When it comes down to it, we all just want to be entertained.
A few of the drivers who understand the entertainment value of NASCAR were rewarded with cheers from the approximately 80,000 fans at Bristol when putting the microphone in their hand to good use during driver introductions.
As many fans know, drivers select a song to be played at Bristol when they walk out before the race; but they also introduce themselves to the crowd via the public address system – and some of them add a comment.
Our handheld decibel meter recorded higher-than-normal ratings for Brad Keselowski, AJ Allmendinger and Landon Cassill – all of whom made rare appearances in the top 10.
Trevor Bayne – a Tennessee native – got the most noise after he told fans it was "good to be back here in Tennessee!"
But Keselowski, Allmendinger and Cassill were among the few drivers to try and either fire up the Bristol crowd or say something that would draw a reaction (you can see their comments below).
It's somewhat surprising that more drivers don't make some sort of funny comment or remark with the microphone in hand – since that's a chance to speak directly to the fans.
Of course, making a funny comment won't necessarily change any preconceived notions about a driver. Kyle Busch attempted to make peace with the fans – who heartily booed him as he came out – and asked, "Can't we all just be friends?"
The fans booed in response.
Here are the top 10 in noise at Bristol, ranked by decibels:
| Driver | dB | Type of Noise | Driver Quote or Explanation | |||
| 1 | Trevor Bayne | 88.1 | Cheers | "Good to be back here in Tennessee!" | ||
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 87.5 | Boos | "Can't we all just be friends?" | ||
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 87.1 | Cheers | Most popular driver | ||
| 4 | Jeff Gordon | 86.8 | Cheers | Hardly any boos these days | ||
| 5 | Mark Martin | 86.3 | Cheers | "Bristol fans are the best of 'em!" | ||
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | 85.3 | Mix, then cheers | Promised fans a free beer if he won | ||
| 7 | AJ Allmendinger | 84.9 | Cheers | "WHAT'S UP BRISTOOOOL???" | ||
| 8 | Tony Stewart | 84.8 | Cheers | Always among most popular | ||
| 9 | Landon Cassill | 84.5 | Cheers | "I'm rooting for Dale Earnhardt!" | ||
| 10 | Jimmie Johnson | 84.0 | Confusion | Walked out to "The Thong Song" |
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