How is a Bristol Dirt car different from a regular NASCAR car?

NASCAR's next-gen cars will hit the Bristol dirt track for the Food City Dirt Race on Sunday (April 9). These cars require various changes to hit the ground running in Bristol. Most modifications are pretty straightforward with the ultimate goal of not collecting dirt on the body panels and other components.

For the second year in a row, drivers will use the dirt version of next-gen cars in Bristol. This dirt version of the car has various modifications to the front, bottom, and back of the car. Overall, cars are made more durable to handle the action on the dirt track.

Splitter and front grill

The splitter on the dirt version is smaller compared to the normal carbon fiber one and doesn't stick out in the front. It only supports the engine area and extends backward to the back of the car, replacing the diffuser with a flat body.

Cup Series teams will use the Outerwear on the front grill to combat dirt buildup. The front screen doesn't allow dirt to enter the air intake, protecting the inner parts of the car. Rocker box cooling is not used in the dirt version.

Tires

NASCAR ditches slick tires to tread tires to improve their grip on the dirt track. The teams will run treaded Goodyear tires, which offer increased grip and better heat dissipation. This will increase the ride height of the car, affecting the setup of the car.

For the weekend, Goodyear will supply each team with three sets of tires for practice, one for qualifying, and six sets for Sunday's race.

Mud flaps and diffuser

The rear end of the next-gen car will be completely different from the normal version of the car. Mud flaps from the wet-weather package are used on the rear tires to increase visibility for drivers behind. The diffuser is completely replaced with a flat panel. The splitter from the front end extends backward, covering the entire floor with a flat panel.

Further changes to the driver's helmet include tear-offs on the visor. The 'Outerwear' also covers the windshield AC duct to filter the air that is supplied to the driver through the helmet.

With these, NASCAR hopes to make the next-gen cars more reliable in the dirt race.

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NASCAR hoping to improve 'side-by-side' racing with modifications to the Bristol Dirt Track

For the third edition of the Food City Dirt Race, NASCAR has made changes to the half-mile oval circuit in Bristol.

Steve Swift, Senior VP of Operations and Development at Speedway Motorsports highlighted that the key change was the profile of the dirt on the track. He said that they tried to recreate the same profile as how the track was left after the previous year's race. This was done to allow side-by-side racing earlier in the race.

Swift also admitted that it is important to keep the moisture on the track that holds the dirt and increases grip. He added that monitoring the moisture level throughout the weekend was crucial to maintaining good levels of grip.