NASCAR Winston Cup Goody's Headache Powders 500 Preview: #41, Steve Grissom
21 August 1997
#41 Steve Grissom, Kodiak Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR Winston Cup Series Goody's Headache Powders 500 Advance Bristol Motor Speedway BRISTOL BECKONS FOR GRISSOM AND KODIAK TEAM BRISTOL, TN - Elation or frustration might be one way participants would describe the high-banked, short track known as Bristol Motor Speedway. Practically every Winston Cup driver has experienced both emotions during their careers at that half-mile, high-speed oval. Kodiak driver Steve Grissom definitely has been one of those whom Bristol has both befriended and upended emotionally. The Alabama driver has experienced the high emotions of victory at Bristol. He won both Busch Series races there in 1995. Grissom also has tasted bitter disappointment at Bristol. One of the big disappointments came during this spring's Food City 500 Winston Cup race. He had earned a top-10 starting spot during the qualifying session and started the race in ninth place. Grissom's #41 Kodiak Chevrolet was strong and competitive and he was a factor throughout the race, running solidly in the top-10, and seemed destined for a second-straight top-10 finish in 1997 (He finished 10th the weekend before at the new Texas Motor Speedway). The vagaries of racing at Bristol struck him down though. Grissom had run as high as seventh and seemed destined for a possible top-five showing, but with just 59 laps to go, he was an on-track victim of a tussle between Geoff Bodine and Jimmy Spencer, who were not even contenders. Grissom was tagged, spun around and crashed into the turn one wall, and the #41 Kodiak Monte Carlo was damaged too much for him to get back into the race. The result was a 32nd-place finish. But what was even more frustrating for Grissom and the Kodiak Team, was that in the incident, he suffered a broken right foot, which definitely had its impact on the team's performance for the next several races. Now Grissom and the Kodiak Team return to Bristol with hopes lady luck has a big smile for them this week in the Goody's Headache Powders 500. Said Grissom, "You've got to have a lot of luck at Bristol. When something happens, it happens quick. There's not much time for reaction. You can easily get swept up in somebody else's problems. That's what happened to us in April. "We had a great run going, but ended up in the wall," stated Grissom. "It was the hardest lick I've had in a long, long time, and it broke a bone in my foot, which took some time to heal. "Still, that's how racing goes sometimes in Bristol," continued Grissom. "That car was so badly banged up, we don't use it to race anymore. It's out back of the shop, and we're thinking about repairing it enough to use as a pit-stop practice car." Grissom said, "This week, we'll be using the same car we ran at Dover and at Texas this year. We were running in the top-10 at Dover, and spun out which cost us, and then we finished 10th in it at Texas, so we know it's a good race car. With the way we qualified and ran at Bristol in the spring, we feel sure we have the right set-up combination to make another good run. "To race well at Bristol the car has got to handle the high banks," said Grissom. "With the heavy traffic and the high speeds, it's tough to pass on that track, so the car has got to be right." About racing under the lights, Grissom said, "There's always a lot of excitement there, doubly so at night when you can see the sparks flying as the cars bottom out. And the brakes can glow bright orange or red on some cars. That kind of racing excites the fans. "Some drivers prefer not to race at Bristol, just because it's Bristol," Grissom added. "Maybe they've had tough times there. But, me, I enjoy the close, tight competition there. I like the challenge of the track and seeing what you can do against the top short-track drivers. "Sure, I've had problems at Bristol, but I've had some good times, too. It's all part of racing. I'm ready. Let's go." Grissom could make some big headway in the points with a top finish at Bristol this week. He's 27th in the Winston Cup Championship point standings, but is only 25 points (1,893-1,868) behind 26th-place Brett Bodine, and just 30 points (1,898-1,868) from 25th place Ward Burton. Mike Skinner, in 24th place, is within reach, too. He's 39 points (1,907-1,868) ahead of Grissom. With 11 races to go in 1997, there's still a good chance to post some good finishes and make a dramatic climb in the points standings before the season ends, and that's the aim of Grissom and the Kodiak Team in this second half of the season. By Muhleman Marketing