Bristol Motor Speedway announces return of Food City 500 in 2024, ending the Bristol Dirt Race

The Bristol Dirt Race is no more, as the Food City 500 will return to the track next spring, as many who have clamored for it will get their wish.

The news was shared to Twitter on Friday by multiple sources, including FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass. With the track playing host to Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race, it was the perfect time to make the announcement.

“Official: Both NASCAR weekends at Bristol in 2024 will be on the concrete. No dirt race at Bristol,” tweeted Pockrass. “Two concrete race weekends. Dates still TBA.”

Additionally, Bristol track GM Jerry Caldwell released a statement on the matter, explaining that the track will do it big for next spring’s event, even though it won’t be on dirt.

“We will revive a logo reminiscent of the first Food City 500s in the year ’90s and resurrect the track’s vintage trademark look and feel of the era,” Caldwell said, via Pockrass.

There you have it. Bristol on dirt is going away, and concrete will be the racing surface for both races next season. One driver who will be elated to hear the news is Brad Keselowski, who pushed for dirt to go by the wayside earlier this week.

“Yeah I think a lot of intrigue over what’s going to happen with Bristol with the spring and the fall race, things going on at the fairgrounds, North Wilkesboro, but if we end up with two races on the concrete at Bristol, I don’t think you’ll hear many complaints,” explained Keselowski. “I think Bristol is an iconic track and one serving a year doesn’t feel like enough.”

Of course, Bristol is an awesome track to see a race regardless, with or without dirt. That’s why drivers and fans won’t mind seeing a return to the concrete racing surface in the spring, even if that means the spectacle takes a slight hit.

It remains to be seen if NASCAR looks to add dirt to a different track, or add an actual dirt track to their schedule in the future. At the least, it looked awesome seeing those Cup Series behemoths race around on dirt, and it was something to behold for both diehard and casual viewers alike.

Time will tell, but we know what the Food City 500 will look like come next spring at Bristol. It’ll be a fantastic race regardless, and one that many will tune in to see what happens when the dirt is stripped away once again.