Racing in the Tri-Cities: a guide to Bristol Motor Speedway

The Last Great Colosseum

For one half-mile of concrete in Sullivan County, racing is the thing that put the Tri-Cities on the national map. Bristol Motor Speedway — “The Last Great Colosseum” — is a high-banked concrete oval (0.533 miles, so near enough a half-mile) wedged into the Tennessee hills, with stadium-style grandstands seating around 146,000. It's one of NASCAR's most famous and loudest short tracks, and twice a year it turns Bristol into one of the largest temporary cities in the state.

The two big NASCAR weekends

The NASCAR Cup Series comes to Bristol twice:

• The spring race (the Food City 500) — a Sunday-afternoon Cup race, usually in April.
• The Bass Pro Shops Night Race — Bristol's crown jewel, a Saturday-night playoff race in September, run under the lights in front of a near-capacity crowd. If you go to one race in your life, this is the one.

Each is a multi-day weekend with Truck, ARCA and Xfinity support races leading in. From 2021 to 2023 the spring race was famously run on a layer of dirt; it returned to concrete in 2024. For current dates and tickets, check the Speedway's event calendar.

Thunder Valley, lights, and the local tracks

Bristol is more than the two Cup weekends:

• Bristol Dragway (“Thunder Valley”) — the NHRA drag strip on the same property hosts the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, typically in June: nitro-burning Top Fuel and Funny Cars you feel in your chest.
• Speedway In Lights — every year from late November into early January, the Speedway becomes a roughly five-mile drive-through Christmas light show (about four million lights, including a lap of the track) that's the biggest annual fundraiser for the Bristol chapter of Speedway Children's Charities.
• Kingsport Speedway — a 3/8-mile concrete short track running NASCAR Weekly Series stock-car racing on Friday nights, roughly spring through early fall. The grassroots, bring-the-family option.
• Muddy Creek Raceway — a natural-amphitheater motocross facility in Blountville that hosts national ATV and amateur motocross rounds.
• Volunteer Speedway — “The Gap,” a high-banked 4/10-mile clay oval down near Bulls Gap on the region's southern edge, billed as one of the fastest dirt tracks anywhere.

How to do a Bristol race weekend

A few things the regulars know:

• It is genuinely loud. Those steep grandstands bowl the sound right back at you — bring earplugs or noise-reducing headphones, and they're non-negotiable for kids.
• Arrive early. Traffic backs up hard, especially for the September Night Race; give yourself hours, not minutes.
• Plan your exit when you park — the way in often isn't the way out. Note your lot and the egress route.
• Camping is part of the culture. Multi-day on-property camping with shuttles sells out — reserve early if that's your plan.
• Know the bag rules: a clear-bag policy, soft-sided coolers only, no glass. You can bring your own food and water.

The Speedway's fan FAQ and first-time-fan guide have the current parking maps and policies.