Should The Cup Dirt Race Be Moved To Richmond?

Should the dirt race be moved from Bristol to Richmond?

While the NASCAR Cup Series’ Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race has been a ratings success, there is a sizeable crowd that wishes there was more than one pavement race at the World’s Fastest Half Mile. Short tracks are among the most popular races on the schedule, and there is now down to just five of them. A dirt race will likely remain on the schedule for the foreseeable future, but does it have to be at Bristol?

Not according to Kevin Harvick. Harvick became active on Twitter following the combustion of his car in the Southern 500, and he began responding to fans and tweeting his opinions on the account. One of the things he suggested was a dirt race at Richmond Raceway.

I’m always open for a challenge. And I think we should try a dirt race at Richmond. https://t.co/Cy2xS0NiMu

— Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) September 8, 2022

In his post-race press conference after winning at Bristol last Saturday, Chris Buescher also said a dirt race at Richmond would be preferrable to Bristol.

“The excitement I got walking through that tunnel yesterday and seeing clean concrete was really big,” Buescher said. “I don’t mind the dirt race, but this is my favorite racetrack on a paved surface. So when we lose that to dirt, it hurts a little bit more than it would if Richmond was covered in dirt.”

Would a Richmond dirt race be possible? Absolutely. The track isn’t much longer than Bristol, so importing the dirt, while a greater challenge, wouldn’t be an overwhelming one. In addition, Richmond has been criticized for lackluster racing in recent years, and the fan attendance has reflected this as well.

With two Richmond dates remaining on the calendar, putting one of them on dirt would certainly be worth a try. One pavement race and one dirt race would increase excitement for the track and give fans the opportunity to see two different styles of racing in one calendar year, similar to what we’ve seen at Bristol.

However, moving the dirt race from Bristol to Richmond ignores why the spring Bristol race moved to dirt in the first place. The night race in the summer has always had a good crowd on hand, but the spring race struggled to keep up in attendance. Thus, spring was moved to dirt to make it a bigger draw for fans.

It would be an intrigue to see the dirt race move to Richmond. But if the fans and drivers want two pavement races at Bristol once again, people will have to show up in…