Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR’s debut on Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt-track layout won’t be a one-off.

Track owner Speedway Motorsports Inc. announced that its spring NASCAR weekend in 2022 will be held on the dirt. The announcement was made during Monday’s Food City Dirt Race, the NASCAR Cup Series’ first event on a dirt track since 1970.

RELATED: Full 2021 schedule | Buy tickets at Bristol

A limited amount of tickets for both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events this weekend sold out, with capacity capped to allow for social distancing under COVID-19 protocols. Bristol also announced that tickets for the 2022 Food City Dirt Race were on sale now, with an exact date to be established later.

“There has been so much buzz and excitement around the inaugural Food City Dirt Race weekend that with NASCAR’s blessing, we are thrilled to announce that we will be bringing back dirt in 2022 as part of the NASCAR Cup Series spring schedule,” said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “The dirt experience is unlike any other for NASCAR fans and could become a must-see event every season.”

NASCAR has held two Cup Series races annually at Bristol since the Tennessee track opened in 1961.

Posted on by Staff Report

Two heavy favorites — dirt-track experts Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson — were snared by an early crash, hampering their efforts in Monday’s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Official results

Bell looped his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on the 51st of 253 laps in Turn 2, collecting the No. 5 Chevrolet of Larson and the No. 42 Chevy of Ross Chastain in its wake. Bell and Chastain were sidelined for the afternoon by the collision, and Larson lost two laps for repairs with substantial damage.

“Way to go, Bell. Way to go,” Larson told his team after the incident. He continued and finished 29th, five laps in arrears.

After a check at the infield care center, Bell explained he lost control shortly after the water truck rounded the half-mile oval as part of the in-race track prep during the first competition caution period. Both drivers have already scratched the win column this year, but their early tangle kept them from a return trip to Victory Lane.

“I was just trying to run the water in under yellow,” said Bell, who was credited with 34th finishing position. “I knew it was a little bit slick, but I felt like I could go up there and make some time and I kind of entered shallow underneath of it and tried to pick it up on exit and it was just really greasy up there. I hate it for all of our partners – Irwin Tools, PristineAuction.com, Toyota, TRD. That was a lot of fun, being able to be out there for that first run was really cool and hate it that I can’t be out there longer.”

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

An incident with John Hunter Nemechek and Matt Crafton led to a scuffle in the garage after the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt.

Nemechek went for a spin early in Stage 2 after Crafton ran into the back of his truck. While stopped in the top lane, Nemechek was then hit again, this time by the No. 19 truck of Derek Kraus. Both the Crafton and Nemechek teams were chippy on the radio after the incident.

After climbing out of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, Nemechek gave Crafton a sarcastic round of applause as Crafton drove by under caution.

RELATED: Truex wins Bristol dirt Truck race

Then, No. 88 crew chief Carl “Junior” Joiner had this to say over the radio shortly after the incident: “Better keep the crew chief (of Nemechek) under (expletive) order before I punch him in his (expletive) throat. Don’t you ever (expletive) stare at me like that.”

Nemechek was later released from the infield care center where he took shots at the teams of Crafton and Kraus.

“I don’t know. Matt (Crafton) just flat ran over me,” Nemechek told FS1. “That one will be in the memory bank. We were fine. Didn’t hit anything and then there toward the end of that whole deal, the 19 (Kraus) … I guess he and his spotter both need a pair of glasses. I’ll have those for him at Richmond (Raceway).”

Kraus’ spotter, Freddie Kraft, tweeted this in response after the No. 19 truck was forced to retire due to damage.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

In defiance of conventional wisdom, it wasn’t an experienced dirt racer who won Monday’s twice-rain-delayed Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Nor was it a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular who took the checkered flag.

When the dust settled, Martin Truex Jr. was the unlikely occupant of Victory Lane—and a dominant one at that. Racing in the Camping World Truck Series for the first time since 2006, Truex led 105 of the 150 laps in an action-filled race that featured 12 cautions for 54 laps and saw pre-race favorite Kyle Larson and series leader John Hunter Nemechek in the garage with wrecked trucks at the finish.

RELATED: Official results

It was the first career win for Truex in his third career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start, but it was the third straight victory this season for a Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota — and 83rd overall. Truex is the 36th driver to win in all three of NASCAR’s top touring series.

“It’s unbelievable, really,” said Truex, who was using the Truck Series race to prepare for the NASCAR Cup Series event later on Monday afternoon. “I guess they had to put dirt on Bristol to get me back to Victory Lane here. It’s been a long time. Man, that was a blast.

“I wanted to run this race so I could get more experience with the Cup car, and we got out there in practice and it felt really good. And I was having a lot of fun, so I just kept trying to work with the guys and tell them what I needed. It was really amazing how much the track changed, but I will have to say the (No. 51 Tundra) stayed really, really good the whole time.”

Truex took control of the race after reigning series champion Sheldon Creed led Laps 2 through 39. Ben Rhodes lined up beside Truex on the front row for the final restart on Lap 139 but missed a shift, dropped briefly to third and fought his way back to the runner-up spot.

Rhodes finished 1.149 seconds behind Truex, with Todd Gilliland coming home third and Chase Briscoe and Grant Enfinger completing the top five.

“We were running them back down there the last few laps, but, yeah, just the worst restart of my life,” Rhodes said. “Early in the race, I had an issue of getting it into fourth gear and missed a shift early on, but I really didn’t think nothing of it and had clean shifts afterwards—and then just missed it. Bummer for my guys, but the closest I’ve been to winning here at Bristol was on the dirt.”

Nemechek exited after a Lap 49 crash, spinning after contact from Matt Crafton’s Ford and sustaining heavy damage when the No. 19 of Derek Kraus slid into his No. 4 Toyota as it sat near the outside wall of the half-mile high-banked speedway.

RELATED: Words exchanged between crews of Crafton, Nemechek in garage

Larson was unable to avoid the slow truck of Mike Marlar on Lap 99 and sustained extensive damage to his No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet after heavy contact with the No. 30 Toyota of Danny Bohn in the same incident.

“My spotter said they were slowing down the backstretch, and a I saw some trucks slowing on the bottom, so I was running the top,” said Larson, who was set to start the subsequent NASCAR Cup Series race from the rear of the field because of an engine change in his No. 5 Chevrolet. “I thought ‘I’m going to get a lot of spots here in (Turn) 3.’ So I ended up top, and there was somebody parked there.

“We were fighting. Our truck wasn’t very great, but we were making adjustments on it … I still learned something for the Cup race, which was nice … learned how to pass people, so starting in the back, that’s a help.”

Truex, Briscoe and Larson were among six Cup Series drivers in the Truck Series field. Bubba Wallace was the next highest-finishing Cup regular in 11th. Kevin Harvick finished 15th, Daniel Suarez finished 17th and Larson finished 35th.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to action on April 17 at Richmond Raceway for the ToyotaCare 250 (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NOTE: The race winning No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. passed NASCAR’s post-race inspection. There were no other issues.

Posted on 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.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Monday, March 29
Noon, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Series: Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway, FS1 (Canada: TSN1)
4 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, FOX (Canada: TSN1)
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
10 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Series: Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2

On MRN:
Noon, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Series: Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway

On PRN:
4 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway

Tuesday, March 30
Midnight, NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
5 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

On MRN:
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, March 31
6 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Bristol Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Thursday, April 1
1 p.m., IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge: Alan Jay Automotive 120 at Sebring International Raceway (re-air), NBCSN
3 p.m., IMSA Mazda MX-5 Cup at Sebring International Raceway (tape delay), NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:30 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Martinsville Speedway, FS1

Friday, April 2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Saturday, April 3
1:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Martinsville Speedway (re-air), FS2
2:30 a.m., The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder (re-air), FS2
3:30 a.m., Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon (re-air), FS2

Sunday, April 4
4 p.m., Blink of An Eye (re-air), FS1

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR waited nearly 51 years for its premier series to return to dirt-track racing. Mother Nature ensured Sunday that one more day would be added to the wait time, and striking images of a deluge at Bristol Motor Speedway underscored how that decision was made.

Significant rainfall during a four-day span caused flooding at the Tennessee track and its surrounding areas, pushing a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series doubleheader to Monday starts. The Food City Dirt Race for the NASCAR Cup Series is now set for 4 p.m. ET (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM), right after the twice-delayed Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt (noon ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM).

RELATED: Rain, flooding postpone Bristol | Revised weekend schedule

Jerry Caldwell, BMS executive vice president and general manager, said the difficult decision was reached early after consultation with NASCAR officials, weather experts and local authorities. When Beaver Creek, which partially circles the speedway, began to overflow its banks and submerge parking areas and bridges, the priority for hosting a historic stock-car racing event quickly shifted.

“First and foremost, safety,” Caldwell said by phone Sunday afternoon. “We had received an inch of rain on Thursday night and then in the past 24 hours, we’ve gotten about an additional three inches of rain, which has caused some flooding in the area and surrounding properties. We’ve just got to make sure when we welcome people on our property that we’re doing it in a safe way so people can come here and know they’re going to have fun. That’s first and foremost, safety always.”

Another high priority was getting the dirt half-mile in a race-able condition — a challenge considering the rain that had already fallen, plus the pop-up showers forecast for the Tennessee hills Sunday. A flood warning was to be in effect until 7:15 p.m. ET Sunday, which photos and video from the track on social media seemed to verify. Caldwell says that both fans and staff were diverted from the areas most affected.

The weather outlook is far more promising later with overnight clearing leading to a cooler but sunny Monday. Track prep is scheduled to resume at 7:30 a.m. ET Monday. From the facilities side, Caldwell says he’s looking forward to the speedway property and neighboring areas drying out, allowing fans to safely return.

MORE: Full race-day guide for Monday

“It’ll be just like normal for us — we’ll gear back up for another race,” Caldwell says. “We’ve got a great team here in Bristol and we’ll make sure we get cleaned up from this because we have some debris on the property and will need to clean up some parking areas and bridges so that we can welcome fans and have our facility beautiful as always. We’ll gear up.

“Obviously we’re working with our great partners at NASCAR and other partners that help operationally here with the race and look forward to welcoming fans. It’s making sure we can get folks parked and that we have proper gate attendants and concession stands and all those things, but we’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”

As for the extra day of waiting, that presents another challenge — especially after the weeks and months of build-up and then the surreal sneak preview from Friday’s practice sessions for both series.

“My anticipation is high,” Caldwell says. “I really am looking forward to it. My greatest anticipation is really for the fans. I love that our fans are so excited; they are so hyped up for this event and it has gotten so much attention and I know it’s going to be a great show tomorrow. Can’t wait for the sport as a whole to experience that. I wish it had been today, but I know we’re going to have a beautiful day tomorrow and still be able to get this in.”

Posted on by Marcus DiNitto

Denny Hamlin has made a significant move up odds boards ahead of the Food City Dirt Race since opening betting numbers were posted last week. Hamlin, who was third fastest in Friday’s second practice session and fourth in the first session, saw his odds to win the race tighten to 14/1 at BetMGM from a 25/1 opener. A similar adjustment was made at SuperBook USA, which moved the price on the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Toyota from 30/1 to 16/1.

With the Cup Series racing on the dirt for the first time since 1970, the expectation was for oddsmakers to move their numbers after seeing how drivers performed on the unfamiliar Bristol surface at practice on Friday, as well as in the four qualifying races and the Camping World Trucks race on Saturday. Saturday’s events were rained out, however, leaving plenty of guesswork for bookmakers and bettors.

MORE: Odds for Bristol | Fantasy update

There has been some inconsistency in terms of how books have adjusted their odds over these past few days. Martin Truex Jr., for example, moved in different directions at BetMGM and the SuperBook, lengthened from 25/1 to 30/1 at the former and shortened from 30/1 to 14/1 at the latter, after a solid sixth-place showing in the second practice session Friday.

Similarly, Alex Bowman, who was fastest in Friday’s first practice session and second in the second session, was shortened from 25/1 to 18/1 at the SuperBook but stretched from 20/1 to 25/1 at BetMGM. Chase Elliott, who ran sixth and seventh at practice, went from 11/1 to 14/1 at BetMGM and from 20/1 to 16/1 at the SuperBook.

BetMGM, a NASCAR partner, is one of four sportsbooks operating legally in Tennessee. DraftKings, FanDuel and William Hill are the others.

While experienced dirt racer Kyle Larson will start in the back of the 39-car field because his No. 5 Hendrick team is changing engines, he remains the clear favorite to win, listed at +250 at BetMGM. The SuperBook lengthened Larson’s odds to +350, still the shortest price on the board.

NASCAR’s decision to schedule a Cup race on the dirt has created plenty of uncertainty around the betting market, as no one is sure how these teams will perform on the surface. Mike Marlar and Stewart Friesen, both making their Cup debuts, were initially given respect by oddsmakers, largely due to the drivers’ past performances on dirt. But neither driver impressed in Friday’s practice, and both have seen their odds grow longer.

Still, while adjusted from 12/1 to 14/1 at BetMGM, Friesen is behind just four drivers on the book’s odds board.

SuperBook oddsmaker Ed Salmons told NASCAR.com last week that while he was impressed with Marlar’s performance in the 2019 Trucks race on the Eldora Speedway dirt, he is skeptical about the No. 66 MBM Motorsports equipment Marlar is in this week. That skepticism proved justified with Marlar running near the back of both practice sessions, and Salmons adjusted his numbers accordingly.

RELATED: Bristol creates challenges for bettors

Marlar’s odds to win doubled from 30/1 to 60/1 at the SuperBook, and in a matchup prop against Ryan Newman, Marlar went from a -135 favorite (bet $135 to win $100) to a +130 underdog (bet $100 to win $130).  That large a price adjustment is rare and exemplifies the weight some bookmakers are giving to the small sample provided by Friday’s practice.

We stress consistently in this space the importance of line shopping, the process of checking odds across various sportsbooks to find the best possible price for your wagers. The concept is exemplified this week with the Ryan Blaney vs. Kyle Busch matchup prop. On Saturday at the SuperBook, Busch was priced as the +130 underdog in the prop; at DraftKings, Blaney is a -121 favorite. This creates a potential can’t-lose situation for bettors. If you bet $100 to win $130 on Busch, and $121 to win $100 on Blaney, you would cash $9 if Busch finishes ahead of Blaney and break even if Blaney wins the prop. In betting parlance, this is known as a “scalp”.

MORE: Tips to be a smarter bettor

And with four legal sports betting operations in Tennessee, NASCAR fans who live in the state or are visiting for the Bristol race have ample opportunity to line shop.

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on by Jason Christley

ROSEVILLE, Calif. – The BMR Drivers Academy – a NASCAR Driver Development Program – opened its 2021 campaign on Friday and Saturday at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif. with Cole Moore going two-for-two with wins on both nights of competition.

Moore led Wisconsin’s Gabe Sommers for a narrow victory in Friday’s opening race before a more convincing win in round two ahead of Alabama’s Jolynn Wilkinson.

Wilkinson set the fast-time on Saturday with a 14.075 second lap to earn the pole position for the main event. Both Friday and Saturday, Moore used the outside line to his advantage to take the top position. Wilkinson never relinquished second however, while Michigan’s Brandon Varney successfully nabbed third from Sommers with Canadian Amber Balcaen finishing fifth.

“The guys worked real hard today and my crew chief Mario (Isola) gave me a really good car,” Moore said. “Shout out to JoJo. She was killing it on those restarts. It was a good race.”

Wilkinson made an impression with her showing on Saturday evening.

“It feels really good. This is my dream and I can’t think Bill McAnally enough for this opportunity,” Wilkinson said. “I learned a lot.”

Cautions flew on lap 15 and lap 34. Moore led all 50-laps of competition while Sommers was involved in the heaviest battling through the field.

The BMR Drivers Academy continues April 9-10 at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif. with both races available to be viewed live on SPEED SPORT TV and www.AllAmericanSpeedway.TV

2021 BMR Drivers Academy Schedule

March 26-27 All American Speedway (Roseville, CA)

April 9-10 All American Speedway (Roseville, CA)
April 23-24 All American Speedway (Roseville, CA)
April 30-May 1 All American Speedway (Roseville, CA)

May 14-15 All American Speedway (Roseville, CA)
May 17-18 Thunderhill Raceway (Willows, CA)
May 29-30 Sonoma Raceway (Sonoma, CA)

June 11-12 Irwindale Speedway (Irwindale, CA)
June 25-26 Kern County Raceway Park (Bakersfield, CA)

July 9-10 Kern County Raceway Park (Bakersfield, CA)
July 23-24 All American Speedway (Roseville, CA)

August 13-14 Irwindale Speedway (Irwindale, CA)
August 28-29 Sonoma Raceway (Sonoma, CA)

September 17-18 All American Speedway (Roseville, CA)
September 24-25 Kern County Raceway Park (Bakersfield, CA)

October 1-2 All American Speedway (Roseville, CA)

Posted on by Staff Report

With heavy rain in the area and safety concerns with Sullivan County (Tenn.) under a flood warning, NASCAR officials made the call to postpone the inaugural Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway just before noon ET on Sunday, pushing the race a day back to Monday, March 29.

The 250-lap feature, initially slated for a 3:30 p.m. ET start on Sunday afternoon will now move to Monday at 4 p.m. ET on FOX with coverage also on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

MORE: Complete Bristol schedule | What to Watch for Bristol | Starting lineup in photos

The announcement follows the cancellation of the majority of Saturday night’s activities in which both the Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series fields were to set their lineups by qualifying races, followed by the Truck Series feature race. The Truck Series race, in which several Cup stars are entered, was initially rescheduled to 9 p.m. ET on Sunday night. It will now be run Monday at noon ET on FS1 with coverage also on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Both series set the starting lineups according to the inclement weather policies in the NASCAR Rule Book. Kyle Larson will start from the pole position in the Cup Series event, but he is expected to drop to the rear after changing his engine following Friday’s final practice. John Hunter Nemechek is set to start first in the Camping World Trucks.z

The Cup Series hasn’t raced on dirt since 1970, when Richard Petty beat runner-up Neil Castles by two laps at North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.

INFO FOR TICKETHOLDERS

Parking lots will open at 10 a.m. ET and spectator gates will open at 11 a.m. ET. Truck race ticketholders will be allowed to stay for the Cup race pending potential relocation for social distancing. The Speedway Motorsports weather guarantee is in effect for ticketholders who cannot attend either race.

Contributing: NASCAR Wire Service

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Larson claimed the pole for Monday’s Food City Dirt Race (4 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for the NASCAR Cup Series, taking the No. 1 starting position after Saturday’s qualifying races were rained out at Bristol Motor Speedway. Sunday’s race was moved back to Monday due to flooding and safety concerns after heavy rains hit the area once again.

RELATED: Cup Series starting lineup | Weekend schedule

Larson was awarded the top spot based on performance metrics, using the formula that has set the starting lineups in other races where practice and qualifying were not held. His No. 5 Chevrolet, however, is expected to drop to the rear of the 39-car field after his Hendrick Motorsports crew changed engines after Friday’s final practice.

Four 15-lap qualifying races were scheduled for Saturday to set the starting lineup. Those were to include incentives for drivers who improved their positions.

SHOP: Bristol Dirt Race gear

Cup Series points leader Denny Hamlin has the second starting spot in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, and Ryan Blaney — last weekend’s winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway — will start third in the Team Penske No. 12 Ford. Two more Gibbs drivers round out the top five, with Kyle Busch fourth and Martin Truex Jr. fifth.

Camping World Trucks points leader John Hunter Nemechek is set to start from the pole position for the second consecutive weekend in the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 4 Toyota. He’ll have Austin Hill’s No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota starting second beside him in Monday’s Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt (noon ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), which was postponed twice from its original Saturday night start.

MORE: Camping World Trucks starting lineup