Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway
(⏰ 7 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for NASCAR’s second-ever Cup Series dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the ninth regular-season event of the 2022 campaign.

NASCAR Bristol Dirt Race Information 📝

Where: Bristol, Tennessee
Approximate start time: 7 p.m. ET  | Weekend schedule
TV/Radio: FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio | Full TV schedule
Forecast: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64 degrees, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 250 laps | 125.5 miles
Stages: 75 | 150 | 250
Pit-road speed: 30 mph
Caution car speed: 35 mph
The purse: $7,374,089
Bristol dirt 101: Get the full lowdown
Qualifying format: How the heat races, lineup was formed
Qualifying results: Cole Custer wins his first pole
Friday’s practice: Reddick, Hamlin lead sessions

Key things to watch 🔑

Big story line: How will the Cup Series’ second-ever Bristol Dirt Race pan out? Will we see a strong showing from the drivers with tons of dirt experience? Or will the underdogs, essentially the rest of the field, come out on top … again? Entering the 2021 dirt race, all eyes were on the usual aces who were expected to show the other drivers how it was done. Though they had a few strong runs throughout the race, most of the top dirt dogs faded (though Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished runner-up) and Joey Logano rose to the occasion. With a more durable car, better weather and a year’s worth of extra preparation, it will be interesting to see which drivers can master the rhythm early. If we’ve learned anything about the Next Gen era to this point, it’s that we know how unpredictable every race can be. Expect to see the same on Sunday. Don’t sleep on the sleepers. | Larson, Byron prepare for Bristol with local-track run | Stenhouse positive about momentum this month

Who’s hot? Who’s not? It seems like every week we are waiting on Ryan Blaney to come across the finish line first, earning his first win of 2022. Blaney has led laps in all eight races this season, has three straight finishes of seventh or better and is only three points away from the top spot in the Cup Series standings. And on top of the in-race success, he’s already matched his career-best tally of three poles in a single season. Despite being winless, he is on pace to shatter many of his other personal records. The No. 12 team has things figured out early, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see it up front again at the wild-card Bristol Dirt Race. Looking across the aisle, reigning champion Kyle Larson and the No. 5 team have struggled since his home-state win at Auto Club Speedway. They uncharacteristically have finished outside of the top 28 in half the races so far. No better time for Larson and company to get back in rhythm on the surface where the dirt ace is arguably most comfortable. After a disappointing run a season ago, expect him to crank it up a level and turn his title-defense season around on Sunday.

Driving under the radar: A common theme, still very underrated, is Austin Dillon’s impressive form so far. Entering Bristol, he has three consecutive finishes inside the top 10 and seems to be peaking after a slight rollercoaster start to the season. He nearly came out with a win at Martinsville Speedway and is quietly emerging as a serious playoff contender after narrowly missing out a season ago. It’s hard to think that the iconic No. 3 machine could ever fly under the radar, so keep an eye out for Dillon in the coming weeks. And don’t be surprised if you continue to see him near the front of the field. | Dillon climbing the series standings

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Race-day staples ✅

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Paint Scheme Preview: Shiny schemes set to get covered in dirt | See the schemes
• Power Rankings: Will a rising Joey Logano double down on Bristol? | Updated driver rankings
• Fantasy Fastlane: Leaning on dirt-track veterans for Sunday’s race | Top plays, sleepers
• NASCAR betting: Odds for second-ever Bristol Dirt Race | BetMGM odds

Catch the pack 💨

Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.

Getty Images
Getty Images

• Learn a lot: Day-by-day format for Bristol Dirt Race weekend | Read more
• Penalties: Ty Gibbs fined; Scott Miller goes in-depth on RFK Racing’s fine, suspensions | $15K fine for Gibbs | Miller explains
• New car, new changes: Digging into what’s new for the Next Gen car at Bristol | Technical analysis
• Focused forward: Stenhouse hopes this is his month ahead of Bristol Dirt Race | Read more
• Seat time: Chase Elliott to run Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol | See who he’s driving for
• Diving into dirt: Byron steps out of comfort zone, enjoys Larson’s late model event | Full story
• In this together: NASCAR and Sportradar announce multi-year integrity partnership | More details
• Honoring the military: Hamlin, Charlotte Motor Speedway kick off 2022 Mission 600 | Read more
• Nod to boss: Josh Berry reveals Dale Jr.-themed throwback for Darlington |See Berry’s scheme | Other Darlington schemes
• Growing the sport: Jennerstown Speedway becomes NASCAR-sanctioned track | Read more
• Have a seat: NASCAR partners with racing and gaming seat innovator Playseat® | Partnership details
• Diversity: Japanese driver Akinori Ogata fulfills dream of winning in United States, keeps eye on NASCAR Cup Series | Full story

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

• BetMGM: Larson, Bell top oddsmakers boards after 2021 disappointment | Betting analysis
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
• Backseat Bets: Can Bowman beat Byron in Bristol head-to-head? | Listen to the debate
• The Action Network: Best top-1o bet for Bristol | See who the experts chose
• Weekly props: Will the dirt-track regulars reign supreme on Sunday? | Make your picks
• Going all the way: NASCAR betting: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Bristol Dirt Race, Part 2 ✌️

We’re back at Bristol Motor Speedway, the famed “Last Great Colosseum,” so check out some relevant history and results from last year’s inaugural race.

RacingOne
NASCAR Research & Archives Center | Getty Images

• The return: Cup Series ready for return to Bristol Motor Speedway | Read more
• Pace out front: Top 10 lap leaders at Bristol Motor Speedway | Who has led the most?
• Hoppin’ into history: Record of NASCAR races held on Easter | View the gallery
• All-time wins: Bristol Motor Speedway spring race | See the full list
• Do you remember?: Memorable moments at Bristol | Pick a favorite
• Built on dirt: Photographic memories of NASCAR’s history on dirt | Scroll through the gallery
• Dare to be different: History of Cup Series racing at unique tracks | Learn more
• Last year: Joey Logano rallies to inaugural Bristol Dirt Race win | 2021 recap, highlights

Fast facts ⏩

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• There have been 490 Cup races held on dirt, but a 50-year break between dirt events in the Cup series from 1970 to 2021.
• Through eight races in 2022, there have been seven different winners. William Byron is the only repeat winner.
• Lee Petty holds the record for the most dirt wins — 42 of his 54 series wins came on the surface type.
• Hendrick Motorsports is just one top-10 finish away from 2,000 in Cup history.
• Ryan Blaney is the first driver since Tony Stewart in 2006 to lead in each of the first eight races of a season.

Say what? 🎙

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

Joey Logano

• “I’m looking forward to trying it out again. With a little better weather conditions from what we faced last year and changing from day to night for the race, I think it’s going to be a better event overall. It will be good to get those two practice sessions on Friday and be able to work on the car a little bit. Between the new car and the changes they made to the track, it’s going to be completely different than what we saw last year.” — Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

• “I don’t think it’s a dirt experiment anymore. We already did it once. That was an experiment last year and I think most people liked it. I say this about our sport all the time, there are people that love short-track racing. There are people that love superspeedways and hate short-track racing. There are people that love mile-and-a-half racing. We get to do it all and some weeks you’re gonna see your favorite track and some weeks you’re gonna see something completely different. The fact that NASCAR is going to different things. We just ran the Clash. I thought that was crazy, but it was actually pretty good and really big for our sport. What’s next? We can race anywhere. We’ve proven we can put on a great race and an entertaining race for the fans, and a competitive race for the competitors out there. I don’t care where we go. Let’s do it.” — Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

• “We weren’t the fastest in practice at the dirt race at Bristol last year, but I was really happy with our No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet. I felt like it did everything it needed to do to be fast in the race and it showed when it came down to crunch time. We had a shot at winning. We were running down the No. 22 (Joey Logano) for the lead when the checkered came out. I feel really good about my guys and our team. We know what we need in our race car and I’m looking forward to getting to Bristol and getting back on the dirt. I don’t race as much dirt as (Kyle) Larson or (Christopher) Bell do on a weekly basis, but I did grow up doing just as much as they did. I enjoy racing dirt. It’s a challenge and it’s something different. It kind of shakes things up for the Cup Series.” — Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

Posted on by Reid Spencer

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Overcoming a mistake in communication, Ben Rhodes charged to the front in the closing laps of Saturday’s Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt and snatched the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory from runner-up Carson Hocevar.

One circuit after the final restart on Lap 146 of 150, Rhodes, the defending series champion, buried his No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota into Turn 1, slid to the outside of third-place finisher John Hunter Nemechek and dived to the inside of Hocevar to take the lead.

RELATED: Official results | Weekend schedule

The dramatic charge to victory atoned for Rhodes’ failure to bring his truck to the pits at the end of the first stage on Lap 40 after missing his entrance to pit road. Forced to pit after winning Stage 2, Rhodes restarted 13th on Lap 91 and worked his way forward with the aid of four cautions in the final 60-lap stage.

“My crew gave me such an awesome Tundra this weekend that I wasn’t going to let them down,” said Rhodes, who led 95 laps and won the first two stages on the way to his first victory of the year and the sixth of his career. “I had to go back up there and earn the spot back. I’m really proud of all their effort.”

2022 April16 Ben Rhodes Main Image
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

Rhodes and Hocevar were the only two drivers credited with leading laps. The driver of the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet grabbed the top spot after restarting fourth on Lap 91 and held it until Rhodes passed him for the win.

In hindsight, Hocevar said he could have done a better job defending against the decisive pass.

“Either ripped the top or crashed him,” Hocevar said of his alternatives. “I hate saying that, but it’s part of this racing, right? I just couldn’t compete with him. He just had better (fresher) tires, and he was the fastest truck all day. I was just trying to hold on. …

“He slide-jobbed me, and I should have prepared for it, crossed him over and raced him really hard. Second just sucks. It’s terrible, especially being that close.”

The race marked the NASCAR national series debut of reigning USAC National Midget champion Buddy Kofoid, who started 32nd after his No. 51 Toyota overheated during the first qualifying heat earlier in the afternoon.

Methodically working his way forward, Kofoid ran as high as third before spinning in Turn 2 as he tried to cross over to the inside of Rhodes’ truck in a battle for fourth place on Lap 139, after Rhodes drove deep into the corner and slid toward the top of the track.

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Isaiah Robinson | NASCAR Digital Media

Collected in the ensuing wreck were Ty Majeski, who saw a probable top-five effort go awry, and Derek Kraus.

MORE: At-track photos: Bristol

The race also had a taste of the bizarre. On Lap 96, Austin Wayne Self nudged the Chevrolet of hard-luck Matt DiBenedetto after the latter had passed Self. The front bumper of Self’s Silverado locked with the rear bumper of DiBenedetto’s Chevy, and the two drivers could not power them apart.

It took a red flag and a handful of track workers to separate the trucks. That incident ruined the race for both drivers, but the subsequent restart on Lap 106 put Rhodes on his path to the eventual victory. By the time caution flew again on Lap 112, he had climbed to fifth and was well on his way to the front.

The Camping World Truck Series’ next race is scheduled for Friday, May 6 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) at Darlington Raceway.

Notes: Post-race inspection was completed in the Bristol Motor Speedway garage with no issues, confirming Rhodes as the winner. … Cup Series regular Joey Logano started from the pole position and finished sixth in his first Camping World Trucks start since 2015.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Terrin Waack

BRISTOL, Tenn. — It’s on brand to be off brand this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

There’s currently dirt on top of Bristol’s normal concrete surface. That’s already abnormal for NASCAR. Then, to go along with the plot twist, heat races determined the starting lineup rather than the regular one-lap sprints.

“It puts different guys that you may not race around on a regular basis kind of in the middle, and I think it’s good,” Justin Allgaier said. “I think it somewhat teaches you how to navigate and teaches you race craft. And it definitely is a lot different skill than what I would say we normally have by the typical practice, qualifier, race. Now, that also being said, there’s risk in it. I mean, anything can happen and you can get torn up just as easily in heat races as you can in the feature. But I’m excited for it.

“I think to really capitalize on having dirt on this race track you have to kind of go full-in, right?”

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Betting odds | Paints schemes

Four 15-lap shootouts with nine drivers apiece were held Saturday. The mini fields were determined in advance by a random draw. Friday’s practice had no impact.

During the heats, drivers accumulated points for finishing and passing. Finishing points came the same way stage points are earned in regulation – first receives 10, second gets nine, etc. Passing points were then earned for every position gained during the mini race – start ninth, finish sixth, gain three points. There was no way to lose points.

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Isaiah Robinson | NASCAR Digital Media

“We’re starting dead last in our heat race just off of pill draw,” Custer said before his heat. “I have to pass five cars to get my points to where I’m gonna be decent. So it makes it a little bit tougher on the guys who get a bad pill draw, but we’ll see.”

Custer started ninth and finished second in Heat 1. He got nine finishing points and seven passing points. That’s 16 points total — which ultimately awarded him the Busch Light Pole Award, his first ever. He’ll lead the field to green Sunday in the Food City Dirt Race (7 p.m. ET, FOX).

“Yeah,” he said during his post-qualifying presser when reminded of his previous concerns, “I was actually thinking about that when I walked in. That kind of backfired on me.”

RELATED: Recap from Cup Series qualifying heat races

But in a good way.

Christopher Bell checked in second with 14 points. Tyler Reddick was third with 13.

On the opposite end of the grid, the lowest point total ended up being two from Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, Cody Ware and Josh Williams. Team owner points broke all ties, so the order their names are listed fill out 33rd through 36th.

“It’s cool,” Bell said. “The only thing I dislike about heat races is you can draw a stacked heat race, right, where you have a bunch of good cars in it. … The dirt kind of levels the field because the heavy hitters aren’t the normal heavy hitters. But yeah, it’s fun to do something different.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Cole Custer gathered up the Busch Light Pole Award on Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt track, collecting the most points in Saturday evening’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying heats.

Custer drove from ninth to second place in the first 15-lap heat, accumulating one point in the starting-lineup formula for each position gained. The points for his finishing spot and the passing points put his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the first starting spot for Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race (7 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM), icing his first Cup Series pole.

RELATED: Starting lineup for Sunday | Weekend schedule

“I wouldn’t call myself a dirt racing expert whatsoever,” Custer said. “I did it when I was younger. I raced some Ford Focus midgets when I was in my early teens and I always loved dirt, but I wouldn’t say that I’m an expert. I’m nowhere near Kyle Larson, so getting my first pole at a dirt race is pretty crazy.”

Avid dirt racer Christopher Bell is set to start second in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota in Sunday’s 250-lap main event. Tyler Reddick earned the third starting spot, with Chase Briscoe and Kyle Larson finishing out the top five in order.

Reddick slipped by Ross Chastain on Lap 5 and led the rest of the first heat. A Turn 2 spin by Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford was the qualifying race’s only caution period, flying with nine of the 15 laps complete.

Bell drove past Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch with five laps remaining to win Heat 2. Bell went from fifth to first in the qualifying race. Daniel Suárez’s solo spin with four laps complete forced the only caution flag.

Justin Haley’s No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet sped to a wire-to-wire win in Heat 3. Ty Dillon withstood the challenges of Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and Larson to take Heat 4.

QUALIFYING HEAT RESULTS

Heat 1
Pos. No. Driver Manufacturer
1 8 Tyler Reddick Chevrolet
2 41 Cole Custer Ford
3 48 Alex Bowman Chevrolet
4 6 Brad Keselowski Ford
5 38 Todd Gilliland Ford
6 12 Ryan Blaney Ford
7 7 Corey LaJoie Chevrolet
8 19 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota
9 1 Ross Chastain Chevrolet
Heat 2
Pos. No. Driver Manufacturer
1 20 Christopher Bell Toyota
2 18 Kyle Busch Toyota
3 14 Chase Briscoe Ford
4 34 Michael McDowell Ford
5 43 Erik Jones Chevrolet
6 77 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet
7 99 Daniel Suárez Chevrolet
8 4 Kevin Harvick Ford
9 78 Josh Williams Ford
Heat 3
Pos. No. Driver Manufacturer
1 31 Justin Haley Chevrolet
2 22 Joey Logano Ford
3 17 Chris Buescher Ford
4 45 Kurt Busch Toyota
5 3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet
6 23 Bubba Wallace Toyota
7 15 JJ Yeley Ford
8 16 Noah Gragson Chevrolet
9 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota
Heat 4
Pos. No. Driver Manufacturer
1 42 Ty Dillon Chevrolet
2 9 Chase Elliott Chevrolet
3 5 Kyle Larson Chevrolet
4 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Chevrolet
5 24 William Byron Chevrolet
6 2 Austin Cindric Ford
7 21 Harrison Burton Ford
8 10 Aric Almirola Ford
9 51 Cody Ware Ford
Posted on by Staff Report

Joey Logano landed the pole position for Saturday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track.

RELATED: Starting lineup | Weekend schedule

Logano, a Cup Series regular, emerged from Saturday afternoon’s four 15-lap qualifying heats with the best points tally — a combination of heat results and points earned by passing. His No. 54 Team DGR Ford will start first in Saturday night’s main event, the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM). He’ll make his first Truck Series start since 2015.

Series points leader Ben Rhodes will start second in the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota. Stewart Friesen, Parker Kligerman and Chandler Smith completed the top five in the 36-truck starting lineup.

Cup Series regular Austin Dillon led all the way in the opening heat, driving a No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet that was repaired after a bump-up in Friday’s practice. Trucks regular Ty Majeski went wire-to-wire in Heat 2, holding off Carson Hocevar’s late surge.

Heat 3 was slowed eight laps in after Hailie Deegan spun the No. 1 Ford in Turn 2. That was the only thing that slowed Logano, who vaulted from fifth to first to rack up passing points, bypassing Grant Enfinger on the lone restart for the heat win.

Smith led all 15 laps in the fourth and final heat, warding off persistent pressure from Chase Elliott.

Jessica Friesen and Norm Benning failed to qualify for the 150-lap feature.

QUALIFYING HEAT RESULTS

Heat 1
Pos. No. Driver Manufacturer
1 20 Austin Dillon Chevrolet
2 75 Parker Kligerman Chevrolet
3 91 Colby Howard Chevrolet
4 49 Andrew Gordon Ford
5 22 Austin Wayne Self Chevrolet
6 24 Jack Wood Chevrolet
7 9 Blaine Perkins Chevrolet
8 56 Timmy Hill Toyota
9 51 Buddy Kofoid Toyota
10 15 Tanner Gray Ford
Heat 2
Pos. No. Driver Manufacturer
1 66 Ty Majeski Toyota
2 42 Carson Hocevar Chevrolet
3 88 Matt Crafton Toyota
4 16 Tyler Ankrum Toyota
5 30 Tate Fogleman Toyota
6 38 Zane Smith Ford
7 33 Mike Marlar Toyota
8 45 Lawless Alan Chevrolet
9 61 Chase Purdy Toyota
10 43 Keith McGee Chevrolet

 

Heat 3
Pos. No. Driver Manufacturer
1 54 Joey Logano Ford
2 99 Ben Rhodes Toyota
3 23 Grant Enfinger Chevrolet
4 98 Christian Eckes Toyota
5 25 Matt DiBenedetto Chevrolet
6 02 Kaz Grala Chevrolet
7 1 Hailie Deegan Ford
8 44 Kris Wright Chevrolet
9 6 Norm Benning Chevrolet
Heat 4
Pos. No. Driver Manufacturer
1 18 Chandler Smith Toyota
2 7 Chase Elliott Chevrolet
3 19 Derek Kraus Chevrolet
4 52 Stewart Friesen Toyota
5 4 John Hunter Nemechek Toyota
6 17 Harrison Burton Ford
7 40 Dean Thompson Chevrolet
8 62 Jessica Friesen Toyota
9 12 Spencer Boyd Chevrolet

This story will be updated.

Posted on by Press Release

In the midst of revitalizing historic North Wilkesboro Speedway, Speedway Motorsports will bring grassroots racing back to the famed 0.625-mile short track in August and October of 2022, officials announced today at a press conference at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Produced by XR Events, Racetrack Revival will be a multi-week grassroots racing event featuring multiple series on the current North Wilkesboro asphalt in August. Then, following removal of the pavement, Racetrack Revival will return for several weeks in October on dirt before a repave takes place in 2023.

“As we begin the process of bringing North Wilkesboro Speedway back to life, this is a great opportunity for the historic short track to host grassroots racing and allow our team to learn more about what needs be done before a grand re-opening in the future,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “Our vision is to revive this venue into a multi-use entertainment facility, but racing will always be the core product. We know fans and competitors will enjoy ‘kicking the tires’ alongside us with some live competition this year as we begin renovations.”

Speedway Motorsports is working with Wilkes County and North Carolina state officials to utilize an $18 million American Rescue Plan budget allocation earmarked for infrastructure improvements at the nearly 75-year-old facility.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for competitors and short track race fans to experience North Wilkesboro Speedway one more time on the old asphalt and then on dirt as it first began,” said XR Events CEO Barry Braun. “We have a lot of work to do with sanctioning bodies and competitors to get ready for August, but we’re committed to producing an event that both fans and racers will remember for a lifetime.”

Racetrack Revival is expected to include Super Late Models, Street Stocks, Pro Late Models, Limited Late Models, Open Wheel Modifieds, Late Model Stocks and Hornets in August on pavement. Series expected to compete on dirt in October include Super Late Models, 410 Sprint Cars, Big Block Modifieds, Street Stocks, Open Wheel Modifieds, 602 Crate Late Models, 604 Crate Late Models, Stock Cars and Hornets. Competitors can register at www.northwilkesborospeedway.com. Complete schedules and final participating series as determined will be listed on the website.

XR Events has produced grassroots race events at several Speedway Motorsports venues, including Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. The company will also produce the upcoming May 10-14 Colossal 100 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

BRISTOL, Tenn. — The Next Gen car is no longer NASCAR’s shiny, new toy. It’s now dirty and two months old.

The dirtiness, of course, is built up and caked on from Bristol Motor Speedway’s temporary surface in place for this weekend. Sunday is the Next Gen’s ninth points race of 2022 and the Cup Series’ second edition of the Food City Dirt Race (7 p.m. ET, FOX). A pair of 50-minute practices were completed Friday on the 0.533-mile makeshift dirt track.

“I basically went from feeling like I was OK, pretty decent at the end of the first practice to the second practice, the entire time, just feeling like I was a bird with no wings,” Martin Truex Jr. said. “I couldn’t do anything. I was just hanging on. I was really slow, couldn’t find any traction on the race track.”

Image From Ios (8)
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

RESULTS: Practice 1 | Practice 2

The entire field was slower in the later go-around. Tyler Reddick set the pace in the first practice, turning a lap in 20.017 seconds at 89.924 mph. Denny Hamlin topped the second leaderboard at 20.638 seconds and 87.218 mph.

Before the 2021 inaugural dirt event, the second practice was also a tick slower than the first, but not as noticeably. The difference between the best times from Alex Bowman and Ryan Blaney was 0.017 seconds and the top speeds was 0.075 mph.

“Last year, we saw the race track like really come apart, get real patchy and have holes, which you can make grip through the holes and give it a bunch of character,” Bowman said. “And this year, it’s just super slick and smooth and a little bit on the bottom, little bit on the top and then a bunch of dust.”

Said Chase Briscoe: “I thought it was interesting how we were running the top versus last year we were always on the bottom. Hopefully, we can race where it’s like that and you can kind of move around and it’s not just stuck on the bottom.”

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Betting odds | Paints schemes

The track, understandably so, got slicker and smoother the more it was raced on during daytime conditions.

Image From Ios (7)
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

There was a Camping World Truck Series practice in between the Cup Series’ slots. As the dirt packed down, though, multiple lanes formed. Bowman and Briscoe each independently noted the top and bottom grooves, and there were also cars running practically in the middle.

“By the end of practice, like (Kyle) Larson and (Christopher) Bell, they were up there, they could do it really good, but I think they both hit the fence pretty hard,” Blaney said. “I was right around the middle. I’m not good enough to run up there consistently like they’re good for honestly. So I was like middle, I thought I had pretty decent grip actually, so yeah, that’s gonna be tough.”

For what it’s worth, Larson and Bell are dirt-racing MVPs outside of NASCAR.

Grip, which Blaney touched on, was another practice highlight. Despite Truex’s traction comment, multiple compliments were tossed around about Goodyear’s new radial this year. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any slipping and sliding as the weekend progresses, especially Saturday when the cars are pushed even harder in their respective qualifying heats (6 p.m. ET, FS2) that’ll ultimately set Sunday’s lineup. The ability to successfully control consistent runs up against the wall may prove to be advantageous.

“You’ll just have to weigh that out as you go,” Chase Elliott said. “Because there might be a certain point in the race where you have to take that risk and then maybe points where don’t need to. We’ll see.”

MORE: See the scenes from the 2022 Bristol Dirt Race weekend

Posted on by Bozi Tatarevic

Editor’s note: Bozi Tatarevic is a professional racing mechanic and pit-crew member. He will provide technical analysis for NASCAR.com throughout the 2022 season.

BRISTOL, Tenn. — The first day of track activity at Bristol was eventful as the Next Gen car made its dirt debut Friday in practice.

With rubber already laid down due to the previous Truck Series practice, track conditions had most drivers following a line down the middle of the track. Some tried to move up the track, but it became tricky and the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin ended up colliding with the wall and limping back to pit road.

RELATED: Full practice speeds

Once Hamlin was out of the car, his crew got to work where they were able to replace an upper control and a toe link while that first practice was wrapping up. Due to the modularity of the Next Gen car, they were able to replace these components quickly and even had time to run the car through tech to verify that everything was back in place before the second practice session started. Those repairs were seemingly back in place as Hamlin was able to head back out for that second practice session and top the chart with a lap time of 87.218 mph (20.638 seconds).

The second practice session proved to be even more eventful as many others followed the path of Hamlin while getting close to the wall and ending up with a stripe on their right side. Dirt aces like Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell were running at the top of the track as the practice session went, and both ended up impacting the wall and leaving stripes on the right side of their cars. Larson sustained damage similar to what was seen on Hamlin’s car while Bell seemingly got off lucky as all of the suspension components on that No. 20 passed team checks.

Similar repairs were happening all along pit road as teams worked on replacing components on the right side of the car. The crew on the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team of William Byron chose to replace the entire front corner of the suspension as an assembly and pulled those parts from their backup car. When multiple suspension components might be damaged on a corner, it is often easier to pull the entire assembly as you can unbolt the control arms and just transfer it over.

Further down pit lane there were other teams similarly replacing toe link or control arms after their drivers got just a little too close to the wall. The crew on the No. 2 Team Penske Ford of Austin Cindric was hard at work replacing the right rear suspension assembly after an on-track impact — and Cindric was helping out by cleaning up his car.

Austin Cindric Main Penske Bristol

Cindric shared that he thought we were seeing some of these suspension components breaking or bending due to the nature of the wall at Bristol being harder than what is seen at some of the larger ovals.

The good news for most teams is that even though there were plenty of right-side impacts, there weren’t a lot of suspension repairs as the composite body on the Next Gen car took the impacts well and snapped back into shape immediately after impact in most cases. Many of the impacts were light enough that the only repair that was required was the replacement of some vinyl. As the No. 11 crew was able to complete the suspension repair prior to the start of the second practice, the team was able to spend time cleaning their car and fixing vinyl after the conclusion of the final practice.

While Bristol dirt might be trying to compete with Darlington for the honor of having a signature stripe, the modularity of the suspension components on the Next Gen car and the composite body panels meant that most repairs could be completed quickly and crews would be able to make it to dinner at a reasonable time.

Posted on by Staff Report

Denny Hamlin capped Friday’s final NASCAR Cup Series practice with the fastest lap on the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track.

Hamlin posted a best speed of 87.218 mph in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Kyle Busch was second-fastest at 87.091 mph in the No. 18 Camry, completing a 1-2 sweep for JGR drivers. Rookie Todd Gilliland, Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell — another Gibbs pilot — completed the top five in the second practice for Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race (7 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM).

RELATED: Practice 2 results | Weekend schedule

Like opening practice, several incidents sprang up in the second 50-minute session. Bell, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch, Austin Cindric, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., William Byron and Kyle Larson were among the drivers who scraped the outside retaining wall as the grooves widened out during the day.

Ty Dillon turned a 360 in the No. 42 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet at the seven-minute mark. Chase Elliott spun around for the fourth time of the day just 12 minutes in, righting his No. 9 Chevy and continuing.

The event is just the second for NASCAR’s top division on a dirt surface since 1970. Joey Logano won last year’s inaugural event, and his No. 22 Team Penske Ford was 19th-fastest in opening practice, and improved to seventh-fastest in final practice.

Four qualifying heats are scheduled, starting Saturday at 6 p.m. ET (FS2), to set the starting lineup for Sunday evening’s main event.

Tyler Reddick bests field in first practice

Tyler Reddick topped the leaderboard in the first of two Friday practices for the NASCAR Cup Series on Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt track.

Reddick clocked a lap of 89.924 mph in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Chase Briscoe was second fastest on the .533-mile track at 89.753 mph with Kyle Busch, Justin Haley and Kurt Busch completing the top five.

RELATED: Practice 1 results | Dirt race format explained

Reddick was also third on the chart of consecutive 10-lap averages, but said that he expected the track conditions to shift from the late-afternoon practice’s timing to a main event scheduled under the lights.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Chris Graythen | Getty Images

“It’s going to be different, like the way it was different last year for this race. From practice to the race was a huge difference,” Reddick said. “But we’re going to be running this race at night on Sunday. This track holds moisture better. There are just a lot of factors that will play into that. The track is going to be different, but I can’t really foresee what it’s going to be like. We kind of have to wait and see how the track is prepped. Certainly, it’s just going to take a lot longer to get to where it did at the end of our practice there when we’re racing under nighttime conditions and the sun isn’t really beating down on the race track.”

The 50-minute session was dotted by a handful of relatively minor incidents. Alex Bowman went for a solo spin just two minutes into the session in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, and teammate Chase Elliott looped the No. 9 Chevy out of Turn 4 at the seven-minute mark, then again at the halfway point out of Turn 2 and a third time with 7 1/2 minutes to go.

Briscoe’s No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford slowed with a flat left-rear tire at the 10-minute marker. Denny Hamlin scraped the right-rear fender with his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 19 minutes in.

“Couldn’t see the corner,” Hamlin told FOX Sports. “The dust was so bad that somebody was about 10 lengths in front of me, and they’re right up against the wall, so it was a ton of dust. I didn’t even see where the corner was, so just was late.”

Ross Chastain added his name to the list with a lazy spin onto the apron with 10 minutes left, and Logano slipped out of the high groove and around in Turn 2 with nearly four minutes remaining. Haley’s spin coincided with the red and black flags that ended the session.