BY GEORGE DICKIE
Last year, NASCAR's Cup Series made history with its
first dirt race in 51 years. Now due to popular demand, it's
back for 2022 as the Food City Dirt Race goes off again at
Tennessee's Bristol Motor Speedway.
Joey Logano also made history of his own here a year ago
on the .533-mile course, holding off a determined charge
by Denny Hamlin over the final 61 laps to become the first
winner of a NASCAR Cup dirt race since Richard Petty won
at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh on Sept.
30, 1970.
Afterward, Logano was ecstatic. "Man, it's incredible,"
he said. "How about Bristol on dirt? This is an incredible,
unbelievable race track."
Fans also loved it but the event didn't come without
problems. Rain made the clay surface too sticky to race thus
forcing it to be postponed from Sunday to Monday. Then
later when the track dried in the afternoon sun, conditions
became dusty.
Logano and other drivers complained about poor visibility
during the race, as did fans, so the start time of this year's race
was moved to 7 p.m. ET in the
hopes that the diminished wind
will keep the dust down and
make it easier for everyone to see.
He'll go for the win Sunday,
April 17, at Bristol when he
tangles with the likes of Hamlin,
Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick,
Chase Elliott and Martin Truex
Jr. in the second Food City Dirt
Race, airing on Fox.
Logano hopes to make
rivals eat dirt at Bristol
• FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 18 - 24, 2022 •
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