“I felt resentment,” said Christopher Bell, reflecting on the two years he was banned from dirt racing by Joe Gibbs. Growing up in Norman, Oklahoma, Bell began his racing career in micro sprints, eventually winning prestigious events like the Chili Bowl Nationals multiple times. His success on dirt tracks paved his way to the NASCAR Cup Series. Since NASCAR has experimented with dirt races in the past, Bell shared his thoughts on the state of dirt racing in the Cup Series.
NASCAR introduced dirt racing at Bristol Motor Speedway from 2021 to 2023, but the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule lacked any dirt events, leaving fans and drivers alike wondering: Will NASCAR reconnect with its dusty past, or will the thrill of dirt racing remain a nostalgic memory?
Practice makes perfect
In the summer of 1949, NASCAR’s inaugural season kicked off on dirt tracks, with seven of the eight tracks that year being made of the same rugged surface. This legacy of dirt racing has been a part of NASCAR’s DNA, with legendary drivers like Richard Petty claiming their first wins on dirt at Southern States Fairground. When NASCAR returned to dirt racing at Bristol Motor Speedway from 2021 to 2023, it was a nostalgic nod to its roots. However, transforming Bristol into a dirt track proved to be a complex challenge.
The speedway, known as the “Last Great Colosseum,” had previously hosted dirt events like the World of Outlaws in 2001, but the scale and logistics of a NASCAR Cup Series event were vastly different. Drivers like Christopher Bell, who grew up racing on dirt, had high hopes but faced significant challenges, including dusty visibility and inconsistent track conditions. In an interview with Rubbin is Racin, Bell was asked how NASCAR can implement more dirt tracks like Bristol to the schedule.
Reflecting on how dirt racing can become a staple on the Cup Series grid, Bell said, “I don’t know. It seems like you need more of it for the teams to take it seriously, like road course racing.” Road courses have proven to be one of the most exciting track types in NASCAR. From Shane Van Gisbergen’s surprise win in 2023 on his debut at the Chicago Street Race to Bell’s surge to overtake Kyle Busch at COTA just two weeks back, road courses provide thrill, but it was not always this way.
Sep 17, 2022; Bristol, Tennessee, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell (20) and driver Kyle Larson (5) and driver William Byron (24) and driver Brad Keselowski (6) during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
“Road course racing went down that same path where people didn’t take it seriously. If you didn’t have a road course driver, then it was like another off week, and you’re just like, ‘All right, well, we’re going to go take our 20th-place finish and focus on the week after,” Bell recalled. Road course ringers, like SVG, were brought in by teams for one-off road course races to earn them points that they felt their chartered drivers just couldn’t do. However, as more races were added to the schedule, Cup Series drivers needed to master the art of road racing, and Bell feels the same should be done with dirt.
“So, you know, I think you have to go either all in and have two or three of them or stay out of it,” he stated. In other words, a single dirt race wasn’t enough to make teams invest in the discipline. Either NASCAR should expand the number of dirt races to force adaptation, or it should abandon the concept altogether. But where does Bell feel NASCAR should go dirt racing?
Which tracks should NASCAR dirt race on, according to Bell?
One of the biggest criticisms of Bristol Dirt was that NASCAR covered an existing track in dirt rather than racing at a purpose-built dirt facility. Bell acknowledged that Bristol’s dirt race was exciting but came at a cost. “The first year in 2021, the track was not prepared properly. We ended up racing it in the middle of the day. It was blowing dust, none of the drivers could see, the fans got filthy, and it was a disaster,” Christopher Bell explained. Joey Logano won the race, but drivers, teams, and fans were left frustrated, with many questioning whether dirt racing belonged in NASCAR at all.
Despite the rocky start, NASCAR learned from its mistakes. In 2023, the race was moved to a night event to minimize dust, and track preparation was improved. Bell acknowledged the positive changes, as he ended up winning the race that year! “2023 was probably the best one that we had. The track was beautiful, and we saw another amazing race,” Bell said.
Bell feels that NASCAR should stick to dirt racing on traditional dirt tracks if they want to expand in the Cup Series. He listed several potential venues across the country. “Certainly, Eldora would be one that deserves a date. Knoxville, there’s, you know, tracks in Pennsylvania, there’s tracks in California. There’s places that they could go all over the country that would be fantastic venues,” Bell suggested.
Eldora Speedway, a half-mile dirt oval in Rossburg, Ohio, is currently owned by 3x Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart. It hosts some of the biggest dirt racing events, including the Dirt Late Model Dream, Kings Royal, and World 100. However, given Stewart’s soured relationship with NASCAR, it’s unlikely that he would lease them the track for a Cup race.
Knoxville Raceway is known as the sprint car capital of the world and hosts the prestigious ‘Knoxville Nationals’ every year and Cup Series drivers love taking part. At least the ones who love dirt racing. Bell’s dirt racing rival Kyle Larson is a three-time Knoxville National champion, so don’t be surprised to see these two battle it out if they get a chance to host a Cup Series race.
For now, dirt racing’s future in NASCAR remains uncertain. The Bristol Dirt experiment had its ups and downs, but it proved that with the right conditions, dirt races could be highly entertaining. As Christopher Bell continues to advocate for more dirt races in NASCAR, his perspective is influenced by both his passion for the sport and his experience with its challenges.
His enthusiasm for dirt racing could be a catalyst for NASCAR to revisit its approach to incorporating dirt events into its schedule, potentially leading to a more successful integration of this exciting and unpredictable form of racing. With Bell at the forefront, the question remains: Will NASCAR find a way to tame the wild side of dirt racing and bring it back to the forefront? What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
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