Tide, Food City Partner with Richard Petty Motorsports, Erik Jones for Food City Dirt Race

Richard Petty Motorsports and Erik Jones will welcome Food City and – ironically — Tide to the organization, as a primary sponsor of the team’s No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in the NASCAR Cup Series’ first dirt race in over 50 years.

As part of Bristol Motor Speedway’s 60th anniversary celebration, the half-mile high-banked facility will be transformed into a dirt track, for the first dirt race in NASCAR’s modern era and the first ever Food City Dirt Race, on March 28, 2021.

“The Food City Dirt Race marks the first time that the NASCAR Cup Series has competed on dirt since 1970 at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, N.C., when Richard Petty took home the checkered flag,” Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer, said. “How awesome is it that we have the opportunity to serve as the primary partner of the iconic Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro for the running of this historic event at the Bristol Motor Speedway.”

As part of the partnership, Tide will partner with Food City and Richard Petty Motorsports at Bristol Motor Speedway to bring NASCAR fans “The Ultimate Dirt Race” Sweepstakes. Three first place winners will each receive one $1,500 Best Buy gift card to be used toward the purchase of a new washer/dryer. Three second place winners will each receive one $500 Best Buy gift card, and three third place winners will each receive free Tide for a year.

“We are so proud to have Food City and Tide to partner with Richard Petty Motorsports for the Food City Dirt Race,” Jones said. “Tide has such a rich history in this sport, and I am honored to continue the legacy as a driver behind-the-wheel of the No. 43 Tide Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.”

The Byron, Michigan-native has had excellent results at Bristol, scoring four top-fives in eight starts. However, the 24-year-old – much like the rest of the 40-car starting grid — has never run on Bristol Motor Speedway while it was covered in dirt, a challenge that will throw most of that prior success out of the window.

The Food City Dirt Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway will be broadcast live on Sunday, March 28 at 3:30PM / EST on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90).