NASCAR Cup Series takes the NextGen car dirt racing at Bristol

For the first time in its existence the NASCAR Cup Series will compete with the Next Gen car on the dirt surface of Bristol Motor Speedway for an Easter Weekend spectacular, the Food City Dirt Race, this Sunday, April 17 at 7 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Last season’s race at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt track was the first-time the NASCAR Cup Series had competed on dirt in over 50 years. Not since the checkered flag flew on NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty for winning the race on September 30, 1970 at North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina had the NASCAR Cup Series competed on a dirt track.

With more than 23,000 cubic yards of dirt hauled in to create the temporary dirt track surface at Bristol, it was a sight to be seen when all 39 cars took the green flag last season. The event saw five lead changes among five different leaders, but it was Team Penske’s Joey Logano who took the checkered flag over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by a scant 0.554-second.

This weekend’s Cup Series action at Bristol will kick off on Friday, April 15 with first practice from 4:05 p.m. – 4:55 p.m. ET and then followed by final practice from 6:35 p.m. – 7:25 p.m. ET. Both practices will be televised on FS1. Then on Saturday, April 17 Busch Light Pole Qualifying will be from 6 – 7 p.m. ET on FS1.