Jimmie Johnson Stays Hot with Monday Victory at Bristol

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A week off and an extra day at Bristol did nothing to break Jimmie Johnson’s momentum.

Grabbing the lead from Kevin Harvick on lap 480 of 500 in Monday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Johnson stayed out front for the final 21 laps and beat Clint Bowyer to the finish line by 1.199 seconds. Continue reading

Rain Forces Postponement of Food City 500 until Monday

Photo – Jonathan Moore/Getty Images

With steady rain falling at Bristol Motor Speedway, and no abatement in the forecast, NASCAR and Bristol officials opted to postpone Sunday’s Food City 500 until Monday.

The eighth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season will be contested at 1 pm ET and broadcast on FOX.

With Friday’s knockout qualifying session also canceled because of inclement weather, series leader Kyle Larson will lead the field to the green flag when the race is run, with second-place Chase Elliott beside him on the front row. Continue reading

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Food City 500 at Bristol Preview

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Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams are ready to race the Food City 500, at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 23rd at 2 pm ET on FOX with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Teams will race 266.5 miles over 500 laps with Stage 1 ending on lap 125 and Stage 2 on lap 250.

What To Watch For: Kyle and Kurt Busch attempt to seize the active Bristol wins lead. Both have five victories at ‘The Last Great Colosseum.’ Continue reading

Is the “Old” Bristol Experiencing a Rebirth?

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, stands in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 22, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. Photo – Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

As it turned out, Kyle Busch was prophetic when he talked about the changing character of Bristol Motor Speedway.

“I’m sure (Kyle) Larson’s thrilled and he’ll have to rubber in the top himself while the rest of us are rooting and gouging for the bottom,” was Busch’s tongue-in-cheek assessment of the racing characteristics of the 0.533-mile short track, where Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers will compete in the Food City 500 on Sunday (2 pm  ET on FOX).

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Jimmie Johnson’s Victory Celebration Comes with a Price

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 22, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee Photo – Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

After his victory two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson was late for his post-race press conference – and with good reason.

Because of a malfunction with his fluid delivery system, Johnson was dehydrated by the end of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. Consequently, a trip to the infield care center for IV fluids delayed his appearance in the media center.

During the NASCAR off week over Easter, Johnson took on very different sorts of fluids, in Mexico no less. After all, what good is a well-earned vacation if you can’t celebrate your most recent victory? Continue reading