Nascar News

Should NASCAR Leave Bristol Dirt? Why Or Why Not?

The Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race has been on the NASCAR schedule for 3 years now, and after this weekend we should see even more of the possible ending or future of this event in the sport. With some unsure words today from SMI CEO Marcus Smith many are leaning towards the negative side when it comes to the future of the event as in 2021 and 2022 the mindset seemed much more positive. So today we are going to look and and dive deep into everything Bristol Dirt. Should NASCAR leave Bristol Dirt? Why or why not?

Video Credits:
Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports
Motorsports on NBC
NASCAR
NASCAR on FOX
NASCAR Productions
NascarAllOut
NBC Sports
Phillip Schlosser
Skewcar
Yeetus McFarland

Thumbnail Credits:
Getty Images
NASCAR
NASCAR Images
RFK Racing

Outro Song:
Strange Animal (Crowder Remix) by Gowan

Songs:
Super Mario World Game Over LoFi Hip Hop Remix uploaded by Phillip Schlosser

#NASCAR #Motorsports #racing

Related posts

NASCAR Is More POPULAR Than We Realize?!

klengel

O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio | NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Full Race Replay

klengel

STAGE 2 FINISH – 2023 SHRINERS CHILDREN’S 200 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT WATKINS GLEN

klengel

48 comments

The Iceberg April 7, 2023 at 10:28 pm

What do you want the future of Bristol Dirt to look like?

Reply
k bradford April 8, 2023 at 2:03 pm

Put it back to its original form. Steeper Banks and go asphalt

Reply
SunnyDays&IPAs April 8, 2023 at 2:11 pm

There are plenty large venue existing dirt tracks. Repave Bristol back to the way it was in the late 90s/early 00s and let them fight for the bottom again. Then take one of the road courses away and go to an existing dirt track if you have to.

Reply
Benson Weaver April 8, 2023 at 2:18 pm

@k bradford that never existed

Reply
k bradford April 8, 2023 at 2:22 pm

@Benson Weaver yes it did exist I have VCR with the blacktop and steeper Banks

Reply
bobbysi3 April 8, 2023 at 4:25 pm

I honestly would hate to see NASCAR leave Bristol Dirt, because there’s only dirt racing in the Truck Series, but no dirt racing in the Cup Series. So why make dirt racing in the Cup Series a tradition. Sure there maybe some fans out there that think that traditional dirt racing in Cup is not a good idea, but for me, dirt racing was where I grew up with as a kid. So to see Cup Series dirt racing, it kind of takes me back to not only my younger days, but also to the NASCAR Roots.

Reply
Claire Fravel April 7, 2023 at 10:34 pm

This race in 3 years has gotten more attendance than Bristol spring from 2016-2019.

Reply
BdotCarter98 April 8, 2023 at 2:24 am

Exactly – numbers don’t lie

Reply
Michael Lawrence April 8, 2023 at 1:16 pm

I’d say those races didn’t air on BIG Fox.

Reply
Michael Lawrence April 8, 2023 at 1:17 pm

Just a guess

Reply
Cian- Neural April 7, 2023 at 10:34 pm

I feel like the dirt race idea should be kept or move the dirt race to a location that can fit a Cup Series race.

Reply
The Anonymous AcclerDew April 7, 2023 at 11:12 pm

Problem is none really do besides Eldora

Reply
Tyler April 8, 2023 at 4:18 am

@The Anonymous AcclerDew either the springfield or DuQuoin mile tracks would do real nice

Reply
Kharn The Betrayer April 8, 2023 at 4:09 pm

@The Anonymous AcclerDew even than it couldn’t do a full truck field without sharing pits. No dirt track can do a full field cup race.

Reply
Cito Browne April 7, 2023 at 10:39 pm

In general, the Bristol spring date should be removed entirely because the weather in April is always rainy every time they go there. 5 out of the last 7 spring races were either halted, or postponed because of rain. The only 2 times rain didn’t affect the spring races were 2019 (cloudy, but didn’t rain) and 2020 (due to rescheduling because of Covid)

Reply
Luckynascarcat24 April 7, 2023 at 11:17 pm

Tennesse does get a lot of severe weather that month and that usually brings heavy rain

Reply
jabber1990 April 8, 2023 at 12:38 am

I hate to agree, but unfortunately I do

Reply
Bizzy Bee April 8, 2023 at 1:01 am

I never understood why they don’t do a doubleheader on the few weeks craftsman and Xfinity don’t run. Or run two Bristol races middle and end of the year. The Allure is the track not the time its run.I agree with both of you

Reply
JackLikesTrackhouse April 7, 2023 at 10:39 pm

I like the Bristol Dirt Race, as I think it’s a good showcase of drivers’ dirt skills, as well as the fact it increases the schedule’s diversity, and shows NASCAR’s willingness to try new things. However I do miss the Bristol Spring Race, but I totally get why they did it. The race wasn’t getting attendance or TV numbers, and this was a great way to revitalize it. So I want it to stay personally.

Reply
Kevin Shoemaker April 8, 2023 at 7:58 am

It’s crazy that the attendance has dropped off so much. When I first got into Nascar, the night race there was sold out every year. I was finally able to go in 04-05. I highly recommend experiencing a race there for everyone who hasn’t been. I live about 30-40 minutes from Talladega, used to go every year. After going to Bristol, I could care less about a super speedway. I’ll take a short track any day!

Reply
Alan_M00ch April 7, 2023 at 10:52 pm

I love NASCAR Cup cars on dirt. It’s fun and provides a wildcard. But at the same time? Weather has been a problem since year 1 back in ’21. But I cannot stress enough that we need a NASCAR Cup race on dirt to showcase that our drivers race on every racing surface.

Not to mention, it’s awesome to see the names of the dirt world get a shot in a Cup car and we get to find out more about them. It’s a win for the dirt world because it gets them exposure to the spotlight with their drivers and it’s a win for NASCAR.

I will miss the Dirt race if it goes.

Reply
Kevin Shoemaker April 8, 2023 at 7:53 am

Agreed!

Reply
TristanTate April 8, 2023 at 4:49 pm

I think Nascar needs a dirt race, but I don’t think Bristol should be the place

Reply
Alan_M00ch April 8, 2023 at 4:57 pm

@TristanTate As much as I agree with Bristol not being where we should host the dirt race, we also have to take into consideration that a normal Cup Series crowd is around the 40,000-80,000 range in attendance. Bristol is the only place that can seat the attendance of a Cup crowd.

If you take an already existing dirt track and size it up for the Cup cars, it’d most likely lose a lot of races from the other dirt racing leagues and re-configuring the track would take a lot of money and have to go through all kinds of governmental hoops to actually happen.

Reply
dave likesbacon April 7, 2023 at 10:52 pm

I would like to see them move to a purpose-built dirt track and run it on Fourth of July weekend.

Reply
Visionary Watcher April 8, 2023 at 1:35 am

Eldora

Reply
dave likesbacon April 8, 2023 at 3:17 am

@Visionary Watcher I think that would be pretty cool

Reply
NASCAR Shill April 8, 2023 at 5:35 am

Who’s going to pay for it?

Reply
Drew Bontempo April 8, 2023 at 2:22 pm

I feel like Eldora is too small, maybe a little bit bigger would be more fitting

Reply
Milton Valenzuela, Jr April 7, 2023 at 10:55 pm

Keep Bristol Dirt and move it to May as the race before Darlington throwback weekend. A nice, classic stretch of races of Bristol Dirt, Darlington throwback weekend, North Wilkesboro, and the Coke 600

Reply
Kyle England Racing April 8, 2023 at 1:00 am

That’s the ultimate throwback month and I love it!! NASCAR needs to do this!

Reply
Phillip Stafford April 8, 2023 at 2:36 am

That’s a lot of races in a small area in a short time, not sure attendence would be great with mostly the same pool of fans going to 4 races in 1 month

Reply
Flipswitch April 8, 2023 at 4:25 am

YESSSSS I LIVE IN BRISTOL IT STARS TO DRY UP IN MAY BEEN SAYING THIS FOREVER

Reply
YouTubeuserlolz April 8, 2023 at 9:42 am

No race on asphalt dirt is embarrassing

Reply
KMerse1 April 8, 2023 at 10:27 am

This is actually a phenomenal idea IMO. I would dig it 🙂

Reply
Harrison Grant April 7, 2023 at 11:12 pm

There are so many fans who have just decided they don’t like it and never will. Let them seethe, I’d rather see a unique type of race in the Cup Series that, until 2021, hadn’t been done since the 70s, rather than continue to run a spring race that obviously wasn’t working. Hanging on to a race that was hemorrhaging viewers and at-track attendance for the sake of “tRaDiTiOn” is what has caused so many problems in the past (especially at tracks like Texas, which has never been good and NASCAR STILL won’t let it go), and NASCAR needed to either reinvent the track or have Bristol lose a date. I would much rather see a unique, if a bit gimmicky, race that fits the theme of the season and brings new viewers, pays homage to NASCAR’s roots, has the potential to produce great racing, and allows the guys with dirt track experience to show their skills than lose a date at Bristol.

Reply
Aaron Machado April 7, 2023 at 11:24 pm

I absolutely love it as the banking allow more sliding but can also punish drivers being on the edge of traction. NASCAR has most track diversity of any series cause you got superspeedway, intermediate, short track, road course( now street course as well), whatever the hell Pocono is and dirt is another skill set in a car meant to be a Jack of all trades. That said the weather has ruined the Bristol Spring race even Pre dirt so best to switch it with another date like maybe Sonoma or Talladega.

Reply
Rekingcrew April 7, 2023 at 11:36 pm

I’m new to nascar, I’m pumped to see the race this weekend!

Reply
Branden Curtin April 7, 2023 at 11:51 pm

I like it and I would like to go. The problem is with in general the races that I want to go to a little more than that like Daytona 500 will out weigh it especially because it’s costly for me to get there living in New Hampshire.

Reply
Ace Garcia April 8, 2023 at 1:18 am

Bristol Dirt should remain moving forward. No Dirt track has the facilities for cup racing, it gets better turnout than concrete in the spring, and removing the date entirely would probably cause a lot of unnecessary fan backlash.

Reply
DK Motor Racing NZ April 8, 2023 at 2:06 am

I think this should be the research project/ case study to build or upgrade a purpose built dirt colluseum (and away from the Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond cluster). If NASCAR can run:
– 1-2 dirt races
– 4-6 road course races
– 1-2 street circuit races
Along with the other Speedways and super speedways, they can be what INDYCAR is for formula racing. AKA, an All-Rounder Driver series. This would keep interest up for having a lot of different types of racing.

Reply
Andy Blystone April 8, 2023 at 2:23 pm

Yes. I’d only argue at least 3 dirt races. Make it worth the driver’s and teams time to prep and plan for dirt racing. And further run a different format. Split the field and run twin features with full points for both. This could also be done at the Charlotte dirt track, Texas dirt track, or Vegas dirt track on the Thursday night before the pavement race. Would be shorter races, better for weeknight prime time summer viewing.

Reply
TristanTate April 8, 2023 at 4:50 pm

@Andy Blystone that’s too much. That’s a really stupid idea

Reply
Phillip Stafford April 8, 2023 at 2:32 am

I’d like to see them invest in a proper dirt facility, and maybe move the date to a slightly better time of year for dirt racing, make this the Sonoma weekend, it would be perfect time of year for it

Edit: if they’re gonna keep doing Bristol dirt, bring in the team from Oswego speedway in new York, they’re one of the only tracks I know of that runs dirt on top of a really good paved track and still have amazing racing on both surfaces

Reply
Joseph Hartman April 8, 2023 at 2:52 am

First off…Marcus Smith deserves a ton of credit for working on bringing back North Wilkesboro…2nd, I think Bristol is a good dirt race. My only issue is that I hated to see a regular Bristol race go away as its an awesome track. However, if fans weren’t showing up…I guess you have to do something. Anyways, credit to SMI the past few years to change some things and bring back a great track.

Reply
JD Mayo April 8, 2023 at 3:42 am

Bristol was one of my favorite races from the 1990s Winston cup series always tones of action.

Reply
Brett Baker April 8, 2023 at 1:36 pm

This race is awesome in my opinion. NASCAR needs to keep it on the schedule, it adds a different racing perspective & showcases the dirt track drivers in NASCAR talents. Maybe move the date to when it’s not raining but keep it on the schedule for the long run

Reply
jimmy akers April 8, 2023 at 4:38 pm

I live about an hour from the track and the biggest problem with the spring race at Bristol is the weather. The race needs to be moved 1 to 2 weeks later in the year.

Reply

Leave a Comment