Seen and Heard on ESPN2’s NASCAR Countdown from Bristol Motor Speedway

The NASCAR Busch Series took to the fast-paced concrete oval at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee for the first time since the track was resurfaced in the spring. Allen Bestwick hosted NASCAR Countdown at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2; the race telecast began at 8 p.m. Some NASCAR Countdown highlights:

Busch Series Points Leader Makes Plea for Wallace’s Bristol Expertise

ESPN REPORTER MIKE MASSARO SPOKE WITH BUSCH SERIES POINTS LEADER CARL EDWARDS ON PIT ROAD ABOUT HIS RECENT SLUMP - “Tonight we’re just a little worried about the Busch car. Rusty, if you see anything I’m doing wrong or something you can help me with, call me on the radio, man, because we’re going to need all the help we can get to get (Jeff) Burton.”

New Surface at ‘World’s Fastest Half-Mile’

ESPN ANALYST AND 1989 NASCAR CUP CHAMPION RUSTY WALLACE, WITH NINE CAREER NASCAR CUP WINS AT BRISTOL -- “Allen, every single driver I’ve talked to loves the changes. They like that they can have more real estate to race with. They can run the top, they can run the bottom, they can run the middle and they can also maneuver the track, meaning they can fly around the top, get a big run off of (Turn) 4, get a big run off of Turn 2, and fly down those straightaways, much like a drag race.”

Bristol Mania: You Better Be Ready for a Wild Night

WALLACE – “It’s definitely the most exciting race anybody ever goes to. The track is amazing, the fans are amazing. If you’re ever going to win one, Bristol’s at the top of the list.”

ESPN ANALYST AND WINNING NASCAR TEAM OWNER BRAD DAUGHERTY – “As an owner, on the other side, you’re holding your breath and your light-headed all weekend, because you don’t want to take home pieces and parts, you want to take the whole race car home.”

Blast from the Past: NASCAR Busch Series’ First Champion

HALL OF FAMER JACK INGRAM, TIED WITH KEVIN HARVICK FOR SECOND ALL-TIME IN BUSCH SERIES VICTORIES (31) – To Harvick: “I was introduced to you by your father-in-law, John (Linville), at Daytona when you first came down there, and I think you were like a big-eyed boy at a picnic, more or less.”

On Harvick passing Mark Martin for the Busch Series record for all-time victories:

“Absolutely. If he stays in this racing he will, because of his age. I started kind of late in the Busch Series, Mark Martin was a little older than Harvick, obviously, when he started, and he’s got 47 ... Kevin’s already got a couple of championships, and he’s on his way.”

ESPN will have coverage of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race from Bristol Motor Speedway starting with NASCAR Countdown at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25. ESPN’s Suzy Kolber will host NASCAR Countdown, while two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN DISH Tech Center. The race telecast will begin at 8 p.m.

About NASCAR on ESPN:
ESPN and ESPN on ABC have comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup” championship on ESPN on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Busch Series all season. For the first time in the history of televised motorsports, all programming is being produced totally in High Definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage will extend to ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, SportsCenter, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPNRadio, ESPN360.com and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN was honored with 17 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. ESPN is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.