Petty GMS Event Preview: Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt

Ty Dillon, No. 42 Gain Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Dillon at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt:

– In 2021, Dillon competed in the inaugural Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Driving in a limited NASCAR schedule, Dillon drove the No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing machine to a 26th-place result.

– Freshness of Gain: In partnership with Food City, Gain’s bright green-and-orange color palette will adorn Dillon’s No. 42 Chevrolet, marking the brand’s return to NASCAR competition since 2018. The “Smell Ya Later!” design will feature Gain branding on the hood and sides. 

– Testing 1, 2, 3: Last Sunday after racing at Martinsville Speedway the previous night, Dillon tested a dirt late model at Friendship Motor Speedway in Elkin, N.C. While making laps in preparation for the dirt banks of Bristol, the veteran racer also lended a hand to GMS Racing’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie Jack Wood.

– About Food City: Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, Food City is a local, family-owned company operating 138 retail supermarkets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama. The company serves as the title sponsor of the spring Cup Series Food City Dirt Race and fall Food City 300 Xfinity race. Celebrating 30 years of racing, Food City is Bristol Motor Speedway’s longest running sponsor and the second longest in NASCAR Motorsports. Food City’s annual Family Race Night events have contributed more than $565,000 in proceeds to charitable organizations throughout the region over the past 35 years.

– From the Drivers Seat: What are your thoughts on returning to Bristol Dirt for a second time?

“I get a good legit shot at it this time around. Last year, I was just trying to get here and have an opportunity; which I am thankful for. This time around with Petty GMS, I’m very excited to take good advantage of my background which is dirt racing and do it with a great team. I’m looking forward to the opportunity this weekend. Bristol has changed the banking around a little bit, so from a dirt racer’s side, it should be racier. I know the track has been working hard to make sure we have multiple grooves to race in, compared to last year when we ended up around the bottom. When you re-do the track along with having a new car, everyone is going to have to learn as we go. It’s the same as every other race this season, our team will have to learn a lot on the fly.” 

Erik Jones, No. 43 Tide Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Jones at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt:

– In last year’s inaugural Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Jones drove his Tide Camaro to a ninth-place finish after starting from the 24th position and completing every lap.

– The Power of Tide: In partnership with Food City, Tide’s recognizable logo, the distinctive orange-and-yellow bullseye, will be on the hood and sides of Jones’s No. 43 Chevrolet. The design, which is the same scheme the 25-year-old ran in 2021, includes a nod to Tide’s rich NASCAR history with the addition of the iconic Petty Blue. The duo will look to “Fight Dirty!” together as the series embarks on the dirt surface. 

– About Food City: Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, Food City is a local, family-owned company operating 138 retail supermarkets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama. The company serves as the title sponsor of the spring Cup Series Food City Dirt Race and fall Food City 300 Xfinity race. Celebrating 30 years of racing, Food City is Bristol Motor Speedway’s longest running sponsor and the second longest in NASCAR Motorsports. Food City’s annual Family Race Night events have contributed more than $565,000 in proceeds to charitable organizations throughout the region over the past 35 years.

– From the Drivers Seat: You have a special partnership with Tide and Food City this weekend. Talk about your thoughts of carrying the brand for a second year in a row and what your outlook is for the race?

“Yeah, we were able to go up to Bristol last month to make the partnership announcement. Tide will be on the car along with Food City and the No. 42 car will have Gain on the car. It will be cool to have two cleaning products pinned up against each other for the dirt race. That will be fun. We learned a ton at the dirt race last year at Bristol as far as what could be better about the track, what went well, what didn’t go well. They have made good changes. I think with the race being at night will be really good with visibility and keeping the dust down. They have also made some changes to the racetrack – adding some banking at the top side to hopefully widen the surface out for us and give us some more options there. I enjoyed it last year. Obviously, it’s going to be a different race car, but I think the racing is going to be similar. I don’t see this race car doing much different on the dirt than what our old car did – similar weight and power. I’m looking forward to getting back.”