TheSportsGeek returns this week for more NASCAR betting, and this time it’s a special one at Bristol. NASCAR is at Bristol on the dirt Sunday night for the Food City Dirt Race. We have the latest and best Food City Dirt Race odds from Tennessee.
Up top ?
Down low ?
In the middle ?
Let's gooooo ? pic.twitter.com/aZaYMQzIvm
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 15, 2022
NASCAR has been getting creative in recent years. They’ve added more road courses in an attempt to attract the growing F1 crowd. For classic stock car fans, you aren’t going to find many that are going to opposite dirt track racing.
NASCAR is trying to do something different, and the vast majority, if not all, NASCAR drivers have some form of experience on the dirt. Who is the best option to beat the Food City Dirt race odds, though? We will get into the Food City Dirt betting odds in greater detail below.
But first, let’s go over last week at Martinsville. One of our favorite drivers at Martinsville, William Byron, beat out Joey Logano for the win after losing the lead at Richmond a week prior. Byron was fast at Richmond, but didn’t have the tires compared to Denny Hamlin in the final ten laps.
Will Byron have success at another short track this week at Bristol? This is the third straight week at a short track after Richmond and Martinsville. Bristol comes with a twist on the dirt Sunday night. Head below for the best Food City Dirt Race odds at Bovada and our 2022 Bristol predictions.
Previous Bristol Dirt Race Winners
NASCAR hasn’t been racing on the dirt at Bristol for a long time. In an attempt to draw in more attention for marketing, they added what you could call a gimmick race to the schedule.
The NHL has outdoor games, while NASCAR has dirt racing at Bristol. This isn’t anything new to sports, just ask Major League Baseball, which had their first Field of Dreams game last year.
NASCAR debuted the Bristol dirt race last year, so it’s a new concept. The Food City Dirt race in 2022 is only the second edition of dirt racing at Bristol for NASCAR.
In a small upset, Joey Logano won in a race with plenty of complaints about visibility due to the dirt and glare from the sun. The windshields are staying on, so I don’t know how racing at night is going to fix that issue.
Logano grew up dominating the Legends Car circuit, but he wasn’t a fixture on the dirt. The oddsmakers favored drivers with plenty of experience on the dirt.
Kyle Larson, who was well-liked for his dirt racing talents, had a disappointing showing in 29th. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suarez, and Ryan Newman closed out the top-5 behind Logano.
Food City Dirt Race Betting Odds
The following odds are courtesy of Bovada:
| Odds | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| +400 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports |
| +900 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs |
| +1000 | Joey Logano | Penske |
| +1200 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports |
| +1400 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports |
| +1400 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs |
| +1400 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs |
| +1400 | Ryan Blaney | Penske |
| +1400 | Tyler Reddick | Richard Childress |
| +1600 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports |
| +1600 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas |
| +1600 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs |
| +2000 | Daniel Suarez | Trackhouse Racing |
| +2000 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daughtery Racing |
NASCAR at Bristol Best Odds To Win
Kyle Larson (+550)
Coming off a Cup Series Championship in 2021, Larson has the talent to win in any type of situation. Then again, Larson wouldn’t mind if all the superspeedways were removed from the Cup Series schedule.
Larson isn’t where he’d prefer to be in the Cup Series standings going into Bristol. Despite a win and three top-5 finishes, he’s not been entirely consistent this season. Could this be a spot where Larson has a good day?
His Food City Dirt Race odds suggest that Larson could be in for a better race after 19th at Martinsville last week. Larson ran a good race at Richmond, finishing in the top-5 for the third time this season.
Larson won the pavement race at Bristol last year. He’s always brought a dangerous car to Bristol. Larson has finished in the top-10 in six races in his last seven outings at Bristol.
He’s one of the most outspoken drivers regarding using a windshield on a dirt track. Agreed, it makes no sense and doesn’t make for better racing. In any case, Larson will be fine on Sunday night.
Denny Hamlin (+1200)
Denny Hamlin had a good showing in Bristol’s first Food City Dirt Race. He couldn’t catch Joey Logano for the win, but ran a good race.
Hamlin finished behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Logano for a top-3 showing. On the pavement, Hamlin won at Bristol back in 2019.
He’s finished in the top-10 in four of his previous six attempts at Bristol, including three top-5 finishes for Hamlin. His car certainly likes the dirt this weekend so far.
Hamlin was the fastest in practice and should command your attention at Bristol on Sunday night. His 2022 Food City Dirt Race odds look right for a bet at Bristol.
A good place to be — he's fastest in final practice. pic.twitter.com/swFmlfka17
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 15, 2022
Also, note that Hamlin recently won a short track race at Richmond. His team put together a perfect race, with everything turning out well for Hamlin late in the race to take over the lead with less than 10 laps remaining.
Food City Dirt Race Prediction
Kyle Busch (+1400)
I like Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin, and I will have to both on my Food City Dirt Race card to win. If there’s one value pick above the rest I’m leaning towards, it has to be Kyle Busch, though.
Busch grew up racing on dirt tracks and should feel at home on Sunday night. He didn’t have the best effort at Bristol on the dirt last year, but it affords us better Food City Dirt Race odds in 2022.
Busch finished 17th in a disappointing attempt in the first race at Bristol on the dirt. However, he’s typically liked racing at Bristol in the past.
He’s finished in the top-5 in five of his previous six races on the pavement. Since 2017, Busch has finished in the top-5 in seven of nine races, including three wins.
Busch was his second in practice, only slightly behind Hamlin. After a trip on the dirt at Bristol and learning from his mistakes last year, Busch likely responds well in 2022. His Food City Dirt Race betting odds present good value.
