NASCAR SPRINT CUP

All three NASCAR national series are at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend for one of the season’s more anticipated stops.

The lineup:
· NASCAR Sprint Cup – Irwin Tools Night Race, Saturday @ 7:30 p.m. (ESPN);
· NASCAR Nationwide, Food City 250, Saturday @ 8 p.m. (ESPN);
· NASCAR Camping World Truck – O’Reilly 200, Wednesday @ 8 p.m. (SPEED)

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

Harvick Stakes Chase Claim
If it weren’t clear enough, standings leader Kevin Harvick took his championship candidacy to the crystal level last Sunday at Michigan, with his third win of the season. He’s the first driver to clinch a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berth. He also has momentum and a critical 30 bonus points (10 for each win). Chase drivers are seeded according to the number of wins they accrue during the season’s first 26 races.
Three races remain before the Chase – at Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond, respectively. Harvick has one victory at each track. He’s led the standings for 14 consecutive weeks and thanks to those bonus points, would be the Chase’s third seed, if it began now.

The ‘Night Race’ Always A Standings Factor
Bristol’s 0.533-mile, high-banked, high-speed surface usually provides one of the season’s most memorable events. For those same reasons, it’s also a hurdle for drivers chasing Chase berths. The event’s door-to-door style, under the lights, means staying out of on-track trouble or forfeiting valuable points and positions. Finishing well is an exciting challenge at Bristol.

A Special Centennial
Saturday night’s event marks the 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol, a run that began on July 30, 1961. Fred Lorenzen won the pole that day and Jack Smith won the race with driving relief from Johnny Allen. The first night race was held in the fall of 1978. Thirty-eight different drivers have won at Bristol, led by Tennessee native Darrell Waltrip (12 victories).

Bubble Update
Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin are in a tight battle for the 12th – and final Chase-eligible – spot in the standings. They swapped places again last Sunday at Michigan, with Bowyer moving to 12th and Martin falling to 13th. The latter now trails the former by 35 points.
Ryan Newman is 14th, 103 points out of 12th. Jamie McMurray is 15th, 105 points out.

Who To Watch For At Bristol
Harvick, certainly, but Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon lead all active drivers with five wins each there and need another. Gordon, second in the standings, has yet to win in 2010. Busch, in 10th, has two wins and would like to separate himself with a third victory as Harvick did at Michigan.
Gordon’s last Bristol win came in the 2002 night race. Keep an eye on the Busch family: Kurt won three straight from 2003 through the spring event of ‘04, but hasn't won there since. Brother Kyle, the defending race winner, has three Bristol wins.