Food City Dirt Race at Bristol (⏰ 4 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)
Everything you need to know for Monday's race, the seventh points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season.
Five to watch
Here are five big story lines we'll be following. 1. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell have won the last five Chili Bowls -- the premier midget race in the United States -- and are regarded as the top two dirt racers in the Cup Series today. Both have Eldora wins from when that track was on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule and both are overwhelming favorites in Monday's race. Larson is fresh off a dominating performance at Atlanta that saw him lose the lead late to eventual winner Ryan Blaney but will have to come from the back of the field after his team changed engines in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet following final practice. Will we get a Larson-Bell duel on the dirt in the closing laps at Bristol? That would be something to behold. 2. Blaney's win at Atlanta made it six winners in six races to open the season. Will a wild-card race such as Bristol on dirt make it seven-for-seven with Cup regulars with dirt backgrounds like Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe or Alex Bowman grabbing the victory, two former Eldora winners in Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace could find their way to a triumph in Thunder Valley or will a dirt specialist making their Cup debut have a magical day? And that doesn't take into account the drivers at or near the top of the standings ... Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott and more who have yet to win. 3. Speaking of dirt specialists making their Cup debut, there are four of them in this race: Chris Windom, Stewart Friesen, Mike Marlar and Shane Golobic. Windom is running for the No. 15 Chevrolet Rick Ware Racing and is one of seven drivers to win the USAC Triple Crown. Marlar will run the No. 66 Motorsports Business Management Toyota and is a two-time Knoxville Nationals winner and the 2018 World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion. Friesen will drive the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet and has been a truck regular for several seasons. He won at Eldora in 2019, not to mention that he cut his teeth racing on dirt tracks around the country. Golobic will pilot the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford and finished second in the USAC National Midget Series in 2017. 4. For all we've said about Cup drivers with dirt backgrounds and dirt specialists, does a driver who isn't necessarily known as a dirt devil have a good chance to win Monday? A host of drivers -- Kyle Busch, Logano, Elliott, Corey LaJoie, Chris Buescher and others -- tuned up in dirt races over the past few weeks. And could anything be learned from the Pro Invitational Series race won by William Byron? 5. The Cup Series has not run a race on dirt since 1970, so expect the unexpected. There are some big differences at play regarding rules and pit-road regulations for this race. There will be no live green-flag pit stops. Teams will execute non-competitive pit stops, changing tires and adding fuel as needed at stage breaks. Exceptions will be made for vehicles involved in incidents. Additionally, teams are not required to pit during stage breaks. Those that elect to stay on the track during stage intermissions will line up ahead of the cars/trucks that pit on the ensuing restart. The choose rule will not be in effect for this race. There will also be competition cautions at Laps 50 and 150.Race-day staples
Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.
• Power Rankings: Larson looks like a title favorite. | See the ranks
• Paint Scheme Preview: Check out the schemes dancing on the dirt | See the schemes
• Fantasy Fastlane: See which drivers to use, avoid | Full Fantasy advice | Set your roster
• Preview Show: Jonathan Merryman and Alex Weaver preview the race | Watch the show
Dishing on the dirt
Everything you could want to know about the Cup Series dirt history and Bristol's evolution to dirt for this race • Details in the dirt: 23,000 cubic yards. That's how much dirt was added to Bristol. | Learn about the transformation • What an evolution: See how the track took shape over the past months | See the photos • How to set up for the dirt: NBC Sports' Steve Letarte examines what goes into prepping for a race like this | Letarte's lowdown • FAQ about dirt racing: Learn the terminology and lingo as well as race procedures for Sunday | FAQ, glossary for Sunday • Storied past: NASCAR's beginnings started in dirt. See photos from the past come to life. | Past in photos • Returning to roots: The last Cup race on dirt was in 1970. Get more details on the sport's early days. | Learn the history
Get in on the action
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy. • Betting odds for today's race | See the odds • Who's a dark horse bet to consider? | BetMGM's preview • Dirt race creates challenge for bookmakers, bettors | Full betting preview • Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot • Full guide to 2021 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQTrack history
Every track has a story to tell. Here's what we've seen go down at Bristol Motor Speedway in the past. • Rattling the cage: Memorable moments at Bristol | See the moments • Spring savants: All-time spring race track winners | See the list • Take me to your leader: Top 10 lap leaders at Bristol | See the list
Fast facts
Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights. • No one in the field was born the last time there was a Cup Series dirt race • Lee Petty is the career Cup wins leader on dirt tracks with 42 wins • Each manufacturer has won twice in the first six races • No drivers finished top 10 in all the races this season • Kyle Larson has run the most laps in the top 10 this season (1,195 to 1,190 for Denny Hamlin)Catch the pack
Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to Sunday's race. • Bowman, Blaney top practice sessions while Larson has to change engine| Recap the practices | Spin cycle: See the practice spins • Which driver with a dirt background is the best pick for Bristol? | Read our debate • Which driver not known for a dirt background is the best pick for Bristol?| See our selections • Unpredictable challenges await Sunday's field | Marathon for dirt drivers • Could Brad Keselowski be on the move for 2021? Not if Roger Penske can help it. | Captain chimes in • With a street course coming to the Pro Invitational Series, could the Cup Series be on the horizon? | 'Everything is on the table' • Backseat Drivers: Kyle Petty says 'don't see Noah did anything wrong' in Xfinity Series brouhaha with Daniel Hemric. | Hear the debate • Cup cars were on track for a test at Nashville Superspeedway ahead of the June race. | Get a first lookSay what?
Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Monday's race. For more on what drivers are saying, check out this quote book. "It’s definitely a race that I had circled on the calendar whenever we went into the 2021 season and it still is. I think I’ve got a great opportunity to win another race this weekend at Bristol so we’re going to do everything we can to win another race. It’s nice not having to rely on this and be like, 'Man, this is our only way to the Playoffs.' " -- Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota [caption id="attachment_299770" align="alignright" width="300"]
