twice-yearly fans cheer
the high caution tally
at a bowl of concrete
known as thunder valley.

they remember the deuce
whose veteran driver
had nine times before
been bristol’s only survivor.

but nine months before christmas
on a day just as cold
the legend of rusty
was newly retold.

like shoppers jockeying
for the last parking space
forty-three men were locked
in an impatient race.

newman tagged harvick
and the latter replied
with a move in turn two
that put donuts on his side.

poor sherman kept spinning
when his dodge wouldn’t steer
and martin truex met the wall
after a punt in the rear.

with ten laps to go
the race drew to a close
and matt kenseth led
with clean air ‘cross his nose.

but second to kenseth
with harvick’s chevy behind
ran the famous blue deuce
with kurt busch running fine.

kurt once lost a tire
but that was far in the past
for he’d made up the deficit
with a car wicked fast.

and when a bumperless jarrett
sat in kenseth’s groove
into the lead interval
kurt busch began to move.

and while kenseth ran low
it was las vegas part two
for busch caught up
and knew exactly what to do.

a bump and a run
assured kurt a win
while kenseth fell back
and sent gordon into a spin.

and while some drivers left angry
with their cars hung on wreckers
kurt busch made a snow angel
while carrying the checkers.