The Bristol Motor Speedway has been a mainstay in the world of NASCAR for decades. However, the speculation that the speedway may not be returning to the NASCAR calendar for the upcoming season has come as a shock to many fans and industry insiders.
In the latest episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast, hosts T.J. Majors and Freddie Kraft, spotters for Brad Keselowski and Bubba Wallace, discussed the future of Bristol Speedway and dirt racing with guest Chris Lambert, who is also known as Denny Hamlin‘s spotter. The trio delved into the recent NASCAR Cup Series race that took place at Bristol Speedway, which was transformed into a dirt track, and has been a hot topic in the NASCAR community since the race was announced.
Denny Hamlin’s spotter gives his take on Bristol Motor Speedway’s future
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The race garnered a lot of attention from fans and drivers alike, as it presented a unique challenge for everyone involved. While the dirt race may have found a niche audience and generated good TV ratings, it appears that the challenges of scheduling, logistics, and the limited number of drivers with dirt racing experience made it a one-off deal, as per Lambert.
He said, “There’s so much prep into this one race with the cars, we’re not dirt cars either and this is a point race as well which makes it harder for the rest of the guys, we got maybe 5 or 6 dirt guys came out maybe, the rest of them don’t have any experience”
Adding to this, Kraft pointed out, “I think it was very telling yesterday, normally they announce ticket sales for next year the day of the dirt race and I noticed there was no announcement for ticket sales. I’m tending to believe that it was probably the last one.”
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What Do Fans Feel About the Dirt Track?
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The spotters also “felt like there were no campers” which was another testament to the lack of audience in the grandstands and camping ground, meaning that it might have not been as enjoyable for fans.
Lambert’s views were echoed by others in the racing community. This was evident after the comment made by Tony Stewart, following which fans took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the current state of racing at Bristol Speedway.
“If you don’t like this type of racing, you don’t like racing.” – @TonyStewart pic.twitter.com/3AAzhoRNAy
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) April 10, 2023
Some expressed their desire to see the old Bristol back, with its concrete surface, while others criticized Tony Stewart’s comments about the race, saying that it was not enjoyable for fans.
A fan wrote, “Sorry Tony I disagree I want the concrete Bristol back.”
Taking a dig at Stewart’s remark, someone commented, ‘Then I guess I don’t like racing anymore. Don’t care for Cup cars on a man-made dirt track. Want Bristol back. Thanks,” and another echoed their sentiment.
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Several other fans pointed toward the empty stands and expressed their disagreement. Someone said, “Looking at all the empty seats the fans aren’t into dirt racing, may be fun for the drivers just another boring race for fans but on dirt,” while others had the following to say.
“All them empty seats says it all”
“By the looks of the stands, the people of the Bristol area do not like this type of racing.”
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While there may be a niche audience for dirt racing, it appears that the majority of fans are not interested in it. Empty stands and a lack of interest from the racing community suggest that Bristol Speedway may need to reconsider its surface in the future. However, it remains to be seen what the future holds for this iconic track.