Aug 18, 1999 - BRISTOL’S VICTORY LANE FIRST STOP ON WAY TO TITLE; EARNHARDT EXPLAINS WHY

BRISTOL’S VICTORY LANE FIRST STOP ON WAY TO TITLE; EARNHARDT EXPLAINS WHY
August 18, 1999 - Bristol Motor Speedway

BRISTOL, TN - Since Bristol opened in 1961, every NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, with only one exception, also recorded at least one victory at Bristol, and since 1965 won at Bristol before going on to win the title. In 21 of the 34 years, the champions won in their title years, beginning in 1965, when Ned Jarrett won the crown. Today his son Dale Jarrett – a Bristol winner in the 1997 Goody’s Headache Powder 500 – could further prove a Bristol victory’s worth. Since Bristol opened in 1961, only Bobby Isaac in 1970 won a title without recording a Bristol victory.

Dale Earnhardt, who recorded his first NASCAR Winston Cup victory at Bristol in 1979 the year

de_bristol.jpg (16741 bytes)
Dale Earnhardt: 7-time
champion, 8-time Bristol winner

before winning his first of seven championships, considered the facts and offered an explanation.

"Bristol is an intimidating race track to start with," said Earnhardt. "It’s an aggressive race track. It lends itself to the style of a Cale Yarborough, a Darrell Waltrip, a Dale Earnhardt, a Rusty Wallace. It’s aggressive racing. I don’t know if winning a race there makes a difference when it comes to winning a championship, but if you can handle that kind of adversity and challenge of that track, then surely you can go on and win other races and win championships.

"You have to go into that race with the mental attitude that you’re going to beat that race track," Earnhardt continued. "People often say, ‘Aw, it’s going to be a hot day,’ or ‘It’s going to be a really long day.’ I’m excited when I go to Bristol. I can’t wait, because I know it’s going to beat drivers down and I’m going to overcome them and I’ll have a better shot at winning because of it.

"If you can win at tough tracks like Bristol and Darlington, you can win at a lot of places. Win at Bristol, and you’ve pretty much got the other places in the bag."

Bristol Motor Speedway, a .533-mile high-banked oval, is a division of Speedway Motorsports. Inc., a New York Stock Exchange company. Speedway Motorsports, the owner and operator of Atlanta, Bristol, Lowe’s (Concord, N.C.), Las Vegas and Texas Motor Speedways, Sears Point Raceway and 600 Racing, is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the U.S.

NASCAR Winston Cup Champions’ Record at Bristol Motor Speedway

Winston Cup Champion Bristol Victories:

Ned Jarrett1965
Joe Weatherly1961
Joe Weatherly1961
Richard Petty1967, ‘75 (2)
Ned Jarrett1965

David Pearson1967, ‘68 (2), ‘69, ‘71
Richard Petty1967, ‘75 (2)
David Pearson1967, ‘68 (2), ‘69, ‘71
David Pearson1967, ‘68 (2), ‘69, ‘71
Bobby Isaac(Best Finish: 2^nd in 1969, ‘72, ’74)
Richard Petty1967, ‘75 (2)
Richard Petty1967, ‘75 (2)
Benny Parsons1973

Richard Petty1967, ‘75 (2)
Richard Petty1967, ‘75 (2)

Cale Yarborough1973, ‘74 (2), ‘76 (2), ‘77 (2), ‘78, ‘80
Cale Yarborough1973, ‘74 (2), ‘76 (2), ‘77 (2), ‘78, ‘80
Cale Yarborough1973, ‘74 (2), ‘76 (2), ‘77 (2), ‘78, ‘80
Richard Petty1967, ‘75 (2)
Dale Earnhardt1979, ‘80, ‘85 (2), ‘87 (2), ‘88, ‘94
Darrell Waltrip1978, ‘79, ‘81 (2), ‘82 (2), ‘83 (2), ‘84, ‘86, ‘89, ‘92
Darrell Waltrip1978, ‘79, ‘81 (2), ‘82 (2), ‘83 (2), ‘84, ‘86, ‘89, ‘92
Bobby Allison1969, ’70, ’72 (2)
Terry Labonte1984, ‘95
Darrell Waltrip1978, ‘79, ‘81 (2), ‘82 (2), ‘83 (2), ‘84, ‘86, ‘89, ‘92
Dale Earnhardt1979, ‘80, ‘85 (2), ‘87 (2), ‘88, ‘94
Dale Earnhardt1979, ‘80, ‘85 (2), ‘87 (2), ‘88, ‘94
Bill Elliott1988
Rusty Wallace1986, ’89, ’91, ’93, ’96
Dale Earnhardt1979, ‘80, ‘85 (2), ‘87 (2), ‘88, ‘94
Dale Earnhardt1979, ‘80, ‘85 (2), ‘87 (2), ‘88, ‘94
Alan Kulwicki1991, ‘92
Dale Earnhardt1979, ‘80, ‘85 (2), ‘87 (2), ‘88, ‘94
Dale Earnhardt1979, ‘80, ‘85 (2), ‘87 (2), ‘88, ‘94

Jeff Gordon1995, ’96, ’97, ‘98
Terry Labonte1984, ‘95
Jeff Gordon1995, ’96, ’97, ‘98
Jeff Gordon1995, ’96, ’97, ‘98

Bold Face: Won at Bristol in Championship Season

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Blk3GM's Dale Earnhardt Site was born on July 26, 1998 and is owned and maintained by Gary Harris. This site is a tribute to "NASCAR's Greatest Driver" and his up and coming son. We are not affiliated with any official Team, Sponsors, Media Group or NASCAR. This site is solely for entertainment purposes. Information and statistic's on this site have been collected from various NASCAR related sites on the internet, from Winston Cup Scene, Newspapers, Television and our personal experience at Winston Cup and Busch Grand National races. All statistics are believed to be accurate at the time they are updated but cannot be guaranteed.