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NASCAR Goes Back to…the Dirt
Thousands of truckloads of dirt, carefully layered. Concerns about whether windscreens would hold up. Drivers practicing in virtual reality.
NASCAR’s return to it’s dirt track roots was an expensive, wonderful, spectacular success.
Why Bristol? Why Dirt?
On September 30, 1970, NASCAR held what was to be its last dirt race. The race took place at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh on a half mile track.
This was the end of a gradual shift…in 1949, seven of the eight tracks competed on were dirt, with Daytona the only exception.
The truck series returned to dirt from 2013 to 2019, with a single race at Eldora Speedway.
But NASCAR’s premiere series has run entirely on concrete and asphalt for longer than I have been alive.
So, why did Bristol Motor Speedway suddenly decide to throw a dirt race?
The answer is, as with so many things in the sporting world: Attendance.
While the Bristol fall race remains popular, the spring engagement was marked by falling numbers of fans. The stadium can seat 162,000, and was getting maybe 40,000 fans…not good for their bottom line.
And when they asked fans what would bring them back, a surprising number said…