NASCAR Cup Series Racing to Dirt in 2021 for First Time in 5 Decades

The NASCAR Cup Series will return to the dirt for a race at Bristol Motor Speedway

NASCAR Cup Series Racing on Dirt in 2021 for First Time in 5 Decades
A general view of the NASCAR Cup Series logo at Phoenix Raceway.
Getty Images

In 2021, NASCAR is going to get dirty, again.

For the first time since it last held a race on dirt in 1970, the NASCAR Cup Series will return to the dirt for a race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2021 to mark the venue’s 60th anniversary.

According to a release from Bristol Motor Speedway, the Tennessee venue will be “transformed into a state-of-the-art dirt racing facility” for the Food City race on March 28.

BMS did not host a NASCAR Cup Series event, but it did previously transform into a dirt facility to host the World of Outlaws in 2000 and 2001. The track used 14,000 truckloads of dirt for the races, according to NBC.

“As everyone knows, Bristol Motor Speedway is the home to big events and we feel like this will be one of the most anticipated races in the NASCAR Cup Series in quite some time,” said Jerry Caldwell, executive VP and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “We have proven in the past that we know how to transform Bristol Motor Speedway into one of the most pristine dirt facilities anywhere around, so we can’t wait to see how the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will perform on the high banks at the World’s Fastest dirt Half-Mile.”

The last time the Cup Series held a race on dirt was at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1970. Richard Petty won the 200-lap race on the half-mile track and earned $1,000 for his efforts.

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