NASCAR Cup Series

Driver’s never forget their first NASCAR victory in the top three touring divisions. For Bobby Labonte, his took place at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) during the NASCAR Nationwide Series (formerly Busch Grand National Series) race on April 13, 1991. The taste of sweet victory allowed him to snatch the division’s championship that same year.

After passing Brad Keselowski on lap 191, Johnson was poised to capture his series-best fourth win of the year. But a blown engine just four laps later ended Johnson’s day, and his 27th-place finished dropped him to fourth in the point standings.

As they were revving up the engines in Michigan, I was listening to the Sirius radio in my car as we drove west of Rocky Mountain House en route to the Columbia Icefields and Jasper. It was a great way to follow the race, surrounded by the Canadian Rockies, listening to the live action, and not a word from either Rusty and Brad. Yes, life can be sweet.

Chevrolet has won 35 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Manufacturers’ Championships. Team Chevy drivers have scored 698 wins and 626 poles in NSCS competition.

This weekend Brian Vickers returns to Bristol Motor Speedway where he made his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut for Michael Waltrip Racing on March 18. Vickers led 125 laps and finished fifth on a day all three MWR cars posted top-five finishes. The Thomasville, N.C. native continued to impress in his next four races for MWR in 2012 including a fourth-place finish on the road course in Sonoma.

Bristol Motor Speedway is one of No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr.’s best tracks. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver finished second and third in the last two NASCAR Sprint Cup races on the Tennessee short track. Truex along with MWR teammates Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers all posted top-five finishes at Bristol in March.

Follow EGR on Twitter: Continue to follow Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR) on their official team Twitter page. Find in-race updates and weekly news on the No. 1 and No. 42 teams throughout the 2012 season by following “@EGRTeams”.

In support of the American Cancer Society® and breast cancer awareness, Chevrolet, together with partner Atlanta Motor Speedway, is holding a special event to give breast cancer survivors the thrill of a ride around the track in specially-themed pink pace cars with Team Chevy NASCAR drivers.

No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota crew chief Brian Pattie heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race with a 63-point cushion over 11th place with three races remaining before the field is set for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Michael Waltrip Racing has never placed a driver in the Chase field during its previous five years at the Sprint Cup Series level. David Reutimann’s 16th-place finish in 2009 still stands as the team’s high water mark.

Kenseth on racing at Bristol Motor Speedway: “I’m really not sure how the changes to the track surface at Bristol will affect the racing, but it should be interesting to see how it all works this weekend. If it turns out to be as slick as people are thinking it’s going to be, it’s going to be really tough to run side-by-side. It could be trouble if you’re running along someone and they decide to push you up into that top groove, so we’ll see how it all plays out.”