So far this year, we’ve seen two of NASCAR’s bold new steps go for a second spin. COTA and the Bristol Dirt Race. Both had better weather than a year ago, and both ended up with the leaders wrecking near the end of the last lap.
While I think everyone would agree that COTA Part 2 was an unqualified success, I’m not hearing the unanimity for the second Bristol Dirt Race.
In the defense of the dirt show, it was almost a second, first race thanks to lessons learned the first time around.
Like: get it under the lights. And, different ways of track preparation. Both of which the drivers praised as vastly improved over 2021.
But, here are the numbers that really matter: attendance was up (and we all know that attendance at the spring race prior to dirt had gotten abysmal), and the TV numbers were way up. It was the most-watched Bristol event, period, since 2016.
Has it earned another year? I think so. And, I like the suggestion I kept hearing after the race; to bring the choose cone to the dirt too.