Bristol Motor Speedway

State: Tennessee. Type: NASCAR short-track oval speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Address: 151 Speedway Boulevard. Opened July 23, 1961 (groundbreaking January 25, 1961). Track: 0.533-mile concrete oval with 24-28 degree banking in the turns. Current seating capacity: 146,000 (down from a peak of 162,000). Owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC since 1996. Marketing slogan: "The Last Great Colosseum."

Bristol Motor Speedway is a 0.533-mile concrete oval in Bristol, Tennessee, built by Larry Carrier and opened July 23, 1961 after a construction period beginning with groundbreaking on January 25, 1961. Its steep 24-28 degree turn banking and compact half-mile-class layout make it one of NASCAR's most distinctive short tracks, and it remains the only track on the NASCAR schedule that uses two separate pit road lanes. The speedway changed ownership several times after Carrier's original 1961-1977 tenure before Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports, LLC acquired it in 1996 for $26 million; Speedway Motorsports has owned it ever since. Seating has been as high as 162,000 and currently stands at 146,000, among the largest capacities of any sports venue in the United States. The track hosts two NASCAR Cup Series weekends each year: the Food City 500, run since the track's opening season in 1961, and the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, which began as a daytime event in 1961 before switching to a nighttime format in 1978. The venue's marketing slogan, "The Last Great Colosseum," reflects its steep-banked, stadium-like seating bowl that towers over the track surface.

The speedway is located at 151 Speedway Boulevard in Bristol, Tennessee, near the Tennessee-Virginia state line in Sullivan County.

Bristol has a humid subtropical climate with warm, humid summers and cool winters typical of the southern Appalachian foothills; specific seasonal temperature figures were not gathered from the sources used for this entry. Because most events are outdoors, race-day weather can affect the on-track schedule, so checking forecasts ahead of a race weekend is worthwhile.

Race weekends themselves are the main draw, with the Cup Series running in spring (Food City 500) and in September (Bass Pro Shops Night Race, held at night); visitors should plan around the official race calendar rather than a general season, since the track's biggest draw is event-specific rather than a year-round attraction.

Bristol Motor Speedway was built by Larry Carrier, who broke ground on January 25, 1961 and opened the track July 23, 1961 at an original construction cost of about $600,000. Carrier operated the speedway from 1961 to 1977, after which it changed ownership several times before Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports, LLC purchased it in 1996 for $26 million, an ownership arrangement that continues today. The track's marquee Night Race began as a daytime event in its inaugural 1961 season and switched to its now-famous night format in 1978. Seating capacity grew over the decades to a peak of 162,000 before settling at its current 146,000.

The primary draw is attending a NASCAR Cup Series race weekend, either the spring Food City 500 or the September Bass Pro Shops Night Race, both of which are accompanied by supporting events in the O'Reilly Auto Parts (Xfinity-tier) Series and Truck/ARCA series. The facility also hosts a dragway for drag-racing events, offers behind-the-scenes track tours outside of race weekends, and provides camping and RV options for race-weekend visitors.

The speedway's steep-banked oval and towering grandstands are themselves the main attraction, alongside the adjoining Bristol Dragway. Track tours, when available, let visitors see the facility outside of live race events.

Tri-Cities Airport (TRI), serving the Bristol-Johnson City-Kingsport area of Tennessee, is the closest regional airport; visitors from farther away often fly into larger hubs and drive in, since specific driving distances from other regional airports were not confirmed from the sources used for this entry. Interstate highway access serves the speedway given its location near the Tennessee-Virginia line.

Gate times, practice, qualifying and race schedules vary by event weekend and are published on the track's official events calendar; there is no single standing "opening hours" outside of scheduled race and tour events. Confirm specific race-weekend schedules on bristolmotorspeedway.com.

As of research, tickets for the two annual NASCAR Cup Series weekends are sold via Ticketmaster and the track's own site, with kids' tickets listed at $10 for Cup Series events and free for Truck and Xfinity-tier (O'Reilly) series races; general adult ticket pricing varies by event, seating section and how far in advance tickets are purchased, and was not itemized in the sources used. Confirm current pricing on bristolmotorspeedway.com.

A single race day, including supporting series races, practice or qualifying sessions, typically fills most of a day; fans attending a full race weekend (Friday through Sunday for a Cup weekend) should plan for two to three days including all support events.

The speedway offers on-site camping and RV parking for race weekends. Beyond the track, the Bristol/Tri-Cities area has a range of hotel accommodations that fill up quickly around the two annual NASCAR weekends; specific property names were not verified from the sources used for this entry.

The speedway offers concessions during race events; the surrounding Bristol area has additional dining options, though specific restaurant names were not verified from the sources used here.

Bristol Dragway sits adjacent to the speedway on the same grounds and hosts its own drag-racing events. The historic city of Bristol itself, which straddles the Tennessee-Virginia state line, is nearby.

Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) is the nearest regional commercial airport; most visitors drive to the speedway via interstate highway access, and no dedicated public transit line was identified serving the track directly in the sources used.

Race weekends draw very large crowds (up to 146,000 seated), so allow extra time for parking, security screening and gate entry, and expect heavy traffic before and after events. For any emergency, dial 911; the track's general information line, per its official site, is 866-415-4158.

Hearing protection is commonly recommended for trackside seating given the noise levels of NASCAR racing, along with sun protection, water, and a clear or small bag if the venue enforces a clear-bag policy (confirm current bag policy on the official site before attending). Cash or a card for concessions and merchandise is also useful.

Buying tickets in advance through the official site or Ticketmaster is recommended given the popularity of the two annual Cup Series weekends. Arriving early on race day helps avoid the worst of the parking and gate-entry traffic given the venue's large capacity. Checking the official events calendar ahead of a trip is essential, since the speedway's schedule is concentrated around a handful of major weekends each year rather than being a year-round, walk-up attraction.

Dial 911 for any emergency. The speedway's general information line, per its official site, is 866-415-4158.

Bristol Motor Speedway - https://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.