The Bristol Dirt Race Program

From Friday to Sunday, NASCAR Cup Series comes to Bristol for the second edition of the Bristol Dirt Race. Contested on an oval covered with dirt, in the spirit of the pioneering races of NASCAR, this race benefits from a modified format.

Sweat and dust on the agenda in Tennessee © Getty

On Friday, two 50-minute test sessions will be exceptionally organized to allow the teams and drivers to adapt to this very particular track surface. As the slick tire is not particularly suited to drifting on dirt, the cars will be fitted with new 18-inch treaded tires.

We go to 18 inches but we keep the sculptures © Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Four qualifying races of 15 laps will be organized on Saturday to determine the grid. The starting order of these races will be determined by drawing lots, in the order of the general classification. In addition to ranking points decreasing from 10 to 1, drivers will score 1 point for each overtake during the race. For example, a driver who starts fourth and finishes second will receive two bonus points. The total points will determine the composition of the peloton, with any ties being broken by position in the general classification.

Next Gen's dirt debut is here.

Go deep into what's new with our tech contributor, @BoziTatarevic.

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Sunday at 19:00 p.m. local time, the Food City Dirt Race will be launched for 250 laps, or 125 miles (201,125 km) divided into 3 segments:

• Segment 1: 75 laps
• Segment 2: 75 laps
• Final: 100 laps

Teams will not be authorized to refuel the cars or change tires outside of end-of-segment neutralizations, unless there is an incident of course. For safety reasons, no place can be gained or lost in the stands. The “Free Pass” rule will be applied for latecomers.

A peloton race like no other © Chris Graythen/Getty Images

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