Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway (formerly known as the Bristol International Raceway from 1978 to 1996 and as the Bristol International Speedway from 1961 to 1978) is a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) oval short track in Bristol, Tennessee. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1961, including NASCAR races, NCAA FBS college football games, and sprint car races. The track has been owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) since 1996 with Jerry Caldwell currently serving as the track's general manager. The track is served by the concurrent U.S. Route 19 and U.S. Route 11E, along with Tennessee State Route 394.
| The Last Great Colosseum | |
|---|---|
Oval (1961–present) | |
| Location | 151 Speedway Boulevard, Bristol, Tennessee, 37620 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (UTC−4 DST) |
| Coordinates | 36.5156°N 82.2569°W |
| Owner | Speedway Motorsports (January 1996–present) Larry Carrier (July 1961–October 1977, January 1986–December 1995) |
| Operator | Speedway Motorsports (January 1996–present) |
| Broke ground | January 25, 1961 |
| Opened | July 23, 1961 |
| Construction cost | $600,000 USD |
| Former names | Bristol International Raceway (1978–1996) Bristol International Speedway (1961–1978) |
| Major events | Current: NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 (1961–present) Bass Pro Shops Night Race (1961–present) NASCAR All-Star Race (2020) |
| Website | bristolmotorspeedway |
| Oval (1961–present) | |
| Surface | Concrete |
| Length | 0.533 miles (0.858 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Turns: 24–28°, 5–9° Frontstretch, 4–8° Backstretch |
| Race lap record | 0:14.945 ( Kyle Larson, Chevrolet SS, 2018, NASCAR Cup) |
| Temporary Dirt Oval (2020–present) | |
| Surface | Clay |
| Length | 0.533 miles (0.858 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Turns: 22–24° Straights: 9° |
| Race lap record | 0:19.003 ( Stewart Friesen, Toyota Tundra NASCAR, 2021, NASCAR Truck) |
The speedway has a capacity of 146,000 as of 2021, down from its peak of over 160,000. In addition to the Bristol Motor Speedway, the track's complex also features a two-lane, 1⁄4 mile (0.40 km) long drag strip. The main track has also on several occasions been temporarily covered with dirt to host various types of dirt track racing, and on occasions has acted as a football stadium and field.
On January 17, 1961, local Tennessean recreational conglomerate owner Larry Carrier announced his intentions of building a racetrack in Bristol, expanding his recreational conglomerate within the Tri-Cities, Tennessee, area. The track was constructed with no major issues, and opened in July of that same year for a speed record run by Johnson City, Tennessee, native Tommy Morgan. Since its opening, the track has gone through several owners and has overseen mass expansion since the current owners of the track bought it in 1996.
The track has gained a reputation for close contact racing, with its annual NASCAR races becoming staples on the NASCAR schedule. Numerous famous and publicized moments from NASCAR were held at the track, including drivers fighting, drivers throwing helmets at cars out of anger, drivers spinning each other for the victory, and other moments of close contact racing associated with short track racing in general.