TORRES: There’s Some Hope for Dirt Racing Staying in the Cup Series

Alex Bowman navigating by JJ Yeley at Bristol. (Photo: Trish McCormack | The Podium Finish)

With three dirt race weekends held at Bristol Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Cup Series, perhaps this year might have given some sliver of hope for its purpose.

But where do I draw the line in regards of the novelty belonging in the sport? Does dirt racing belong in the sport after Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race?

For starters, I usually dread this race because you never know how much of a crapshoot it is going to be. The 2021 and 2022 races were absolute duds that did not sway me in favor of having what I considered as nothing more than a “gimmick attraction.”

I am in the boat of either putting the Cup cars on an actual dirt circuit or putting the concept out in a corner, Old Yeller style.

Fortunately, the 250-lap race was actually good and entertaining from a competition perspective once drivers stopped committing self-inflicting mistakes that led to one too many questionable caution calls. Plus, there was the elephant in the room with the competitors out on the track.

If there were some negatives about the race, it was the decision of calling cautions too soon when some folks were able to get back going. Some cautions should have stayed green to really see some battles fully develop and, more importantly, not create a demo derby after the initial incident.

Another blunder with the race was FOX’s terrible in-race production, but that is another story for another time.

On Lap 236, Kyle Busch spun on the apron of turn 3, directly going into pit road, bringing out a late-race caution which ultimately led to an eight-lap dash to the finish. On paper, there was absolutely no reason it warranted a caution as it affected Tyler Reddick’s opportunity to really attack for the win against Christopher Bell.

Busch was out of harm’s way and got back facing in the right direction.

I get it. Safety is paramount but a caution was not needed when he lost it at a spot where nobody was racing. Let alone, there was hardly anybody else surrounding the defending race winner.

At least Reddick gave it his all in his attempts to dethrone one of dirt racing’s elite, but he came up short. If anything, Reddick was one of the absolute highlights of why Sunday’s race may have swayed me to support the concept of NASCAR running on a hybrid dirt track or just stock cars on dirt.

Bell is just a beast on dirt and proof that good luck caught him when he was out front. That is nothing new to me, but I hope NASCAR fans finally see that.

All in all, the dirt aces owned the competition along with some parity in the form of comers and goers all race long. In essence, that is what matters.

Christopher Bell continues being the highlight of Joe Gibbs Racing’s troublesome 2023 season. (Photo: Trish McCormack | The Podium Finish)

All weekend, drivers left and right felt the idea ran its course and I cannot blame them. I prefer venues that can lead to a great product instead of being this trendy thing like other forms of entertainment are trying to cash grab.

Hell, Kyle Larson was among those who were on the side of seeing this race’s future concluding.

Guys like Reddick, Busch and Austin Dillon, who is no slouch on dirt, put on a helluva show in a caution plagued Stage 2.

Finally, I actually wanted this race to go on for a real long time.

However, I found myself considering how these mighty racers put on actual racing that all forms of race fans can relish because the theme of 2023 has been drivers lacking respect for each other.

Further back is a whole different story because some still do not share such value. However, being up front in the closing laps of that stage and in the finish was where respect was given, no matter if they were the babyface, tweener or heel racer.

It was a shame the fun duel had to end prematurely due to the obligated stage-ending caution and later race-ending caution.

My grand takeaway from it all was that maybe adding dirt on Bristol is not much of a failure after all.

Give it a chance folks. It is a split debate, but I am willing to be fair when necessary.

If it comes back in 2024, I would not be against it.

Yes, it was a shame that all the chicanery that involved Larson, Ryan Preece, Michael McDowell (kudos on his epic 360s and top-10 finish) and Brad Keselowski having maddening episodes, still (and understanding) put a sour taste on what actually was one of the better races this season.

Moments like these may make dirt regulars like Jonathan Davenport look at NASCAR as entertainment than a form of racing. I mean, if he does perceive NASCAR in this manner, it is not wrong but it is never a good look when a specialist wanting to do something new perceives stock car racing as a caution fest, even if it is a joke.

Genuinely speaking, that was the whole vibe I got which was unfortunate.

Tyler Reddick won an intense second stage. (Photo: Trish McCormack | The Podium Finish)

There is the unspoken understanding that drivers must try to police themselves.

It is not just in Bristol. This is prevalent, seemingly, at every single venue thus far in 2023.

If you want new folks to be versatile, prove it!

Do not put on a clown show because you may end up like Formula One at Melbourne where I did not see the best racers in the world (subjectively speaking) at their best last week. FIA’s officiating was absolute garbage in case you care.

For now, when we actually had proper green flag racing, it saved dirt racing at Bristol. This is a period of time where we got to see NASCAR at its best that convinced me to be all in on this “gimmick attraction.”

Now, where do we go from here?

Personally, I suggest bringing the half-mile oval back to March because Easter Sunday is not doing it in large part due to the weather being so appalling. Even before adding clay on the venue, it has been a constant burden having the race weekend in April.

It comes a long way for drivers to actually have a couple of reps in compared to logging laps during their qualifying heat races.

Officiating could use some polishing on what constitute a caution, especially for single-car spins which prevented me from giving this race anything higher than a B. Also, the lack of respect from some racers continuing as the ongoing theme did not help either. Had they been more consistent, it would have been an A- race in my eyes.

I want to support dirt racing in NASCAR. While it did this time around, some of the blemishes cannot be ignored. One step forward, borderline two steps back.