NASCAR chases holiday TV audience with Easter dirt race

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — NASCAR will race on Easter Sunday for just the 11th time in history and the first time the Cup Series was deliberately scheduled to run on the holiday. The first 10 Easter races were because of a weather-related rescheduling. But NASCAR executive Ben Kennedy worked with Fox Sports to schedule Sunday night’s race at dirt-covered Bristol Motor Speedway under the lights in a bid to attract a wider audience. It stripped NASCAR of an off weekend and the Cup Series now has just one break between February and November. Drivers aren’t thrilled to have forfeited their annual vacations.