Image courtesy of BMS
Heat races on tap for Bristol dirt
The dirt weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway will have both practice and heat races, NASCAR announced this week.
Being a new configuration on this year’s schedule, Bristol is one of the eight races where NASCAR Cup Series teams will be allowed to practice. But officials have added heat races to determine the starting line-up for the Food City Dirt Race.
Two 50-minute practice sessions will be on Friday, March 26. There will be four heat races, 15 laps in length, run on Saturday, March 27.
The race's green flag is set for shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 28. The race is scheduled for 250 laps, with stages ending on laps 75 and 150.
Camping World Truck Series teams will also compete on the dirt at Bristol. Two practice sessions for Truck Series teams will be on Friday, March 26, followed by four heat races (also 15 laps) and the 150-lap main race on Saturday, March 27.
After running at Eldora Speedway for the past seven seasons, Truck Series teams will run two dirt races this season. However, Eldora has fallen off the schedule, and the dirt races will be at Bristol and Knoxville Raceway.
Bristol marks the first time since 1970 that Cup Series teams will run on dirt.
Kelly Crandall
Kelly has been on the NASCAR beat full-time since 2013, and joined RACER as chief NASCAR writer in 2017. Her work has also appeared in NASCAR.com, the NASCAR Illustrated magazine, and NBC Sports. A corporate communications graduate from Central Penn College, Crandall is a two-time George Cunningham Writer of the Year recipient from the National Motorsports Press Association.
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