Stewart wants to bring NASCAR to the dirt
Quote selected text Published June 3rd, 2007 in NASCAR News
Forget the concrete track at Dover. Tony Stewart would love to drive with dirt flying out from under the wheels of his car.
If NASCAR can’t make a race on a dirt track happen, Stewart wants to organize it.
Stewart is promoting a half-mile dirt track race Wednesday night at Eldora Speedway featuring NASCAR stars Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin. The drivers will run the 30-lap race in dirt late-model stock cars in front of about 20,000 fans. The race will be broadcast live on pay-per-view.
“It’s going to have that Nextel Cup feel, but at the same time still be on a short track,” Stewart said.
While raising money for the children’s charity is the main focus of the race, Stewart would love for a successful run to open NASCAR official’s eyes about running on a dirt track, even though it seems like a long shot.
“We run road courses with cars that aren’t really supposed to be run on road courses, so why not run them on dirt?” he said. “It makes sense to do that. Who knows how big this is going to get?”
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I say he needs to do some testing. Take the COT on dirt and see what happens.
If it works, that would be one amazing race. they’d just need a big enough dirt track.
Imagine… 400 miles on dirt…
Tony,, Thanks I also think in the very same way as you do and there is other dirt tracks that could be used in the mid -west ,like the one mile at Springfield IL. and plenty of others that would like to get in on some of that action…..infact a dirt series equal to NASCAR wouldn’t be out of the question….ARCA runs on these tracks and they put on a good show…..DO IT ,,,,PROMOTE DIRT NOT TOYOTA…….
It could work, ARCA runs like 3 or 4 races on dirt a year. DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, Indiana State Fairgrounds, and New York State Fairgrounds are all 1 mile dirt tracks and they could get it done there. It’d be great to see them do something different although I doubt they will, they used to do it back in the day, why not bring it back?
Imagine them at the Grove that would be amazing.
I’ve been to the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse for the big block
mod race they have there. All I can say is hopefully the cup cars
would run a better race. I don’t know if it’s normally that boring
or if it was just an odd year, but…
William-The Grove wouldn’t happen to be the same as Williams Grove
in PA would it? Sorry, was just curious.
Being the major MAJOR fan of dirt racing I am, this would be truly
amazing. I’ve been hoping they would, and I figured Tony would lead
the campaign for it if anyone. I mean they give Nascar sanctioning
to dirt tracks, they should run atleast one of their series on dirt.
Or, here’s a radical idea, create a new dirt-only Nascar series.
Hell yes!!!!1 Wow finaly something that I agree with Tony on. I would love to see the cup guys on the dirt. We have the world fastest dirt mile here in Springfield Illinois and they race the ARCA guys on it every year and it is a very cool race. I say that the nascar guys should cut out the road courses and put them on the dirt. Most of the guys racing CUP got there start on the short dirt tracks why not keep them on it. Dirt track give a whole different elment to the race, and its not just the car that can win the race. It takes a driver that can handle the dirt. It will be intresting to see how the Eldora race does with a couple of drivers that have not raced on dirt before.
OH YEAH!!! NASCAR on DIRT that is the coolest thing I have heard in a while.. I would pay good money to see that… And I agree cut out a few of those road races at least and put the guys on dirt.
wouldn’t want them to cancel any road races for it though. Road races are very interesting to watch
WOO CUP TYPE CARS…………WOO expand….LETS Make this happen!!!!! Fans of dirt…… E-Mail Tony now….
keep the road courses.. lose some 1.5 mile tracks… those things are boring. That or cover a couple with dirt.
Ripper’s got it pegged right. Can’t talk diversifying track types
and then say get rid of the road courses. That’s what theyr’e there
for as well. Get rid of Texas or California or something. I mean,
that’s just the ones I’d lose off the schedule first. But get rid of
a couple of the tracks that are just like all the rest, anotherwords.
leave the 36 races as it is and just add dirt racing in to schedule.. i know we can race least 40 races cause they race totals 38.. why not go 45 schedule racing…
Oh yeah, that works for me. Dirt tracks all over the U.S. I’d love to see some of these professionals on the dirt track.
maybe we need rain tires for COT.. i’m sure it will work for it. I know they will used it in road course when it rain..
i like the idea
There is only one problem with all this they would have to have a venue tgat could hold 150,000 fans so id say put dirt on a track like Richmond or Bristol
All I have to say is….heck yeah. It’d be awesome.
hell yes, love or hate Stewart the guy is a true 100% racer, and I believe
if racing purists want road courses then damnit with NASCAR’S root’s go back for dirt racin for the time since the 70’s
I dont think it will happen but i think if tony, dale jr, and ken shrader got together with petty enterprizes they could start a series where that could happen and the funding to go along with it
Yeah thats true…just add some races whats a few more in the season.. I like it… I think it could happen…
Hey Tony; This sounds very exciting, would love to see it happen. By the way I heard that you are suppose to be racing at a track near me and the tickets are completely sold out. Would really love to go and see you race there, you are the greatest racer that I know of even better the Jeff Gordon. The track that i was told you will be at is Oswegga Race Way which is by Caladonia between Hamilton Ontario. I really hope to find some tickets to go and see a fantastic race that you will be in. I watch every race that you are in, in Nascar. I know with you there, there will be a lot of fun and excitment for all to have. Hope to meet you there if I can get some ticket to this race. Take care and good luck, you are the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep the roadcourse races, But dump California Speedway, give
up one of Texas’s and New Hampshire’s dates and replace those wih
dirt tracks. That way we’d keep the roadcourses and we’d replace
4 follow-the-leader races with some good ‘ol school dirt racin’.
I’d say replace Darlington races.. no1 likes that track.. not even the drivers
I like that idea KyleZ06, maybe ditch Sears point, i hate that track but like Watkins Glen
RedDevil, I like Darlingtop thanks
lol But seriously, Don’t drop the road courses, I say just cut down on some of the half mile races. Cut their schedule from 2 to 1 per year. Like California, not as interesting as many hoped, so cut it down to one race per year. Maybe it would sell out the track for once.
Get rid of Darlington? You nuts? That place IS NASCAR, thats the history of this sport. Who is saying they dont like Darlington? Yeah its a tough track to a lot of drivers but its a drivers track.
Any driver who doesn’t like that track just doesn’t like to put the
work in. Darlington is probably the toughest actual talent track on
the circuit. And it’s one of the few links to real Nascar stock car
racing that’s left.
This is nothing new….. Back in the day NASCAR did run dirt.. Fonda N.Y. comes to mind.
It would be great to see it again… Go for it Tony!!!!!!
Drop Pocono or California and lets see some dirt!
Darlington!?!? The drivers don’t like Darlington because it takes effort to race it. I don’t see why any fan wouldn’t like it unless your driver happens to be unfortunate enough to not be able to drive.
Ken Shrader, a guy whos known as the nicest guy in racing & someone a appreciate very much comes to Phx & races the half mile in his Dirt Late Model. 80% of the time, he gets his a$$ handed to him. Sure, it is fun to watch but I expect these guys could do much better on dirt then they have lately. I mean some of them won Sprint championships & cant finish a top 5 today.
oh, by the way, cutting the road courses would be the smartest thing Nascar ever did. Id rather watch girls softball if that tells you how bored the road courses make me, rofl.