Where To Watch NASCAR's Dirt Race This Weekend (April 17th, 2022)

NASCAR - Bristol (Dirt Configuration)Sunday, April 17th - 7:00 p.m. EST - FOX

Last year, NASCAR made its heavily-anticipated return to dirt track racing with a race held on a temporary track built over the permanent Bristol Motor Speedway. It did not go well at all, but between the delays and the track prep issues we saw that the then-current stock cars could put on an exciting enough show on dirt to justify trying again. So NASCAR is trying again, now running the event as a night race in the hopes that cooler temperatures will help keep the temporary track together.

That makes tomorrow the first dirt race for the new-for-2022 Next Gen car, technically its final new track type. The new design philosophy has been a major adjustment at every other track on the schedule, but here it might end up overshadowed by the single-race adjustments NASCAR did and did not decide to make pre-race: There will be new mud flap designs on the back of these cars to mitigate how much dirt is actually kicked up, but the cars will keep in their windshields even after drivers recommended otherwise.

Combined with the weight of the cars, that means an overly-wet track could again produce enough flying mud to effectively blind drivers within just a few laps. This shut down the Truck Series race here almost immediately last season, so keep an eye out for it. Of course, if the track gets too dry, it will start being torn up as dust; this is how the Cup Series race ended last year.

Despite those concerns, this is ultimately a top-level stock car race on dirt that counts for championship points. On the chance NASCAR gets it right this time, that makes it a must-watch.

Fred SmithMotorsports Editor

Fred Smith's love of cars comes from his fascination with auto racing. Unfortunately, that passion led him to daily drive a high-mileage, first-year Porsche Panamera. He is still thinking about the last lap of the 2011 Indianapolis 500.