“We Don’t Belong on Dirt”—NASCAR Insider Doubles Down on Kyle Larson’s Bristol Criticism After Bubba Wallace Deemed It a “Gimmick”

When an ace dirt racer says that it’s a mistake, then it definitely is a mistake. Last weekend, NASCAR hosted its annual dirt race at the Bristol Motor Speedway. And although the race did have a thrilling finish, not many drivers were happy about the design of their cars. Complaining that the NASCAR Next Gen cars are not meant for dirt tracks, several drivers including Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace voiced their opinions on the practicality of the race.

In a recent episode of Door Bumper Clear, the podcast co-host Casey Boat shared that Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson expressed his disappointment with the dirt racing format. Explaining how the governing body cannot expect a good dirt race without actually removing the windshields, Larson said,

“I would love to get back to run two races on the concrete here. […] We don’t need to be racing on dirt.”

Furthermore, Casey Boat also alluded to dirt track ace Jonathan Davenport’s recent remark on the format. Acknowledging that it is a novelty and probably a “cool” format to dabble in, the dirt track racer said that it was not a real thing the way it is being conducted.

Freddie Kraft sides with Kyle Larson for his Bristol remarks

After hearing the statements of the drivers, Bubba Wallace’s spotter Freddie Kraft labeled the two as “honest.” Furthermore, he added that Kyle Larson and Jonathan Davenport are “two of the best in the world at what they do,” and agreed with their opinions. Explaining how NASCAR can host a real dirt race in the future, Kraft said,

“There’s ways to get there but we’re never gonna do it. I mean you’d have to take the windshield out of the car, to prep the track correctly and figure out a way to get air in there because all we would do is cloud the grill.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Bombarded With $50,000 NASCAR Tussle Question, Bubba Wallace Offers Diplomatic Take On Team Boss Denny Hamlin – “Everyone’s Unique, Right?”

Furthermore, Kraft elaborated upon the misconceptions surrounding the entire topic. He added,

“Our cars are just not meant to be on dirt. I thought it was very telling because a lot of people are of the opinion of ‘This just doesn’t work ’cause it’s at Bristol. If you take it to Eldora, it’ll be great. If you take it to Knoxville, it’ll be fun.’

“They asked Kyle point blank ‘What dirt race would you like to see this? Okay we get it you don’t like Bristol. What dirt track do you want to see them go to?’ And he said, ‘None.’ He’s like ‘None! We don’t belong on dirt. Not with these cars.'”

When Bubba Wallace called dirt racing a ‘gimmick’

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To be fair, Bubba Wallace thinks that dirt racing is fun. However, just like Kyle Larson and his spotter Freddie Kraft, Wallace believes that it is not the best fit for Cup Series cars. Hence, during a media interaction, when the 23XI driver was asked about his opinion on the continuation of dirt racing, Wallace simply said that he doesn’t think that it is a good idea.

Explaining his views on the subject before the Bristol race Wallace said,

“Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of fun on dirt and I respect what dirt guys do, but for our sport and Cup cars, not really. I think this is all just a, to me, a gimmick.”

During Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell clinched the trophy whereas Bubba Wallace finished in the 12th position. Moreover, Hendrick Motorsports’ driver Kyle Larson did not finish the race and was positioned in 35th place on the table.

READ MORE: “I Classify This More as a Show Than a Race” – Three Time Late Dirt Model Series Champ Trashes NASCAR’s Attempt to Showcase Diversity at Bristol