“Better Than Atlanta”: NASCAR Fandom Showers Praise on Bristol Despite Rampant Tire Wear

NASCAR recently revamped Bristol Motor Speedway to concrete and added a new resin layer. While such changes looked too exciting on paper, what eventually didn’t work were the Goodyear tires used during the race. Unfortunately, they could not hold up as much as some drivers would want them to. Some of them even struggled to work out a strategy to sustain themselves till the end. On the other hand, veterans like Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr, and Brad Keselowski seemed to enjoy the extra effort in tire management, which was visible from their performances. But what about fans? What did NASCAR’s biggest stakeholders think about the debacle? 

NASCAR insiders asked the right question at the right time 

As Bristol Motor Speedway returned from dirt to concrete, it also returned to a past era of NASCAR racing. Tire management was a routine ritual for drivers back in the day, but now it’s more about raw speed. So true short-track racing skills were put to the test in Sunday’s Food City 500 race. So, naturally, after the conclusion of the race, conversations cropped up with people trying to deduce whether the race lived up to its expectations. Trying to discern the same, journalist Jeff Gluck recently conducted a poll on X. He asked NASCAR fans about how they liked the Bristol race. Most people flooded the comments with ecstatic reactions. Some even pointed out that Bristol aced the short-track expectations.

“Nobody better be saying “No.” That was the best race on a short track in a very long time,” wrote one user, while another commented: “If this doesn’t get at least 90% yes, I’m going to be genuinely lost for words. Best short track race in the next gen era by far.”

Another fan drew a parallel with the Pennzoil 400 race in Atlanta. “Better than Atlanta. Don’t @ me.”

Some others also emphasized the ‘back to roots’ nature of the race. “Any Race that puts the Drivers and Crew Chiefs on edge for the entire race, I am all for it!” Another fan said: “Racing back in the driver’s hand with manageing equipment and throwing “simulation” and “notebooks” out the window and people say no. Shocked! 🤯”

Besides NASCAR fans, even executives and veteran racers, including Dale Earnhardt Jr himself, seemed euphoric about the Bristol race.

Read More: Unhappy Ryan Blaney Goes Off on “Absolutely BS” Race at Bristol as the Champ’s Top-5 Run Comes to an End

Dale Jr praises focus on raw racecraft in Bristol

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The Bristol race produced a record 54 lead changes, which is the most in NASCAR’s history of short-track races. It was also the first time since Dover in 2004 that five cars or fewer finished on the lead lap. This proves the nail-biting tire struggle that drivers went through on the track. As expected, the three most veteran drivers used their experience to finish in the first three: Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr, and Brad Keselowski. 

Looking at the unexpected turn of events, even Dale Earnhardt Jr took to X to share his excitement about the raw racing that the Bristol track forced drivers to showcase. He tweeted: “Hell yes. Managing tire wear in a Cup race? Been a long time. Fascinating stuff. Is running low or high better for wear? Better be smart on the short run to make the long run a success.”

NASCAR’s Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst also concurred with the popular opinion. “I know the race teams are pretty worn out right now; I know our track crews and folks up in the booth are pretty worn out just from the exciting day all around on the track. Certainly had some anxiety around tire wear and things like that. All in all, I think it was probably one of the best short-track races I’ve ever seen,” he shared.

It seems that NASCAR has yielded partially to the rising demand for more powerful racing. Now we have to wait if other races in the schedule can replicate this! What do you think?