BRISTOL, Tenn.: After lengthy discussions with NASCAR Cup Series teams, drivers, Bristol Motor Speedway and Goodyear representatives, the sanctioning body announced Saturday they will adjust the stage length, add two competition cautions and increase the tire allotment count for tomorrow’s Food City Dirt Race.
With the changes, it will give NASCAR two additional opportunities for track preparation and give teams additional opportunities to change tires all in the hopes of improving the racing considerably.
NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, Scott Miller, says the changes will prevent tire failures from dictating the outcome of the race.
“This is obviously something we haven’t done in (the Cup Series) in 50 years and we knew … with the character of this track, that we could be presented some things we needed to adjust.
“Based on practice yesterday, higher than anticipated tire wear and y’all saw the dust and everything. So, two things: It gives us more opportunity to prepare the track during these breaks and ensures that the story will be about the racing — and trying to ask the tires to do more than they can isn’t in the best interest of anybody.”
Stages will now end on Lap 100, Lap 200 and Lap 250.
There will be a competition caution on Lap 50 and Lap 150. Caution laps during those yellow flags will not count once NASCAR sends the free pass car around.
Miller indicated the addition of the two competition cautions will hopefully eliminate the track from getting dusty and keeping visibility at a maximum.
“We really feel like that with the breaks that we have built in with this sort of change in format that we’ll be able to stay ahead of the dust and keep water in the top,” Miller said. “That’s the key, keep water in the top to allow the track to keep getting wider and wider as we go.
“When it gets super dusty up there, they just can’t can’t go up there, but if we keep that moist, than the racing groove will widen out and give us our best shot at having a fantastic finish.”
Each team will now receive an additional set of tires bumping up the total to six sets for the inaugural event.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
