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Take a look at the names at the top of the odds list this week because you may not see this often! This week both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Cup Series will race on dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway. That’s why drivers with plenty of dirt racing experience have moved ahead of the more familiar names that often ride the top of the odds list.
Yes, I said dirt – at Bristol. According to reports, 23,000 cubic yards of clay were placed over a bed of sawdust on the track surface. Then, using GPS technology, the clay was precisely leveled by bulldozers and graders making a 50-foot wide racing surface with 19-degree banking.
What this means is that there is no historical data for this race which may force many regulars to the sidelines. Or, because it is such a unique NASCAR event, many people may jump in for fun props or quick wagering depending on their betting or fantasy platform.
What oddsmakers are looking at this week is what drivers have logged plenty of hours running dirt races. That’s even a stretch because dirt race cars are much lighter than NASCAR Cup Series cars and are completely different in aspects of aero and mechanical downforce, tires and tire canter.
So it all boils down to knowing a driver’s dirt track racing background and your gut feeling. This could be a race where any driver on the lead lap towards the end of the race could pull off a win. Here are the top-five favorites at +1200 and under to win the Food City Bristol Dirt Race outright according to Intertops.
Kyle Larson +200
Christopher Bell +600
Austin Dillon +900
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +1100
Chase Briscoe +1200
2021 Food City Bristol Dirt Race Preview
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, Tennessee
Format: This weekend will include practice sessions for both cars and trucks. This is something that has been skipped during COVID. Also, heat races will be used to determine starting positions. As per NASCAR for the Cup Series, there will be four heat races. Three with 10 cars and one with nine cars for a 39 car field.
Race Distance: 250 laps. Stages 1 and 2 will be 75 laps and stage 3 will be 100 laps.
Pit Stops: After every stage, the field will be frozen and teams will be allowed to make “non- competitive” pit stops. Meaning, no fast-paced jumps over the wall and racing out of the pits in hopes of gaining a position.
TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN & PRN
2021 Food City Bristol Dirt Race Picks
Kyle Larson +200
Kyle Larson has certainly proved he’s not lost s step when it comes to driving a Cup Series car following his time away from the sport for the majority of last season. No need to rehash what happened. But, what many casual bettors may not know is that Larson spent the entire time racing dirt cars – and winning! That, combined with his performance this season makes him an easy favorite.
Denny Hamlin +850
Denny Hamlin has a win at Atlanta but it came back in 2012. In his last ten Atlanta starts, he’s finished inside the top-ten five times. Last season he finished 5th , in 2019 he placed 11th , and the year prior he crossed the line 4th – not bad. So far this season he’s finished 5th or better in four of five races.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +1100
Ricky Stenhouse Jr also has a fair amount of time running dirt races and he’s in pretty decent equipment this season. His dirt knowledge may pay off depending on how clean he can keep his car. You can expect a whole bunch of damaged cars by the end of the night. If Stenhouse can stay near the front on the lead lap he may have a chance.
Kyle Busch +1600
Kyle Busch is one of the few top Cup Series drivers that often head to the dirt cars for racing. To his credit, the two-time Cup Series Champion has one win at Eldora in a Super Late Model ride. Busch is also one of those drivers that just seems to be good in anything he decides to pilot.
Others to Consider: I like Chase Elliott (+1600) as he has run several times on dirt. And currently, he’s probably the best Cup Series driver when it comes to mastering different types of tracks. Stewart Friesen (+1600) is a dirt racer and Camping World Truck Series driver making his Cup Series debut. He’ll be joined on the track by his wife as she will also be in the Truck Series race.
2021 Food City Bristol Dirt Race Odds
Kyle Larson +200
Christopher Bell +600
Austin Dillon +900
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +1100
Chase Briscoe +1200
Stewart Friesen +1600
Kyle Busch +1600
Chase Elliott +1600
Ryan Blaney +2000
Bubba Wallace +2000
Tyler Reddick +2200
Denny Hamlin +2500
Martin Truex Jr +2800
Chris Windom +2800
Kevin Harvick +3000
Mike Marlar +3000
Kurt Busch +3300
Joey Logano +3300
Alex Bowman +3300
Brad Keselowski +4000
Shane Golobic +4000
Matt Dibenedetto +4500
Erik Jones +5000
Ryan Newman +5500
Cole Custer +6000
Ty Dillon +6000
William Byron +6600
Aric Almirola +7500
Ross Chastain +8000
Chris Buescher +10000
Daniel Suarez +12500
Corey Lajoie +12500
Ryan Preece +17500
Michael McDowell +20000
Cody Ware +20000
J.J. Yeley +20000
Anthony Alfredo +35000
Quinn Houff +50000
Josh Bilicki +50000
