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Feature article
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BMS still no. 1 with NASCAR fans
By Jeff Bobo
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The superstars of NASCAR stock car racing have been coming to the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway for more than 40 years, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that the track became the spectacle it is today and home of Tennessee’s most attended single-day sporting events.
Originally the the track held 18,000 fans when it began hosting Winston Cup racing in 1961, and just 20 years ago BMS held only 30,000 fans.
But during the past decade and a half, under the guidance of owner Bruton Smith who bought the track in 1996, the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” has evolved into a 160,000-seat amphitheater of speed and the most popular track on the NASCAR circuit.
Twice a year BMS becomes a city in itself as enthusiastic race fans pack every hotel within a 100-mile radius, as well as the campgrounds surrounding the track, which begin to fill up a week before the races.
In March or early April, BMS plays host to daytime racing as the NASCAR Busch series runs 250 laps on Saturday before the Nextel Cup boys take the track Sunday for 500 laps of fender-bending action.
Although tickets are sold out for both Nextel Cup races many years in advance, it is the night racing held toward the end of August every year that is clearly the fans’ favorite.
The action simply seems to be more detailed and in focus under the lights as brake rotors glow, sparks fly and the sound of 43 motors blaring vibrates the ground throughout “Thunder Valley.”
Night race action begins on Wednesday as the Craftsman Truck Series runs 200 laps, followed by Pole Day Thursday for both the Busch and Nextel Cup divisions.
The Friday night Busch race will be nearly sold out as 43 drivers make 250 circuits around the track, followed by another sold-out 500 laps under the lights for the Nextel Cup drivers.
Also on the BMS grounds is Bristol Dragway, which plays host to weekly drag racing action as well as the nation’s major drag racing touring series, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).
Bristol Dragway offers a unique experience for the drag racing fan. Not only do fans pack the grandstand each week to watch some of the nation’s fastest cars compete, but fans with a need for speed can also climb into their own personal family roadsters car for the popular “Street Fight” competition series.
The fact that NASCAR Nextel Cup races are sold out years in advance shouldn’t prevent fans from trekking to Bristol for an event. There are always plenty of scalpers to be found on the arterial highways leading up to the track. Although scalping is illegal within the Bristol city limits, tickets can be found outside the city limits for a surprisingly low markup above face value. The cheapest seats available from scalpers usually run for between $100 and $125 each.
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