Bristol Dirt is officially off the schedule for 2024. Some fans, however, do not want to see dirt track racing go away completely. Where else could the NASCAR Cup Series race on dirt in 2024?
Okay, just hear me out on this one. North Wilkesboro Speedway originally had a unique plan for their “Racetrack Revival”. They would run races on asphalt and tear up the surface to repave the track, but, in the interim, they would put dirt on the track for some dirt races to be run on the speedway.
The NASCAR All-Star Race announcement threw a wrench into those plans, but, North Wilkesboro now finds itself in a unique situation. It is a track on the verge of a repave, and NASCAR seems like it will come back next year. How about running the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race on the dirt North Wilkesboro race track before it is repaved?
Yes, it would be a one-time event, but it would be an entertaining event for the All-Star Race which truly is all about the show. Plus it give NASCAR an extra year to figure out the short track package before going back to North Wilkesboro in years to come.
What better dirt track to bring the Cup Series cars to than the one that hosts the biggest sprint car race of them all, Knoxville. Knoxville Raceway is in Knoxville, Iowa, which is almost an hour outside of Des Moines. It’s not a big market, but neither is Bristol, Martinsville, or North Wilkesboro for that matter.
The Craftsman Truck Series even ran a dirt race there in 2021 and 2022. If NASCAR really wants to bring a dirt race back to the Cup Series schedule, this is the most famous dirt track of them all. Go big or go home would be the philosophy of this track.
The Tony Stewart owned dirt track in New Weston, Ohio is a dirt track out in the middle of seemingly nowhere. However, it is a gem that is in the middle of nowhere. It is one of the most famous dirt tracks in the world that hosts the famous World 100 dirt late model race and the Kings Royale sprint car race.
The track is also owned by NASCAR star Tony Stewart, which can either help or hurt this track getting a Cup date. Stewart has been very vocal about some of his displeasures with NASCAR in recent years, and he also had his NASCAR dirt dates taken away in favor of Knoxville. However, maybe that relationship could be what brings the two together for a NASCAR Cup Series dirt race.
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a home track for NASCAR teams and many drivers, but there is also a dirt track there just outside of turn four. Maybe not a points race could be held there, but maybe an All-Star race could be held there. NASCAR could maybe even hold heat races to an All-Star Race at the dirt track to prepare for a main event at the track.
It would seem to make some sense in a lot of ways, but it would also be a bit bland in some respects. Staying in the Charlotte area for a race that NASCAR could easily go to another new market that has never had NASCAR before could be seen as a missed opportunity by some fans. It does not mean it is not worth a shot, however.
Williams Grove Speedway is such a popular venue that the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars race not once, not twice, but three times at the track in 2023. If they go there three times, then why not have the Cup Series go there at some point? The issue with this track is that they would have to bring in a lot of extra seating with it only being able to hold a bit over 8,000 people.
However, it is a historic venue that continues to draw crowds year after year. Maybe NASCAR could take a stab at dirt racing at that track?
With Bristol Dirt gone, it will be interesting to see if NASCAR brings another dirt race to the schedule in 2024. Maybe at one of these five different race tracks.
