Nationwide: Goodbye road courses, hello Bristol

Bristol, TN – Series: NASCAR Nationwide. Date: Friday, August mile oval. Start time: 7:30 p.m. (et). Laps: 250. Miles: 133.25. 2010 Winner: Kyle Busch. Television: ESPN. Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Satellite.

After running on the road courses in Watkins Glen, NY and Montreal the past two weeks, the Nationwide Series returns to short track racing with Friday night's 250-lap event at Bristol Motor Speedway.

With 10 races remaining in the season, there's just a nine-point separation between leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and third-place Reed Sorenson. Elliott Sadler is eight points out of the lead.

Stenhouse started on the pole and finished 14th when the series last competed at Bristol in March. He finished 22nd and 25th in his first two races here last year.

"It's just hard racing, and I feel like it's a driver's racetrack, and we were really fast there the last time," Stenhouse said. "We sat on the pole, and we were the only one that could run with Kyle [Busch] for 160 laps until we made a mistake and got a penalty there on pit road [under caution]. I'm really looking forward to getting back there. I think we've made our cars better since the last time we were there, and I think we've got a really good shot at winning that race."

Sadler made his debut with Kevin Harvick Inc.'s Nationwide team in last year's night race at Bristol. He started on the pole and finished third. Sadler placed fourth here earlier this year.

Bristol has been a special place for Sadler. His first Sprint Cup win came at this track in 2001. Sadler also won a Nationwide race here in 1998.

"Bristol Motor Speedway is special to me, because I went there as a fan when I was a kid," he said. "My dad used to take me there for many years in a row, and above all, I was a fan there first. To be able to race there years later, win a Nationwide Series race there in 1998, and to come back and win my first- ever Sprint Cup Series race there in 2001, is pretty special."

Sorenson has finished 33rd or worse in three of his last five races at Bristol. He posted top-10 finishes in both events here last year. Sorenson suffered engine failure and wound up placing 34th at this track in March. It's his worst finish so far this season.

Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards and David Reutimann are those Sprint Cup Series regulars scheduled to compete in this race.

Busch will attempt to become the first driver to win three consecutive Nationwide races at Bristol.

Camping World Truck Series regular Parker Kligerman will substitute for the injured Brad Keselowski in the No.22 Penske Racing Dodge.

Forty-eight teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Food City 250.