Breaking It Down: Getting down and dirty -- What to expect in Sunday's Dirt Race at Bristol

There's a lot of anticipation about the future of the sole dirt race on the NASCAR Cup schedule that takes place under the lights on Easter Sunday.

This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, where they will go dirt racing on the high-banked half-mile under the lights.

This is the second consecutive year that NASCAR has converted the iconic concrete oval into a dirt track and anticipation is at an all-time high to see if the event can live up to the immense hype.

NASCAR and track owner Speedway Motorsports Inc. made headlines when they first announced nearly two years ago their ambitious decision to cover one of the schedule’s most popular tracks with dirt.

Graphic courtesy Dylan Bauerle Racing

Although the fanbase’s adoration for Bristol’s traditional concrete surface -- particularly for what many consider the hallow spring race at the Last Great Colosseum -- made for some mixed reactions from fans initially, the race still made a strong first impression last year, especially when you consider the circumstances NASCAR faced.

After being forced to push the race back to Monday due to heavy rains and flood warnings, the race also had to revert back to single-file restarts after dust clouds became so thick that driver visibility became an issue.

Like any fresh concept, these challenges are some of the growing pains that come with challenging tradition. Now, with a year of reflection, the adaptations NASCAR implements this weekend will prove essential in winning fans over and establishing the event as a mainstay on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule for years to come.

With the Next Generation / Gen 7 car making its dirt debut, there is no telling how the racing will compare to last year’s event. The unpredictability makes for an enticing curveball to an already intriguing concept.

However, without a race date yet confirmed for the 2023 season, there is a lot riding on the action the new car produces regarding the future of dirt racing continuing at Bristol.

Along with bigger and wider treaded tires compared to the ones teams used last year, the Gen 7 cars are running without a rear diffuser and come equipped with mudflaps and windshield ducts this weekend.

These changes come in an attempt to create a better product for drivers and fans and speak to the efforts NASCAR has dedicated to putting on a good show Sunday night.

That's especially important since NASCAR is the only game in town, so to speak, on the national and international motorsports schedule, with Formula One, IndyCar and NHRA all taking the weekend off.

If there is one thing that was for certain going into this weekend, it is that the drivers are hungry to emerge victorious and secure the bragging rights that come with winning the only dirt race on the schedule.

Joey Logano took the checkered flag in last year’s inaugural running of the event -- which was held one week before Easter -- but there are plenty of drivers in the field with rich dirt racing backgrounds who are looking to stop the Team Penske driver from repeating.

It’s #BristolDirt Week! pic.twitter.com/ipmuAi3W4I

— Joey Logano (@joeylogano) April 11, 2022

Drivers such as Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, and Christopher Bell have all made a name for themselves on dirt and look to make a statement at the series’ only dirt track date on Sunday night.

Other drivers such as Logano, Chase Elliot, and Austin Dillon are running in Saturday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event to get some extra track time prepare for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Food City Dirt Race.

Whether through their path to NASCAR, pulling double-duty this weekend, or racing throughout the year at local dirt tracks, the amount of Cup Series regulars with seasoned dirt track experience makes this weekend an enticing wild card on the schedule that will leave fans expecting the unexpected.

For one race a year, NASCAR’s top talents are taken out of their element and thrust into the Last Great Colosseum to battle each other for dirt racing supremacy.

Bristol’s reputation for high stakes and short tempers, mixed with a thick layer of dirt, makes for a can’t miss event unlike anything else on the Cup series circuit.

There is no telling what kind of action fans will see this weekend, but the rarity of the concept makes it a spectacle within itself.

This race directly impacts the future of dirt racing in NASCAR and anticipation runs rampant through the sport as we wait to see the results. Tune into the Food City Dirt Race on Sunday at 7 PM EDT on FOX to see how it all goes down.

Oh, and don't be surprised if the racing gets down and dirty! And because this is NASCAR and dirt and Bristol, here's the perfect song to describe the likely action Sunday night -- with the emphasis on DIRT!