NASCAR: The 8 drivers running double duty at Bristol

Eight drivers are set to compete in both the NASCAR Cup Series race and the Truck Series race today at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The NASCAR Cup Series is set to run on dirt this afternoon for the first time since September 1970, and several of the 39 drivers who are set to compete in today’s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway have been preparing via other forms of dirt track racing.

Among those other forms of dirt track racing was slated to be yesterday evening’s Truck Series race around the four-turn, 0.533-mile (0.858-kilometer) high-banked oval in Bristol, Tennessee.

Nine drivers, nearly a quarter of the field for today’s 250-lap race, had planned to compete in Saturday night’s 150-lap race to prepare. They had planned to compete in it after it was postponed to Sunday due to bad weather as well.

However, that race didn’t happen on Sunday as a result of bad weather either, and it is scheduled to take place this afternoon instead.

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Those nine drivers are Daniel Suarez, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Stewart Friesen and Mike Marlar. Among those nine drivers are two who have never competed in a Cup Series event prior to today.

Suarez competes full-time for Trackhouse Racing Team behind the wheel of the #99 Chevrolet in the Cup Series and is set to start today’s race in 18th place. He is set to drive the #02 Chevrolet for Young’s Motorsports in the Truck Series race and start in 26th.

Briscoe competes full-time for Stewart-Haas Racing behind the wheel of the #14 Ford in the Cup Series and is set to start today’s race in 25th place. He is set to drive the #04 Ford for Roper Racing in the Truck Series race and start in 33rd.

Wallace competes full-time for 23XI Racing behind the wheel of the #23 Toyota in the Cup Series and is set to start today’s race in 19th place. He is set to drive the #11 Toyota for Spencer Davis Racing in the Truck Series race and start in 32nd.

Harvick competes full-time for Stewart-Haas Racing behind the wheel of the #4 Ford in the Cup Series and is set to start today’s race in sixth place. He is set to drive the #17 Ford for David Gilliland Racing in the Truck Series race and start in 30th.

Larson competes full-time for Hendrick Motorsports behind the wheel of the #5 Chevrolet in the Cup Series and is set to start today’s race from the pole position, although he will have to drop to the rear as a result of an engine change. He is set to drive the #44 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports in the Truck Series race and start in 28th.

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Truex competes full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing behind the wheel of the #19 Toyota in the Cup Series and is set to start today’s race in fifth place. He is set to drive the #51 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series race and start in 15th.

Friesen drives the #52 Toyota full-time for Halmar Friesen Racing in the Truck Series and is set to start today’s race in seventh place. He is set to drive the #77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports in his Cup Series debut this afternoon, and he is set to start today’s race in 32nd.

Marlar is set to drive the #56 Chevrolet for Hill Motorsports in the Truck Series race, which he is slated to start in 38th place. He is set to drive the #66 Toyota for MBM Motorsports Toyota in his Cup Series debut this afternoon, and he is set to start in 38th as well.

Unfortunately, Newman, who competes full-time for Roush Fenway Racing behind the wheel of the #6 Ford in the Cup Series and is set to start today’s race in 14th place, had been set to drive the #39 Ford for DCC Racing in the Truck Series race, but as a result of the fact that the starting lineup formula was used, he will not get to compete in the event.

So only eight of the nine are slated to get the chance to compete.

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Tune in to Fox Sports 1 at 12:00 p.m. ET this afternoon for the live broadcast of the Pinty’s Dirt Race from Bristol Motor Speedway, and tune in to Fox at 4:00 p.m. ET for the live broadcast of the Food City Dirt Race.

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