An official announcement of the move could come any time.
The race is set for the Wednesday before the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and will feature four heat races and a 100-lap main event, sources said.
The race would be the first on dirt for any of NASCAR’s three national series – Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Trucks - in its "modern era."
The track, owned by Cup driver Tony Stewart, does not have energy-absorbing SAFER barriers installed and no permanent medical facility on property.
Sources said NASCAR is expected to waive its policy – adapted beginning in 2005 – that SAFER barriers be installed at all oval tracks hosting its three national series. Why NASCAR is willing to make an exception in this case is unclear.
Eldora Speedway, built in 1954 by Earl Baltes, has a permanent seating capacity of approximately 20,000. Stewart has hosted a charity race featuring many NASCAR drivers at the track since 2005.
Why on earth is NASCAR doing this? The Trucks have to be changed a lot to race on dirt and the racing is laughable.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like NASCAR giving a hand to Tony Stewart to help with his promotional efforts.
NASCAR is helping their own promotional efforts by trying to reach out to the millions of dirt track racing fans. Believe it or not, most are not currently NASCAR fans.
DeleteDragging the sport back to the farm is regression, not an aid to promotional efforts. That this would even be broached as an idea indicates it's a gimmick to help Tony Stewart with his track.
DeleteYou Sir are and idiot! All of you with negative thoughts on dirt track racing in general.. This will help Nascar reach a target audience and, since Nascar is hosting at one of the most top notch dirt tracks makes since just in-case it's an "Epic Fail" just like the racing that makes me go to sleep! why would Nascar waste it's money if it were a gimmick????
DeleteRemember Nascar and, all sanctioned racing started on dirt. #Rememberwhereyoucomefrom
NASCAR wastes money on gimmicks because it is populated with "leaders" who refuse to see what good racing is. It means nothing that sanctioned racing started on dirt - the true birth of NASCAR was the superspeedway boom of 1959-71.
DeleteDirt racing is useless - they can't pass, all they do is run in a four-wheel drift.
There is nothing laughable about dirt track racing, its simply the best racing to showcase true driver talent. NASCAR started on dirt and it looks like they are growing aware of how good the racing is on dirt and its large appeal to race fans. Switching these trucks over to dirt setups shouldn't be that bad if they limit the rules to avoid exotic setups. I can't wait!!
ReplyDeleteThere is no competitive value for major league racing in dirt. None. True driving talent is not RACING talent - driving and racing are not the same thing. "NASCAR started on dirt." It evolved away from it for a reason. I've seen dirt races and they're not that good. Four wheel drift and nobody can pass.
DeleteYou're not growing the sport by dragging it back to the farm.
I guess you are in favor of adding another snooze fest of a mile and a half cookie cutter....since there is so much passing there. All forms of racing have tracks where passing is limited, Eldora typically isn't one of them. You can be certain that the inaugural race at Eldora will be a packed house, and no doubt garner the highest tv ratings since the series inception. I'm not sure how that would be considered "competitive value" as you put it. It's all about putting people in the stands and watching on tv, otherwise the series will continue to lose rating and sponsors, as it has done consistently for the past few years.
DeleteEldora may be packed because of the novelty - but it won't draw the ratings you think it will and it's not immune to all the issues that have made racing a weaker sport now than it was in 1996 (costs, pointless performance levels, lack of passing) - the fact the Trucks racing there was even broached as a concept indicates Tony Stewart was in trouble there; this is a favor from NASCAR to him. ARCA stopped racing dirt (they were the last touring stock car series that even had one dirt race) years ago, and did so for a reason - dirt is not good racing.
DeleteWhat NASCAR should do is add second Truck dates at Pocono and Talladega, two of the three most competitive tracks the sanctioning body races on. And BTW, you rip the cookie cutter tracks - they produced the best non-plate races in the Trucks this season.
The writer needs to go back and study their NASCAR history! Before the Winston Cup came to be, racing was held on many dirt tracks. Martinsville and North Wilkesboro both started as dirt tracks and were on the NASCAR schedule. They also ran at Fonda NY on the dirt there.
ReplyDeleteAs for the trucks racing on dirt? Bring it on! I'm betting it's going to be a wild race and will be a true test of both driver and crew chief skills!
He did say that it's the first time in the Modern Era.
DeleteBolt on some Goodyear's left over from their World of Outlaw supply and mandate at least 6" of stagger!
ReplyDeleteAny early predictions? Dibs on Kyle Larson!!
Viva la dirt!
ReplyDeleteAWESOME!! I've got to go to this!! Now get Cup back on dirt and I'll go to a Cup race again!!
ReplyDeletedo none of yall that are complaining about this even know about racing??? up until a few years ago the ARCA series raced at DuQuoin and it was an awesome race every year. I would put money on it that more people will be rejoicing the addition of a dirt track rather that B*tch about it when they see how great the racing will be.
ReplyDeleteWhy'd they stop racing at DuQuoin if it was supposedly a good race?
ReplyDeleteThe race will show the performance of the company,lets start and we are ready to watch it. Terry Paul
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