Posted on March 26, 2021 by Staff Report

Chase Briscoe and his wife Marissa announced on Twitter Thursday evening that they are expecting a baby boy this fall.

Like she said God always is in control and this is another perfect example. Many prayers and hard roads have gotten us to this point and we are so grateful. We would appreciate the continued prayers. https://t.co/a6xZaip71b

— Chase Briscoe (@chasebriscoe) March 25, 2021

Following an Xfinity Series win last year at Darlington — the series’ first race back following a break from the COVID-19 pandemic — the Stewart-Haas Racing driver was quite emotional as a day prior, the couple shared that they had a lost a baby. Since then, the couple has been open on social media about their journey.

The Indiana native is in his first NASCAR Cup Series season driving the famed No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford for co-owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas.

Posted on March 26, 2021March 28, 2021 by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series is gearing up for Monday’s highly anticipated Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (4 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — the first dirt track race in the premier series since 1970.

Here is what you should know.

QUALIFYING RACES

For the first time since the Daytona 500 in February, teams will have practice and qualifying. The first of two Friday practice sessions begins at 4:05 p.m. ET, followed by the final session at 6:35 p.m. ET.

On Saturday, drivers will be split into four groups— determined by a random draw in order of current owner points — for the Bush’s Beans Qualifying Races beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Each race will be 15 laps, counting only green-flag laps, and passing points will be awarded.

UPDATE: Saturday’s qualifying races were canceled due to weather in northeast Tennessee.

FEATURE RACE

Monday’s NASCAR Cup Series Food City Dirt Race is scheduled for 250 laps with the First Stage ending at Lap 100 and the Second Stage ending at Lap 200. There will be a competition caution on Laps 50 and 150.

MORE: NASCAR makes Bristol competition adjustments

Teams will execute non-competitive pit stops, changing tires and adding fuel as needed at stage breaks. Exceptions will be made for vehicles involved in incidents. Additionally, teams are not required to pit during stage breaks. Those that elect to stay on the track during stage intermissions will line up ahead of the cars/trucks that pit on the ensuing restart. The choose rule will NOT be in effect for this race.

ODDS

Accomplished dirt track racer Kyle Larson tops the betting charts with 5-2 odds to win Sunday, narrowly edging out rival Christopher Bell at 11-2. Austin Dillon and Chase Briscoe fall next in order at 10-1, tailed by Chase Elliott rounding out the top five favorites at 11-1.

Which drivers offer the best bets to upset the usual dirt dominators? See the full list of BetMGM Bristol odds.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Straying from the usual radials, Goodyear is providing each team with three sets of Goodyear Eagle Dirt Bias Ply tires for practice, one set for qualifying and six sets for the race (five new race sets and one transferred from qualifying).

The bias ply compound allows for more grip and maneuverability with the dirt surface, featuring a block-style tread pattern and a significantly shorter left-side tire for increased staggering.

This weekend’s tires are based on a dirt-modified tire in Goodyear Racing’s tire line and mirror race setups similar to what NASCAR Truck teams have run at Eldora Speedway in the past.

HISTORY ON DIRT, TRACK SETUP

— There have been 489 Cup races held on dirt, the last coming at North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, NC on September 30, 1970 and won by Richard Petty in a Plymouth prepared by Don Robertson.

— Lee Petty holds the record for the most dirt wins. 42 of his 54 series wins came on dirt.

— Over 2,000 truckloads of dirt were hauled in to fill the .5-mile oval and create 19-degree banking in the turns. Track layers include sawdust, dirt stockpiled from past events and locations, lime treated clay and Bluff City Red Tennessee Clay.

Information provided by Racing Insights

FANTASY LIVE

It’s not too late to join in on the fun! NASCAR Fantasy Live is your chance to manage a team, take risks and earn bragging rights. Learn how to play at fantasygames.nascar.com.

2021 fantasy points leaders are Denny Hamlin (277), Kyle Larson (230) and Martin Truex Jr. (212).

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available – as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

New for this season, NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more – and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on March 25, 2021March 27, 2021 by Staff Report

The qualifying race lineups for Saturday’s inaugural Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series were determined Thursday via a random draw.

A reminder on format:

• Both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will have four qualifying races of 15 laps each. Only green-flag laps will count. No overtime rule will be in effect, but free-pass and wave-around procedures will remain. The fields and starting lineups, listed below, were determined via random draw.

• The main race starting lineup will be determined by a formula that weighs finishing position plus positions gained during each qualifying race. Drivers finishing first in their qualifying race earn 10 points, second place earns nine, third place earns eight and so forth. Additionally, drivers earn one passing point for each position gained in their qualifying race; there are no points deductions or “negative points” for drivers who lose positions in their qualifying race. Also, these points are merely used to calculate the starting lineup and do not count toward the championship standings.

• Ties in these combined points totals will be broken by current team owner points.

• Not every Truck entered will make the race.

Qualifying Race 1

Position	Driver	Team
1	Mike Marlar	Hill Motorsports
2	Tate Fogleman	Young’s Motorsports
3	Jake Griffin	Reaume Brothers Racing
4	Chase Purdy	GMS Racing
5	Stewart Friesen	Halmar Friesen Racing
6	Tyler Ankrum	GMS Racing
7	Chandler Smith	Kyle Busch Motorsports
8	Bubba Wallace	Spencer Davis Motorsports
9	Austin Wayne Self	AM Racing
10	Kevin Harvick	David Gilliland Racing
11	Austin Hill	Hattori Racing

Qualifying Race 2

Position	Driver	Team
1	Myatt Snider	Reaume Brothers Racing
2	Ryan Truex	Niece Motorsports
3	Johnny Sauter	ThorSport Racing
4	Tanner Gray	David Gilliland Racing
5	Parker Kligerman	Henderson Motorsports
6	Martin Truex Jr.	Kyle Busch Motorsports
7	John Hunter Nemechek	Kyle Busch Motorsports
8	Jessica Friesen	Halmar Friesen Racing
9	Jennifer Jo Cobb	Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing
10	Matt Crafton	ThorSport Racing
11	Timothy Peters	Rackley W.A.R.

Qualifying Race 3

Position	Driver	Team
1	Hailie Deegan	David Gilliland Racing
2	Carson Hocevar	Niece Motorsports
3	Raphael Lessard	GMS Racing
4	Trevor Collins	CMI Motorsports
5	Grant Enfinger	ThorSport Racing
6	Brett Moffitt	Niece Motorsports
7	Spencer Boyd	Young’s Motorsports
8	Daniel Suarez	Young’s Motorsports
9	Kyle Larson	Niece Motorsports
10	Norm Benning	Norm Benning Racing
11	Chase Briscoe	Roper Racing

Qualifying Race 4

Position	Driver	Team
1	Todd Gilliland	Front Row Motorsports
2	Ryan Newman	Diversified Custom Concepts
3	Andrew Gordon	CMI Motorsports
4	Codie Rohrbaugh	CR7 Motorsports
5	Zane Smith	GMS Racing
6	Danny Bohn	On Point Motorsports
7	Sheldon Creed	GMS Racing
8	Cody Erickson	Cram Enterprises
9	Ben Rhodes	ThorSport Racing
10	Derek Kraus	McAnally Hilgemann

Posted on March 25, 2021March 25, 2021 by Staff Report

The qualifying race lineups for Sunday’s inaugural Food City Dirt Race (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in the NASCAR Cup Series were determined Thursday via a random draw, with Quin Houff, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman and Corey LaJoie tabbed to lead their respective fields to green in Saturday’s four 15-lap qualifiers.

A reminder on format:

• Both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will have four qualifying races of 15 laps each. Only green-flag laps will count. No overtime rule will be in effect, but free-pass and wave-around procedures will remain. The starting lineups, listed below, were determined via random draw.

• Ties in these combined points totals will be broken by current team owner points.

For a further breakdown of the field, tune in to NASCAR Race Hub on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on FS1.

Qualifying Race 1

Position	Driver	Team
1	Quin Houff	StarCom Racing
2	Kyle Larson	Hendrick Motorsports
3	Ryan Newman	Roush Fenway Racing
4	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing
5	Martin Truex Jr.	Joe Gibbs Racing
6	Bubba Wallace	23XI Racing
7	Erik Jones	Richard Petty Motorsports
8	Anthony Alfredo	Front Row Motorsports
9	Shane Golobic	Live Fast Motorsports
10	Kurt Busch	Chip Ganassi Racing

Qualifying Race 2

Position	Driver	Team
1	Brad Keselowski	Team Penske
2	Mike Marlar	Motorsports Business Management
3	Daniel Suarez	Trackhouse Racing Team
4	Michael McDowell	Front Row Motorsports
5	Josh Bilicki	Rick Ware Racing
6	William Byron	Hendrick Motorsports
7	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	JTG Daugherty Racing
8	Christopher Bell	Joe Gibbs Racing
9	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress Racing
10	Chris Buescher	Roush Fenway Racing

Qualifying Race 3

Position	Driver	Team
1	Alex Bowman	Hendrick Motorsports
2	J.J. Yeley	Rick Ware Racing
3	Ty Dillon	Gaunt Brothers Racing
4	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing
5	Tyler Reddick	Richard Childress Racing
6	Cole Custer	Stewart-Haas Racing
7	Cody Ware	Petty Ware Racing
8	Aric Almirola	Stewart-Haas Racing
9	Joey Logano	Team Penske
10	Ryan Preece	JTG Daugherty Racing

Qualifying Race 4

Position	Driver	Team
1	Corey LaJoie	Spire Motorsports
2	Matt DiBenedetto	Wood Brothers Racing
3	Chris Windom	Rick Ware Racing
4	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs Racing
5	Ross Chastain	Chip Ganassi Racing
6	Stewart Friesen	Spire Motorsports
7	Ryan Blaney	Team Penske
8	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports
9	Chase Briscoe	Stewart-Haas Racing

Posted on March 25, 2021March 28, 2021 by Reid Spencer

Dirt — that’s the great unknown when NASCAR Cup Series drivers venture to the transformed Bristol Motor Speedway for Monday’s Food City Dirt Race (4 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NASCAR’s top series hasn’t raced on dirt since Sept. 30, 1970, when Richard Petty beat runner-up Neil Castles by more than two laps at North Carolina State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh. Accordingly, Sunday’s event is arguably the most anticipated race of the 2021 Cup season.

MORE: Full Bristol schedule | Bristol’s dirt evolution

Conventional wisdom says drivers with extensive experience on dirt — Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Austin Dillon, Chase Briscoe and Stewart Friesen, to name a few — should have the upper hand Sunday.

But the race is 250 laps long — a marathon for dirt drivers — and no one can predict how the track will change over the course of the race.

To turn the concrete half-mile at Thunder Valley into a dirt track, Bristol imported 2,300 truckloads of dirt. The banking was softened from its usual 24-28 degrees to 19 degrees in the corners, still steep by most dirt-track standards.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series raced seven times at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, from 2013-19. Eldora is banked as high as 24 degrees in the corners.

SHOP: Bristol Dirt Race gear

Six of the seven winners from the Truck Series races at Eldora are competing in Sunday’s Cup race — Dillon, Bubba Wallace, Bell, Larson, Briscoe and Friesen. The only exception is Matt Crafton, who is entered in Monday’s Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt (Noon ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Nevertheless, the watchword for the Cup Series’ return to dirt is unpredictability. With a driver in the cockpit, a Cup car weighs 3,400 pounds — more than twice the weight of a winged sprint car and 1,000 pounds heavier than the dirt late model Larson drove to a pair of second-place finishes last Friday and Saturday at the Bristol Dirt Nationals in a tune-up for the NASCAR weekend.

In his maiden season with Hendrick Motorsports, Larson already has an asphalt win this season, and he ran a strong second to Ryan Blaney last Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“I think I’m considered a favorite probably at most race tracks right now,” Larson said. “But I think with it being a dirt track, yes, I think people look at me with all the experience that I have on dirt as being even more of a favorite. But these cars are way different than what I typically race on dirt. They don’t drive anything like what I’m used to with a sprint car, midget or now a dirt late model.

“These cars are way heavier and have a lot less horsepower than I’m used to on a dirt track. I still think I’ve got a good shot, but I don’t really know if I have an advantage over anybody, other than just being able to kind of read the track surface, know kind of how that’s changing, where to find grip and things like that. Really, I think that’s probably the only advantage any of us dirt guys have over somebody who hasn’t had much dirt experience.”

Cup drivers will have two 50-minute practice sessions Friday to help them prepare for the novel experience of racing stock cars on dirt. The starting order for Sunday’s race will be set through four qualifying races Saturday, using a combination of finishing position in the qualifiers and passing points.

In addition to the Cup regulars, Sunday’s race has attracted two entries from the dirt world: USAC Triple Crown winner Chris Windom and Shane Golobic. Windom has raced five times in the Truck Series, three times on pavement and twice at Eldora, with a best finish of 14th there.

Golobic raced three times for owner Bill McAnally in the K&N Pro Series West and posted a pair of eighth-place finishes.

Posted on March 25, 2021March 28, 2021 by Reid Spencer

To gain as much experience on Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt as they possibly can, eight drivers entered in Sunday’s Cup Series race will run in Monday’s Camping World Truck Series race, the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt (Noon ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Daniel Suarez, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Mike Marlar and Stewart Friesen will compete in both races at Bristol this weekend. Ryan Newman was entered but did not make the field when the qualifying races were rained out Saturday.

RELATED: Complete schedule for Bristol

Three-time Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton, the only former Eldora Speedway winner not racing Sunday, isn’t particularly concerned about the Cup drivers — with one major exception.

“It’s those dirt guys that you are a little bit more worried about and this guy – Kyle Larson,” Crafton said. “I would be worried about that guy as well. He does a little bit of everything.

“He’s going to be one of the ones to beat, no doubt. Friesen will be really, really fast as well. You’ve got Mike Marlar, a World of Outlaws dirt late-model champion. You are going to have a lot of really, really good drivers out there, without a doubt.”

SHOP: Bristol Dirt Race gear

Crafton got his first taste of dirt racing at Eldora and went on to win there in 2017. He enjoyed the experience so much he is now fielding his own dirt modified.

“I enjoy it so much because it’s so different than something I’ve raced my whole life, and I started racing it with the trucks,” Crafton said. “I started racing other people’s cars and I fell in love with it and ended up buying my own car and spend a lot of time doing it. I think I’ve raced 15 races this year already on dirt.”

Friesen’s wife, Jessica, also an accomplished dirt racer, was on the entry list but didn’t make the field when the qualifying races were washed out. Elton Sawyer and Patty Moise were the last husband-wife combination to compete in a NASCAR national series. Their last race together was a Nov. 7, 1998 Xfinity Series event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Posted on March 25, 2021March 28, 2021 by Terrin Waack

WHERE IT’S FROM

An Olympic-sized pool is 3,300 cubic yards. Picture the volume of seven pools. That’s the amount of dirt Bristol Motor Speedway placed around its .533-mile concrete oval to turn it into a dirt track for the first time in two decades.

A better but maybe more difficult visual: It equals 149,851 kegs of beer.

Regardless, the grand total came out to be more than 23,000 cubic yards of dirt.

“It sounds so simple,” said Steve Swift, Speedway Motorsports senior vice president of operations and development. “Doesn’t it?”

To find the right dirt in anticipation of this weekend’s NASCAR visit, Swift and his team of internal personnel and outside contractors tested more than 20 different sites and sent those samples out to a group of geotechnical engineers in California who specifically study and understand dirt meant for racing. Luckily for Bristol, there was quality red clay right in northeast Tennessee — home of the speedway.

Three different sources were chosen: the old dirt-track leftovers from 2000-01, an area just 10 minutes away in Bluff City and then literally the top of a hill at the nearby Gentry Campground, which actually helped level out space for more campsites.

Turned out, the latter two spots consisted of untouched dirt. Perfectly pure, which meant it was time to start moving the goods.

“We actually used spoons and little five-gallon buckets, like what you take to the beach when you build sandcastles,” Swift said. “No, I’m really joking. We used very large equipment.”

Excavators. Pans. Bulldozers. Dump trucks.

“Like a little boy’s toy box, but on a bigger scale,” Swift said.

Bristol started construction on Jan. 11 and had cars on track Feb. 25. That’s less than two months. In reality, though, the transportation and transformation groups only worked 14 days during that span because of rain, snow or cold temperatures.

The compound does have lights, so that allowed around-the-clock movement when the weather did cooperate.

“It varied from day to day,” Swift said. “Basically we used anywhere from eight to 12 trucks. But that would mean in a day’s time we were averaging anywhere from 1,200-1,800 yards a day, which would be 120-180 truckloads a day.”

Good for more than 2,000 truckloads of dirt total.

First, about two inches of saw dust went down. The old Bristol stockpile then formed the dirt base; its clay contents were no longer the best but helped with filling. The campground dirt began the fresher cover, topped by lime-treated clay and then the Bluff City raceable dirt on top.

Global Satellite Positioning (GPS) equipment on the bulldozer and graders placed the dirt in proper locations. In the turns, 9-10 feet of dirt changed the banking from the corner’s usual 28 degrees to 19. The width of the racing surface gained 10 feet, now measures 50 feet wide.

“There is going to be some carnage, some sparks, beating and banging,” former NASCAR driver and current FOX Sports analyst Clint Bowyer said. “But show me a dirt race that’s never had that. Show me a good dirt race that’s never had that.”

WHERE IT’S GOING

After all that beating and banging, the checkered flag will fall. A winner will be crowned. And the dust will literally settle.

Then what? Bristol can’t remain a dirt track. It’s set to host NASCAR for its annual night race in September on the concrete.

“As crazy as it sounds, it’s a lot easier to deconstruct than it is to construct,” Swift said. “Because you’re not worried about compaction or exact placement. You’re just — for lack of better terms — hogging dirt or massing the dirt out. You’re just worried about picking it up, putting it in the truck and getting it off the property.”

Mixing the three different layers of dirt doesn’t matter, so that also eliminates what could have been a very tedious step.

Bristol plans to keep the dirt on speedway grounds for easier future use — potentially NASCAR, though talks of a second go-around are dependent on this weekend’s success. With help and advice from the geotechnical engineers, the team handling the dirt knows what treatments can be done in storage to replenish important nutrients.

“It’s like baking a cake,” Swift said. “We got to make sure we have all the ingredients. When we go to the store, we’ll make sure we put all of those ingredients back in it. As it sits and decomposes and rests for a year, all those things are back in it when we go to place it again.”

Even that’s not going to be the most difficult part.

As cars race, they’re going to fling particles quite literally all over the venue. It’s inevitable. The track surface itself will be the easiest part to clear off, and no damage will be sustained. Instead, the lights, grandstands, support structure, air filters, HVAC units, concession stands, etc. are at risk and will require extensive cleaning.

“Last time we pressure washed this place four times from top to bottom,” said Jerry Caldwell, Bristol’s executive vice president and general manager. “We’ve got some pressure washers lined up ready to go.”

Swift and Caldwell estimate the clean-up process will take about a month, starting as soon as the final dirt series events wrap in April. The main concern then quickly switches to having the facility back in unsoiled operating condition for NASCAR fans in September.

They’ll surely have a different experience than those bound to get dirty Sunday, that’s for sure. This has been a not-so-simple project for all parties involved.

“It’s funny,” Swift said. “We know a lot about dirt from a construction stance — how to build buildings on it, what it needs to look like for those types of things. But to understand how dirt should react when you’re running a race on it and how race cars affect it, I never dreamed that would be something I’d take on in such a short timeframe.”

Posted on March 25, 2021March 28, 2021 by Marcus DiNitto

The oddsboard for Monday’s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway is unlike any other we’ve seen in NASCAR, as bookmakers are valuing dirt experience over skill and equipment for the Cup Series’ first go-round the dirt since 1970.

Kyle Larson has been stellar this season – with a win, a second-place finish and four straight top sevens – but his extensive experience on the dirt is the primary reason he opened as this week’s clear betting favorite, listed at 2-1 odds at SuperBook USA.

A similar story can be told of Christopher Bell. While Bell’s season is off to a fine start, it’s his dirt expertise that prompted oddsmakers to install him as the 7-1 second betting choice.

Ed Salmons, vice president of risk at the SuperBook, acknowledges a race on the atypical surface throws a wrench into the oddsmaking process. Salmons said he relied on past dirt performances – for the drivers who have them, at least – to post his opening numbers.

Larson has two top fives, including a win, in his three starts on the Eldora Speedway dirt in the Camping World Truck Series. Bell has a win, two top five and three top 10s in his three Eldora starts.

“The guys who have run Trucks and gone up to Cup, I’m familiar with them,” Salmons said. “(Oddsmaking for the Bristol dirt race) is definitely different because you’re not used to guys like Kyle Busch being 20-1; we’ve got Denny Hamlin at 30-1, (Kevin) Harvick 30-1, (Martin) Truex 30-1. So there are names you’re not used to seeing with odds like that.

“But for a starting point, it was pretty easy as far as Larson and Bell.”

“Starting point” is an operative phrase here. Friday’s two practice sessions and Saturday’s four qualifying races will go a long way toward informing the betting market, and the odds are bound to see significant swings after bookmakers and bettors watch how the teams perform.

RELATED: Check out BetCenter

No-names in the mix

In another oddsboard anomaly, dirt-racing specialist Mike Marlar, who is making his Cup Series debut, opened a substantial -135 favorite (bet $135 to win $100) in a matchup prop over 22-year series veteran Ryan Newman (+115, or bet $100 to win $115). Marlar, who’s piloting the No. 66 MBM Motorsports Toyota this weekend, is 30-1 in the outright market, the same odds as aforementioned heavyweights Hamlin, Harvick and Truex.

Salmons recalls Marlar’s fourth-place performance in a Reaume Toyota at Eldora from 2019.

“My notes on him said if he ever got in decent equipment, he could win. Now we’re talking Trucks, not Cup, but I was impressed with him,” Salmons said. “So I have (his odds) low because when I write a note like that to myself, I’ll remember it.”

Stewart Friesen, winner of that 2019 Eldora race, opened at 16-1 odds this week and is one of just six drivers listed under 20-1 at SuperBook USA. Chase Briscoe, who has a first-, third- and seventh-place finish in his three Eldora outings, has been adjusted to 12-1 after opening 14-1. Stewart-Haas’ Briscoe, of course, is in more formidable equipment than Friesen’s Spire Motorsports’ Toyota.

“The hardest ones (to handicap) are guys like Friesen, who are driving for these underfunded teams. I have no idea if their equipment can last the whole day,” Salmons said.

Conversely to Friesen and Marlar, Team Penske’s Brad Keseloswki has not impressed on dirt, finishing 28th in his lone start at Eldora in 2015.

“He was just really bad,” Salmons said. “If this was a regular Bristol race, he’d be probably 6-to-1, and he’s 60-to-1.”

Put 39 drivers on a half-mile track covered in dirt, though, and the unexpected can happen.

“All the guys that are less than 100-1, I would say in a perfect world they could win,” Salmons said. “Usually in a NASCAR race, after essentially like eight guys, it’s hard to win a race. These odds are saying like 25 guys could win. I mean, Larson could get wrecked; it could just happen out of nowhere. And if he’s out, then the race opens up. And if something happens to Bell, then the race would really be wide open. There’s definitely a lot of uncertainty to it.”

How sharp bettors are approaching Bristol

A race on the dirt does not fit neatly into the statistical models of professional NASCAR bettors who use a quantitative approach to handicapping. Those models rely on data culled from similar track formats, so there’s not much to go on this week. Sharp bettors, therefore, plan to either tread lightly or stay away completely from the Food City Dirt Race.

“That’s probably one I’m just going to crack a beer and sit back and watch,” pro bettor Zack White said earlier this month. “I used to try to bet just about every race, maybe save the superspeedways, but these days there’s probably about only half the schedule that I really take the time and dive deep into, where I’m still finding some edges. So a brand new race at Bristol on dirt is probably one I’m not going to try to dive too deep into.

“But I think it’ll be an enjoyable race for sure. I’m definitely gonna watch it.”

Blake Phillips, another sharp NASCAR bettor, will have some action on Monday’s race.

“I’m not going to be laying off. I’m going to be paying really close attention to the Truck race, (but) I’m probably going to tread lightly,” Phillips said. “I’m going to be involved. I’ll probably take some positions on it, and I’m going to pay close attention to drivers that I think have the ability to adapt to changing conditions. I’m not going to just go wild on drivers who are big dirt guys. I’m going to look at drivers who are good short-track drivers that are versatile under a variety of conditions, and I’ll see how recent form looks.”

Salmons anticipates sharps showing up after they see how the cars perform on the Bristol dirt.

“After the practices, I think people will have a lot more opinions,” Salmons said. “Outside of what drivers have done recently and history at a track, without practice, it’s hard to (handicap).”

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 March 24, 2021March 24, 2021 by Steve Luvender

William Byron kicked off the second season of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Tuesday night in the way he does best: taking the checkered flag against 20 of his fellow NASCAR Cup Series drivers on iRacing. The never-before-raced dirt-covered Bristol Motor Speedway hosted the virtual race just four days before the NASCAR Cup Series’ Bristol Dirt Race, the first race on dirt for NASCAR’s top stars in more than 50 years.

CHECKERED FLAG: @WilliamByron wins the 2021 #ProInvitationalSeries opener on the virtual @BMSupdates dirt! pic.twitter.com/HqHT3M0PS8

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 25, 2021

The exhibition race, which aired live on FS1, featured the full field of Cup Series drivers, plus fan-favorites Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer.

Joey Logano — pulling double-duty in the FS1 broadcast booth — set the fastest single-car qualifying lap, putting his Team Penske Ford in the first starting spot in the first of three heat races that would determine the starts for the 21-car feature event.

Christopher Bell led much of the first qualifying heat but was bested by James Davison in the closing laps, earning Davison the win — and the first-place starting position for the 70-lap main event. Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Kurt Busch were among those who didn’t make the top seven to advance.

Longtime iRacer Byron dominated the second 20-lap heat, which knocked out heavy hitters like Earnhardt and Denny Hamlin, as well as in-race reporter Bowyer. (At least he had fun — what it’s all about, right?)

In the final heat, Ryan Preece and Garrett Smithley fought tooth and nail for the win, but Preece managed to hold off Smithley in the end, spelling the end of the road for Austin Dillon, Daniel Suarez and others.

The 70-lap feature, consisting of the top-seven finishers from each heat, rolled off shortly after — with not much more than bragging rights on the line — led by Davison.

The feature’s caution first flew on Lap 10 when Alex Bowman, a former Pro Invitational Series winner, tangled with Corey LaJoie. Luckily for the pair, drivers were afforded two damage repairs — something they’d no doubt wish were available in their real NASCAR Cup Series race cars — allowing the two to continue after a quick trip to the pits.

Chris Buescher took the top spot from Davison on the ensuing restart, who led a brief stint, but it wasn’t long before Byron made his way to the front just before halfway.

The race’s second caution at Lap 40 slowed the field when Quin Houff spun out trying to pass Bowman, also snarling LaJoie.

LaJoie’s luck ran out again shortly after, going for a spin off the bumper of Joey Gase’s car. The incident set up for a dash to the finish with Byron’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet still out in front.

With the laps winding down, dirt-racing savant Bell moved to second place past Tyler Reddick. Reddick battled back, crossing over Bell’s Toyota, while Smithley waited in the wings, hoping to pounce in the event of pixel-on-pixel contact.

Byron held on to score the victory, his fourth of the iRacing Pro Invitational Series. While the race was held just for fun (and fun it was!), iRacing pledged to donate $5,000 to the winner’s charity of choice — Big Brothers Big Sisters, in the case of “Willy B.”

He dug deep tonight. Tonight’s virtual trip to victory lane marks @WilliamByron’s fourth career #ProInvitationalSeries win! 🔥

The @LibertyU driver won three races in the 2020 @iRacing season. pic.twitter.com/I6RX9XkvCZ

— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) March 25, 2021

Reddick held on to finish second ahead of Bell, while Rick Ware Racing teammates Smithley and Davison rounded out the top five. Bowman, Kyle Larson, Timmy Hill, Ross Chastain and Gase rounded out the top 10. Hill, who was originally not scheduled to start the event, took over Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford for the evening.

Well that was fun! The real thing is going to be even more exciting 😁 Back in the @IRWINtools No. 20 on Sunday at @BMSupdates 👍 pic.twitter.com/23O0coFX19

— Christopher Bell (@CBellRacing) March 25, 2021

The iRacing Pro Invitational Series was created last year after the start of the COVID-19 outbreak as NASCAR looked for alternative forms of racing, until finally returning to the track on May 17 at Darlington Raceway. The series returned for 2021, featuring a 10-race schedule with races that will air on FOX Sports and NBC Sports.

Find out Sunday if the iRacing Pro Invitational Series race proved sufficient practice for Byron and 38 other drivers making up the rest of the field, which takes to the real Bristol track Sunday for the Food City Dirt Race (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX).

C E L E B R A T I O N @WilliamByron | #ProInvitationalSeries pic.twitter.com/qfnCxXbAGh

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 25, 2021

The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series makes its next stop April 21 at the virtual Talladega Superspeedway.

Posted on March 24, 2021March 24, 2021 by Zack Albert

The 2022 NASCAR schedule has yet to be released, but the pending appearance of a Chicago street circuit for the iRacing platform — developed in conjunction with NASCAR officials — begs the question whether virtual reality might one day become reality.

After all, this year’s schedule pushed the boundaries of the conventional NASCAR calendar, with a boom in new road courses and the Cup Series’ approaching return to dirt-track racing set for Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Oval tracks remain the meat and potatoes of the schedule, but is racing on temporary street circuits the next part of the meal?

“It’s a great question, and as we look at future schedules, certainly have everything on the table,” says Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s vice president, strategic initiatives. “I think you look at 2021, we’ve talked about it a lot. It’s the most bold and dynamic schedule we’ve seen in over 50 years, and a testament to the industry for being able to pull that off and come together. A lot of exciting things in ’21. I think as we look toward 2022, really our goals and expectations are the same.

“We want to continue to innovate, we want to continue to protect those prestigious events like the Daytona 500 and the Coke 600, but also be able to go to new markets and shake things up. So I think a really unique opportunity to work with iRacing on this, to be able to test something out.”

iRacing announced Wednesday that the streets of the downtown Chicago Loop will be the setting for one of the computer racing simulation’s newest tracks. The layout is scheduled for release later this spring, and NASCAR officials have set a June 2 date there for the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.

NASCAR’s real-world experience with street-course racing is minimal. The Winston West Series (now ARCA Menards Series West) briefly competed on temporary street circuits in Washington from 1986-88, holding two races each in Spokane and Tacoma. In that same time period, competition officials explored developing a smaller, nimbler vehicle called the L-R car — short for “Left-Right” — which would allow stock cars to adapt to the tighter street layouts. A handful of prototypes were built, but never competed in NASCAR. Also, NASCAR’s Canada-based Pinty’s Series has history of competing on street circuits, including the long-running Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières.

NASCAR today is in a further-along stage of vehicle development, with the Next Gen car scheduled for its Cup Series debut in 2022. While ovals remain the schedule’s primary focus, Kennedy says the Next Gen model’s versatility is a plus when exploring potential new venues.

“I think the Next Gen car gives you the opportunity to not only test out different types of courses, but also to be able to use that same car at those different courses,” Kennedy says. “Instead of having a specific car that’s built for a superspeedway, you might be able to take that car to an intermediate track or maybe even a short track. I think it maybe opens the doors for different types of venues, but also allows teams to be able to use those cars interchangeably, too.”

IndyCar, IMSA and other sport-car tours have raced on street circuits for years. So when IndyCar series owner and NASCAR team owner Roger Penske was asked earlier this week about the possibility of more NASCAR-IndyCar doubleheaders on future schedules, the street-course topic naturally came up.

Five of the 14 tracks on IndyCar’s 2021 schedule are temporary street circuits; downtown Nashville joins that rotation this year with an August debut. In terms of NASCAR’s potential for one of those venues, Penske called it “interesting” and drew parallels to the Australian V8 Supercars series, which competes on permanent and temporary road-course circuits.

“That could certainly be an opportunity and something we should take a look at,” Penske said in a Monday video conference. “I think we need a year or maybe two years to get our hands around these (Next Gen) cars and know how agile they are and what are the costs? Does it need more brakes, etcetera, which you need. If you’re running on a street course, you don’t have the long straightaways to cool the brakes, so there’s a lot of things that become different … but those are things we can adapt to, I think, very quickly as teams.”

Most Cup Series drivers will get their first taste of a temporary street course in a virtual world, with the iRacing Pro Invitational Series’ race date in June at Chicago. As for a real-world street-circuit application, Bubba Wallace says he’s ready for the challenge if and when that arrives.

“Yeah, I think that was talks from last year of them moving forward with that. Obviously didn’t happen this year, but I’m game for whatever,” Wallace said. “Just watch out.”