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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Even after the NASCAR Cup race at the Bristol Motor Speedway is over, it is still dividing people. However, the general consensus is that not many are fond of racing on the dirt. Bubba Wallace’s spotter Freddie Kraft was one of the biggest opponents of this. In a recent podcast, he highlighted some of the biggest reasons why running NASCAR cars on dirt, is a mistake.

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He said, “The fact of the matter is, these cars, they don’t belong on dirt. These things are a 1000 pounds heavier than any other dirt car in the world. We’re running a 150 laps at least, more than any other dirt races in the world. The longest dirt race I can think of, is the World 100. We’re talking 100s of laps.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Dale Earnhardt Jr Vehemently Calls Out NASCAR Bending on Its Knees Amidst Controversial Easter Sunday Decision

He added, “If you go to any dirt race, whether its in Outlaws, USAC Midgets, majority of the dirt races are somewhere between 35 and 50 laps. We’re out here running 250 laps with a car that’s not made to run on dirt.”

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Many others in the NASCAR community agreed with Kraft

Of course, Kraft is not the only one who has that opinion. Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kyle Busch, Rodney Childers, and many others were not happy about racing on the Bristol dirt. Last year, before its long-anticipated return, the prospect of dirt racing met a fair bit of resistance. One of them was the legendary Richard Petty, who called it ‘unprofessional’ and dubbed it a step backward.

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USA Today via Reuters

Admittedly, the likes of Earnhardt Jr and Childers were more upset about racing on an Easter weekend. They did have a point, because Easter is traditionally a holiday and a time to spend with family.

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However, NASCAR wanted to capitalize on this fact and try to maximize TV audiences. Suffice to say, the experiment worked wonders, when reports emerged that Fox Sports earned 4.007 million viewers.

READ MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr Vehemently Calls Out NASCAR Bending on Its Knees Amidst Controversial Easter Sunday Decision

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Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is EssentiallySports’ foremost authority on motorsport and a founding member of the outlet’s NASCAR desk. A Journalism graduate fluent in English and French, he brings over eight years of motorsports journalism experience covering everything from high-octane NASCAR battles to the finesse of Formula 1 and MotoGP. His extensive paddock access has earned him exclusive interviews with top names such as F1’s Pierre Gasly and Moto2’s Tony Arbolino, cementing his reputation as a trusted voice among racing fans. Known for his candid opinions, Dhruv isn’t afraid to tackle contentious officiating calls, most recently defending Joey Logano after the DYL penalty in Phoenix. Before focusing on NASCAR as a Senior Writer, Dhruv contributed extensively to EssentiallySports’ coverage of F1 and NASCAR, building a versatile and impactful sports portfolio.

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Pritam Priyedarshi

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