For those who were not a fan of packing dirt on the iconic concrete surface of the Bristol Motor Speedway, you’re in luck. Bristol Motor Speedway announced on Friday that the track will not continue its yearly dirt race tradition for the 2024 season.
Instead, the 0.533-mile concrete oval layout will be utilized during both NASCAR race weekends next season. A restoration to the longstanding tradition prior to the dirt race being added to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 2021.
The track is offering ticket packages for the spring 2024 Food City 500, and is billing the event as, “Racin’ the way it oughta be,” on it’s website. The official date of the 2024 Food City 500 is currently listed as to be determined (TBD).
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We are thrilled to announce Bristol Motor Speedway will host the return of the Food City 500 on the concrete high-banks of the World's Fastest Half Mile in the spring of 2024.Reserve Your Spot Today: https://t.co/PwQdis8qLT… pic.twitter.com/dzTSzvNlc9
— Bristol Motor Speedway (@ItsBristolBaby) September 15, 2023
In the three seasons that Bristol Motor Speedway held the dirt race, three different drivers took home the win in the NASCAR Cup Series event. Joey Logano won the inaugural event in 2021, while Kyle Busch, and Christopher Bell won the following two editions of the Dirt Race at Bristol.
Martin Truex Jr. won the 2021 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Dirt race at Bristol. Ben Rhodes, a NASCAR Truck Series regular, took the win in the second Truck race on dirt in 2022, and Logano won the final NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series dirt race at Bristol this year.
The dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway was initially a fun novelty, but the novelty wore off quickly with NASCAR fans, as many had been calling for the return to the traditional Bristol Motor Speedway spring race. The track listened, and the concrete high banks are back in the spring.