CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR’s experiment with racing on dirt tracks will continue next season.
Bristol Motor Speedway announced Tuesday afternoon that it will bring a dirt race back to the venue in 2023, marking the third consecutive year a race at the Tennessee track will be run on the unique surface during its marquee spring event.
“I’m so thankful for our owners, Bruton and Marcus Smith, allowing our Bristol Motor Speedway team to put on an amazing Easter celebration and NASCAR race weekend that exceeded our expectations with strong ticket sales and prime-time viewership on Fox,” Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway, said in a statement. “Bristol Motor Speedway will prepare for a spring night race on dirt in 2023, giving the fans two great NASCAR shows on different surfaces.”
Dates for next year’s dirt race have not been announced.
On Sunday, Kyle Busch stole the victory on the Bristol dirt track in the Cup Series race when Chase Briscoe tried to make a move to pass leader Tyler Reddick on the final lap but took too much speed into Turn 4, spinning him and Reddick.
Drivers have had mixed feelings about stock car racing on dirt tracks, an experiment NASCAR is committed to continuing. Sunday’s race, the first NASCAR event on Easter since 1989, lasted for more than 4 hours.
Sports Business Journal reported Tuesday that the Cup Series race drew more than 4 million viewers on Fox and was the most-watched Bristol race since 2016.
