NASCAR Driver Kyle Larson Says Bristol Dirt Track Is A Waste Of Time: “It’s Just Kind Of Lame”

Kyle Larson NASCAR
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The favorite to win the race and he doesn’t even like the format.

NASCAR driver Kyle Larson has always been very vocal about his love for Bristol Motor Speedway, but when it comes to dirt track racing at the World’s Fastest Half-Mile, he seems to have a very different opinion.

Although Larson is a big time dirt racer, and came up dirt racing more than most, he’s not a fan of the current Cup Series dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway. For the second time in two years, the spring race at Bristol will be a dirt race, except like many other Cup Series drivers, he’s not digging the setup.

For a number of reasons, but a big one is the windshield.

It’s an understandable pet peeve, considering the windshield makes it very difficult to see what’s ahead of you in dirt track racing.

He stated on SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio:

“The way I look at it is, if we’re not going to take the windshields out, then why are we racing on dirt?

We just shouldn’t race on dirt if we’re not going to take the windshields out and actually have a dirt race. With moisture in the track and being able to produce a real dirt race.

I feel like we’re just wasting everybody’s time, a little bit. And, not giving the fans and competitors what we all deserve.

In my opinion, if we’re not going to take the windshields out, we might as well never put dirt on Bristol again. Which, I’m all for not putting dirt on Bristol, whether we have windshields or not. The racing at Bristol’s amazing, just as normal.”

He continued:

“If we can get through this year and if they put dirt on the track again, maybe they can get a head start on trying to design something, where we cannot have windshields. You know, weld in bars or do something.

Like, late models that I run. We don’t have windshields but we have massive bars that are welded in, in front of us. It’s kinda like a rock screen.

I mean, nothing, there’s not a spindle or heavy piece of car that’s going to come through that. It is extremely heavy duty. I don’t see why we couldn’t weld in something like that. Or clamp in bars that are temporary. There’s a way to run no windshields.

I understand the safety side of NASCAR and why they don’t. Our race cars are really safe but you’re not going to have a true dirt race with windshields.

I feel like it’s just kind of lame.”

His thoughts echo what Joey Logano said earlier this week as well when it comes to the windshield, and even Kyle Busch said he was ready to cut the cord on dirt track racing in the Cup Series.

Of course, Richard Petty famously said that NASCAR racing on dirt was advancing the sport “backwards.”

We’ll see what happens this week, but it sounds like Cup Series dirt racing might not last much longer unless some changes are made.

It all kind of begs the question… if none of the drivers, even the ones with dirt track experience, are into it… why are they?

NASCAR Driver Kyle Busch Says It’s Time To Cut The Cord On Dirt Racing

Tell us how you really feel…

Love it or hate it, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch is no stranger to telling you how he feels.

Ahead of tonight’s race in Martinsville for the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400, Kyle was asked about next week’s dirt track race at Bristol, the only dirt race of the Cup Series season.

With the new Next-Gen cars, and a number of drivers still trying to iron out all the kinks and get the hang of it, you have to imagine that the Food City Dirt Race is gonna be a wild one.

So when asked if it doesn’t go well, should NASCAR get rid of it, Kyle Busch said absolutely:

“Cut the cord… as Richard Petty said, ‘dirt takes our sport backwards.’

It’s a mess… our cars, our tracks, it’s just not indicative of putting on a good dirt show. I’ve seen good dirt shows.”

And finally, in quintessential “I don’t give a shit” Kyle Busch fashion, when asked about getting Joe Gibbs Racing’s 200th win, he said it wasn’t a big deal:

“I would be special, it would mean a lot, but it’s not that big a deal… I got the most of them.”

Gotta love Kyle Busch.

Can we have him mic’d up at all times? Whether he’s screaming in a rage, cussing out his car, giving hilariously miserable interviews or even just being a sarcastic ass, he’s always good for a laugh.

I mean, God help me I’m actually starting to like him.

NASCAR Driver Kyle Busch Losing M&M’s Sponsor After 15 Years

Well, this is gonna take some getting used to.

I think I can speak for everybody when I say that it’s not gonna be the same seeing Kyle Busch in iconic M&M car and fire suit.

And why do I say that, you may ask? Because he’s officially losing M&M’s as a sponsor after 2022.

According to FOX Business, Busch’s M&M’s deal is coming to a close, and leaving NASCAR all together in 2022, after a 15 year run.

Busch said in a social media post:

“It’s hard to put into words the appreciation I have for the Mars family, their associates and their brands that have supported me since 2008.

On the track we’ve won 55 races and 2 championships together. But off the track we’ve built friendships that will live way beyond 2022.

The Mars family has always accepted me for who I am and I’ll always be thankful for that. Here’s to many more trips to victory lane in 2022!”

Busch won the NASCAR Cup Series twice in 2015 and 2019, and competed in last season’s final at Phoenix.

The Mars family had informed Joe Gibbs Racing this summer that this would be their last stint in order to give them time to find a replacement for Busch. According to Joe Gibbs Racing President Dave Alpern, the end of the partnerships is a result of Mars looking to try some new things:

“[The company] wants to try some new things, and no matter how big a brand is, they have a finite budget, so when you want to try something new, it has to come from somewhere else.”

According to Forbes, the most recent contract signed back in 2019 was $20 million a year.

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