NASCAR heads to Bristol Dirt for Easter weekend tradition

Nothing celebrates the Easter holiday better than NASCAR stock cars driving around Bristol Motor Speedway covered in dirt on a Sunday evening in the Smoky Mountains, right? Even with this being the third running of the Bristol Dirt weekend (second on Easter Sunday), it nonetheless still stirs up the controversy and what it serves.

Now comes the million dollar question - Does NASCAR need to be running on dirt?

Personally speaking from my point of view, no I don’t think so. While I don’t think it’s the most gimmicky race on the 38 race weekend calendar, it certainly rises to the top. Even drivers who came up racing on dirt think that we should throw this idea out the door.

‘21 NASCAR Cup Series champion as well as the ‘21 Knoxville National champion Kyle Larson stated on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio one year ago, stating, “If we're not going to take the windshields out, then why are we racing on dirt? We just shouldn't race on dirt if we're not going to take the windshields out and actually have a dirt race."

‘19 NASCAR Cup Champion Kyle Busch had similar remarks during the 2022 Bristol Dirt race weekend. “As Richard Petty said, ‘Dirt takes our sport backwards.’ It’s a mess. Our cars, tracks, it’s not indicative of putting on a good dirt show. I’ve seen good dirt shows.”

Bristol Motor Speedway is originally a half mile concrete oval located in Bristol, Tenn. From 2001 to 2002, Bristol covered their track with dirt for the first time, hosting the World of Outlaws - a Sprint Car series that races on dirt tracks. NASCAR didn’t get in the picture of racing on dirt until September of 2020, when it was announced that the spring Bristol date would be raced on a dirt surface - making it the first time since the 70’s that the NASCAR Cup Series would be racing on dirt.

While it isn’t a terrible race by all means, it can improve. If you thought NASCAR having a rain delay on a normal asphalt oval was long, wait til you check out what happens when it rains on a dirt track. Dirt becomes mud, and mud is bad news for these stock cars, as it will block the grills of the race cars and cause overheating issues. In fact, a caution flag had been thrown out on lap 15 of 250, for the competition to come down pit road and clear the grills of their cars. While I know mother nature can be controlled by anyone (much less NASCAR), it wouldn’t have been as big of a deal on the normal concrete surface.

So what are the positives? Are there any at all?

I seem to believe so, even with the majority of the field not liking the racing Bristol Dirt provides. I do condemn NASCAR / Speedway Motorsports Incorporated ( Owners of Bristol Motor Speedway) for being creative on the idea that NASCAR could actually go back to racing on dirt. Let’s face it folks, the original spring weekend of NASCAR racing at Bristol wasn’t panning out, and more than likely was going to lose its date to another SMI owned track. I also like racing on Easter Sunday at night. Sure it's one of the major holidays around the world, but what else is on prime time TV during that time? If the NBA can play on Christman and the NFL can play on Thanksgiving, NASCAR should be racing on Easter Sunday. Also to mention, there will be a public sermon on Easter Sunday at the track, with Tim Tebow, Phil Wickham, and Cory Asbury to speak, as well as some NASCAR drivers.

But NASCAR racing on dirt isn’t up to me; it’s really up to you who are reading this article. Will you watch NASCAR this Sunday evening on FOX? Will you have an opinion on if NASCAR should be racing on dirt or Easter? Time will only tell.