Speak Your Mind: Old or new Bristol? And what our intro songs would be

Jeff Byrd 500 winner Kyle Busch leads second place finisher Carl Edwards and
third place finisher Jimmie Johnson at Bristol. (Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)

As we get ready to move on to Fontana, we at Skirts and Scuffs still have Bristol on our minds.

There's been a lot of discussion about "old" Bristol vs. "new" Bristol. The 0.533-mile short track was repaved in 2007, much to the disappointment of many fans. The old track had one groove, making it very hard to pass, and the "bump and run" was how drivers advanced their position. The track was resurfaced to include three racing grooves, which has made passing much easier. This has been a hit with the drivers, but not so much with the fans, who clamor for the days of bumping and banging.

So we decided to tackle the following questions: Which is better: old Bristol or new Bristol? Does the difference matter to you? Did you think Sunday's race was exciting? Why do you think it may not have been exciting?

It has become a tradition at the Bristol races for each driver to come out to the song of his choice during introductions, so several of our contributors decided to have some fun with the concept and choose what their own intro songs would be.

Here's what our writers had to say:

Summer Dreyer: I prefer racetracks that have multiple grooves on them so drivers can move around a bit more. While the "old Bristol" did provide a bit more beating and banging, I'd rather see the cars actually racing each other for position. We saw plenty of that on Sunday, and anyway the racing surface will begin to age after a while and we'll have shades of the old Bristol back.

As far as a song for driver intros, I'd have to go with Rascal Flatts' "Life is a Highway." It fits the racing theme so well and is one of my favorite songs.

Holly Machuga: I definitely enjoyed the race on Sunday. Bristol is a different track than all the others, which makes that stop on the circuit really interesting. I really didn't see a difference from old Bristol to new Bristol. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention enough (which is very possible).

If I had to pick an intro song, I would definitely pick Rascal Flatts or Dierks Bently's "Sideways."

Lacy Keyser: Well, to be honest I truly did not see a difference. Bristol is one of my favorite tracks and I frankly did not see a difference in it. I loved the racing and I felt it was great, exciting. As for an intro song, my all-time favorite is "The Road I'm On" by 3 Doors Down. I love that song so much - I love that band.

 

Genna Short: I would like to walk out to something loud like "Screams of the Undead" by Demon Hunter. OK wait ... it would either be "Screams of the Undead" by DH or "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses!

 

Rebecca Kivak: I've noticed that the style of racing has changed with the change from one groove to three - you don't have to move someone out of the way to pass them anymore. Personally I prefer side-by-side racing, and I like the fact that the drivers are actually able to race each other for position now. Even though this has resulted in less bumping and banging, this is Bristol - it's a one of a kind racetrack that still provides close quarters and plenty of bumps from what I've seen. Just ask Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch about last year's Nationwide race! 

 

I thought the racing was great Sunday. Whether it's old Bristol or new Bristol, it's still Bristol to me and an event to look forward to.

Three Skirts and Scuffs writers would choose songs
from country supergroup Rascal Flatts
for their intro songs.

As for my intro song, it would be either one of the following two songs. "Feels Like Today" from Rascal Flatts - it's a song that really inspires me and offers hope that things can change for the better, as soon as today. I used to listen to it on my way to job interviews to pump myself up. My other choice is "We R Who We R" by Ke$ha. It's a song about going out and making an impression, having confidence in yourself and just plain having fun.

 

Genevieve Cadorette: Bristol Motor Speedway is the third track I've visited since I've been a committed fan of NASCAR. I wish I could compare it to the old Bristol but I can't, it's all new to me. I have a secret hope to visit all the tracks sometime in my life. What I love the most about the track is how the grandstand seats surround it; it makes the race more intimate and personal. I felt like we were in our own world with fans and race car drivers. It also means there isn't a bad seat in the house at all - you can honestly see the entire track from every angle. The infield is so small, it couldn't hold a garage in it, which made it look funny at first. But then I realized this is racing, just pure asphalt and high banks for fast cars to race around, and it's really cool that it looks different and stands out from all others. I also found a spot - where all the red seats are - that has comfortable chairs instead of bleachers. Believe it or not, it was more uncomfortable sitting in bleachers then walking up the hills and around the track.
 

The racing itself is awesome. The first-place drivers caught up to the last-place drivers; it made the race interesting and you really had to pay attention if you were in the grandstands. My cell phone didn't work so I couldn't check Twitter or any race reporters or news. I didn't get bored once; at one point I felt the need to have eyes on both sides of my head.
 

I loved how interactive and fan friendly it was. There was a guy, possibly named Jose, who walked around the stands to talk to fans; he asked questions and he talked with one little girl, who told the crowd after she knew everyone booed him that Kyle Busch was her favorite driver. It was very brave of her to say it and I hope Kyle heard it.
 

I also thought it was cool to see miles of campgrounds. I've seen this before but in New Hampshire, the camping is behind the track; in Charlotte, the camping is in the parking lots and surrounding the tracks, but there was something different about the camping grounds that made it special. I now know why they say, "there's racing, then there's Bristol!"
 

My favorite part is where the entrance of the track is. Drivers walk out underneath the stands and there's a gate where you can meet them and score autographs. So whether we're talking about old or new, Bristol is amazing.
 

I have a habit of picking theme songs for myself and this time, I'll stick with a song that fits me the most nowadays: I'd have to pick "Here I Go Again" by the '80s rock band Whitesnake. It's a perfect fit
for me, especially as I journey my way into NASCAR writing. 

Whitney Richards: I have to admit, since Bristol is my "home track," I am a bit partial to the half-mile speedway. I am fortunate to have attended races both before and after the track was reconfigured. Yes, I have noticed a change in the racing action, but that doesn't mean I think the races are boring. One of the things that so many fans hate about "new" Bristol is there are less wrecks. No argument there, but come on, if that's one of the main reasons so many fans are all up in arms about the racing at Bristol, then I think they need to find a different reason to watch. Watching a race just for wrecks is like watching a football game in hopes of watching the star quarterback of the opposing team break his leg. I don't see how anyone gets any enjoyment out of just watching in hopes something goes wrong.

If anything is to blame for the race being "boring," I'd like to point out the way the race is broadcast. A comment I got from my cousin was, "It was the Jimmie and Kyle show. They didn't talk about much else, and we changed the channel at one point." That right there says a lot. My cousin rarely ever watches anything else while a race is on. So, I had to bring up what I saw from my seat in turn three on Sunday. Did anyone see them show on television the battle between David Ragan and Clint Bowyer for the Lucky Dog position when Ragan nearly put Bowyer in the wall off turn two? Brad Keselowski was going three-wide at times long after he had spun out with a flat tire in turn two. Marcos Ambrose nearly ran David Ragan over off turn four. Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson beat and banged fenders all the way off pit road at one point. I understand that there are only so many things the guys in the booth can see, but if they would focus more on what's going on with other drivers in the field, then maybe races wouldn't be so boring. I'll admit, sometimes it feels like the guys in the booth play favorites, which is why I mute my television and listen to PRN during races when I can.

Another point I want to make is if Kyle Busch hadn't swept the weekend, would "old" Bristol vs. "new" Bristol even be a major topic of discussion this week? At any rate, I've been at Bristol the last two race weekends to see Busch win them all. I have no complaints. That's history in the making, and I enjoyed every second of it. It's not something another driver will come close to doing any time soon!

Just for fun, if I had to pick a driver intro song for Bristol, I'd walk out to "Copperhead Road" by Steve Earle.