It has been a long time since the NASCAR Cup Series raced on a dirt track. The last time was on Sept. 30, 1970, at North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina. But on Sunday, 39 drivers will try to master the red clay put down on Bristol Motor Speedway for a first of its kind event.NASCAR says it is getting back to its roots, although the Camping World Truck Series raced at Eldora Speedway as late as 2019. The success or failure of the Food City Dirt Race will determine if dirt racing will become a staple on the Premier Series schedule, or it will be another half-century if we see another again.Want to take a walk on the dirty side? You can do this Saturday morning.Not to mention you'll be helping @BMS_SCCSign up: https://t.co/WTnP8NpIVD#ItsDirtBaby #ItsBristolBaby #KidsWin pic.twitter.com/ws7Q56omup— BristolMotorSpeedway (@BMSupdates) March 24, 2021Read more: This week in NASCAR History: Buddy Baker cracks 200 mph barrierWhen NASCAR returns to Bristol on Sept. 18 for the final race in the Playoff Round of 16, the track will be back to its normal concrete surface. The 20,000 cubic yards of dirt is temporary. It will be used for two weeks by various racing bodies. The only other track that would be NASCAR ready for a dirt race in the immediate future would be Eldora. Otherwise, any future event would also have to be temporary.Other than the track surface, there is a significant change. The NASCAR Food City Dirt Race will be 250 laps instead of its usual 500.There have been 501 dirt Cup races in NASCAR's history, and Lee Petty is the all-time leader in victories with 43. Buck Baker is second with 42.Read more: Martin Truex Jr. to race in the Camping World Truck dirt race at Bristol Motor SpeedwayLucky Seven?The NASCAR Cup Series has started the year with six different drivers capturing the checkered flag in six events. Last week at Atlanta, Ryan Blaney ran down a dominant Kyle Larson in the closing laps to keep him from being the first to win twice. This marked the eighth time a season has opened with no repeat winners. Should Bristol produce a seventh first-timer, it will be just the fifth time in NASCAR’s modern era (1972-present) that it has happened (1991, 2000, 2003, 2014).Here is a look at the NASCAR Food City Dirt Race.RACE: Number 7 of 36WHAT: Food City Dirt RaceWHERE: Bristol Motor SpeedwayWHEN: Sunday, Mar. 28 @ 3:30 p.m.TV/RADIO: FOX / PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR RadioTRACK SIZE: 0.533-mile dirt ovalFRONTSTRETCH / BACKSTRETCH: 650-feetRACE LENGTH: 125 miles (250 laps)STAGES: 75 / 150 / 250WEATHER: Showers and thunderstorms. High 63F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.ODDS (From VegasInsider): 5/2 Kyle Larson11/2 Christopher Bell9/1 Chase Briscoe, Austin DillonWe get the “dirt” from the King of NASCAR and our CEO! 🏁 @tide @RPMotorsports @Erik_Jones @ProcterGamble @BMSupdates #ItsDirtBaby #ItsBristolBaby #FoodCityDirtRace #NASCAR #racing pic.twitter.com/StGKkwhvjx— Food City (@FoodCity) March 24, 2021TRACK HISTORYFIRST RACE: Jul. 30, 1961 – Volunteer 500 (Race winner: Jack Smith)OWNER: Speedway MotorsportsNICKNAMES: Thunder Valley, The Last Great ColiseumNASCAR Food City Dirt Race Entry List (i – points ineligible)00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford15 Chris Windom Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota19 Martin Truex Jr Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford37 Ryan Preece JTG-Daugherty Racing Chevrolet38 Anthony Alfredo Front Row Motorsports Ford41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford53 JJ Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford66 Mike Marlar Motorsports Business Management Ford77 Stewart Friesen (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet78 Shane Golobic Live Fast Motorsports Ford96 Ty Dillon (i) Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota99 Daniel Suarez TrackHouse Racing Chevrolet