TSN 5: the 5 big races to watch this year 4 Sharpie 500: Saturday night race

CREW CHIEF CLUB QUESTIONNAIRE

Tommy Baldwin, crew chief for No. 9, Kasey Kahne

TRACK PREVIEW: BRISTOL

Q: What's the biggest challenge for crew chiefs at Bristol?

A: This track is kind of nerve-racking because a lot of stuff is out of your control. The place is so small and tight, and everyone is trying to get the same real estate, so it gets really tense at times. Just trying to stay calm is a real big issue.

Q: Where is the passing good and impossible lit Bristol?

A: The best way to pass at Bristol is to set them up getting off the corner and make the pass coming off onto the straightaway. You have to make your passes quickly because you have to get off the gas early if you are underneath the guy, getting into the next turn.

Q: Where are the trouble spots for drivers at Bristol?

A: Oh, well that's easy: the whole track. Really though, the biggest thing is getting in the corners. I would say that is the biggest issue, with cars trying to take up the same real estate and getting into each other. Somebody might brake too hard, or someone might get into the back of you and spin you out. Then getting off the corners can he hazardous, too, because someone could be trying to get under you to make the pass and push up, run into you and spin you out. So the whole track has the potential to be a trouble spot.

Q: What would you tell a rookie about Bristol?

A: We had a really good car last time lit Bristol, and we felt that Kasey wasn't quite aggressive enough. So now this trip, I'll be telling him that he needs to be a little more cautiously aggressive, so to speak.

Crew Chief Club members will provide an inside look into NASCAR's garage frequently in the SPORTING NEWS and every week at crewchiefclub.com.

KURT BUSCH GIVES US THE RUNAROUND

Kurt Busch, who has won the last three races at Bristol, gave Insider Lee Spencer a virtual tour of the speedway:

When you cross the start-finish line to begin, your right front fender is already 2 feet from the wall. Once you get about halfway from the start-finish to the entrance of the corner, you start to lift. You apply slight brake pressure, just enough to convince yourself that you've used the brakes, and then you hit that 36 degrees with your left front tire right on that yellow line. Your car slides up in the middle of the corner, and right before you feel it stop the slide you hammer down on the throttle. You've got to stay as low as you can off of Turn 2 because as soon as you hit the back stretch you're going to jump up off the corner and end up against the wall. You head down the back straight glancing up ahead into the corner to make sure there aren't any wrecked cars in front of you, and then you just float into Turn 3. You get your left front back down on the yellow line again and apply throttle, gradually gaining speed and never leaving that yellow line. Then you rocket back to the start-finish line at the end of those 15 seconds and get ready to do it another 499 times.

CONTENDER CHECKLIST

Will Kurt Busch be the first to win four races in a row at this track since ol' D.W. won seven straight from 1981-84? No boogity way! Tony Stewart will outlast Jeff Gordon in a battle we'll see again when the Chase gets cranked up.

CONTENDER CHECKLIST

                                   Dale
                        Kurt     Earnhardt    Jeff
                        Busch       Jr.      Gordon

                         97          8         24

Runs well at Bristol   [check]    [check]    [check]
Engine/handling        [check]               [check]
Stays up front                               [check]
Keeps his cool                    [check]    [check]
Crew/pit stops         [check]               [check]

                       Kevin      Tony      Rusty
                       Harvick   Stewart   Wallace

                         29        20         2

Runs well at Bristol   [check]   [check]   [check]
Engine/handling        [check]   [check]   [check]
Stays up front                   [check]
Keeps his cool                             [check]
Crew/pit stops                   [check]

COPYRIGHT 2004 Sporting News Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning