CV Products Trackside Program swings into high gear this weekend with a presence at five races at three different racetracks. Thunder Valley (a/k/a Bristol Motor Speedway) is where most of the attention will be, especially on Sunday. That’s when the Food City 500 will take NASCAR’s best drivers on 500-lap, 266.5-mile odyssey that never fails to produce exceptional results. Bristol’s steep banking, all-concrete surface, two pit roads and stadium-like seating give drivers and fans alike an experience that’s truly unique. Also on tap for us this weekend… the 62nd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the Hardee’s Rattler 250.
Food City 500
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
When: Sunday, March 16
Racetrack: Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, TN
Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes only
Watch from home: FOX at 12:30 p.m. (ET). Radio: PRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90
What you need to know: Brad Keselowski has emerged victorious two of the last five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway (a/k/a Thunder Valley). Even if it doesn’t seem immediately apparent, a closer look at statistical history shows he’s an heir to this slice of success. It’s all about the No. 2 – plus a trio of top-rung drivers who through the years have combined to give Team Penske a total of 10 victories at the historic .533-mile oval. In other news, something – anything – has to go Kyle Busch’s way one of these weekends. The No. 18 has led two of the first three Cup Series races this season, eclipsed the 100 driver rating figure in all three, driven the fastest laps run in all three, and has one top-10 finish to show for it.
Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 presented by Lilly Diabetes
Series: NASCAR Nationwide Series
When: Saturday, March 15
Racetrack: Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, TN
Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes only
How to watch from home: ESPN2 at 1:30 p.m. (ET), and PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
What you need to know: Vienna, West Virginia’s Cale Conley is slated to make his Nationwide series debut on Saturday in the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. The 21-year-old becomes the 37th driver to make his NNS debut at Bristol, joining notables such as David Pearson, Brett Bodine and Trevor Bayne. Ryan Blaney returns to the No. 22 Team for the first time since winning at Kentucky in that ride. Blaney, who has never finished outside the top 10 at Bristol in any series, has run only one NNS race since the win.
PittLite 125
Series: NASCAR K&N East
When: Saturday, March 15
Racetrack: Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, TN
Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes only
What you need to know: After a couple of weeks away from the track, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East heads to Bristol for the PittLite 125, the third event of the young event. Daniel Suárez is seeking his third straight NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory after winning the first two races of the season in February. He became just the second driver in series history to win the first two races of the season joining Sean Caisse, who accomplished the feat in 2006. Suárez also has a streak of four straight NASCAR touring series wins by taking the checkered flag in his last two NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series starts.
62nd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida
Series: Tudor United Sportscar Championship
When: Thursday, March 13 – Saturday, March 15
Racetrack: Sebring International Raceway – Sebring, Fl
Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes only
How to watch from home: FOX Sports 1 at 10am (ET) and online at www.imsa.com
What you need to know: Ben Keating and the No. 33 ViperExchange.com team, which includes Dutch racing brothers Jeroen and Sebastiaan Bleekemolen, will be looking for the GT Daytona (GTD) class victory in Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. ViperExchange.com team returns to Sebring after running at a top-five GTD-class pace on the legendary 3.74-mile airport road course in last month’s IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Winter Test. The strong Sebring test followed an encouraging debut for the ViperExchange.com team and the Viper GT3-R in January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Hardee’s Rattler 250
Series: Southern Super Series
When: Friday, March 14 – Sunday, March 16
Racetrack: South Alabama Speedway – Ozark, Al
Note: CV’s trailer is in the pits and available for people with pit passes only
What you need to know: Southern Super Series officials and management of South Alabama Speedway in Kinston, Alabama announced earlier this year that the 38th Annual Rattler 250 will be held under the sanction of the Southern Super Series (SSS) and will be the first points-paying event of the 2014 SSS season. With this addition, the Southern Super Series continues to build on its strong foothold as one of the premier Super Late Model series in the southeastern U.S.
