At Bristol it's no-holds barred

Like blood-thirsty Romans filing into the Colosseum, NASCAR fans flock to Bristol Motor Speedway this week to see two things — wrecks and carnage, with a heavy dose of revenge mixed in.

Bristol is NASCAR’s Roman Colosseum, a giant bowl of a stadium where thousands of fans pack the grandstands to watch the sport’s greatest gladiators do battle.

While the spectacle is not quite as violent as prisoners being fed to the lions, it is indeed a battle of survival, a contest to see who is left standing at the end of a grueling 500-mile race.

Though not quite as blood-thirsty as Roman Emperors, fans at Bristol are indeed hungry — hungry for action and starved for the type of fender-banging, door-smashing racing only seen a few times a year on NASCAR’s short tracks.

The drivers are gladiators in their own right, armed with fast, 3,400-pound machines capable of wreaking havoc and leaving plenty of carnage in their wake.

Though the ultimate goal is to win the race, it is often the brutal sideshow that garners the most attention and creates the spectacle that makes Bristol one of NASCAR’s most popular tracks.

And with NASCAR declaring open season on aggressive driving, contact among drivers and even retaliatory actions, Bristol is the place where fans expect to see fireworks erupt.

So which NASCAR gladiators are most likely to wage war in the Food City 500 this weekend?

Here’s a look at a few that could square off in NASCAR’s most raucous arena:

Brad Keselowski vs. Carl Edwards vs. Denny Hamlin vs. ….

Rome’s most famous gladiator was Spartacus, a mighty warrior who sparked a slave rebellion and dared to challenge the mighty Roman army.

Keselowski has dared to challenge NASCAR’s elite, angering Edwards, Hamlin and others with his aggressive, roughhouse tactics.

Hamlin got revenge on Keselowski by wrecking him last year at Homestead and Edwards sent him a violent message at Atlanta March 7, intentionally wrecking him and causing a frightening, airborne crash.

Keselowski seems unfazed by the incident and vows not to back down from Edwards or anyone else.

If he is to get his own revenge against Edwards or Hamlin, Bristol is the place to do it.

With fender-banging aggression the name of the game, Keselowski is likely to find himself in the middle of another skirmish.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. vs. Kyle Busch

Two years ago, Earnhardt Jr. was on his way to his first victory at Hendrick Motorsports when Busch sent him spinning at Richmond, costing Junior a victory that could have changed the course of his disappointing tenure at Hendrick.

Though the contact was unintentional, Junior Nation went ballistic and has held a grudge against “Rowdy” ever since. Busch stoked the fire a year ago when he called Junior fans “crazy.”

There is also the added irony of Earnhardt Jr. being the driver that replaced Busch at Hendrick, a fact that still doesn’t set well with “Rowdy.”

Though Earnhardt Jr. shies away from such rivalries, Junior Nation would like nothing more than to see their man get even and for a full-fledged feud to erupt between the two.

Bristol, Busch’s personal playground the last few years, would be a good place for it to start.

Kyle Busch vs. Carl Edwards

Busch knows what it’s like to see a win slip away courtesy of someone’s front bumper.

He was on his way to victory at Bristol in August 2008 when Edwards bumped him out of his way to steal the win.

Busch was none too pleased, calling Edwards “Mr. Ed” and sparking a verbal spat between the two.

Busch has a long memory and likely won’t forego an opportunity to get even on his favorite short track.

Kurt Busch vs. Kyle Busch

Could two brothers really go at it, trading paint and rubbing fenders on the track?

At Bristol, where it’s every man for himself, you bet.

The Busch brothers have owned this track in recent years, with Kurt winning five races and Kyle winning three of the last six. They will likely find themselves battling at the front at some point, and neither is likely to give an inch.

They have gone at it before, with Kyle taking Kurt out in the 2007 all-star race at Charlotte, leaving his big brother angry and befuddled.

They are both aggressive drivers and intense competitors and there are few races they would rather win — even if it means creating a family feud.

Juan Pablo Montoya vs. Jamie McMurray

Could two teammates really get into it, rubbing fenders and crunching sheet metal?

At Bristol, you bet.

Despite being teammates, there is no love lost between these two, and their dispute began, ironically, at Bristol a year ago.

Montoya wrecked McMurray in last year’s Food City 500 and McMurray reminded everyone about it during a media event prior to the season.

Then, two weeks after his surprise win in the Daytona 500, McMurray took out Montoya at Las Vegas, accidentally wrecking them both and angering his teammate.

“Every time I am around him, he wants to run the (crap) out of me. ... He is just trying to prove to people he can drive a race car and I guess he isn’t doing too many favors on this team,” Montoya said.

Though teammates, Montoya may send McMurray a subtle reminder that he is not to be trifled with.

Carl Edwards vs. Kevin Harvick

Both are good at Bristol and are itching to snap long winless streaks.

Oh yeah, they don’t like each other, either.

Harvick ripped Edwards after he caused a wreck at Talladega in 2008, prompting Edwards to leave him a nasty note.

The spat erupted into a scuffle a week later in the Charlotte Motor Speedway garage. (Harvick still must cringe every time he sees the infamous photo of Edwards with his hands around his throat.)

These two fiery competitors were the last drivers to actually get into a physical confrontation, and Bristol is just the type of track to light their fuse.

Let the fireworks begin.