Episode 8 Recap: RIP Steve Byrnes
What went down: The racing itself was incredible, but the scene of the entire NASCAR family supporting FOX analyst and reporter Steve Byrnes was amazing.
Byrnes had been fighting head and neck cancer for the past couple years, cancer that was once thought to be gone, but came back. And that cancer took the life of Steve Byrnes today.
But not before he was able to see an awesome race and witness just how much the NASCAR community cares for its own.
Bristol Motor Speedway helped to change the name of the event from the Food City 500 to the Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes and Stand Up to Cancer. Some drivers had his name above the doors on their cars. Almost all cars had a logo of Byrnes' initials on them. And Steve was saluted throughout the race, with team members, media members, and fans holding up signs in support.
If that wasn't enough, he was able to see a classic Bristol race, full of bumping and banging, wrecking, and just good hard-nosed racing. Here are the highlights:
Even in Victory Lane, the winner, Matt Kenseth, joked that he was Steve's favorite driver, even though he would never admit it.
His family lost a great husband and father. The world of NASCAR lost a great reporter and analyst. The world, in general, lost a great person.
Prayers go out to Steven's son, Bryson and his wife Karen. We all hope you are resting easy, Steve.
What it means for Kenseth: Kenseth notched his first win in nearly a year and half, and won from the pole as well. He is now locked into the Chase and Joe Gibbs Racing is now 2-for-2 on short tracks this year.
What it means for everyone else: All three drivers who were a perfect 7-for-7 on the year in top-10 finishes, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, and Martin Truex Jr. all saw their streaks end at Bristol. Each driver endured a wreck or damage of some sort.
Jimmie Johnson battled back from a wreck and somehow finished second, continuing to look strong and dangerous after his so-so 2014 season.
Jeff Gordon recorded his first top-5 of the season, finishing third after being down two laps at one point. He has now scored five consecutive top-10 finishes after three straight wrecks to start the year.
The top-10 at Bristol was full of good finishes for teams that needed them this year including Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 4th, Tony Stewart in 6th, Justin Allgaier in 8th (a career best), Danica Patrick in 9th and Austin Dillon in 10th.
What’s next: The series continues on to another short track next week in Richmond, VA.
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