cars running at finish (3/20/66)
16 - most wins by a car owner (Junior Johnson)
16 - most leaders (4/9/89)
20 - most cautions for a race at BMS (three times, most recent 8/23/03)
34 - races won from the front row (22 from the pole)
39 - different winners at BMS in 103 Sprint Cup races
40 - most lead changes (4/14/91)
42 - number of cars that started the first race at Bristol in 1961
42 - most cars running at finish (3/16/08)
60 - minutes, the minimum amount of time it takes to dry the .533-mile track after a significant rainfall
500 - most laps led by race winner (Cale Yarborough, 3/25/73)
157,574 - number of fans that established the Guinness World Record for the world's largest audience wave at BMS (August 23, 2008)
2012 Caution Update
1 - fewest cautions this season (Fontana)
5 - races extended beyond scheduled distance (Daytona1, Martinsville, Talladega, Darlington, Sonoma and Michigan2)
10 - most cautions this season (Daytona1)
123 - cautions in the first 23 races of 2012; includes 57 for accidents, 33 for debris and 13 for spins
628 of 6,037 - laps under caution in 2012
975.221 of 8,642.456 - miles under caution in the first 23 races.
(Darnell Communications for SRT Motorsports and Dodge)(8-25-2012)

More Bristol Motor Speedway Notes:
" In 1961, the year Bristol Motor Speedway opened, its two NASCAR events didn't take place in March and August as they do now, but in July and October. In '62 the races were in April and July and in '63 the spring race moved to March while the second race remained in July. As a matter of fact, the summer race stayed in July through 1975. The spring race moved to May in 1964 and back to March the following year and since then alternated between March and April every year but one (1983 when it was in May) until 2000. The first Bristol race has been contested in March every year since with the exception of 2005 when it was in April. As for the summer race, which became The Night Race when lights were installed in 1978, it actually took place in November in 1975 before it took up residence in August in 1976 where it has remained.
" This year's IRWIN Tools Night Race is Aug. 25. Only five times in the past 52 years has the race been run on Aug. 25 - 1979 (Darrell Waltrip was the winner), 1984 (Terry Labonte), 1990 (Ernie Irvan), 2001 (Tony Stewart) and 2007 (Carl Edwards).
" Brad Keselowski has captured the last two Sprint Cup races at BMS in a Dodge. Before Keselowski won the 2011 IRWIN Tools Night Race, the last driver to win at the World's Fastest Half-Mile in a Dodge was Kurt Busch in March of 2006. Before that one has to go all the way back to 1975 for a Dodge win when Richard Petty swept both events. The only other two drivers to win in a Dodge at BMS were David Pearson (spring 1975) and Bobby Allison (spring 1969, summer 1970).
" The combined margin of victory for the last seven Sprint Cup events at BMS has been by less than one second.
" In In the first Night Race at BMS, on August 26, 1978, Cale Yarborough and runner-up Benny Parsons, both driving Oldsmobiles, were the only two cars on the lead lap. Yarborough won by 16 seconds. Darrell Waltrip finished third, more than a lap down, while Dick Brooks finished fourth and Richard Petty took fifth. Other notables in the race were Richard Childress (seventh), Neil Bonnett (20th) and Bobby Allison (22nd).
" Back in the 60s and 70s, it wasn't unusual for drivers to win races at BMS by more than a lap. The very first race, the 1961 Volunteer 500, saw Jack Smith beat Fireball Roberts by nearly three laps - even with a driver change.
" In April of 1977, Cale Yarborough won the Southeastern 500 by more than seven laps. The last driver to win by at least one lap was Darrell Waltrip, who accomplished the feat in the 1981 Busch 500. Ricky Rudd finished second, the only car one lap down and Terry Labonte was third, the lone car two laps down.
" None of the last 15 Sprint Cup races at BMS have been won by a driver starting outside the top 20. The last driver to win with a worse starting position than 20th was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won the 2004 Sharpie 500 after starting from the 30th slot. Elliott Sadler owns the distinction of winning from the worst starting position at BMS when he won the 2001 Food City 500 after starting 38th.(BMS PR)(8-25-2012)

Facts and Notes Bristol Motor Speedway:
• Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960. The track was an exact half-mile.
• First NASCAR Sprint Cup race was July 30, 1961.
• In the fall of 1969, the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533-miles.
• The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.
• The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.
• The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992.
• The name changed to Bristol Motor Speedway in May 1996.
• The track was resurfaced between races in 2007.
• A milling process took place between races in 2012, erasing the progressive banking in the upper groove of the turns.
• There have been 103 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the first race there in 1961, two races each season.
• All races have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps.
• Fred Lorenzen won the first pole.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was won by Jack Smith (with relief from Johnny Allen).
• There have been 45 different pole winners, led by Cale Yarborough and Mark Martin (nine). Martin swept both poles at Bristol in 2009.
• 39 different drivers have won, led by Darrell Waltrip (12).
• Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon each have five wins, most among active drivers.
• The race winner has started from the pole 22 times, the most productive starting position. The last driver to win from the pole was Carl Edwards, in the night race of 2008.
• 82 of 103 races have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 52 from the first four spots.
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 38th, by Elliott Sadler in 2001.
• The last seven Bristol races had a margin of victory under one second.
• Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway winner: Kyle Busch (03/25/2007 - 21 years, 10 months, 23 days)
• Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway winner: Dale Earnhardt (08/28/1999 - 48 years, 3 months, 30 days)
(NASCAR)(8-21-2012)

For news, stats, records and more about this race track, see: Jayski's Bristol Motor Speedway Track News/Rumors/Links page

Hamlin wins at Bristol: #11-Denny Hamlin won the Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway for his 3rd win of year and 20th career win. It is also the 200th win for the car #11, the most all time, 2 wins over the #43 car.
#48-Johnson finished 2nd followed by #24-Gordon, #55-Vickers, #9-Ambrose, #18-Busch, #15-Bowyer, #20-Logano, #5-Kahne and #27-Menard.
#10-Danica Patrick finished 29th after a late race accident on lap 434, Patrick was running 19th on the lead lap before the wreck.
The points leader, #16-Biffle, struggled and finished 19, but keeps the points lead, 11 points over #48-Johnson.
#16-Biffle, #48-Johnson and #88-Earnhardt Jr. have clinched a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
#13-Mears, who started first after qualifying was canceled due to rain, led the first 26 laps and finished 21st, a lap down.
There were 13 cautions for 87 yellow flag laps. There were 22 lead changes among 13 drivers. The average speed was 84.402mph.
The estimated attendence was 145,000 down from last years 156,000.
See race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the Bristol Race Results page (pdf).(8-25-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Bristol, race 24 of 36]
1) #16-Greg Biffle [2 wins], 849, +119 over 11th
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 838, -11, +108
3) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 834, -15, +104
4) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 823, -26, +93
5) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 797, -52, +67
6) #15-Clint Bowyer [1 wins], 794, -55, +64
7) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 790, -59, +60
8) #11-Denny Hamlin [3 wins], 774, -75, +44
9) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 767, -82, +24
10) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 746, -103, +16 over 11th
Current wild card Chase drivers:
WC1) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins, 11th in points]
WC2) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win, 13th in points]
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-25-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Chase Wild-Card Race:
[after Bristol, race 24 of 36]
A look at the race for the two wild-card positions for the Chase based on wins and being inside the top 20 in points.
Driver [wins] standings, behind 10th
first two would make the chase as wild cards:
#5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins] 11th -16 points out of 10th
#18-Kyle Busch [1 win] 14th -39
eight other drivers currently in the running for the wild cards:
#24-Jeff Gordon [1 win] 16th -55
#39-Ryan Newman [1 win] 13th -58
#9-Marcos Ambrose [1 win] 17th -67
#20-Joey Logano [1 win] 18th -108
these drivers have no wins but are in the top-20
#99-Carl Edwards 12th -34
#27-Paul Menard 17th -72
#1-Jamie McMurray 19th -148
#31-Jeff Burton 20th -169
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
The Chase: The top-10 drivers will make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Positions 11 and 12 in the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are Wild Cards, and will go to drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, as long as they are ranked in the top 20 in points. If multiple drivers outside the top 10 tie for wins, the tie-breaker will go to the race winner with the highest points position.
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-25-2012)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Atlanta:
#36 remains in 35th and is now 102 points ahead of 36th, the #33 team.
Rank) Car#-Driver/Team, owners pts, +/-
34) #32-Schrader/FAS Lane Racing, 326 +121
35) #36-Blaney/Baldwin, 307 +102 ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #33-Leicht/Childress-Falk, 205, -102 from the top 35
37) #21-Bayne/Wood Bros., 181, -126
38) #30-Stremme/Inception, 174, -133
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see the Owners Points Standings (pdf).(8-25-2012)

Race Fast Facts - Bristol
#11-Denny Hamlin won the 52nd Annual IRWIN Tools Night Race, his 20th victory in 247 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his third victory and 12th top-10 finish in 2012.
This is his first victory and seventh top-10 finish in 14 races at Bristol Motor Speedway.
#48-Jimmie Johnson (second) posted his 13th top-10 finish in 22 races at Bristol Motor Speedway. It is his 17th top-10 finish in 2012.
#24-Jeff Gordon (third) posted his 22nd top-10 finish in 40 races at Bristol Motor Speedway.
#26-Josh Wise (38th) was the highest finishing rookie.
#16-Greg Biffle leads the point standings by 11 points over Jimmie Johnson.
This marked the 200th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win for car #11.
The 13 caution periods were the most at Bristol since 15 on March 25, 2007.
The 22 lead changes are tied for fifth-most in 105 all time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol.
(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(8-25-2012)

Bristol Notes-n-Nuggets:
" Denny Hamlin pulled down his 20th career win, and third this season, in his 247th race.
" There are now four drivers, including Denny Hamlin, with a Cup-high three wins in 2012.
" It's Denny Hamlin's first Bristol win in his 14th race -- previous best finish a 2nd in March 2009.
" Denny Hamlin got his seventh short-track win, and first at Bristol.
" Denny Hamlin led five times for 70 laps, including the final 39.
" That victory was number 200 for the #11 car in the Cup Series, the most by a single car number.
" Joe Gibbs Racing got its 98th all-time win, and sixth at Bristol.
" It's the fifth win of 2012 for Joe Gibbs Racing.
" Joe Gibbs Racing has won five of the last eight races at Bristol, and 14 of the last 22 on short tracks.
" Jimmie Johnson (second) had his seventh top-five finish at Bristol, including five of the last seven races.
" Jeff Gordon (third) grabbed his fifth top-five finish of the season, including three of the last five races.
" Brian Vickers (fourth) has top-five finishes in both Bristol races this season, third top-five in six starts in 2012.
" Marcos Ambrose (fifth) notched fourth straight top-10 finish of 2012, third straight top-five.
" Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all clinched spots in the Chase.
" Drivers 4th-10th in points can clinch Chase spots next week in Atlanta.
(Racing Resources and Services -- Statistics Racing Recall / nascar.com)(8-25-2012)

Win 200 for #11: #11-Denny Hamlin's win in the Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was car #11's 200th win in the Sprint Cup Series. This win is now 2 wins ahead of the iconic #43 for all-time wins in Sprint Cup Series history for a car number. Richard Petty, who drove the #43 for most of his 200 wins, actually won 192 races running the #43 and 8 in other car numbers [#41 & #42]. The car number in third is the car #3 with 97 wins.(8-25-2012)

Breakdown of wins by driver in the #11:
Cale Yarborough (55)
Ned Jarrett (49)
Darrell Waltrip (43)
Denny Hamlin (20)
Junior Johnson (11)
Bill Elliott (6)
Geoff Bodine (4)
Terry Labonte (4)
Bobby Allison (3)
Buddy Baker (2)
A.J. Foyt (1)
Mario Andretti (1)
Parnelli Jones (1).(NASCAR)(8-25-2012)

Expect A Few Drivers To Clinch Chase Spot At Bristol UPDATE: When a driver clinches his spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, they receive a commemorative black and yellow hat with the 2012 Chase logo emblazoned on it. So far, no one's in possession of that hat.
Ten drivers in all have a mathematical chance at clinching a Chase spot. Seven can secure a top-10 berth in the Chase this Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Regardless of what any other driver does, points leader #16-Greg Biffle will clinch with a finish of 28th with no laps led, 29th with at least one lap led and 30th with the most laps led. The scenario for #17-Matt Kenseth is eighth with no laps led, ninth with at least one lap led and 10th with most laps led. #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. lands a spot in the postseason with finishes of sixth with no laps led, seventh with at least one lap led and eighth with the most laps led. Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion #48-Jimmie Johnson will punch his Chase ticket with a victory or second-place finish while leading the most laps.
#2-Brad Keselowski, #56-Martin Truex Jr. and #15-Clint Bowyer also can reserve spots in the Chase but are not yet in charge of the their own destinies. The magic number is 97. Any driver 97 points ahead of 11th place leaving Bristol will officially clinch a top 10 spot. Those who can clinch at least a Wild Card: Keselowski, #14-Tony Stewart, #11-Denny Hamlin, #5-Kasey Kahne and #15-Clint Bowyer. A win and Keselowski and Stewart are in. Hamlin, Kahne and Bowyer have to win on Saturday night, and get some help.(NASCAR)(8-23/25-2012)
CLINCHED: #16-Biffle, #48-Johnson and #88-Earnhardt Jr. have clinched a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.(8-25-2012)

Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Bristol: (and their finish)
Caution 1: no driver a lap down
Caution 2: #98-McDowell, 23rd
Caution 3: #17-Kenseth, 25th
Caution 4: #14-Stewart, 27th
Caution 5: #5-Kahne, 9th
Caution 6:,#10-Patrick, 29th
Caution 7:, #55-Vickers, 4th
Caution 8:, #55-Vickers, 4th
Caution 9:, #78-Smith, 18th
Caution 10: #78-Smith(2), 18th
Caution 11: #10-Patrick(2), 29th
Caution 12: #13-Mears, 21st
Caution 13: #98-McDowell(2), 23rd
(8-25-2012)

Race Coverage of the Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is scheduled for Saturday, August 25, 2012.
Television (TV): ABC at 7:30 pm/et; NASCAR Countdown Pre-Race show at 7:00 pm/et; green flag approx 7:43pm/et
Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90
Scheduled Race Re-Airs: on ESPN2, Sunday, August 26 at 5:30am/et; on SPEED, Wednesday, August 29 at 12:00pm/et

Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway have been made.
Pole sitter #13-Mears chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #2-Keselowski took pit stall 22, the last pit stall on the front stretch pits.
#16-Biffle, who starts 3rd took the 2nd pit stall behind the #13, expecting the #13 to fall off the lead lap.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #31-Burton, who starts 6th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Pit Stall Selection chart.(8-24-2012)

Bristol Pit Rules: Bristol Motor Speedway operates under a plan where one-pit road will be used during pit stops under caution. Currently, Bristol remains the only track in the Sprint Cup Series that utilizes two pit roads with 22 pit stalls on the frontstrect and 21 on the backstretch. Teams that pit on the backstretch used to be at a competitive disadvantage. Since the spring 2002 race at Bristol, teams will enter pit road in Turn 2 (the current backstretch pit entrance) drive around down the backstretch and around Turns 3 and 4 and exit in Turn 1. Under green-flag conditions teams will enter and exit pit road under the current two-pit-road scheme.

Links to results, practices, qualifying PDF's:
Pitstalls
Starting Lineup
Qualifying Results
Happy Hour Practice Speeds
Qualifying Order
Practice 1 Speeds
Entry List

NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR allows a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The procedure applies to all three national series. See rule and notes on the Green-White-Checker rule page.

Wave-around rule: The wave-around rule dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around.

See Jayski's - 2012 Sprint Cup Race Results Page for pole winner, race winner with speed and starting/finishing position, links to race results, drivers & owners points, pit stall selections, qualifying results/starting lineup, practice speeds and chase stats as well as link to race track and race information page for each race

Bristol qualifying rained out: #13-Casey Mears will start first in the Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway after qualifying was rained out and set by the rules book. The 43 drivers who made the race were from the top-35 in owners points and teams with the most race attempts. The field was then set by practice speeds from the first practice. #13-Mears was the fastest in the first practice and will start first [but is not awarded a Coors Light pole or eligible for the Shootout], followed by #2-Keselowski, #16-Biffle, #20-Logano, #43-Almirola, #31-Burton, #27-Menard, #11-Hamlin, #9-Ambrose and #18-Busch
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #98-McDowell, #30-Stremme, #26-Wise, #19-Bliss, #23-Riggs, #33-Leicht, #49-Leffler and #87-Nemechek.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (4): #95-Speed, #79-Bires, #91-Sorenson and #37-Yeley.
See starting lineup on the Bristol Qualifying Page.(8-24-2012)

Rain at Bristol: qualifying for the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway has been cancelled, so the rain-out qualifying procedure for all three NASCAR national series is as follows:
If first practice is run [which it was], but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. THe Top-35 would make thew race, then, past champions not already in per top-35 [none], then past race winners from 2011-2012 not already in by top-35 [none], then by race attempts [ties broeken by owners points position]. After the 43 drivers eligible are set, the field is set by first practice speeds. #13-Casey Mears would start first [not credited with a pole or for the Shootout]. Missing the race would be: #37-Yeley, #95-Speed, #79-Bires and #91-Sorenson.
The Unofficial Lineup:
1st thru 10th: #'s 13, 2, 16, 20, 43, 31, 27, 11, 9 & 18
11th thru 20th: #'s 24, 5, 29, 78, 56, 88, 17, 38, 39 & 51
21st thru 30th: #'s 14, 55, 15, 34, 36, 1, 99, 42, 22 & 98
31st thru 40th: #'s 30, 26, 83, 19, 23, 47, 48, 33, 49 & 87
41st thru 43rd: #'s 93, 32 & 10
DNQ's: 95, 79, 37, 91.
See the starting lineup on the Bristol Qualifying Page.(8-24-2012)

Coverage of Qualifying for the Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is scheduled for Friday, August 24, 2012 at 5:10pm/et.
Television (TV): ESPN2, 5:00pm/et
Live Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN) - live
Scheduled Qualifying Re-Air: none

Qualifying Order for the Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is posted. 47 cars/drivers are listed.
The first of the drivers scheduled to go out is #10-Patrick, slowest in practice.
The final driver scheduled to go out is #13-Mears, who was fastest in first practice.
Qualifying order is set by the first practice session, with slowest driver going out by speed and the fastest going out last. The non-top 35 drivers are now mixed in with the top-35 in owners points, slowest to fastest.
See the full qualifying order on the Bristol Qualifying Page.(8-24-2012)

Rain Out Procedures: the rain-out qualifying procedure for all three NASCAR national series is as follows: If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.

Happy Hour practice for the Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is over, after 45 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest and some notes:
#20-Logano 122.404
#2-Keselowski 122.154
#38-Gilliland 121.929
#17-Kenseth 121.921
#18-Busch 121.883
#13-Mears who was fastest in 1st practice was 15th fastest
#48-Johnson continues to struggle, was 31st after being 41st in 1st practice.
slowest: #10-Patrick 117.732 & #36-Blaney 117.906
See speeds, best 10-lap averages and laps run on the Bristol Happy Hour practice speeds page (pdf).(8-24-2012)

First Friday practice for the Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is over, after 120 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest and some notes:
#13-Mears 122.209
#2-Keselowski 122.162
#16-Biffle 122.123
#20-Logano 121.999
#43-Almirola 121.999
#48-Johnson was 41st fastest
slowest: #10-Patrick 116.722 & #32-Schrader 118.116
notes: early in the practice, #36-Blaney slapped the wall with the right rear, but drove on.
See speeds and laps run on the Bristol practice 1 speeds page (pdf).(8-24-2012)

Go-or-Go Homers practice at Bristol: the position the 12 drivers who are not in the top-35 of owners points and must qualify by speed to make the Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, where they practiced in the first practice:
#95-Speed, 28th fastest overall
the eight drivers who would make the race if things stayed the same:
#98-McDowell, 31st
#79-Bires, 32nd
#30-Stremme, 33rd
#26-Wise, 34th
#91-Sorenson, 36th
#19-Bliss, 37th
#23-Riggs, 38th
the four drivers who would miss the race if things stayed the same:
#37-Yeley, 40th
#33-Leicht, 42nd
#49-Leffler, 43rd
#87-Nemechek, 44th of 47 drivers
(8-24-2012)

The Entry List for the Irwin Tools Night Race Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway is posted, 47 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
Danica Patrick to make her 4th 2012 start in the #10.
Not in top 35 of owners points:
#19-Mike Bliss (45/17)
#23-Scott Riggs (44/21)
#26-Josh Wise (40/23)
#30-David Stremme (38/23)
#33-Stephen Leicht (36/23)
#37-J.J. Yeley (53/8)
#49-Jason Leffler (39/20)
#79-Kelly Bires (52/5)
#87-Joe Nemechek (42/23)
#91-Reed Sorenson (54/3)
#95-Scott Speed (43/7)
#98-Michael McDowell (41/23)
In the event that qualifying is cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #'s 33,30,26,98,87,23,49,19
missing the race would be [4]: # 37,95,79,91
See the full entry list at my Jayski's Bristol Entry List

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Bristol:
#36 remains in 35th and is now 88 points ahead of 36th, the #33 team.
Rank) Car#-Driver/Team, owners pts, +/-
33) #10-Reutimann-Patrick/Baldwin, 332 +131
33) #32-Bell/FAS Lane Racing, 324 +123
35) #36-Blaney/Baldwin, 289 +88 ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #33-Leicht/Childress-Falk, 201, -88 from the top 35
37) #21-Bayne/Wood Bros., 181, -108
38) #30-Stremme/Inception, 167, -122
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see the Owners Points Standings (pdf).(8-19-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Michigan, race 23 of 36]
1) #16-Greg Biffle [2 wins], 823
2) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 803, -20
3) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 801, -22
4) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 795, -28
5) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 776, -47
6) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 763, -60
7) #15-Clint Bowyer [1 wins], 757, -66
8) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 738, -85
9) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 728, -95
10) #11-Denny Hamlin [2 wins], 727, -96
Current wild card Chase drivers:
WC1) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins, 11th in points]
WC2) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win, 13th in points]
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-19-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Chase Wild-Card Race:
[after Michigan, race 23 of 36]
A look at the race for the two wild-card positions for the Chase based on wins and being inside the top 20 in points.
Driver [wins] standings, behind 10th
first two would make the chase as wild cards:
#5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins] 11th -33 points out of 10th
#39-Ryan Newman [1 win] 13th -47
eight other drivers currently in the running for the wild cards:
#18-Kyle Busch [1 win] 14th -58
#24-Jeff Gordon [1 win] 16th -77
#9-Marcos Ambrose [1 win] 17th -88
#20-Joey Logano [1 win] 18th -127
these drivers have no wins but are in the top-20
#99-Carl Edwards 12th -38
#27-Paul Menard 16th -62
#1-Jamie McMurray 20th -156
#31-Jeff Burton 19th -161
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
The Chase: The top-10 drivers will make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Positions 11 and 12 in the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are Wild Cards, and will go to drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, as long as they are ranked in the top 20 in points. If multiple drivers outside the top 10 tie for wins, the tie-breaker will go to the race winner with the highest points position.
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-19-2012)

Chassis selections for Bristol: see the list of many teams and what chassis were selected by the team to run at Bristol Motor Speedway:
MISSING? why are some teams missing? some teams do not report what chassis in the race previews, press releases of websites.
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and the #1 Bass Pro Shops/Allstate team will bring Chassis #1104 to Bristol. This chassis was raced in 2011 at Charlotte for the All-Star race, finishing 17th; the Coca-Cola 600 finishing 37th; both Michigan races last year, finishing 19th and 23rd; Dover, finishing 15th. Earlier this season Chassis #1104 has seen action at Texas, finishing 14th; and Dover, finishing 19th.
#2-Brad Keselowski: and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-816 during Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski last raced this chassis to a 12th-place finish at Dover in May. It has been updated to the current Penske Racing specification. The winner of the last two NSCS races at BMS, Keselowski will attempt a hat trick in Saturday night's event. Only four other drivers have accomplished three wins in a row at Bristol: Fred Lorenzen, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip and Kurt Busch. The featured tag line on the rear bumper of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge this weekend will read "Inductee Rusty Wallace." This is a tribute to Wallace's 2013 induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. During his time in the #2 Miller-sponsored car, the former Penske Racing driver accumulated 37 wins, 145 top-five finishes, 252 top-10 results, while leading a total of 15,012 laps.
#5-Kasey Kahne: crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-713. Kahne recorded an average finish of 9.7 when racing this car earlier this season at Auto Club Speedway, Texas and Darlington. He also qualified inside the top five at each event. In 17 Sprint Cup starts at Bristol, Kahne has three top-five finishes and six top-10s. Kahne earned his best finish at the short track in August 2007 when he started from the pole position and finished second. He crossed the line 11th in this Bristol race one year ago.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: the #9 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 743 for this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. This DEWALT Ford was run previously this season at Bristol and Darlington.
#14-Tony Stewart: and crew chief Steve Addington are bringing Chassis No. 14-708, which debuted in May in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway where Stewart rallied Chassis No. 14-708 from its 17th-place starting spot to finish third. Its second and most recent start came in June at Dover. It endured a much different outing, qualifying 29th and finishing 25th, 69 laps down after getting caught up in a 12-car accident on lap 10 of the 400-lap race around the 1-mile concrete oval. With new sheet metal all around, Chassis No. 14-708 returns to the concrete for its third career start in the night race at Bristol.
#15-Clint Bowyer: Primary chassis No. 724 has raced twice in 2012. It started 16th and finished fourth at the spring Bristol race and started fourth and finished fifth at Dover. Backup chassis No. 712 finished 30th at Phoenix after multiple cut tires put the car several laps down. It served as the backup at New Hampshire. Bowyer will make his 14th career NSCS start at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night. In 13 previous starts, he has four top-five and six top-10 finishes. He finished a career-best third twicefirst in fall 2007 and again in spring 2008 where he led 81 laps. On average he starts 20th and finishes 18th.
#16-Greg Biffle: and the Matt Puccia led #16 3M Bondo Ford Fusion will bring primary chassis RK-807 which last ran at Dover in June and finished 11th. The backup chassis, RK-803, last ran at Pocono and finished 15th.
#17-Matt Kenseth: will run primary chassis RK-802 which last raced at New Hampshire in July. This weekend at Bristol, Kenseth will pilot the #17 Valvoline NextGen Ford Fusion. In 25 Cup starts at Bristol, Kenseth has completed 12,225 of 12,513 laps (97.7 percent) and led for 897 laps. Kenseth has an average starting position of 17.0 and an average finishing position of 11.6 at BMS. Kenseth has achieved two wins, 10 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes at Bristol in the Cup series.
#22-Sam Hornish Jr. and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing #22 Team will be utilizing their "PRS-817" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Bristol. This is the same car that AJ Allmendinger raced in the March 25 race at Auto Club Speedway (started 25th and finished 15th) and again in the June 3 race at Dover (started 23rd and finished 16th). The "PRS-807" chassis will serve as the backup Shell-Pennzoil Dodge for this weekend. It was in the #22 team transporter serving as the backup at Phoenix, Bristol and Martinsville, but has never seen any track time to date. In six career Sprint Cup starts at Bristol entering this weekend, Sam Hornish Jr. is still looking for his first top-10 finish there. He has a 25.3 average start and 31.5 average finish. He has completed 91.2 percent (2,743 of 3,009) of possible laps and is hoping to lead his first lap at BMS in Saturday night's battle under the lights. Hornish started 23rd and finished 13th in the March Nationwide Series race at Bristol. He started 20th and finished 14th in his other NNS Bristol start in the August 2008 race. In NNS competition at BMS, he has a 21.5 average start and 13.5 average finish. He has completed every possible lap (550 of 550).
#24-Jeff Gordon: the team has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-712 which finished 26th at Auto Club Speedway, 4th at Texas, 35th at Darlington, 3th at Dover and 5th at Kentucky.
#27-Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 347 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the IRWIN Tools Night Race. This #27 Schrock/Menards Chevy was recently utilized at Darlington Raceway in May, where Menard started from the 14th position and finished 13th. The chassis was also used in 2012 competition at Bristol Motor Speedway in March where Menard started from the 11th position and finished 10th.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will pilot Chassis No. 383 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend's IRWIN Tools Night Race. Built new for competition during the 2012 season, Harvick raced this chassis at Phoenix International Raceway in March and Dover International Speedway in June, collecting second-place finishes in both races.
#31-Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 385 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the IRWIN Tools Night Race. Burton has driven this #31 CAT Global Mining Chevy four times this season including Pocono Raceway in August (started-23rd, finished-22nd), the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May (started-22nd, finished-19th), Texas Motor Speedway in April (started-24th, finished 29th) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March (started-22nd, finished 14th).
#36-Dave Blaney will drive the No. 293 chassis, which he drove six times this season and five times during the 2011 season. The Harford, Ohio native's best start with the No. 293 chassis was 17th at Richmond and best finish was 23rd at Phoenix this season. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing, where Jeff Burton drove the chassis prior to its debut with TBR.
#39-Ryan Newman Chassis No. 39-655 has three starts to its credit, including one already this season at Bristol. Chassis No. 39-655 took the track for the first time in last season's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Newman made a run for the top-10 before getting tangled up in a multi-car melee on lap 303. The accident forced Newman to take his #39 to the garage for extensive repairs. He returned to the track more than 40 laps down and finished the race 31st. This season, chassis No. 39-655 has become the team's concrete specialty car. Earlier this season at Bristol, Newman qualified third but finished a disappointing 12th after a tight-handling racecar hampered his efforts. He had another third-place qualifying run at Dover in June, but he had to battle back from a pit-road penalty and from being two laps down to finish 15th. Last week, the crew took Chassis No. 39-655 to test at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: crew chief Chris "Shine" Heroy and the #42 Target Chevy team will race with Chassis #1111 to Bristol this weekend. This Chassis made its debut in last season's finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, leading two laps and finishing 31st after an accident put the #42 four laps down. This season, this chassis has seen track time at Bristol finishing eighth, Darlington Raceway, finishing 27th and Dover, finishing 28th.
#43-Aric Almirola:: The #43 team has prepared chassis No. 710 for Bristol. This car ran earlier this season at the March Bristol race and also at Dover International Speedway where Almirola earned his season-best sixth-place finish.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: Chassis No. 650 serves as the primary for Johnson at Bristol where it last ran in March, finishing 9th, the chassis ran five races in 2011 with a 2nd place finishes at Atlanta and Auto Club Speedway. Chassis No. 669 serves as the backup and last ran at Las Vegas in March to a 2nd place finish.
#55-Brian Vickers: will drive MWR chassis No. 722 which has raced three times in 2012. It started 25th and finished fifth at Bristol in March with Vickers behind the wheel, started 16th and finished 21st in the All-Star race with Mark Martin and started 39th and finished 30th at Kentucky Speedway with Michael Waltrip behind the wheel. Backup chassis No. 708 has severed backup duties at multiple races, but has not raced. It served as the backup at Las Vegas, Fontanta, Texas, Kansas, Darlington, All-Star, Charlotte, both races at Pocono, Dover and Kentucky. Vickers owns 15 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway He has a career-best finish of fifth which came in March of 2012. He has led 126 laps and has five top-15 finishes.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-745. This is a brand new chassis that has not been raced. In 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Earnhardt has scored one win, seven top-five finishes and 12 top-10s. The 37-year-old driver has an average finishing position of 11.8 and has completed 98.8 percent of all laps he's attempted (12,365 of 12,513 total) at the short track. He has led 745 laps at the .533-mile oval.
#99-Carl Edwards the #99 Fastenal Team will be bringing RK-811 for the weekend. This car first raced at Texas in April (finished eighth), Charlotte in May (finished ninth) and Kentucky in June (finished 20th). In 16 starts at the 0.533-mile bullring, Edwards has two wins, four top-five, seven top-10 finishes and two poles. His average start is 17.8, and his average finish is 13.9. Edwards has completed 7588 of 8013 (94.7%) laps attempted at Bristol.(from team PR's/sites if reported)(8-23-2012)

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials

Number of Tires: Left-side -- 1,350; Right-side -- 1,350

Set limits: 5 sets for practice and qualifying, and 10 sets for the race

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4416; Right-side -- D-4526

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.4 in. (2,220 mm); Right-side -- 88.5 (2,248 mm)

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 26 psi; Left Rear -- 26 psi;
Right Front -- 42 psi; Right Rear -- 40 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 20 psi; Left Rear -- 18 psi;
Right Front -- 41 psi; Right Rear -- 38 psi

Notes: Teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will run a slightly different tire set-up than those in the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series at Bristol this weekend . . . while teams in all three series will run the same right-side tire code (D-4526), Sprint Cup teams will run their own left-side code (D-4416) . . . since the track surface at Bristol was modified after the NASCAR race weekend in March, Goodyear held a tire test at the track on June 12-13 . . . teams and drivers participating in that test were the #14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet with Tony Stewart, #15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota with Clint Bowyer and #31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with Jeff Burton . . . this right-side tire code (D-4526) is the same one Cup teams ran at Bristol in March . . . this left-side tire code is different from the one run in March, but has been run by Cup teams at Richmond over the last two seasons . . . it features both compound and construction changes from what was at Bristol in March, and is designed to give the cars more grip . . . unlike on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, on which teams generally do not run inner liners in their tires, teams are required to run liners in their right-side tires only at Bristol . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.