If you tuned in for some classic short-track fireworks at Bristol this weekend, chances are you left the couch shaking your head and saying, “What a joke.” The one track that used to give us elbows-out chaos, wild finishes, and full-on drama now feels more like a Sunday afternoon drive through the countryside. The 2025 Food City 500 felt less like a race and more like a parade.
Fans felt like they were treated to a 500-lap nap.
Bristol: A Race With All the Buzz and None of the Bite
Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, aka The Last Great Colosseum, has always been that one place where things got rowdy. Bumpers banged, tempers flared, fans screamed — pure NASCAR magic. But lately, it’s been losing that wild spark. And this past weekend’s race kind of proved it yet again.
Everyone had high hopes after Saturday’s practice. Tires were falling apart fast and only lasting about 40 laps. Drivers were struggling to hold on and it looked like Sunday was going to be one of those gritty, unpredictable races. But to everyone’s disappointment, that was not the case. On race day, the tires held strong, maybe a little too strong. To every team and driver’s surprise, tires were lasting for around 100 laps, without any fall in performance. The chaos we all craved had completely vanished.
Kyle Larson absolutely dominated again, similar to what had happened in the September 2024 race on this track. The man led 411 of 500 laps. He won both the Stages and the race with over a two-second gap over runner-up Denny Hamlin. It was a proper one-man show. There were barely any major cautions, no crazy battles for the lead, and no classic bump-and-run moments. It was just clean air, pit strategy, and everyone stuck in traffic.
Where’s the Fire, NASCAR?
Fans were not happy. Social media was buzzing, people calling it boring, dry, and a joke. Even NASCAR insiders like Bob Pockrass and Jeff Gluck noticed the lack of action. One fan commented on a post by Pockrass saying, “This race is a DISASTER. NASCAR has to hit the panic button. What a joke of a sport.” While another added, “They have ruined Bristol. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.”
Ryan Vargas posted a throwback of when Bristol had dirt on it, and he even admitted to missing it.
The Next Gen car is getting a lot of the blame. It’s supposed to bring parity and make races more competitive, but honestly, it’s taken the edge off. You can barely pass, can’t rub fenders, and the inside line at Bristol felt more like a conveyor belt than a battleground. Even the tire strategy, which fans hoped would spice things up, didn’t deliver.
After seeing tires fall apart in practice, people were hyped for some pit-stop madness on Sunday. Instead, the tires held on for over 100 laps—removing yet another wild card from the equation.
Now fans and drivers are asking: Should we bring back option tires? Or maybe go back to the dirt version of Bristol for the spring race? Something’s got to change.
Right now, NASCAR’s short-track racing is in trouble. We want emotion, unpredictability, and some good old-fashioned chaos. Until then, all we’ve got is another boring Bristol race to forget.