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NASCAR is pulling out all the stops to make the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway unique. The event makes its comeback for the 2022 season this Sunday after debuting last year to a mixed reception from fans and drivers.
The governing body has been making constant tweaks to the race as they gather more experience by running the Next Gen cars on a loose surface. The most notable changes to the race this year have been a change in start times and compulsory rear mud flaps for every car.
These changes aim to improve issues such as dry racing surfaces causing dust in the air and the probability of dirty windshields from debris thrown by cars in front.
Another fundamental change comes in the form of tires from tire manufacturer Goodyear. The official tire supplier for NASCAR has switched from bias-ply tires to radials this year due to its size matching capability.
Goodyear's Director of Racing Greg Stucker elaborated on the need for change and said:
“We had to develop a new package for the 18-inch dirt tire this season, so it gave us the opportunity to totally re-imagine this Cup tire set-up. We felt the right move was for a radial tire, which provides a greater degree of size consistency."
Stucker also went onto explain how the new tires will handle dirt and the thought that has gone into making them, saying:
“However, a radial tire incorporates a much stiffer tread surface, so we made adjustments to the tire construction to achieve a more compliant feel, similar to that of a bias ply, and able to handle the irregularities of a dirt surface. The 18-inch package also includes a new tread pattern which incorporates a lot of dirt tire technology we’ve developed over the years, and tread compounds adjusted to be more resistant to heat and wear.”
Kyle Busch to run throwback livery at NASCAR race in Darlington
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch will run a throwback livery on his No. 18 Toyota Camry TRD for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. The livery harks back to the 1998 M&M'S paint scheme.
Watch Kyle Busch battle it out on dirt this Sunday in the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
