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NASCAR BGN: Craven looks for roller coaster of a ride in Food City 250

23 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway has been compared to piloting a jet in a basement.

Ricky Craven, driver of the No. 32 AGREE Shampoo and Conditioner Chevrolet, thinks the racing during the Food City 250 will be a little different.

"It's more like a cross between a ride on a roller coaster and playing on a snowmobile in a gravel pit," Craven said. "Just when you think the car is straightening out you're thrown right back into a steep corner."

With 43 cars scheduled to start on the 0.533 -mile high-banked speedway, traffic will be hectic and staying out of trouble becomes an important factor in having a strong finish.

"Preserving your equipment is very important at Bristol," Craven said. "Trouble lies around every corner. So if you can last until the final 50 laps with a solid car then you're in great shape."

Craven will try to accomplish that feat twice this weekend as he pulls double duty, running both the Busch and Winston Cup Series. Craven has scored one top-five and three top-10 finishes in nine career Busch races at Bristol, including a seventh-place finish this spring.

"The knowledge I bring from each series works both ways," said Craven. "The opportunity to run more laps is great. After all, practice makes perfect."

The AGREE team hopes that rings true and the roller coaster lets its passenger off in victory lane.

Text provided by John King

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.