Back Bristol Motor Speedway Catalan Bristol Motor Speedway German Bristol Motor Speedway Spanish Bristol Motor Speedway French Bristol Motor Speedway ID Bristol Motor Speedway Italian ブリストル・モーター・スピードウェイ Japanese Bristol Motor Speedway Dutch Bristol Motor Speedway Portuguese Bristol Motor Speedway Swedish
| The Last Great Colosseum | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Oval (1961–present) | |
| Location | 151 Speedway Boulevard, Bristol, Tennessee, 37620 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (UTC−4 DST) |
| Coordinates | 36°30′56″N 82°15′25″W / 36.5156°N 82.2569°W |
| Owner | Speedway Motorsports (January 1996–present) Larry Carrier (July 1961–October 1977, January 1986–December 1995) |
| Operator | Speedway Motorsports (January 1996–present) |
| Broke ground | January 25, 1961 |
| Opened | July 23, 1961 |
| Construction cost | US$600,000 |
| Former names | Bristol International Raceway (1978–1996) Bristol International Speedway (1961–1978) |
| Major events | Current: NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 (1961–present) Bass Pro Shops Night Race (1961–present) NASCAR All-Star Race (2020) NASCAR Xfinity Series SciAps 300 (1982–2020, 2025) Food City 300 (1982–present) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Weather Guard Truck Race (2021–present) UNOH 200 (1995–present) |
| Website | bristolmotorspeedway |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Concrete |
| Length | 0.533 miles (0.858 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Turns: 24–28° Straights: 4–9° |
| Race lap record | 0:14.945 ( Kyle Larson, Chevrolet SS, 2018, NASCAR Cup) |
| Temporary Dirt Oval (2020–2023) | |
| Surface | Clay |
| Length | 0.533 miles (0.858 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Turns: 16–19° Straights: 9° |
| Race lap record | 0:19.003 ( Stewart Friesen, Toyota Tundra NASCAR, 2021, NASCAR Truck) |
Bristol Motor Speedway (formerly known as the Bristol International Raceway from 1978 to 1996 and as the Bristol International Speedway from 1961 to 1978) is a 0.533-mile (0.858 km) oval short track in Bristol, Tennessee. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1961, including NASCAR races, NCAA FBS college football games, and sprint car races. The speedway has a capacity of 146,000 as of 2021. In addition to the main oval, the facility's complex also features a two-lane, 1⁄4 mile (0.40 km) long drag strip. Bristol Motor Speedway is currently owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) with Jerry Caldwell serving as the track's general manager.
On January 17, 1961, local Tennessean recreational conglomerate businessman Larry Carrier announced his intentions of building a racetrack in Bristol, expanding his recreational conglomerate within the Tri-Cities, Tennessee, area. The track was constructed with no major issues, and opened in July of that same year for a speed record run. Carrier ran the track until 1977, when it was sold to businessmen Gary Baker and Lanny Hester. The duo's ownership was quickly bought out by Warner W. Hodgdon, who ran the facility until 1986 when Hodgdon suffered financial troubles. Carrier later regained control of the facility, owning it until 1996 when Bruton Smith bought control of it. Since Smith's purchase, BMS underwent major expansion, becoming one of the largest sporting facilities in the United States.