HISTORY OF THE BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Bristol Motor Speedway, nicknamed “The Last Great Colosseum”, has been a fixture of NASCAR since it first opened in 1961. Built on a former dairy farm in northeast Tennessee, the original track was a half-mile oval with 22 degrees of banking and seating for just over 18,000 fans. Even in its early days, Bristol quickly became known for its tight racing, high drama, and the roar of the crowd echoing off the surrounding hills.

Through the 1960s and 1970s, Bristol became a favorite among drivers and fans alike. The track was reconfigured in 1969 to increase the banking to a steep 36 degrees, creating one of the fastest and most challenging short tracks in the sport. In the decades that followed, the facility underwent multiple expansions, eventually transforming into a fully enclosed stadium-style venue with grandstands wrapping around the entire track. Today, Bristol can accommodate more than 150,000 spectators, making it one of the largest and loudest arenas in all of motorsports.

Bristol is famous for its pair of annual NASCAR Cup Series races. The spring race has seen many format changes over the years, including the return of dirt racing in 2021 and 2022, when the concrete surface was covered in clay to recreate the sport’s roots. The September event, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, has become a crown jewel on the NASCAR calendar. Held under the lights, it is one of the most intense and prestigious short-track races in the world.

Over the decades, Bristol has produced countless legendary moments–Darrell Waltrip’s dominance in the 1980s, Dale Earnhardt’s famous “bump-and-run” on Terry Labonte in 1999, Kyle Busch sweeping all three national series races in a single weekend in 2010, and intense playoff battles in the modern era.

Recent NASCAR Cup Series Night race winners

• 2024 – Denny Hamlin
• 2023 – Christopher Bell
• 2022 – Chris Buescher
• 2021 – Kyle Larson
• 2020 – Kevin Harvick

Bristol Motor Speedway’s combination of short-track action, steep banking, and stadium atmosphere makes it a true bucket-list destination for race fans. Whether you’ve been coming for decades or it’s your first trip, the experience is unlike anything else in NASCAR.