NASCAR TRACKS

Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol, TN
Bristol Motor Speedway Layout
Location:
Bristol, TN
Founded:
1961
Spectator Capacity:
162,000
Surface:
Concrete
Length:
0.533 mi
Turns:
4
Major Events:
Food City Dirt Race, Bass Pro Shops Night Race

TRACK BIOGRAPHY

Bristol Motor Speedway is a concrete half-mile track in the mountains of Bristol, Tennessee. Bristol was built in 1960 and has been nicknamed “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” “Thunder Valley” and “The Last Great Colosseum.” Bristol is one of the deepest banked tracks on the schedule, featuring 24 degrees of banking through the turns. This gives the track high speeds when entering the narrow turns. Since opening, Bristol has become a fan favorite due to the close-quarters racing the track creates and the frequency of the “bump-and-run” move that has become iconic at Bristol.

Bristol has hosted two races per year since opening — The first event, the Food City 500 in the spring, and the Bristol Night race in August. The Bristol night race has become the track’s “crown jewel” event due to the event being held on a Saturday night and the style of racing. The most famous race at the track was in 1995 during the night race, where Dale Earnhardt spun Terry Labonte as the two cars crossed the finish line on the last lap of the race. Other notable races at this track have occurred in 2010 and 2017, when Kyle Busch swept the weekend, winning the Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series races in a row. From 2021-2023, the Truck Series and the Cup Series ran the spring events at Bristol on a dirt-covered surface.

TRACK PHOTOS

BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 17: Trucks race during the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 17, 2020 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - JULY 15: Cars race during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on July 15, 2020 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 16: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Direct Toyota, Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, and Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16, 2023 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 16: A general view of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 16, 2023 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images