Craven: Nowhere more electric than Bristol.

Ricky Craven returns to the Bristol Motor Speedway for the 16th time in his NASCAR career looking to improve on his best finish of eighth place last season.

The #32 Tide Chevrolet will debut a new paint scheme for the event, which Craven believes is one of the top races on the NASCAR calendar.

"I don't think there is any more electric atmosphere than the Bristol night race," he said. "There is not a ticket in the sport more sought after than the Bristol night race. That is my own poll, but I also hear it over and over again. Even to the point of people asking me and writing me for tickets. The most interesting came recently when I was getting on a plane. Someone approached me, which I thought was for an autograph, but instead they asked if I had access to tickets to the Bristol night race!

"When the race is over, you look up and you don't see the grandstands empty. The fans stay because it is just about being there. It is such an event. People plan their week around this event as opposed to driving to and from it."

While he may like the track, Craven certainly doesn't feel it is an easy one to race on, with very little room for drivers to make an error.

"Along with Martinsville, it is the most physical racing of the year," he said. "The mental part of it is almost more defensive as you don't get many second chances. There is such a dependency on your spotter and judgment of what you should protect and what you should give up relative to someone trying to get under you or you attempting a pass. It is so calculated. It obviously becomes physical at times, but there so little room for error that it is a taxing race both physically and mentally."