By KEVIN TRIPLETT

We have big doins planned here at Bristol Motor Speedway for Food City 500 week here in less than 14 days – not the least of which is the celebration of the 20^th Anniversary of Food City’s sponsorship of the spring race.

 

Wow, 20 years. The second-longest current sponsorship of a race on the Sprint Cup tour. A lot has happened during that time and some of the most memorable moments in Bristol Motor Speedway history have occurred on that weekend in the spring when the racing world’s eyes are on the mountains of Northeast Tennessee.

• It started with the very first one – April 5, 1992.
• It was the last race on asphalt at BMS before it was dug up and replaced by concrete.
• It was the last NASCAR Sprint Cup race run on these.

And it was the last win at Bristol Motor Speedway by Alan Kulwicki, on his way to what, in the eyes of some, would be remembered as one of the unlikely runs to the series championship in history. He would be gone a year later.

Ten years ago, this guy, who went on to be a Cup champion as well, still was a couple of years away from that feat when he won the first Cup race of his career.

Yep, big doins; 20 years with Food City. What a great excuse to have a party. But most folks know we don’t need an excuse. Because, there’s racing and then there’s Bristol.