2007 has been a rough year for Kasey Kahne - could a strong qualifying position for the Sharpie 500 turn things around?

Bristol Motor Speedway is the one track where I would love to go watch a race. However, the chances of getting a ticket at the regular price …let’s just say the old adage about a snowball’s chance fits very adequately.

Why is this such a popular track? I can’t answer that question for everyone, but for me it would be because there is no such thing as a boring race at Bristol. There are also no bad seats due to the track’s size. It’s a half-mile oval surrounded by over 160,000 seats, making it look more like a coliseum than a racetrack.

Forty-three cars going over a hundred miles an hour in a small venue that is basically built like a bowl leads to one loud and fun time for the fans who are lucky enough to witness it firsthand.

There is a new surface at Bristol, but there has been none of the usual complaints and whining we usually hear. Most everyone has said the track is running well and it doesn’t feel much different, the track is fast and exciting, as always. In fact, they are saying there is more than one groove here now, so this should prove for some more interesting racing.

Qualifying is always important, but never more so than here. It won’t take long at all before you can find yourself a lap down and then you have to fight to get it back. The short track means close, fast racing. There will be a lot of bumping, brushing and leaning going on, which will lead to the inevitable wreck, because not everyone has the finesse to bump and run without sending the other car into the wall or another car.

Despite his poor showing in qualifying, it is very hard to bet against Kurt Busch. He has five wins here, tied with Jeff Gordon, and he is on a serious march up into the points. I was wrong last week in picking Ryan Newman instead. It would seem that Kurt and new crew chief Pat Tryson click together and are on their way to forming a team that will contend for the championship.

Jeff Gordon has five wins here and, as always, cannot be counted out. He did not qualify great— eighteenth—but was within the top ten in practice. He knows his way around this bullpen track and is not afraid to bump a little when necessary.

If Jeff Burton had been a little more aggressive and had wanted to push the issue, he could have won this race in March. But he is not that type of driver, and much like my favorite driver, Mark Martin, that fact is what makes me love him, yet frustrates me so much. He was second fastest in practice and ran over a hundred laps, so he should have his car ready to run under the lights Saturday.

Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick are all vying for my attention for the last two picks. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is not making the pick, because for some reason, DEI won’t give him an engine that will last till the checker. Go figure.

Denny Hamlin qualified thirty-seventh, so I cannot make myself pick him; it seems too much of a handicap to overcome. Carl Edwards not only qualified well at sixth, but he was the fastest in final practice. Both of these facts push me to pick him.

Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick start next to each other, but Kevin had faster practice speeds. As much as I want to pick Matt over Kevin, I cannot. I think Harvick is going to finish in front of Kenseth this week.

I am going back to the well for my dark horse pick and choosing Clint Boyer. Polesitter Kasey Kahne looks to have an excellent chance at a top five finish; however, I have a better chance of getting Bristol tickets than this poor boy does of catching a break this season. 

Race Lineup

Questions and comments may be sent to jenniferpatterson@sportsgrumblings.com