Posted on by Staff Report

The following article is brought to you by BetMGM.

Talk about getting back to your roots — we present the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol (Monday at 4 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). NASCAR’s history is loaded with dirt-race lore. In the early days of racing, drivers competed on whatever surface they could find.

Most of the time in those early years, that surface was dirt. Only years later did asphalt (or in some cases, concrete) become the predominant choice. In fact, while lower series have done it recently, the last dirt-track race in the NASCAR Cup Series happened in 1970. Since it’s been so long, this weekend’s version will be an interesting race to bet NASCAR online, but we’ll give you some clues on who has flourished on dirt in lower divisions of racing.

For the record, the all-time winningest driver — Richard Petty — captured the checkered flag at the last one in 1970. It was contested at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds.

RELATED: NASCAR Bet Center | See the betting odds for Bristol from BetMGM

On Monday, we’ll get to see a throwback race at one of the NASCAR Cup Series’ favorite venues — Bristol Motor Speedway in the hills of Tennessee. The speedway has covered its concrete track with dirt for this weekend’s foray into yesteryear.

The key to racing on dirt is to control the car’s natural pull to the outside of a slick surface, while keeping its tires underneath the machine. It’s a balance that takes serious skill and experience. Some drivers came from that background and have mastered it, and some haven’t.

It’s similar to road courses, where a road-course ringer might pop up two or three times a year out of nowhere and be a legitimate threat to win. With a dirt track? If you’re following the NASCAR odds this week, you’ll see some new names, which we’ll discuss below.

THE FAVORITE

Kyle Larson (+250)

Kyle Larson is like a Zen master of dirt-track racing. Aside from already being one of the more dominant NASCAR Cup Series wheelers on all track genres, he’s been one of the frontrunners in lower-series racing when it comes to the dirt. Larson ran 97 non-NASCAR races on dirt in 2020. He won 46 of them.

Does that help one understand why he’s perched atop the NASCAR betting lines this weekend?

To be honest? Larson has long been known as a guy who wanted to slip away mid-week and run dirt races all over the country. He’s a natural, and there’s really no question why he’s the frontrunner this weekend.

OTHERS: Keep an eye on up-and-comer Christopher Bell (+550). Are you sick of us mentioning this guy, week in and week out? He truly is one to watch this upcoming weekend, as he can spin it. He has a history of success at dirt tracks.

THE DARK HORSE THREAT

Austin Dillon (+1000)

Who are we kidding? Dillon seems due for a race victory, and this might just be the place to do it. He’s been close this year, taking third at the Daytona 500 and sixth last weekend in Atlanta. He’s 11th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings so far, right on the cusp of being one of the elites.

As an accomplished dirt-race guy, getting his fourth career win on this track would be a massive boost to trying to get him into the top 10 in the series. He did win a past truck race at Eldora’s dirt-track course, and he has the firepower under the hood to do big things this weekend. Watch out.

OTHERS: Tyler Reddick (+1600) has a solid dirt-racing background and is a guy to keep an eye on in the No. 8 BetMGM car for Richard Childress Racing. Chase Briscoe (+1000) is another up-and-coming star who has the same kind of background as Reddick.

THE INTRIGUING LONG SHOT

Stewart Friesen (+1400)

Honestly? Stewart Friesen may not be the underdog or potential Cinderella story one might think. He has 97 starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and one of his two career wins — and three of his top-five finishes — have come at Eldora Speedway in Ohio, a well-known dirt track.

Friesen, a native Canadian, has been pretty strong in the series overall, with top 10 finishes in 51 of his 97 starts. Not only is he a good dirt-track racer, he’s a pretty effective racer in general.

OTHERS: When it comes to some of the other new faces this weekend, Mike Marlar (+3000), Chris Windom (+4000), and Shane Golobic (+5000) are interesting candidates because they are dirt-track ringers. This weekend, all three join Friesen in their first career NASCAR Cup Series starts. Golobic races mostly in sprint cars and has more than 80 feature wins to his name.

Windom is a master of the USAC Midget circuit. Marlar has one Xfinity Series race on his resume and has had a cup of coffee with the Camping World Truck Series. He took fourth at the Eldora Speedway dirt-track race in 2019.

Posted on by Staff Report

Ryan Blaney was fastest in NASCAR Cup Series final practice Friday on the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt.

Blaney posted the fastest lap early on in the 50-minute session with a time of 20.172 seconds at 89.233 mph in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford. Alex Bowman, who topped the leaderboard at the conclusion of opening practice, finished second in the session with a time of 20.194 seconds at 89.135 mph.

RELATED: Final practice results | Bristol weekend schedule

Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Chase Briscoe rounded out the top-five fastest speeds.

Kyle Larson, who finished 15th in final practice and fifth in the first practice, will have to start at the rear of the field Monday due to an engine change. Larson took the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet back to the pits due to high engine temperatures, which caused damage that was too significant to repair.

Cole Custer went for a spin with less than 10 minutes remaining in the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford after posting the 20th fastest time.

PRACTICE 1

Alex Bowman set the pace in a groundbreaking practice session Friday afternoon, posting the fastest lap as NASCAR Cup Series drivers made the rounds on Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt surface for the first time.

Bowman pushed the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to a best speed of 89.308 mph on the half-mile track. The 50-minute session marked the opening of on-track activity ahead of Monday’s Food City Dirt Race (4 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM), the Cup Series’ first event on dirt since 1970.

RELATED: Opening practice results | Bristol paint schemes

Dirt expert Christopher Bell was second-fastest at 88.999 mph in the No. 20 Toyota, the first of three Joe Gibbs Racing entries in a row behind Bowman. Kyle Busch placed third on the speed chart with teammate Denny Hamlin fourth and Hendrick’s Kyle Larson rounding out the top five.

Opening practice was completed without major incident, with solo spins by Martin Truex Jr. and JJ Yeley (twice) among the few missteps. Truex is among those Cup Series drivers doing double duty in Monday’s Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt (noon ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) for the Camping World Truck Series.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell is on standby for John Hunter Nemechek in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events this weekend on Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt track if the full-time driver of the No. 4 Toyota needs to leave for his baby’s arrival.

RELATED: Complete schedule for Bristol dirt weekend

Nemechek is in his first season with KBM. He’s already locked into the 2021 playoffs thanks to a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

If he does fill in for Monday’s main event — the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt (Noon ET on FS1 MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — Bell would become the ninth Cup Series driver in the field. Daniel Suarez, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Mike Marlar and Stewart Friesen are also pulling double duty this weekend.

Bell is the 2017 Truck Series champion, the 2015 Eldora Speedway truck winner and a three-time Chili Bowl Nationals winner.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

While Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell may be the favorites for Monday’s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (4 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM), there are plenty of other drivers who could steal a victory away.

There are many in the NASCAR Cup Series who don’t have an extensive dirt racing background, but that doesn’t mean you should count them out. Defending champion Chase Elliott grew up racing late models on asphalt but has put a recent focus on improving his dirt prowess by participating in events like the Bristol Dirt Nationals and the Chili Bowl. Another Hendrick Motorsports driver, William Byron, beat the competition he’ll be facing on Sunday by winning Wednesday night’s Pro Invitational Series race on the iRacing virtual Bristol dirt.

Before this weekend’s action, NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola and Chase Wilhelm debate which driver with a non-extensive background of racing on dirt could park it in Victory Lane on Sunday.

RELATED: Bristol weekend schedule

DECOLA: As tempting as it is to pick Joey Logano here — for the Joe Dirt puns alone — I’m pretty confident Kyle Busch will be battling at the front of the field.

I do think Logano will be strong, and I think Rowdy will be for similar reasons. The inaugural Bristol Dirt Race just has that special, crown-jewel-type feeling to it, and we tend to see the superstars of the sport (i.e. Busch and Logano) rise to the occasion with more eyeballs watching and intensity heightened.

Of course, star power won’t matter much if a driver can’t figure out how to maneuver through the mud, so it comes down to talent. And there’s a reason only one driver in the series has an “F” inserted into the middle of his initials — you’d be hard-pressed to find a driver more talented behind the wheel than KFB, regardless of the surface he’s racing on.

While his background is primarily asphalt and he’s never run the Eldora Dirt Derby, Busch did win a dirt late model race at the Speedway in the final running of the Prelude to the Dream in 2012. He’s also shown in the past to be incredibly flexible on different track layouts, packages, disciplines, you name it. If there’s a race and he’s in it, he’s got a shot.

Busch has also been picking up the pace in recent weeks and appears to be heading into the weekend with a full head of steam. Given his success at Bristol — 22 combined wins across all three series — the Joe Gibbs Racing driver looks to me like one of the best picks from the “non-dirt” circle of drivers on that and flat-out talent alone.

DEBATE: Bristol’s dirt-tested favorite?

WILHELM: Coming off his first victory on a 1.5-mile race track at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the potential is high for Ryan Blaney to become the first repeat winner of the 2021 season. Although Blaney doesn’t have the extensive dirt racing experience that would provide an advantage on Sunday, he has the next best thing — momentum and family genes.

His father, former Cup Series driver Dave Blaney, won the World of Outlaws championship in 1995 and finished second in the standings on four other occasions — 1993, ’94, ’96 and ’97. Dave also raced on Bristol’s dirt in the early 2000s, finishing ninth in the World of Outlaws feature in 2001.

If that’s not enough, Ryan’s uncle, Dale, is another renowned dirt racer in the family. Dale is a six-time All-Star Circuit of Champions title winner, earning 137 victories on the circuit. He also owns 11 wins in the World of Outlaws and finished fifth in the 2000 running of the sprint-car race on the Bristol dirt. Ryan’s grandfather, Lou, was also an established dirt racer in his time.

After the Atlanta win, Blaney’s No. 12 crew chief Todd Gordon said that he’d rely heavily on Ryan’s father for advice leading into this weekend. I’d say that’s a pretty solid game plan that could land another generation of the Blaney family in Victory Lane at a dirt track on Sunday.

Posted on by Jason Christley

In a star-studded field of Modifieds that visited Martinsville Speedway in the fall of 2000, veteran Reggie Ruggiero grabbed his fourth NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour victory in Goody’s Body Pain 200.

In typical Martinsville fashion, it was not without drama, controversy and more than a few damaged race cars and hurt feelings.

It was Ted Christopher, who led 34 laps and appeared to be cruising to the victory before a late-race caution allowed Ruggiero one last shot at the win.

The winning pass occurred with nine laps to go, when Ruggiero dove under Christopher for the lead in turn one. The two made contact, and Christopher spun into the wall and out of the race.

The win was the second of the season for Ruggiero and the 41st of his career.

Christopher wound up 19th.

Coming into the penultimate race of the 2000 season, Ruggiero and Jerry Marquis were in the midst of a fierce championship battle. Both drivers were in search of their first Tour championship. Marquis was in his second full-time season on the Tour. Ruggiero, after finishing second in points six times prior, was making yet another run at the title.

RELATED: 2000 Goody’s Body Pain 200 Results | Final 2000 NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour standings

Marquis had won the week prior at Stafford, retaking the point lead in the process. He was ahead of Ruggiero by just 18 points heading into Martinsville.

Along with Marquis and Ruggiero in the field that day were Tony Hirschman, Ted Christopher, Rick Fuller, and Jamie Tomaino, all of whom were Tour champions. Joining them were fellow Modified stars John Blewett III, Tom Baldwin, Ed Flemke Jr, and Tim Connelly. Making his second Tour start was a 24-year-old Burt Myers.

The 200-lap race saw six lead changes between five different drivers.

Ruggiero likely never would have gotten to Christopher’s back bumper, if it weren’t for contact between Marquis and Ruggiero. Marquis was trying to find a way under the slower Ruggiero when he clipped the inside curb and spun himself.

Despite a late-race spin, Marquis was able to rally up to second by the checkered flag. He and Ruggiero headed to the season-finale at Thompson separated by a mere eight points.

While Ruggiero won the race, it would be Marquis who won the championship, wrapping up the title with a fifth-place finish two weeks later at Thompson with a scant 36-point cushion. It would mark the seventh time that Ruggiero finished as the championship runner-up.

Posted on by Staff Report

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

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 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.

RELATED: Full Bristol weekend schedule  | FAQ on format, procedures for the Bristol Dirt Race

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.

RELATED: Who is the best dirt driver for Bristol? 

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

RELATED: Tracking the origins of the Bristol dirt

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 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.

RELATED: Bristol weekend schedule | Full entry list for race | Where did the dirt come from?

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 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.

• 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.

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

RELATED: Bristol weekend schedule | Full entry list for race | Where did the dirt come from?

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