Bristol’s Dirt Will Live On In Racing After Last NASCAR Race

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Sep 25, 2023
Christopher Bell won the final running of the Bristol Dirt Race in April. (American Cars And Racing)

The Bristol Dirt Race is dead, but Bristol’s dirt has a future in motorsports.

For the past three seasons, Bristol Motor Speedway transformed its surface from concrete to clay for the venue’s spring NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series races in an effort to drum up interest in the events.

The response from fans and drivers alike was mixed, however, and the track will be reverting to its traditional paved surface for both of its dates in 2024.

The conversion was a massive, weeks-long undertaking that involved approximately 2,300 trucks hauling 23,000 cubic yards of the red clay that was originally sourced from Bluff City, Tenn., into and out of the Last Great Colosseum.

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Approximately 23,000 cubic yards of red clay were used to transform the track from concrete to dirt. (Bristol Motor Speedway)

The track reused the dirt each year, with a few tweaks to make it more uniform, but what happens to it now that it’s not needed anymore?

Well, it’s already pulled double duty at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which like Bristol is owned by Speedway Motorsports.

The clay was used to build a SuperMotocross track inside the four-wide zMAX Dragway stadium that’s within the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex for the first round of the playoffs for the motorcycle racing series.

And while the venue hasn’t been confirmed for the 2024 season, a Charlotte Motor Speedway spokesperson told American Cars And Racing that Speedway Motorsports will be hanging on to the dirt to use “for other events.”

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Regardless of where it is deployed next, there will be dirt racing at the facility soon, which is home to The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which is a permanent 4/10-mile oval that will host the World of Outlaws World Finals November 1-4.