O'Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway Preview

OVERVIEW

posted on August 18, 2008

David Stremme Bristol Motor Speedway Fast Facts

• The O’Reilly 200 will mark Stremme’s first Craftsman Truck Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway
• Stremme has six Nationwide Series starts at Bristol with a best finish of sixth (Aug. 2004)
• Stremme has four Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol with a best finish of 13th (March 2007)
• Billy Ballew Motorsports has two top-fives and three top-10 finishes at Bristol in NCTS competition
• In his 20 Nationwide Series starts at short tracks, Stremme has one top-five and seven top-10 finishes
• In Sprint Cup competition, Stremme has 13 starts at short tracks with an average finish of 29.3

Stremme Comments on Bristol Motor Speedway:

“Bristol is one wild track. It’s easy to see why fans love watching races there. From the green flag to the checkered flag, it’s non-stop action. There’s never a dull moment at Bristol, that’s for sure.

“The steep banks and tight configuration make Bristol unlike any other track we go to. It’s definitely not like some of the “cookie cutter” speedways where aerodynamics plays a huge part. At some tracks, if your fenders get pressed in, your day is basically over. At Bristol, your truck can take a beating and it won’t affect the handling. It really puts more of the outcome in the driver’s hands. Attrition is always a factor at Bristol and you’ll see a lot of trucks end up in the garage before the race is over. Just make it to the end of the race and you’ll probably have a decent day.

“Bristol used to be a single groove track. Since they’ve resurfaced it, two racing grooves have emerged. There’s a lot more side-by-side racing now. Before it was repaved, you had to knock someone out of the way to pass them. Now, you don’t see quite as many bump and run passes as you used to. There’s more room for racing now.

“Last week was my first full race in a truck. It was a lot of fun and I’m really excited to get back in the Ergon Racing colors again. One thing I noticed at Nashville is how hard the other truck drivers will race you. No one will give up their position without a fight. Driving a truck has a learning curve, but I think I’m figuring them out. They’re like something between a Nationwide (Series) car and a new Cup Series car. It’s easy to lose your momentum in a truck if you have to back off the throttle. There’s a lot of passing on the outside and it seems like that’s where you can get your best runs on someone. I’ve still got some learning to go, but I’m really looking forward to racing in Thunder Valley.”