Up Next: Back-To-Back Short Tracks: Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway

Following a rare off weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hits stride with back-to-back short track events.

The series makes it’s 97th appearance at the .533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500 March 22, followed by the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at the .526-mile Martinsville (Va.) Speedway March 29.

Bristol looms large in setting the tenor for the first half of the season. The Food City 500 is the fifth race of 2009, and the last where the top-35 owner points of 2008 are assured of starting positions this year. After the Food City 500, the top 35 in current owner points are eligible for making it into events moving forward as long as they remain in the top 35.

Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) scored his first Bristol win in the 2008 Food City 500. Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) finished second followed by Clint Bowyer (No. 33 BB&T Chevrolet), Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Two drivers, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon (No 24 DuPont Chevrolet) lead active drivers with five Bristol wins each.

Darrell Waltrip leads all drivers with 12 Bristol wins, seven of them in consecutive events from spring 1981 through spring 1984. All seven were with retired team owner Junior Johnson.

Johnson is the series all-time leading car owner at Bristol with 21 wins. Jack Roush is second with 10 wins.

The 1989 series champion, Rusty Wallace, holds nine Bristol victories. Wallace was so dominant at Bristol he won the pole seven times, and converted four of those poles to victories.

At Martinsville, Gordon leads active drivers with seven wins, followed by teammate Jimmie Johnson with five wins each.