Tony Stewart is a big supporter of the new Bristol.

This weekend, Bristol provided some fine news fodder, though things like the typical wrecks, clashes and heated tempers weren’t on the menu.

Elliott Sadler first stirred the pot with references to his former car number, 38, as a possible number for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to race in 2008. Seems perfect, eh? The symbolism is undeniable. I know I can’t be the only one who heard this and thought, you know, I sure would rather see Junior driving the 38 than the mousy David Gilliland.

Then, as the weekend passed, news came that Robert Yates was going to ask NASCAR to transfer the #38 to Hendrick Motorsports, then it was reported that Yates had already asked for this to happen. Come Monday, ESPN reporter Marty Smith pooh-poohed this, saying such a transfer was unlikely. More news on Tuesday and Wednesday seemed to debunk the initial reports, now saying that Yates may have mentioned a swap with his team but had not actually talked to NASCAR or Rick Hendrick.

Personally, I don’t think it would be a bad fit, but it would be a case of another number still associated with someone else. I do not care what you say, I still have trouble immediately thinking of Gilliland when the M&Ms car is shown. According to other sources, it is looking more and more like Junior may instead pilot the 81. Perhaps it’s just as well. It would be the clean break he’s looking for and he wouldn’t have to share an association with anyone else.

The new track surface had many fans grumbling but drivers smiling. For people who tuned in unawares on Saturday night, expecting to see the normal crash, boom, bang of Bristol, looks like it’s history now. Message boards lit up on Monday with hatred for the new surface because the wrecks were few and far between, but interviews with drivers indicated that at least one contingent had some love for the new concrete.

Tony Stewart was especially vocal, lending his support to the Bristol brass for making the change. On his radio show, he talked many times of the pure fun he had passing other drivers, something that isn’t normally done very easily on the once high banks of the Tennessee track. Even though Stewart was mired in 20th place at the time, he certainly seemed to be having fun.

I think that if there had been more passes for the lead and more than just two dominant cars fans wouldn’t have been so out of joint. I feel that if we saw more action up front, the lack of wrecks wouldn’t have escaped their notice, but I don’t think they would have felt so cheated. I hope they soon realize that Bristol was good racing and fun for the drivers. It had been over 15 years since Bristol had been resurfaced, and the type of racing seen on Saturday night was a treat the drivers hadn’t experienced in a good long while.

In other news, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made only a few points’ ground on Kurt Busch, who is still in the top 12. With only two races remaining before the Chase, the picture is looking bleaker and bleaker for the #8 team. While Junior has tried to keep upbeat, the blown engines and crew chief suspension the team dealt with gave them enough hard knocks to last a season. Obviously if Junior does not make the Chase, he will be disappointed, because his team really has put in a good effort. While not a rabid Junior fan, I have been pulling for the Bud team to make it into the top 12, if only to show his stepmother that he can do it, so-called “lame duck” status or not.

A side note about “lame duck.” Racers are racers. They didn’t get to the top level by being complacent or whiny babies who will do anything to throw a race if they’ve been wronged by another driver or realize they can’t win themselves. Do we have those people turn up occasionally, sure. But in general, these men want to win. Casey Mears raced his heart out in 2006, nearly winning some races, and picking up his first-ever NASCAR win in the Chicago Busch race. Kyle Busch is racing his heart out, because he has an honest chance at contending for the championship. While I’m generally a Hendrick fan, I hope he gives his teammates a run for their money. Those things don’t sound very lame to me!

Looking ahead to this weekend’s snoozefest in Fontana, I was disgusted to learn that track president Gillian Zucker has hired 43 “umbrella girls” to populate pit road to be eye candy for, well, everyone. I have read several articles about this, and the ones that are not being tongue-in-cheek are spot-on when they say that this announcement has more than a few fans up in arms, and they are not all female.

First, females make up about 40% of the NASCAR fan base. Secondly, NASCAR bills itself as family friendly. I don’t think that 43 gorgeous, skimpily dressed girls are really a nod in that direction. If you have to resort to sex (and that’s essentially what it boils down to) to draw people to your track, you have gone too far. Unfortunately, you’ll find the parent company of California Speedway strangely silent on this, as the parent company is International Speedway Corporation, which is owned by the France family.

Relocating the traditional Southern 500 at Darlington to boring Fontana has alienated a huge slice of NASCAR’s founding fans, and with good reason. Even as more than a casual fan, I never truly realized the import of the Southern 500 being held in Darlington before it was ruthlessly ripped from its roots and plunked down at an undeserving, underperforming, underwhelming track with its less than enthusiastic fans that fill only about three-quarters of the available seats this year.

Oh, that’s right. Ms. Zucker says that missing quarter makes up the contingent of fans who are merely under the stands, browsing merchandise and buying food.

Of course.

Remember, rubbin’ won’t be racin’ this weekend, but Richmond is on the horizon!

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