by David Smith

Created on: July 14, 2010

Bristol Motor Speedway, located at 151 Speedway Blvd in Bristol, Tennessee, is the smallest track that the NASCAR drivers use during their season.  It only measures .533 miles, but the banking on the track make it one of the most interesting tracks that the drivers race at.  The straights are banked at six to ten percent while the corners are banked at twenty-six to thirty percent.  There are four turns at this track.  Tempers often fly high after a race at the track affectionately referred to as the "Tennessee blender".

The mayhem actually began with the ground breaking in 1960.  The race track opened in 1961, and the first driver to take the track, Tiny Lund, took to the track for practice on July 27, 1961.  The first race was run on the track on July 30, 1961.  The entire cost of the construction of this concrete monstrosity that currently seats 160,000 people was $600,000.00.  At the first race, the capacity was a mere 18,000 seats for the patrons attending the race.

The fastest lap ever turned at the track was laid down by Ryan Newman in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a lap of 14.908 seconds in 2003.  The record for the most races won at Bristol Motor Speedway is currently held by Darrell Waltrip at twelve races.  Darrell Waltrip shares the most top five finishes with King Richard Petty at 26 races.  The most top ten finishes at the track is currently held by Richard Petty at 37 races.  King Richard also owns the record for the most starts at the track at 60 races.  The most poles won at the track top off at nine, and two people hold that record, those being Mark Martin and Cale Yarborough.  Cale Yarborough also holds the record for the most laps led at 4,305 laps.  The last record of note is the most laps completed at the track, being held by Texas Terry Labonte at 25, 036 laps.

Races that are regularly run at Bristol Motor Speedway include the following:  For the Sprint Cup Series, the Food City 500 and the Irwin Tools Night Race.  For the Nationwide Series, the Scotts Turf Builder 300 and the Food City 250.  For the Camping World Truck Series, the O'Reilly 200.  Other events that have been held at the speedway include football games that seated 150,000.

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