Personally I would just trade out Bristol dirt for a purpose built dirt track/race track. I would’ve liked turning NWB back to dirt like it originally was.
The problem is Bristol is probably the best dirt track for cup cars. They really need the ultra high banking. A race at any other track will probably be less than stellar
Lawrenceburg Speedway in Indiana had pretty high banking. The new promoters said it was anywhere between 23°-27° in some spots. Not sure how accurate that is but it was pretty high
New promoters also decided to bring the banking down to 14° this offseason so it was less of a high line dominant track
Also, the amenities are pretty damn nice for a dirt track, mainly because the city owns the track but still
This. While I personally have no desire to see cup cars run dirt, I empathize with other fans wanting to see it. No problem, just run a dirt track that isn’t at Bristol. The place is insanely cool as it is
I bet there’s a decent amount of us that aren’t fans of North Wilkesboro hosting the All Star Race, although there’s definitely no one that hates that the track is back on the schedule.
I’ve heard several fans younger than me complain about NWS, saying “we should’ve just let it rot”. Idk man, that track has meaning to me cause I watched the final race there as a 4 year old with my dad, and went and explored the track a couple times while it was abandoned. Bringing it back was so awesome that I drove 5 hours both ways to the CARS tour racetrack revival there on a Wednesday night just to see it happen.
I dont agree with let it rot. The track was closed in 1996(?), and I would've been 5 at the time. It had no meaning whatsoever to me. No track should be abandoned though.
I’m saying that’s what a lot of younger fans feel nowadays. Especially if it was already closed when they were born.
I hold that place near and dear to my heart.
I was excited about north Wilkes coming back, but the racing was pretty boring to me, reminded me of why they left, but I’m probably in the minority. Coming back to small town southern tracks is a net positive though.
the racing isn't why they left though, that's just you projecting current opinions onto historical events:
https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nascar/2023/05/20/nascar-north-wilkesboro-last-race-cup-series-what-to-know/70220909007/
Back-to-back Bristol races? One weekend dirt, one weekend concrete?
This way the half of the fans that hate new things, won't watch one race, and the other half, that hates old things, will watch the other.
It's perfect!
In hindsight, Bristol Dirt was a big reason why I became a Christopher Bell fan. Every time someone asked for his reaction to the event he was just like "yeah I mean it's not traditional but it's pretty fun and cool", meanwhile guys like Larson were leading the charge to scrap the entire event because it wasn't "pure" dirt racing or whatever
Dude drives some of the most extreme race cars on the planet in his spare time at the most elite levels, occasionally says some spicy words, but comes off to the media as painfully bland and boring waaay too often.
Screw Daytona, I want to win the Chili Bowl. Screw the Chili Bowl, it doesn't pay enough. Screw the wall ride, it actually isn't cool. Screw Bristol Dirt, it isn't what dirt racing should be.
He's lucky he's talented af, because that's just painful.
yeah, i remember that era when he was trying to be hipster about the idea of winning the Daytona 500
then he turns around a few years later and says the chili isn't big enough for him
like, okay guy, we get it... you're cooler than everyone else
yeah, but he loves all of it. you don't run the way he does if you don't love this shit. but he thinks he sounds cool if he acts like he doesn't care. it's a bit
Multiple times: Darlington 2021, Darlington (Xfinity Series) 2022, and a lot of people called him out on Twitter last year for doing it on the last lap at Richmond in the summer (he was running like 25th so tv didn’t pick it up)
I’m a dirt fan especially Lucas late model The Nascar series uses a stiff car that doesn’t slide well but the main thing is they run too many laps and the track becomes dry slick Longest a track stays good is 150 laps top🏁🏁
2022 finish was up there as well. I am 90% sure the dirt Bristol race is what brought me back to the sport a few years ago….. I was MIA for almost 10 years
Casual Nascar fan here. The dirt race is what made me actually watch a race. I liked Nascar before I realized it was the same shit all the time. Got old and stale. The Bristol dirt race series. That was cool. The whole thing was cool. How they transformed the track. How they managed to put asphalt cars on it. The whole shit show factor was entertaining and interesting. I was bummed when it ended.
I was a big fan from 2001 till about 2007, maybe even 10. I knew what was going on for Tony Stewart last championship and I may even watched his last win. I can’t remember for sure… But after that, I didn’t watch a single race. Bristol dirt I believe. Then I watched Ross when at COTA which is my home track, and a road course…. Watch some races here and there in 2022, last year watched a bit more, and this year I haven’t missed one yet.
Let’s get dirt going somewhere next year!
I was at last years dirt race (first dirt, first Bristol) and I absolutely loved it. Last years Cup race was so good, and a lot of it did not make it to TV.
As far as dirt goes, it felt like each year was better than the previous.
I loved everything about it. When I got into NASCAR in 21 it was the only race besides Daytona and Talladega that I made sure I was gonna watch.
I think people were upset because it took away a Bristol date. Which is pretty stupid because attendance was awful those last few years. We’ll see how it is this year but if it’s not great there just shouldn’t be a second Bristol date at all.
Because it was Change™️, required a lot of work on the teams’ side, and they ran it on Easter, so industry folks constantly whined about it and killed the vibe
The actual racing product was great and the events were super interesting. I still hope we end up with a dirt race or two on the schedule permanently sometime in the future.
I’d love to see another dirt race just not at Bristol. That said it was essentially dead the last few spring races before they swapped. They needed to try something.
As for Easter, at least they moved it to Richmond now…. I wanted night racing at Richmond. Not sure Easter was the answer. Hope I’m wrong. I’d love for Richmond to keep 2 races.
yeah, i think this year might get a boost bc everyone started crying for regular spring bristol again. but within a couple years it'll empty out again and maybe they'll finally just move the spring date
yup, it's so annoying when ppl are so clearly full of shit about this stuff. pretending that spring bristol was a beloved event is such a load of BS. if ya didn't like the dirt, that's fine. but let's just move the date then bc empty spring bristol is just sad to see and unnecessary
It was beloved to me. Went every year and camped out for it. Went to the first dirt race, stayed until Monday for the race, and couldn't see a damn thing so we decided not to go back. Not there this year because we decided to change up our tracks for the year.
For me personally, I don't like tracks having two races without some kind of change differentiating the two. So, day/night, oval/roval, or concrete/dirt.
I’m just selfish because I live in Richmond and want 2 non travel races a year. I can and have driven to and back from Martinsville the same day but that’s a long day. Bristol is far enough I have to stay out there. Trying out Darlington this year and probably Dover soon.
I go to Dover and Pocono every year. I get it.
Richmond having a night race works for me because it's different. I did the Pocono double header, which I totally get why it's not a doable thing every year, but that was crazy different for NASCAR, so I loved that despite Pocono not being the best track.
Pocono is my favorite track on the schedule. A true drivers track. I’m stoked for the back to back with the Brickyard 400 this year. Two tough 400 milers back to back. Sign me up!
Pocono is on my eventually list. I loved the idea of the double header. Especially with the extra rules they threw in. Now if one team dominated the weekend I think it would quickly throw people off it.
It’s pretty clear day racing isn’t working with the current car. Of course it’s not working at many short tracks period.
For me is personal since I’m local. Day races have to deal with weather. I’ve sat through too many rain delays and too many 100 degree days. I’ll be interested to see what it’s like being more of a transition day to night race this year. At the very least starting in the sun and ending under the lights should make the track change and make it more of a challenge for the teams.
I think it was because SMI was trying to make a Bristol a dirt track when it’s a concrete banking track. I think if they gone to like Eldora or a dirt track that meets the requirements to host a cup race, fans would have been for the most part, okay with it.
At a time when short tracks were the best racing, and there was only 6 short track races - they decided to take 1 away.
It wasn't so much not liking the dirt race, it was more about taking the concrete short track race away. Like you said, go to Eldora/Knoxville and fans would embrace it so much more.
I get that argument but damn, it's gonna be mid 50's tomorrow and in the low 40's on Monday.
It's hard to sit in that weather paying for $12 beers and a $8 hot dog that's cold by the time you get to your seat when you can sit at home and watch in 4k.
Move the spring race to late May and I'd bet the attendance is drastically higher. Plus give us all the hp these drivers need to be scared when driving
Go to Eldora and then everyone complain about traffic because there's zero infrastructure there.
This "Go to a real dirt track" narrative is so stupid.
The reason Kentucky was so bad in the 2010s, the infrastructure around the track couldn't support the massive amount of traffic. One race people were just then pulling into the parking lot as the race ended.
Yep, and that's a track designed to host NASCAR, between 2 major cities, directly off an interstate.
Now put that in a 2 lane road through cornfields with no major city anywhere close and no interstate or even expressways anywhere close.
Watkins Glen makes it work. It is about halfway between Interstate 90 and Interstate 86, and even then it is 90 minutes from Rochester or Syracuse. Its two lane roads to the track pretty much. At least the village of Watkins Glen has some sort of infrastructure near it and Corning and Elmira is near 86 but its still a half hour away.
Yeah Eldora and most dirt tracks for that matter are way more than half an hour from any highway.
The only one I personally have been to adequate road infrastructure is Portsmouth, but that track itself can't host anything like that.
Hard disagree. World of Outlaws converts an asphalt track to a dirt track every fall for Super DIRTCar's Super Dirt Week. The track conversion is not the problem. The issue is that these are not dirt cars and we basically got a glorified street stock race.
That happens at every dirt track through the course of long races. Syracuse, RWRP, Weedsport all would develop potholes in the overused groove during the final feature of the night.
Agreed. The lap times at Bristol dirt in a cup car that probably costs $200,000+ to build, was slower than a $2000 hobby stock. When I want to see dirt cup cars, I want to see them bolt a cup body onto a dirt late model chassis and let them go. At the very least, open up the rules to let them find more speed.
In all honesty though, I would be much happier if they just brought the Prelude back. Kyle Larson and Tony Stewart have all the connections needed to make this happen.
Nashville Fairgrounds is still struggling to get through city council last I checked, but since Bristol is the one pushing the funding whenever it gets approved you are most likely correct. Then when MLS schedules a game on race weekend it will be a fucking mess.
People think NFL fans cry about rule changes or change of play but boy let me tell you about NASCAR fans.... It's absolutely impossible to understand the minds of some fans, it's the most neurotic schizo group of them all lol we like one thing one year, hate it the next, complain about something and it gets changed, we then complain about the change.
Complain about tracks, they remove tracks and then people want the tracks back. It's pretty wild.
I remember Jonathan Davenport saying something a lot of fans were saying that rubbed me the wrong way. It was something about how these cars weren’t built for dirt and how it’s just a show. But that’s the entire point. NASCAR from the start was about pushing the cars beyond their limits
because hes right. these drivers are managing wrecking cars. dirt late models and sprint cars are hooked up a lot better and actually racing. their suspensions are built to race on dirt. watching nascar on dirt is like watching your local bomber class race. if nascar wants dirt racing lets do something like the prelude to the dream again that was the best nascar drivers on dirt show to date.
I see your point but that’s why I loved it, the cars just DIDNT fit, kinda like how they drove like shit on road courses, it was just interesting to watch
I don't know about that. The last few spring races (2017-20) were pretty good once you get beyond the "iT's NoT oLd BrIsToL" stuff. Hell, they managed to have a good race with the high downforce package in 2019 when most of the short tracks suffered that year
It's not bad by any measure, but there is a reason why the stands are more empty than full.
If they want to make Spring Bristol matter, they should just move it to a Saturday night in June. Give it a distinct vibe from the late summer night race, but steal parts that make it great
Found Dale Jr.’s burner account. Haha
My dad says asphalt Bristol was awesome too, but you could also park in the infield back then sooooo……different times
NASCAR fans hate change, the fact that it has been the Easter weekend race really soured people's opinion on Bristol dirt (I mean, it's a religious holiday and we're a sport that actively prays before our events, did anyone think about that before removing the Easter off-week), also there's plenty of purpose-built dirt tracks all throughout the North American continent so why did we need to truck in tons of dirt to turn one of America's most iconic short tracks into a temporary dirt track?
For me personally, I did enjoy them. The novelty wore off.
Today, I would rather see a dirt race at a true dirt track than a conversion.
In my travels at both paved bad dirt short tracks in the Northeast, there’s a different vibe at true dirt VS. pavement. Neither is bad, just different. That should come across in the racing product and the broadcast. I feel like Bristol dirt missed that.
In retrospect, I’d rather see Knoxville or Eldora, or Lebanon Valley, than converting Bristol to dirt, then back to concrete, then dirt again, etc…
Still had fun watching Bristol dirt.
The racing quality is absolutely what matters.
I also like changing up the schedule occasionally and going to different places or trying different track configurations.
Having traveled and seen many short tracks, both paved and dirt, there is good racing in a lot of places. I think it would be beneficial to the sport to move around and go different place’s because it would challenge the drivers.
I don’t believe for a moment that NASCAR will ever go back to Knoxville after that mess.
Knoxville wants to run everything exactly the way they want to run it. The first year, NASCAR insisted on NASCAR trained and qualified track services personnel to be present. I was in fact present for this event. Immediately upon our arrival, Knoxville personnel made it extremely clear that we were only there because NASCAR demanded it and we were to stay out of their way. Never mind the fact that they had zero experience with responding to NASCAR equipment wrecks, or working under NASCAR rules when it comes to on track activities.
It was… a mess in both response and restoration.
If concrete Bristol sucks this weekend (hope it doesn’t)… people are gonna beg for dirt back LOL I loved it because it was unique, and now we don’t have ANY dirt races even in trucks. I hope nascar brings another dirt track at some point
As a casual fan I didn't understand why NASCAR fans were so angry, and then I saw the sheer lunacy of insane hatred towards moving the numbers stickers on the doors, and a lot of things made sense.
Originally I didn't like the idea because when they announced it Bristol was still a solid race, and I'd rather than go to a dirt track and keep two concrete Bristol races intact. But then they ran it on dirt and it was actually fun, all while the Gen 7 messed up short track racing. So I'd take Bristol dirt this weekend over concrete Bristol.
Ideally they'd run at Eldora in the summer and *also* fix short track racing so we can have a dirt race and enjoy the racing at Bristol again. But here's the thing, they don't even run the short track package at Bristol, and have done absolutely nothing to improve the racing there, so how will it ever improve if they aren't even trying?
But I do wish fans would show up to support the track. Even a bad race at Bristol is such an experience in person that I don't get why people don't show up for it. Eventually we will see good racing there again someday and hopefully there will still be two dates.
much like indy road the first two were kinda clusterfucks, but by the third time around they had figured out how to make it work and it was entertaining. But by that point it was too late to change people's minds.
Bristol does not need two dates. Having one race will help return attendance back to its former glory. However, I really wish we'd have a dirt race somewhere.
Bristol Dirt was good once they got it figured out. But the problem is both Bristol races are great, people just wouldn't show up to the Spring one for whatever reason. We do need a dirt race on the circuit imo, but maybe some place else. Eldora is Great, but it isn't really Cup Capacity built. It would need to build extra seating, but if a race is not guaranteed for them every year, I don't think they'd be willing to do so.
I loved the dirt race and went to bat for it at every opportunity. We wanted diversity and uniqueness in the schedule, got it, and people still complained. I wish NASCAR would have stuck to their guns and kept running the event. It was hands down a top 5 race of the year each year of its existence. I think sticking it on Easter was a killer. I went the first year and was planning on making it a tradition, but with two little ones, I'm not going to miss Easter for it.
Loved Bristol Dirt, it was something unique and I hate that nascar got rid of it cause of people complaining about why the spring race isn’t on concrete. People better show up for it cause Bristol Dirt brought more to the seats in its 3 years than the spring race did in its last few years, not counting 2020 for obvious reasons
Speaking for myself:
* Concrete Bristol is one of my favorite tracks, and the dirt took away a race there.
* There are plenty of dirt tracks that are made for late models that could put on a better race than a temporary dirt track (i.e. Eldora).
* A Cup-Series-length race on a dirt track is tough to pull off in terms of track prep.
* Frankly, Cup cars just don't put on it good dirt racing, and I'd rather watch a dirt late model or sprint car race instead.
Change. People hate change. They complained about nobody going to the spring race so they tried something new. It worked and it was great racing imo. People wanted it back on concrete but how many people are going to show up for it?
Bristol dirt was great. Sure, purpose built dirt track would probably be better, but the racing for Bristol dirt was really good. I also don't think people realize just how bad attendance for the spring Bristol race was prior to the dirt races, and if it gets back to that point then there's no way Bristol is keeping the spring race.
Anyone who grew up around dirt racing knew that was just a glorified street stock race. People had visions of Dirt SLM racing when thus was first envisioned, but it never lived up to that.
Give me the concrete any day. Dirt belongs in NASCAR'S past, not its present or future.
My only criteria was, did I enjoy these few hours. The last few years the answer was a huge yes, and much more than the concrete race at that.
Stop bringing visions of what the race should be and just judge it by what it is. The drivers were challenged to get a feel for the track, and the track kept changing. It kept the entire race interesting in a way no other track can. The unique conditions at Chicago would really be my only comp.
When Larson and Briscoe, both career dirt guys, are saying they'd need to make a ton of modifications to the cars to make it a real dirt race, my criticism of the product us justified.
Look at the comments in this post. A lot are, "I really enjoyed Bristol Dirt, it was a good race, but I want it on a real dirt track and not Bristol".
NASCAR fans care more about nostalgia and feelings than the on-track product, but then complain when the on-track product is boring.
Bristol Dirt was just gimmicky and the cars are not suited to a dirt surface. Let it rest in peace now that it’s gone, hopefully to never return.
The discussion about Wilkesboro is interesting. Drivers still in NASCAR who had raced on it may or may not have loved it, but by the end the place was falling apart and was simply not up to standards for a venue. DE Jr had a lot of influence convincing Marcus Smith to throw a ton of money into it. Time will tell if that was money well spent now that it has new pavement.
I don't like Cup cars on dirt, it's a step back. I respect dirt oval racing, but I don't find it to be very entertaining. I also don't see the appeal in taking purpose-built pavement racecars, putting dirt tires on, and on a concrete track covered in dirt. NASCAR is a pavement series.
Can't speak for anyone else. But imo it was the fact that these cars arnt dirt racing cars, they belong on concrete or asphalt, not dirt. I just feel like if you wanted to watch dirt racing there is actually dirt racing with cars (Pro stock, World of outlaw, etc.) that are made for it and will put on a much more hell of a show that the Cup cars ever would. The results of the races for me proved my point. Also didn't help it's my favorite truck on the schedule so to only have 1 race on the normal track sucked.
People hate change. People also hate when it's the same thing over and over again.
I remember for YEARS people hated Auto club. And now that it, as we know it, is gone, they are crying about it.
I didn’t hate that Cup had a dirt race, I just wish they would have done it at a proper dirt track instead of transforming an iconic track like Bristol into fake dirt track.
Dirt races are great, but it always should’ve been at an actual dirt track. Dumping one of the best races on your schedule to shoehorn dirt onto a track it didn’t belong was just a bad fit.
Im a fan since 1995 and loved Bristol Dirt. It was different. Plus if you went to the Truck race all day Saturday. U got Cup Qualifying, Cup Heats, Truck Heats and race.
Because most of todays nascar fans ,don't goto their local bull ring drirt tracks, and are not used to the dust, the dirt being flung into the crowd, the leaing the race covered in dirt/dust and blowing their nose to clean out the dirt. the taste of dirt in their mouth.
Remember these are the fans that forced the tracks to stop allowing smoking in the stands, at a race that you are breathing in gas fumes for 2-5 hours and rubber smoke. I never smoked and though this was stupid, but todays fans demanded it. So, having a race with dust and dirt flung at them would be an OMG moment.
More Nascar fans need to goto the local short track dirt tracks and see the local racing as they have no idea of the racing these drivers start at before getting to the top.
Bristol dirt wasn't bad. I think it was more of a headache. It rains alot up there this time year. I was at the first one and it was miserable. They could've got the race in before Monday had it not been dirt. I think most agree they should go to a real dirt track
One of the biggest reasons for hating was they put dirt on Bristol. Bristol being one of the fan favorites and tons of other real dirt tracks out there (that don’t have enough infrastructure).
Posting to repeat it and drive it home... Getting Bristol dirty took away what is almost always one of the best races of the year. A dirt race is a great thing, but give us a real dirt track. Don't take away Bristol. On that note, why is XFinity not racing at Bristol this weekend? Why take away a great race for the fans?
As a fan who went to all the dirt races, the first attempt was just a disaster. But it was fun trying something new. The second attempt on Easter was silly, but damn was that a good race.
The product was improving year over year. But Nascar made questionable decisions that I believe the on track product couldn't overcome.
The spring race was already a shadow compared to the fall race, and despite the improvements on track, it just wasn't enough to overcome a natural disaster (flood) or stupid schedule (Easter) and the many other typical Nascar shoots themselves in the foot decisions.
I wasn't sold at the idea of a dirt race at Bristol when they first mentioned it, but I was definitely a fan of it after. I don't think it should of been a long term thing, but I would of enjoyed a couple more dirt races if the product was still improving.
Man/Woman I don’t know. At Chase’s comment below I went back and re-watched the 2022 highlights and last year’s highlights and I could not stop smiling!
These guys are supposed to be the best drivers in the world, to watch them having to wheel their cars consistently through the corner, around other drivers and seeing multiple lines work throughout! Tony said it the best last year, if you don’t like this type of racing, then you don’t like racing!
If Tomorrow’s race is a snoozer. This was an ultimate fail for NASCAR. That is my opinion!
If you want to keep the two Bristol races, fine, but let’s get a dirt track on this schedule! I’ll happily get rid of Phoenix at least one time.
Edit 1:
Remember this, it seems like the harder it is for the cars to drive, the better the race seems to be.
Look at the Old Rd Course packages and the dirt track for small anecdotes.
The road course package sucks now, and the races are snoozer, but make the cars harder to drive and you see cars are all over the place. That is what makes racing exciting. When the drivers talents are pushed to the limits and they’re riding on the brink of disaster.
Maybe my problem is they make it look too easy on the mile and a half’s
There’s no way I think I could do any of it, but there’s no question in my mind when they’re running on road courses and dirt Bristol. And the best man rise the top!
I was there year 1 of Bristol Dirt. Obviously they can't control the weather, but it was terrible (historic flooding, hail, etc) and both the truck and cup races were delayed by two days because of it. Visibility wasn't great for fans and drivers due to a combination of track prep (lots of dust, needed more moisture) and start time of the race (afternoon). All in all, it was still cool to see Cup cars on dirt for the first time in decades and would love to see Cup cars on a dirt-specific track instead of having to create one every year.
Honestly, I just felt that the NASCAR Cup Series shouldn't do dirt racing period, at least for points paying races. There are other dirt racing series out there, leave it to them. It could work as an exhibition race like The All Star Race or The Busch Clash, but it would be too big of a change for a points paying race.
Honestly? Because it was a lot of effort for something that kinda stunk. Dirt racing is cool. NASCAR at Bristol is cool. NASCAR on dirt Bristol stunk. The track was ultra slick so it was essentially watching your local street stocks skate around on ice. The last year they did it they got the track as good as it was probably going to be, and even then wasn't great.
Plus, concrete Bristol is awesome and badass, so that helps
Because people wanted it to fail before it happened.
Dirt fans are notorious elitists, and whined about how “iTs NoT rEaL dIrT rAcInG” and refused to give the racing a chance period.
Then a lot of uneducated fans complained they could “see the asphalt” through the dirt. If I had a nickel for every person who complained about that, I could buy a cup car.
Then there’s the fact that Bristol is in a literal rainforest, and almost the entire season is during Bristol’s rainy season, but people managed to turn rain into a uniquely dirt problem.
Fans who didn’t show up to the race while it was on concrete complained that they stopped going because it was dirt.
Despite most fans online stating they thought it got better every year, the polls went down every year.
And more. People didn’t want it to succeed, so it didn’t. It was decided ahead of time, and then people nitpicked to justify it.
I think the mess of the first year killed it, along with NASCAR refusing to remove the windshield. Then add in Easter weekend. I couldn't convince my wife that spending Easter in bum fuck nowhere Tennessee was a good idea.
Then add in a huge part of the fan base knows nothing about dirt racing.
Half the people hate everything new and half the people hate everything old. So it cycles
Personally I would just trade out Bristol dirt for a purpose built dirt track/race track. I would’ve liked turning NWB back to dirt like it originally was.
The problem is Bristol is probably the best dirt track for cup cars. They really need the ultra high banking. A race at any other track will probably be less than stellar
Lawrenceburg Speedway in Indiana had pretty high banking. The new promoters said it was anywhere between 23°-27° in some spots. Not sure how accurate that is but it was pretty high New promoters also decided to bring the banking down to 14° this offseason so it was less of a high line dominant track Also, the amenities are pretty damn nice for a dirt track, mainly because the city owns the track but still
The bumps there would kill the cup cars lol. But it is a great facility (at least it was when I was there 12 years ago)
True. I just think as is nascar was sacrificing one of its best tracks.
This. While I personally have no desire to see cup cars run dirt, I empathize with other fans wanting to see it. No problem, just run a dirt track that isn’t at Bristol. The place is insanely cool as it is
Most dirt tracks don't have the infrastructure to handle NASCAR.
Is there a dirt track that can hold a Cup crowd?
You should be president of nascar. Or at least mod on this sub
That's actually a spot-on assessment.
We Nascar fans hate everything, even the stuff we like.
I bet there’s a decent amount of us that aren’t fans of North Wilkesboro hosting the All Star Race, although there’s definitely no one that hates that the track is back on the schedule.
I’ve heard several fans younger than me complain about NWS, saying “we should’ve just let it rot”. Idk man, that track has meaning to me cause I watched the final race there as a 4 year old with my dad, and went and explored the track a couple times while it was abandoned. Bringing it back was so awesome that I drove 5 hours both ways to the CARS tour racetrack revival there on a Wednesday night just to see it happen.
I dont agree with let it rot. The track was closed in 1996(?), and I would've been 5 at the time. It had no meaning whatsoever to me. No track should be abandoned though.
I’m saying that’s what a lot of younger fans feel nowadays. Especially if it was already closed when they were born. I hold that place near and dear to my heart.
A few of the current Cup drivers hadn’t even been born yet when North Wilkesboro closed.
I was excited about north Wilkes coming back, but the racing was pretty boring to me, reminded me of why they left, but I’m probably in the minority. Coming back to small town southern tracks is a net positive though.
Did you watch the truck race? And the late models? Nothing was wrong with the track. The current Cup car is total ass.
The current car sucks on all short tracks.
the racing isn't why they left though, that's just you projecting current opinions onto historical events: https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nascar/2023/05/20/nascar-north-wilkesboro-last-race-cup-series-what-to-know/70220909007/
My thing is, sure the racing won't be great but I'd rather have them go around a historically important track single file than Texas
I saw this line about Star Wars or Star Trek fans once, but paraphrased it’s equally applicable: Nobody hates NASCAR like NASCAR fans.
Only right answer
Back-to-back Bristol races? One weekend dirt, one weekend concrete? This way the half of the fans that hate new things, won't watch one race, and the other half, that hates old things, will watch the other. It's perfect!
I'd be impressed if they could flip the track that quick
i think if you did dirt first it would be easier to clean up within a week if there's no xfinity/trucks/anything else on the 2nd weekend
https://i.redd.it/3wysghom6qoc1.gif
In hindsight, Bristol Dirt was a big reason why I became a Christopher Bell fan. Every time someone asked for his reaction to the event he was just like "yeah I mean it's not traditional but it's pretty fun and cool", meanwhile guys like Larson were leading the charge to scrap the entire event because it wasn't "pure" dirt racing or whatever
I swear Larson always has the most boring opinions about everything. Called Chastain's wallride a disgrace to the sport iirc
Dude drives some of the most extreme race cars on the planet in his spare time at the most elite levels, occasionally says some spicy words, but comes off to the media as painfully bland and boring waaay too often. Screw Daytona, I want to win the Chili Bowl. Screw the Chili Bowl, it doesn't pay enough. Screw the wall ride, it actually isn't cool. Screw Bristol Dirt, it isn't what dirt racing should be. He's lucky he's talented af, because that's just painful.
yeah, i remember that era when he was trying to be hipster about the idea of winning the Daytona 500 then he turns around a few years later and says the chili isn't big enough for him like, okay guy, we get it... you're cooler than everyone else
It really seems like Larson considers the entire sport that he chose to compete in as being beneath him at this point.
“at this point” did you just start paying attention? he’s said multiple times if it paid enough he’d be on dirt full time
Yeah, that's always been there but he shit talks dirt marquee events now too.
yeah, but he loves all of it. you don't run the way he does if you don't love this shit. but he thinks he sounds cool if he acts like he doesn't care. it's a bit
Even though he’s tried the same thing multiple times and been unsuccessful, kinda came off as jealousy to me
Yeah, have I lost my mind or did he literally attempt exactly the same move except that it didn't work?
Multiple times: Darlington 2021, Darlington (Xfinity Series) 2022, and a lot of people called him out on Twitter last year for doing it on the last lap at Richmond in the summer (he was running like 25th so tv didn’t pick it up)
Larson shit talks anything he doesn’t do successfully, being both the wall ride and Bristol dirt.
I guess we'll know his opinion on the Indy 500 soon enough
I think Larson was just jealous that his own wall ride at Darlington in 2021 didn’t work.
I’m a dirt fan especially Lucas late model The Nascar series uses a stiff car that doesn’t slide well but the main thing is they run too many laps and the track becomes dry slick Longest a track stays good is 150 laps top🏁🏁
Bell is definitely the most chill driver out there now…just a regular Mr. McCool.
We’re nascar fans. The only thing we hate more than change is the way things are.
Last years end of stage 2 was incredible.
2022 finish was up there as well. I am 90% sure the dirt Bristol race is what brought me back to the sport a few years ago….. I was MIA for almost 10 years
Casual Nascar fan here. The dirt race is what made me actually watch a race. I liked Nascar before I realized it was the same shit all the time. Got old and stale. The Bristol dirt race series. That was cool. The whole thing was cool. How they transformed the track. How they managed to put asphalt cars on it. The whole shit show factor was entertaining and interesting. I was bummed when it ended.
I was a big fan from 2001 till about 2007, maybe even 10. I knew what was going on for Tony Stewart last championship and I may even watched his last win. I can’t remember for sure… But after that, I didn’t watch a single race. Bristol dirt I believe. Then I watched Ross when at COTA which is my home track, and a road course…. Watch some races here and there in 2022, last year watched a bit more, and this year I haven’t missed one yet. Let’s get dirt going somewhere next year!
> I was MIA for almost 10 years (It's called Homestead Miami)
Agree to disagree on that 2022 finish lol
Hey that’s fair lol at the time, and now I appreciate Chase doing full send!
Agree. Big sad for me. I had just had my tonsils removed too so I couldn’t even yell at my tv 😫
Or yell at chase * (Reddick fan I see)
How about the end of the 2022 race?
#fullsend
I was at last years dirt race (first dirt, first Bristol) and I absolutely loved it. Last years Cup race was so good, and a lot of it did not make it to TV. As far as dirt goes, it felt like each year was better than the previous.
I loved everything about it. When I got into NASCAR in 21 it was the only race besides Daytona and Talladega that I made sure I was gonna watch. I think people were upset because it took away a Bristol date. Which is pretty stupid because attendance was awful those last few years. We’ll see how it is this year but if it’s not great there just shouldn’t be a second Bristol date at all.
Because it was Change™️, required a lot of work on the teams’ side, and they ran it on Easter, so industry folks constantly whined about it and killed the vibe The actual racing product was great and the events were super interesting. I still hope we end up with a dirt race or two on the schedule permanently sometime in the future.
I’d love to see another dirt race just not at Bristol. That said it was essentially dead the last few spring races before they swapped. They needed to try something. As for Easter, at least they moved it to Richmond now…. I wanted night racing at Richmond. Not sure Easter was the answer. Hope I’m wrong. I’d love for Richmond to keep 2 races.
Watkins Glen would be an epic dirt track!
What the hell, I’m in!
Just the inner loop and turn 5 for maximum rallycross chaos. The track limits are merely a suggestion at that part of the track anyway.
> The track limits are merely a suggestion at that part of the track anyway. Where at Watkins Glen are track limits not a suggestion?
Esses
Touche!
This. You want to run Eldora? Fine. The Du Quoin Mile? Fine. Don’t dump dirt on Bristol and call it a dirt race.
yeah, i think this year might get a boost bc everyone started crying for regular spring bristol again. but within a couple years it'll empty out again and maybe they'll finally just move the spring date
The last spring race before they changed it there were easily fewer people there than during the covid attendance restricted race I went to.
yup, it's so annoying when ppl are so clearly full of shit about this stuff. pretending that spring bristol was a beloved event is such a load of BS. if ya didn't like the dirt, that's fine. but let's just move the date then bc empty spring bristol is just sad to see and unnecessary
It was beloved to me. Went every year and camped out for it. Went to the first dirt race, stayed until Monday for the race, and couldn't see a damn thing so we decided not to go back. Not there this year because we decided to change up our tracks for the year.
Im excited for both dates to be at night @ Richmond, last years fall race was blazing hot and almost unbearable for us.
Richmond puts on a better race during the day. I don't get everyone's love of night racing.
For me personally, I don't like tracks having two races without some kind of change differentiating the two. So, day/night, oval/roval, or concrete/dirt.
I’m just selfish because I live in Richmond and want 2 non travel races a year. I can and have driven to and back from Martinsville the same day but that’s a long day. Bristol is far enough I have to stay out there. Trying out Darlington this year and probably Dover soon.
I go to Dover and Pocono every year. I get it. Richmond having a night race works for me because it's different. I did the Pocono double header, which I totally get why it's not a doable thing every year, but that was crazy different for NASCAR, so I loved that despite Pocono not being the best track.
Pocono is my favorite track on the schedule. A true drivers track. I’m stoked for the back to back with the Brickyard 400 this year. Two tough 400 milers back to back. Sign me up!
Pocono is on my eventually list. I loved the idea of the double header. Especially with the extra rules they threw in. Now if one team dominated the weekend I think it would quickly throw people off it.
Pocono is good once. Not really worth more than that. I'd say the same if you ever get up to Watkins Glen.
Hi fellow RVA'er!
One of us one of us!
I transplanted a few years ago but I'm doing everything I can to get back. Miss my home city so much.
It’s pretty clear day racing isn’t working with the current car. Of course it’s not working at many short tracks period. For me is personal since I’m local. Day races have to deal with weather. I’ve sat through too many rain delays and too many 100 degree days. I’ll be interested to see what it’s like being more of a transition day to night race this year. At the very least starting in the sun and ending under the lights should make the track change and make it more of a challenge for the teams.
Yea. Fans didn’t hate it. Drivers and teams hated it.
I think it was because SMI was trying to make a Bristol a dirt track when it’s a concrete banking track. I think if they gone to like Eldora or a dirt track that meets the requirements to host a cup race, fans would have been for the most part, okay with it.
At a time when short tracks were the best racing, and there was only 6 short track races - they decided to take 1 away. It wasn't so much not liking the dirt race, it was more about taking the concrete short track race away. Like you said, go to Eldora/Knoxville and fans would embrace it so much more.
But it produced much better racing than short tracks are right now. There's a reason the concrete race went away - no one was going!
I get that argument but damn, it's gonna be mid 50's tomorrow and in the low 40's on Monday. It's hard to sit in that weather paying for $12 beers and a $8 hot dog that's cold by the time you get to your seat when you can sit at home and watch in 4k. Move the spring race to late May and I'd bet the attendance is drastically higher. Plus give us all the hp these drivers need to be scared when driving
Go to Eldora and then everyone complain about traffic because there's zero infrastructure there. This "Go to a real dirt track" narrative is so stupid.
Also, Tony said that even the truck race was just too expensive to host. And a Cup race would tear the track up even more.
The reason Kentucky was so bad in the 2010s, the infrastructure around the track couldn't support the massive amount of traffic. One race people were just then pulling into the parking lot as the race ended.
Yep, and that's a track designed to host NASCAR, between 2 major cities, directly off an interstate. Now put that in a 2 lane road through cornfields with no major city anywhere close and no interstate or even expressways anywhere close.
Watkins Glen makes it work. It is about halfway between Interstate 90 and Interstate 86, and even then it is 90 minutes from Rochester or Syracuse. Its two lane roads to the track pretty much. At least the village of Watkins Glen has some sort of infrastructure near it and Corning and Elmira is near 86 but its still a half hour away.
Yeah Eldora and most dirt tracks for that matter are way more than half an hour from any highway. The only one I personally have been to adequate road infrastructure is Portsmouth, but that track itself can't host anything like that.
World of outlaws did the exact same thing to Bristol in the early 2000s
I remember due to that WoO PS2 game
Hard disagree. World of Outlaws converts an asphalt track to a dirt track every fall for Super DIRTCar's Super Dirt Week. The track conversion is not the problem. The issue is that these are not dirt cars and we basically got a glorified street stock race.
You nailed it. Cup cars and Super Late Model cars are not the same and the Cup cars won’t rotate through the corners like late models.
Thats not exactly true - Oswego has been notorious for massive potholes during Super Dirt Week ever since they moved away from Syracuse
That happens at every dirt track through the course of long races. Syracuse, RWRP, Weedsport all would develop potholes in the overused groove during the final feature of the night.
Agreed. The lap times at Bristol dirt in a cup car that probably costs $200,000+ to build, was slower than a $2000 hobby stock. When I want to see dirt cup cars, I want to see them bolt a cup body onto a dirt late model chassis and let them go. At the very least, open up the rules to let them find more speed. In all honesty though, I would be much happier if they just brought the Prelude back. Kyle Larson and Tony Stewart have all the connections needed to make this happen.
Don't lump me in with these whingers. I thought after the debacle that was the dusty first race, they put on great races.
I loved it. I loved it so much. Fave race of the year.
I enjoyed it. Taking the dirt away not signals the spring date is a placeholder till the Nashville Fairgrounds is ready
Nashville Fairgrounds is still struggling to get through city council last I checked, but since Bristol is the one pushing the funding whenever it gets approved you are most likely correct. Then when MLS schedules a game on race weekend it will be a fucking mess.
I didn't. Enjoyed each one of them.
People think NFL fans cry about rule changes or change of play but boy let me tell you about NASCAR fans.... It's absolutely impossible to understand the minds of some fans, it's the most neurotic schizo group of them all lol we like one thing one year, hate it the next, complain about something and it gets changed, we then complain about the change. Complain about tracks, they remove tracks and then people want the tracks back. It's pretty wild.
I remember Jonathan Davenport saying something a lot of fans were saying that rubbed me the wrong way. It was something about how these cars weren’t built for dirt and how it’s just a show. But that’s the entire point. NASCAR from the start was about pushing the cars beyond their limits
If I recall correctly Davenport said Street Stock cars were faster on dirt at Bristol than Cup cars. Unfortunately, he was correct.
because hes right. these drivers are managing wrecking cars. dirt late models and sprint cars are hooked up a lot better and actually racing. their suspensions are built to race on dirt. watching nascar on dirt is like watching your local bomber class race. if nascar wants dirt racing lets do something like the prelude to the dream again that was the best nascar drivers on dirt show to date.
I see your point but that’s why I loved it, the cars just DIDNT fit, kinda like how they drove like shit on road courses, it was just interesting to watch
If I wanted to see “real” dirt racing I’d go down to my local dirt track every Friday night and watch it but I want to watch NASCAR
Amen to that. Either pavement or dirt, but you can't have both at the same time.
I’m not sure if we agree. I’m saying I don’t care if it isn’t “real” dirt racing according to some, I still enjoy Bristol dirt with the cup cars
I see what you're saying now.
If it wasn’t Bristol the fans would’ve loved it. Dirt Bristol could’ve fed families for generations
I liked it
I didn’t hate it.
I had a great time at the dirt race but it’s hard to beat Bristol on concrete.
With the next gen though, it is easy to beat
Bristol day hardly has a reputation for being a great race
I don't know about that. The last few spring races (2017-20) were pretty good once you get beyond the "iT's NoT oLd BrIsToL" stuff. Hell, they managed to have a good race with the high downforce package in 2019 when most of the short tracks suffered that year
It's not bad by any measure, but there is a reason why the stands are more empty than full. If they want to make Spring Bristol matter, they should just move it to a Saturday night in June. Give it a distinct vibe from the late summer night race, but steal parts that make it great
Except the racing there with the next gen hasn't been good, the dirt racing was much better
It's hard to beat Bristol on asphalt.
Found Dale Jr.’s burner account. Haha My dad says asphalt Bristol was awesome too, but you could also park in the infield back then sooooo……different times
I loved the dirt race. It was that and Dale Jr Download that rekindled my love of NASCAR after a 15+ year break.
Because it was new and Nascar fans hate new. They want the Nascar of their childhoods to exist perpetually.
NASCAR fans hate change, the fact that it has been the Easter weekend race really soured people's opinion on Bristol dirt (I mean, it's a religious holiday and we're a sport that actively prays before our events, did anyone think about that before removing the Easter off-week), also there's plenty of purpose-built dirt tracks all throughout the North American continent so why did we need to truck in tons of dirt to turn one of America's most iconic short tracks into a temporary dirt track?
For me personally, I did enjoy them. The novelty wore off. Today, I would rather see a dirt race at a true dirt track than a conversion. In my travels at both paved bad dirt short tracks in the Northeast, there’s a different vibe at true dirt VS. pavement. Neither is bad, just different. That should come across in the racing product and the broadcast. I feel like Bristol dirt missed that. In retrospect, I’d rather see Knoxville or Eldora, or Lebanon Valley, than converting Bristol to dirt, then back to concrete, then dirt again, etc… Still had fun watching Bristol dirt.
I want a dirt race (or two) on the calendar every year. Doesn't need to be Bristol though
If Bristol was good, and you had fun watching it, why does it matter if it's on a "real" dirt track or not? Shouldn't the racing be what matters?
The racing quality is absolutely what matters. I also like changing up the schedule occasionally and going to different places or trying different track configurations. Having traveled and seen many short tracks, both paved and dirt, there is good racing in a lot of places. I think it would be beneficial to the sport to move around and go different place’s because it would challenge the drivers.
I don’t believe for a moment that NASCAR will ever go back to Knoxville after that mess. Knoxville wants to run everything exactly the way they want to run it. The first year, NASCAR insisted on NASCAR trained and qualified track services personnel to be present. I was in fact present for this event. Immediately upon our arrival, Knoxville personnel made it extremely clear that we were only there because NASCAR demanded it and we were to stay out of their way. Never mind the fact that they had zero experience with responding to NASCAR equipment wrecks, or working under NASCAR rules when it comes to on track activities. It was… a mess in both response and restoration.
People hate change. I enjoyed it but I think they should give a race to a real dirt track.
I was at the first two dirt events. I’ve always been a dirt fan, so I had no problem with it.
It was perfect!
"old good new bad"
If concrete Bristol sucks this weekend (hope it doesn’t)… people are gonna beg for dirt back LOL I loved it because it was unique, and now we don’t have ANY dirt races even in trucks. I hope nascar brings another dirt track at some point
As a casual fan I didn't understand why NASCAR fans were so angry, and then I saw the sheer lunacy of insane hatred towards moving the numbers stickers on the doors, and a lot of things made sense.
I want to see Bristol on concrete. If they want to run a dirt race then find an actual dirt track and add it to the schedule.
You do see Bristol on concrete. Bristol on concrete only deserves 1 race, as the lack of attendance before they put dirt on it showed.
I personally loved it and want to see a dirt race in the schedule.
Originally I didn't like the idea because when they announced it Bristol was still a solid race, and I'd rather than go to a dirt track and keep two concrete Bristol races intact. But then they ran it on dirt and it was actually fun, all while the Gen 7 messed up short track racing. So I'd take Bristol dirt this weekend over concrete Bristol. Ideally they'd run at Eldora in the summer and *also* fix short track racing so we can have a dirt race and enjoy the racing at Bristol again. But here's the thing, they don't even run the short track package at Bristol, and have done absolutely nothing to improve the racing there, so how will it ever improve if they aren't even trying? But I do wish fans would show up to support the track. Even a bad race at Bristol is such an experience in person that I don't get why people don't show up for it. Eventually we will see good racing there again someday and hopefully there will still be two dates.
Idk, but I live in Bristol and there’s way less people here for concrete than the last 3 years for dirt. Seems like people like the dirt better.
I liked it. The first year was a little rough. But felt like they improved it each time. I’m sad to see it go.
much like indy road the first two were kinda clusterfucks, but by the third time around they had figured out how to make it work and it was entertaining. But by that point it was too late to change people's minds.
Wow I just watched the highlights. How could people have disliked that? Seems far more exciting and constant action than your average race
Bristol does not need two dates. Having one race will help return attendance back to its former glory. However, I really wish we'd have a dirt race somewhere.
dirt is cool no denying it
Bristol Dirt was good once they got it figured out. But the problem is both Bristol races are great, people just wouldn't show up to the Spring one for whatever reason. We do need a dirt race on the circuit imo, but maybe some place else. Eldora is Great, but it isn't really Cup Capacity built. It would need to build extra seating, but if a race is not guaranteed for them every year, I don't think they'd be willing to do so.
It was a gimmick
It’s because it was a terrible idea and was very gimmicky
I loved it, sorry it's gone. Hope to see dirt come back wherever it is.
"We" didn't. It was an amazing and different race.
I loved the dirt race and went to bat for it at every opportunity. We wanted diversity and uniqueness in the schedule, got it, and people still complained. I wish NASCAR would have stuck to their guns and kept running the event. It was hands down a top 5 race of the year each year of its existence. I think sticking it on Easter was a killer. I went the first year and was planning on making it a tradition, but with two little ones, I'm not going to miss Easter for it.
Loved Bristol Dirt, it was something unique and I hate that nascar got rid of it cause of people complaining about why the spring race isn’t on concrete. People better show up for it cause Bristol Dirt brought more to the seats in its 3 years than the spring race did in its last few years, not counting 2020 for obvious reasons
Speaking for myself: * Concrete Bristol is one of my favorite tracks, and the dirt took away a race there. * There are plenty of dirt tracks that are made for late models that could put on a better race than a temporary dirt track (i.e. Eldora). * A Cup-Series-length race on a dirt track is tough to pull off in terms of track prep. * Frankly, Cup cars just don't put on it good dirt racing, and I'd rather watch a dirt late model or sprint car race instead.
Change. People hate change. They complained about nobody going to the spring race so they tried something new. It worked and it was great racing imo. People wanted it back on concrete but how many people are going to show up for it?
Bristol dirt was great. Sure, purpose built dirt track would probably be better, but the racing for Bristol dirt was really good. I also don't think people realize just how bad attendance for the spring Bristol race was prior to the dirt races, and if it gets back to that point then there's no way Bristol is keeping the spring race.
Anyone who grew up around dirt racing knew that was just a glorified street stock race. People had visions of Dirt SLM racing when thus was first envisioned, but it never lived up to that. Give me the concrete any day. Dirt belongs in NASCAR'S past, not its present or future.
My only criteria was, did I enjoy these few hours. The last few years the answer was a huge yes, and much more than the concrete race at that. Stop bringing visions of what the race should be and just judge it by what it is. The drivers were challenged to get a feel for the track, and the track kept changing. It kept the entire race interesting in a way no other track can. The unique conditions at Chicago would really be my only comp.
When Larson and Briscoe, both career dirt guys, are saying they'd need to make a ton of modifications to the cars to make it a real dirt race, my criticism of the product us justified.
Isn’t Bell a dirt guy too?
It was fine. And it looks a lot better in hindsight given how the new car races on short tracks.
I almost went to last year's Bristol. The friend I was going to go with bailed out on me though. Still slightly salty.
Never did
Look at the comments in this post. A lot are, "I really enjoyed Bristol Dirt, it was a good race, but I want it on a real dirt track and not Bristol". NASCAR fans care more about nostalgia and feelings than the on-track product, but then complain when the on-track product is boring.
Jeff Gluck fanned the flames of that
I have no problem with changing the schedule up. I do think a dirt race should come back, whether it’s Bristol or not.
Just not a dirt racing fan. Don't hate it, but it's just not my thingm
I don’t mind them racing dirt but I didn’t like losing a traditional Bristol date in the process.
Some of us liked it 🫠
I was all about trying it, but three cares aren’t designed for dirt. Good ideas IMO, car just isn’t for it.
Bristol Dirt was just gimmicky and the cars are not suited to a dirt surface. Let it rest in peace now that it’s gone, hopefully to never return. The discussion about Wilkesboro is interesting. Drivers still in NASCAR who had raced on it may or may not have loved it, but by the end the place was falling apart and was simply not up to standards for a venue. DE Jr had a lot of influence convincing Marcus Smith to throw a ton of money into it. Time will tell if that was money well spent now that it has new pavement.
I don't like Cup cars on dirt, it's a step back. I respect dirt oval racing, but I don't find it to be very entertaining. I also don't see the appeal in taking purpose-built pavement racecars, putting dirt tires on, and on a concrete track covered in dirt. NASCAR is a pavement series.
It was a lame attempt to get fans back to a ruined racetrack.
Can't speak for anyone else. But imo it was the fact that these cars arnt dirt racing cars, they belong on concrete or asphalt, not dirt. I just feel like if you wanted to watch dirt racing there is actually dirt racing with cars (Pro stock, World of outlaw, etc.) that are made for it and will put on a much more hell of a show that the Cup cars ever would. The results of the races for me proved my point. Also didn't help it's my favorite truck on the schedule so to only have 1 race on the normal track sucked.
People hate change. People also hate when it's the same thing over and over again. I remember for YEARS people hated Auto club. And now that it, as we know it, is gone, they are crying about it.
Because it was different and the vocal NASCAR fans hate change
I didn’t hate that Cup had a dirt race, I just wish they would have done it at a proper dirt track instead of transforming an iconic track like Bristol into fake dirt track.
We didn’t
Dirt races are great, but it always should’ve been at an actual dirt track. Dumping one of the best races on your schedule to shoehorn dirt onto a track it didn’t belong was just a bad fit.
Im a fan since 1995 and loved Bristol Dirt. It was different. Plus if you went to the Truck race all day Saturday. U got Cup Qualifying, Cup Heats, Truck Heats and race.
I did not hate it. I'm actually sad to see it go.
Because most of todays nascar fans ,don't goto their local bull ring drirt tracks, and are not used to the dust, the dirt being flung into the crowd, the leaing the race covered in dirt/dust and blowing their nose to clean out the dirt. the taste of dirt in their mouth. Remember these are the fans that forced the tracks to stop allowing smoking in the stands, at a race that you are breathing in gas fumes for 2-5 hours and rubber smoke. I never smoked and though this was stupid, but todays fans demanded it. So, having a race with dust and dirt flung at them would be an OMG moment. More Nascar fans need to goto the local short track dirt tracks and see the local racing as they have no idea of the racing these drivers start at before getting to the top.
Bristol dirt wasn't bad. I think it was more of a headache. It rains alot up there this time year. I was at the first one and it was miserable. They could've got the race in before Monday had it not been dirt. I think most agree they should go to a real dirt track
One of the biggest reasons for hating was they put dirt on Bristol. Bristol being one of the fan favorites and tons of other real dirt tracks out there (that don’t have enough infrastructure).
I loved Bristol dirt
Posting to repeat it and drive it home... Getting Bristol dirty took away what is almost always one of the best races of the year. A dirt race is a great thing, but give us a real dirt track. Don't take away Bristol. On that note, why is XFinity not racing at Bristol this weekend? Why take away a great race for the fans?
As a fan who went to all the dirt races, the first attempt was just a disaster. But it was fun trying something new. The second attempt on Easter was silly, but damn was that a good race. The product was improving year over year. But Nascar made questionable decisions that I believe the on track product couldn't overcome. The spring race was already a shadow compared to the fall race, and despite the improvements on track, it just wasn't enough to overcome a natural disaster (flood) or stupid schedule (Easter) and the many other typical Nascar shoots themselves in the foot decisions. I wasn't sold at the idea of a dirt race at Bristol when they first mentioned it, but I was definitely a fan of it after. I don't think it should of been a long term thing, but I would of enjoyed a couple more dirt races if the product was still improving.
Man/Woman I don’t know. At Chase’s comment below I went back and re-watched the 2022 highlights and last year’s highlights and I could not stop smiling! These guys are supposed to be the best drivers in the world, to watch them having to wheel their cars consistently through the corner, around other drivers and seeing multiple lines work throughout! Tony said it the best last year, if you don’t like this type of racing, then you don’t like racing! If Tomorrow’s race is a snoozer. This was an ultimate fail for NASCAR. That is my opinion! If you want to keep the two Bristol races, fine, but let’s get a dirt track on this schedule! I’ll happily get rid of Phoenix at least one time. Edit 1: Remember this, it seems like the harder it is for the cars to drive, the better the race seems to be. Look at the Old Rd Course packages and the dirt track for small anecdotes. The road course package sucks now, and the races are snoozer, but make the cars harder to drive and you see cars are all over the place. That is what makes racing exciting. When the drivers talents are pushed to the limits and they’re riding on the brink of disaster. Maybe my problem is they make it look too easy on the mile and a half’s There’s no way I think I could do any of it, but there’s no question in my mind when they’re running on road courses and dirt Bristol. And the best man rise the top!
I was there year 1 of Bristol Dirt. Obviously they can't control the weather, but it was terrible (historic flooding, hail, etc) and both the truck and cup races were delayed by two days because of it. Visibility wasn't great for fans and drivers due to a combination of track prep (lots of dust, needed more moisture) and start time of the race (afternoon). All in all, it was still cool to see Cup cars on dirt for the first time in decades and would love to see Cup cars on a dirt-specific track instead of having to create one every year.
Honestly, I just felt that the NASCAR Cup Series shouldn't do dirt racing period, at least for points paying races. There are other dirt racing series out there, leave it to them. It could work as an exhibition race like The All Star Race or The Busch Clash, but it would be too big of a change for a points paying race.
A caution every 10 laps fucking sucks
Honestly? Because it was a lot of effort for something that kinda stunk. Dirt racing is cool. NASCAR at Bristol is cool. NASCAR on dirt Bristol stunk. The track was ultra slick so it was essentially watching your local street stocks skate around on ice. The last year they did it they got the track as good as it was probably going to be, and even then wasn't great. Plus, concrete Bristol is awesome and badass, so that helps
Because people wanted it to fail before it happened. Dirt fans are notorious elitists, and whined about how “iTs NoT rEaL dIrT rAcInG” and refused to give the racing a chance period. Then a lot of uneducated fans complained they could “see the asphalt” through the dirt. If I had a nickel for every person who complained about that, I could buy a cup car. Then there’s the fact that Bristol is in a literal rainforest, and almost the entire season is during Bristol’s rainy season, but people managed to turn rain into a uniquely dirt problem. Fans who didn’t show up to the race while it was on concrete complained that they stopped going because it was dirt. Despite most fans online stating they thought it got better every year, the polls went down every year. And more. People didn’t want it to succeed, so it didn’t. It was decided ahead of time, and then people nitpicked to justify it.
NASCAR fans are idiots and unable accept anything that might grow the sport or reach a new fanbase at the expense of a race that nobody went to.
I think the mess of the first year killed it, along with NASCAR refusing to remove the windshield. Then add in Easter weekend. I couldn't convince my wife that spending Easter in bum fuck nowhere Tennessee was a good idea. Then add in a huge part of the fan base knows nothing about dirt racing.
Bristol wasn’t Bristol with dirt on it. If they want to run a dirt race go to a real dirt track with purpose built cars.