Posted on April 18, 2022 by Terrin Waack

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Buddy Kofoid’s debut result does not reflect his weekend performance.

Driving the No. 51 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, Kofoid showed he can hang with the best in the Camping World Truck Series. The 20-year-old started Saturday night’s main event at Bristol Motor Speedway in 32nd, worked his way up to 17th by the end of Stage 1 on Lap 40 and then advanced to seventh come Stage 2’s end on Lap 90. Kofoid even ran within the top five during the final stretch before a late-race wreck on Lap 140 of 150 left him 27th on the score sheet.

“I wouldn’t say I anticipated it, but I knew we had a really good truck,” Kofoid said. “And my dirt experience, there’s time where I’ve had to come from the back and I’ve won races from last. It’s not easy to do, but it’s fun to do. …

Logan Riely | Getty Images

“It was good to be up front and I knew we were capable of it. It was just a lot of stuff had to fall my way.”

RELATED: Official results | Race recap | At-track photos

Kofoid proved his capability Friday when he went from being a 33rd-ranked truck in the first practice to the fourth-fastest in the second. In his heat, he didn’t lose or gain any position. That’s what led to his lower starting position.

During the feature, though, Kofoid’s 66 green-flag passes tied for second most in the 36-entry field.

“I felt like I learned a lot really,” Kofoid said. “The funny thing was, it’s not easy by any means at all but it was a little easier than I anticipated as far as picking up speed. Getting in the truck for the first time (Friday) in practice, I felt like I opened up pretty good. And then we just got better and better.”

Kofoid was running fourth when he spun and collected Ty Majeski and Derek Kraus in the process. Ben Rhodes, who ultimately won, was making a pass on Kofoid with a crossover move when it happened. There didn’t appear to be any contact, but it looked super close.

Neither Kofoid nor Rhodes were exactly sure what happened afterward.

“I was really worried because I really like Buddy,” Rhodes said. “I hit it off with him (Friday), first time meeting him, and I think he’s a great dude. And obviously I didn’t want to see Ty (Majeski, teammate) involved. So I’m not sure what happened. I was told on the radio that we cleared him.”

Speaking of the in-race radio, Kofoid had Cup Series regular Christopher Bell in his ear, giving live advice and feedback.

Logan Riely | Getty Images

About a week ago, Kofoid texted Bell for help this weekend. Bell didn’t hesitate. The two have built a relationship through their dirt-racing involvement. Last year, Kofoid actually drove Bell’s micro car at Millbridge Speedway in Salisbury, North Carolina.

“It’s really fun for me, No. 1, to get back to Millbridge and race with those kids because that’s how I started racing,” Bell said. “And I remember back in my day, it was Brady Bacon and he was the biggest guy that would come back and race. So for me, to be able to go back and race with them – and there’s some really talented young drivers coming up – it’s a lot of fun, and I hope it’s special for them to race against me.”

When asked about up-and-coming drivers, Kofoid was the first Bell named. Bubba Wallace and Corey LaJoie also provided unsolicited praise for Kofoid specifically. And obviously Kyle Busch believed in him enough to offer up a ride.

Saturday may have been Kofoid’s first-ever NASCAR race, but it surely won’t be his last. His 13.07 average running position should be considered a more accurate reflection of his overall work at Bristol. Not the ending alone.

“I would be a lot happier if I finished probably where I was running,” Kofoid said. “But, you know, it’s tough to get here. And hopefully, with how fast we were, that could bring me back.”

Posted on April 17, 2022April 19, 2022 by Terrin Waack

BRISTOL, Tenn. — The post-race scene was a breath of fresh air as the dust settled.

On the final lap of Sunday’s dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Chase Briscoe robbed Tyler Reddick of his first career victory as he tried – and failed – to make a pass for the lead. The two cars went for a spin, and Kyle Busch sailed on by to capture the checkered flag. Reddick still managed to pull off second. Briscoe wound up 22nd.

As soon as he parked, Briscoe found Reddick on pit road.

“I walked over there with the intent if he punched me in the mouth, I deserved it, right?” Briscoe said. “So, I walked over there and just apologized. And he said, ‘I totally get it, I would have done the same thing.’ And he wasn’t mad at all.”

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

It’s true. He wasn’t. Reddick smiled and shook Briscoe’s hand.

It was a sign of sportsmanship at a track where just last fall there was a much more heated post-race confrontation (shout-out to Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick).

“It’s Easter, for one,” Reddick said. “And two, I mean, I just look at it like I could have done a better job the last couple of laps to keep distance between us, a gap between us honestly.”

Jeanne Vrabel | For NASCAR Digital Media

Reddick’s No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet held the front spot from Lap 151 to 249 of the 250-lap event. Briscoe inched his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford – which led 59 laps of its own earlier and won Stage 2 – closer and closer, especially after the restart on Lap 226.

Once the white flag waved, Briscoe knew his time was running out.

“When I got off (Turn) 2 and I was almost running him over down the back straightaway,” he said, “I wouldn’t have been able to go to sleep at night if I didn’t try to throw a slider.”

So, as Reddick and Briscoe rounded Turn 3 and headed into Turn 4, Briscoe shot his shot. He ducked on the inside of Reddick, started to slide up but was not clear of Reddick. Briscoe’s right rear clipped Reddick’s left rear.

WATCH: Briscoe, Reddick clash on final lap at Bristol

The rest is now history.

“He’s one of the guys I feel like you can race hard and he appreciates racing hard,” Briscoe said. “And I think he knows that I wasn’t even trying to wreck him. That was the last thing I wanted to do. I was sick to my stomach as soon as I saw I took him with me.

“I felt like I was probably going to spin out as soon as I got in there. He drove it in so hard trying to protect the slider from me, and that’s what he was supposed to do. It was my fault I hit him, so I hate it for him obviously. Glad he was still able to salvage something out of it.”

Briscoe earned his breakthrough victory earlier this season at Phoenix Raceway, so he’s already locked in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, this finish marked Reddick’s fourth career runner-up and ninth top five. It was his first and third, respectively, this year alone. He’s ranked 11th, currently within the 16-driver postseason field.

“I get it,” Reddick said. “I literally would have done the exact same thing if I was in his position, if I had gotten to the leader’s bumper coming into Turn 3 for the final time.”

Posted on April 17, 2022April 18, 2022 by Reid Spencer

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Kyle Busch has a special fondness for Bristol Motor Speedway, but the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota needed a huge stroke of luck on Sunday night to rekindle his love affair with the half-mile track.

Busch won the Food City Dirt Race from a distant third place after the Ford of second-place Chase Briscoe slid up the high-banked dirt track into the Chevrolet of leader Tyler Reddick in the final corner, turning both cars sideways.

Reddick righted his Camaro and steered toward the finish line, but Busch’s momentum off Turn 4 carried his No. 18 Camry past the flag stand 0.330 seconds ahead of Reddick, who was denied his first NASCAR Cup Series victory.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

Busch, on the other hand, notched his 60th career victory, ninth-most all-time and most among active drivers. With his first win of the season, he matched Richard Petty’s series record streak of 18 years with at least one trip to Victory Lane.

An eight-time winner on Bristol’s traditional concrete surface — again, most among active drivers — Busch won the second NASCAR Cup Series dirt race since 1970 and the first featuring the new Next Gen race car.

“Yeah, we got one,” Busch said with a wry smile. “Doesn’t matter how you get ‘em. It’s all about getting ‘em. Can’t say enough. I mean, man, I feel like Dale Earnhardt Sr. right now (as the crowd booed his unexpected victory). This is awesome. I didn’t do anything.”

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

After the second of two rain delays, Busch restarted second on Lap 227, but he fell back as Briscoe passed him on Lap 232 of 250 and began to chase Reddick for the lead.

“I don’t know why, we couldn’t fire off after it rained, both times,” Busch said. “It just would not fire. Took it about 20 laps to get going.

“Overall, just really pumped to be back. Real pumped to get a win. This one means a lot. I can win on any surface here at Bristol. Bring it on, baby.”

A chagrined Briscoe took full responsibility for the accident that handed Busch the win.

“I was running Tyler down and tried throwing a slider and didn’t expect him to drive in there on me, and I got loose,” Briscoe said. “I was spinning either way. I feel terrible. I didn’t want to wreck him. That was my fault 100 percent. I hate it for Tyler. He’s a good friend of mine.”

Reddick took the disappointment with consummate grace.

“I don’t think I did everything right, to be honest with you,” Reddick said. “Briscoe was able to run me back down there. Just looking at it, I should have done a little bit better job of just … I don’t know. I shouldn’t have let him get that close. He ran me back down. Worked really hard to do that.

“I mean, you’re racing on dirt, going for the move on the final corner. It’s everything that, as a driver, you hope to battle for in his situation. Made it really exciting for the fans, so… It does suck, but we were able to finish second still. I’m being honest. I should have done a better job and pulled away so he wasn’t in range to try to make that move. That’s how I look at it.”

MORE: Briscoe, Reddick clash, come up short

Reddick took control of the race after a restart on Lap 151 to begin the final stage. With a ferocious run through Turns 1 and 2, he shot between the cars of Busch on the top and Joey Logano on the bottom to take the lead for the first time.

He held the top spot for the next 99 laps, through five cautions and the second rain delay. The final lap was the only one Busch led.

Briscoe was credited with a 22nd-place finish after running second into the final set of corners.

Logano came home third, 4.004 seconds behind the race winner. Kyle Larson was fourth, followed by Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Michael McDowell and Ty Dillon.

Briscoe led the first 48 laps, but his No. 14 Ford spun early with a flat tire to prompt a caution flag on Lap 49. He rallied to take the lead on Lap 140 and held on to win Stage 2 with 150 laps complete. Larson won Stage 1.

The NASCAR Cup Series’ next race is scheduled next Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Talladega Superspeedway.

Note: Inspection in the Cup Series garage is complete with no issues, confirming Kyle Busch as the race winner.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on April 17, 2022April 23, 2022 by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

Monday, April 18
4 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Bristol (re-air), FS1
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
1 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock

Tuesday, April 19
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2

Wednesday, April 20
1 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock

Thursday, April 21
4:30 a.m., The NASCARcade (re-air), FS2
5 a.m., The Relentless (re-air), FS2
5:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: The 1987 Winston 500 (re-air), FS2
6 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Talladega, FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
9 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2009 Aaron’s 499 (re-air), FS2

Friday, April 22
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Talladega (re-air), FS2
9 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2009 Aaron’s 499 (re-air), FS2
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS2

Saturday, April 23
8 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2010 Aaron’s 499 (re-air), FS1
11 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition — Talladega, FS1
1 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway, FS1
3 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Xfinity Series at Talladega, FOX
4 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway, FOX (Canada: TSN3 or TSN5)

On MRN:
1 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday, April 24
1 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS1
4 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS1
5:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Talladega (re-air), FS1
8:30 a.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway (re-air), FS1
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Cup Series at Talladega, FS1
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Cup Series at Talladega, FOX
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, FOX (Canada: TSN1)

On MRN:
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway

Posted on April 17, 2022April 17, 2022 by Nick Giffen

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

Bettors are able to take advantage of a rare weekend with multiple practice sessions and even heat races while digesting odds for Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET, FOX).

This opportunity helps us find spots where books haven’t adjusted enough to the on-track activity.

With the outright market quite saturated, it’s time to turn to some matchups to find value for tonight’s race.

NASCAR at Bristol Dirt Picks

*Odds as of Sunday morning

Tyler Reddick (-115) over Alex Bowman

This one is a severely mispriced line.

Reddick was far and away fastest in his qualifying group, while Bowman ran a distant third.

Reddick was faster in every metric in opening practice, and faster over five, 10 and 15 consecutive laps in final practice.

We can ignore times beyond 15 laps in final practice as those were made by Reddick earlier in the session when the track wasn’t as quick, whereas Bowman made his 20-plus lap run later in the session as the track sped up.

With the high line the preferred lane, especially at night, this race should set up perfectly for Reddick.

Bowman won’t be bad, but Reddick should be a heavy favorite. Caesars‘ own outright lines agree as they have Reddick at +800 to win and Bowman at +1800.

My model has Reddick as 68.7% favorite, so I’m comfortable betting Reddick down to -160.

Justin Haley (-110) over Austin Cindric

Caesars has another juicy matchup where on-track activity shows one driver should be more heavily favored than the other, but the odds don’t reflect that.

Haley led flag to flag in his qualifying heat. Meanwhile, Cindric came home sixth in his, beating out only three other struggling drivers.

Haley was faster than Cindric’s overall metrics in final practice, which came in the evening while practice was most similar to race conditions.

Haley is a 60.6% favorite in my model, so feel free to bet him down to -125.

Joey Logano (-130) over Martin Truex, Jr.

I’m going three for three here in picking matchups at Caesars Sportsbook.

In this case, Truex has struggled all weekend while Logano has been one of the top cars and the line is nowhere near reflective of that.

Logano was well ahead of Truex in every metric in both opening and final practice.

In qualifying, Logano ran in second place in his heat from the drop of the green flag until the checkered.

Truex, on the other hand, finished in eighth place. The only driver that finished behind him was Ross Chastain, who led four laps but spun right before the checkered flag.

Logano also gained experience by running the Truck race, while Truex sat this year out after running in last year’s Truck race on the dirt.

In another mismatch, my model favors Logano by a two-to-one margin.

Logano is a good bet all the way down to -160.

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Dustin Albino

Unlike last year’s inaugural Bristol Dirt Race, having a background in dirt racing has paid dividends thus far this season. The four qualifying races on Saturday were all won by drivers with dirt experience, and a couple were done in dominating fashion. The favorite for the weekend, Kyle Larson, passed three drivers to finish third in the final qualifying heat.

Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:
Starter 1: Kyle Larson
Starter 2: Christopher Bell
Starter 3: Chase Briscoe
Starter 4: Tyler Reddick
Starter 5: Justin Haley
Garage pick: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

NEXT IN LINE: Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, Alex Bowman, Ty Dillon.

RISING: When it comes to current Cup drivers with dirt racing experience, Justin Haley’s name might not stand compared to some others. But the No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet won the third qualifying heat and was sporty in practice. Over the last couple of weeks, Haley has taken to the Bristol dirt track, running a modified. He makes my lineup.

It might have been nearly nine years ago, but Austin Dillon won NASCAR’s return to dirt racing in 2013 at Eldora Speedway. This weekend, the No. 3 Chevrolet started eighth in the third heat, making his way up to fifth in a solid battle with Bubba Wallace. He will come from 12th and is on a streak of three straight top-10 results. Don’t overlook the elder Dillon brother.

Speaking of Dillons, Ty Dillon wasn’t too shabby in the fourth qualifying heat on Saturday, putting his bright No. 42 Chevrolet out front. Like his brother Austin, Ty grew up racing dirt late models. This weekend could be the swing in momentum for his Petty GMS Motorsports team.

FALLING: Earlier in the week, Denny Hamlin was on my list of drivers to avoid. Through Friday and Saturday, nothing has changed my mind, despite his sitting atop the scoring pylon in final practice. The No. 11 team followed that quick lap by finishing last in the third qualifying race. Hamlin will start in 34th.

Last year, surprisingly, Martin Truex Jr. led a race-high 126 laps on the dirt. This year, though, the No. 19 car has been off, and will take the green flag from 30th. It’s hard to see a repeat performance at the Bristol dirt track this time around.

FEATURED MATCHUPS

Kyle Larson vs. Christopher Bell: What a matchup! Arguably, two of the best dirt racers in the country are up against one another. And while this is a tossup, Bell has seemingly had the better car thus far this weekend. It is, however, fun to see Larson sling his car around the top, and it shouldn’t be surprising to see the race come down to these two drivers, you know, like many recent Chili Bowls.

William Byron vs. Alex Bowman: Based off Bowman’s dirt experience, the No. 48 car is the pick here. Bowman will start eighth to Byron’s 19th-place starting position. And while this is based around where a driver finishes, Bowman has been more impressive thus far this weekend.

Joey Logano vs. Martin Truex Jr.: This is a layup. As noted above, Truex’s prowess on dirt doesn’t look as good this year. Meanwhile, Logano finished second in his qualifying heat and ran the Truck Series race on Saturday evening. No. 22 all the way.

Daniel Suarez vs. Chase Briscoe: No doubt, Suarez was the surprise last year in the Bristol Dirt Race. Briscoe, though, is a superb dirt racer. Don’t overthink this one, the No. 14 Ford could potentially win the race.

Posted on April 17, 2022April 17, 2022 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. — Track conditions were optimal for the heat races Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway, with overnight rain and some clouds during the day leaving the track surface with just the right amount of moisture.

The first heat race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series saw some soft dirt flying around, but once that session was complete, the track ended up in a condition that allowed for some speed. The surface was optimal by the time that the Cup cars took to the track for their heat races, which resulted in close racing and even some contact as drivers battled side by side.

One of the more notable battles of the day happened between Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace, as they exchanged spots during their heat race and made contact multiple times. But both cars were able to make it across the finish line without significant issues.

Bozi Tatarevic | For NASCAR.com

Most of the damage to the cars consisted of scrapes on the vinyl, although the No. 3 of Dillon did have some slight damage to the corner of its rear bumper. That was the product of another impact where the No. 3 slid as the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin was moving forward, which resulted in the grille extension of the No. 11 hitting that corner of the No. 3. The damage to both appears to mostly be cosmetic and shouldn’t produce any issues in the race.

Things were a bit more hectic in the truck race as the rear of Matt DiBenedetto’s No. 25 Chevrolet was impacted by the front of the No. 22 of Austin Wayne Self late in the race, resulting in the trucks becoming stuck together. This very rare occurrence was the result of an impact where the rear bumper reinforcement bar of the No. 25 was perfectly aligned to punch through the front end of the No. 22 and stick behind a piece of the front clip structure.

Crews unsuccessfully tried to pry the vehicles apart, but because the portion of the bumper reinforcement was stuck parallel to the rear of the car, it would not budge. Lifting the cars did not allow them to come apart either, but a lateral pull did allow the piece to slide out.

Both cars eventually made it back to pit road at which point the crew of the No. 25 cut off the edge of that bumper reinforcement bar which was now pointing backward from the attempts to pull it apart. The trucks returned to the track after some quick repairs and finished the race but probably not in the position where those drivers expected to be. DiBenedetto wound up 35th while Self finished 36th.

Posted on April 16, 2022 by Terrin Waack

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Two miles and change separated Carson Hocevar from his first-ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory.

“I could have cried,” Hocevar said. “I knew I was gonna cry whether I won or lost. It’s a pansy thing to do, but this sport is hard and you don’t have those close moments too often.”

RELATED: Official results | Weekend schedule

The No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet led all but four laps in the final stage of the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway. Those four, unfortunately for Hocevar, were the final four. His 55 laps out front — a career best by 38 at any track — weren’t enough. He finished second.

Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

After a late-race caution, the field saw the green flag return on Lap 145 of 150. Hocevar held his P1 position through the first live lap back. But then Rhodes, who restarted right behind Hocevar in third, darted below Hocevar as he drove high during the next lap to steal the lead on the inside.

“When he threw the slide job, I tried to like slide with him and get him off, and he hit my left-front and walked me up the race track,” Hocevar said. “I just had nothing. I just had to rip top and hope I either crossed him over or beat him.”

Neither happened. Rhodes won by 0.824 seconds.

Though he wishes for that deciding moment back, Hocevar admitted the only thing he could have done differently was crash Rhodes.

“I thought something was gonna happen,” said Rhodes, the reigning Truck Series champion. “I’d rather finish second than get wrecked. I’m all for contact, whatever you got to do to try to win the race, but wrecking somebody I don’t think is necessarily cool to win. But it’s racing. It’s truck racing, too. Everybody here drives pretty crazy, and me, too. I was probably the craziest tonight, so I can’t complain about anybody.”

VIDEO: Hocevar reacts on pit road to Bristol dirt finish

Hocevar is in just his second full-time Truck Series season. This was his first top-five and third top-10 finish in 2022.

The 19-year-old has four top fives and 11 top 10s in 37 career starts now. His previous best result was also runner-up — 2021 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, falling short to John Hunter Nemechek, who placed third Saturday.

This is Hocevar’s second year with Niece Motorsports, whose last win came in 2019 with current Cup Series driver Ross Chastain.

“I think it’s more important Niece Motorsports wins,” Hocevar said. “I mean, it’s been a while, a long while. And more importantly, I’m more focused on me winning. I’ll crash every week if I can just win one week. I’m gonna do everything I can and work everything, work it out. So, you know, that risk versus reward? I’m just here for the reward.”

Posted on April 16, 2022January 4, 2023 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

Getty Images

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.

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• 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.

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.

• “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 April 16, 2022April 17, 2022 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.”

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.

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.