Bristol News

Area hockey fans are in for a treat Wednesday, Jan. 5 as several players from the Knoxville Ice Bears will visit the Johnson Controls Ice Rink at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The Ice Bears, who play in the Southern Professional Hockey League, will be at the rink from approximately 5 p.m.-8 p.m. and will show off their skills, pose for pictures, sign autographs and give away Ice Bears souvenirs. The players also will take part in activities on the ice involving guests who come out to see them that evening.

Maroon and orange will be the prevalent colors at the Johnson Controls Ice Rink Wednesday, Dec. 15 during Virginia Tech Hokie Night.

Any fan sporting the Hokie colors will receive a free skate rental. Skaters also will be eligible for a drawing for tickets to see the men’s basketball team play Longwood Jan. 22 in Cassell Coliseum and the women’s team play Georgia Tech Jan. 27, also in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech schedules and calendars, as well as other Hokie items, will be given away that evening.

Meet News 5 Night at AutoTrader.com Speedway In Lights, originally scheduled for Monday, December 13, has been cancelled due to weather.

Proceeds from Autotrader.com Speedway In Lights benefit the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for children’s agencies in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. The Bristol Chapter of SCC has raised in excess of $6 million since 1997.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone but there are still great deals to with today's "Early Bird Wednesday" for those looking to give the gift of Bristol to race fans on their holiday shopping lists.

Visitors to the Nov. 19-Jan. 8 AutoTrader.com Speedway In Lights powered by TVA have a number of holiday-themed activities to take advantage of while in the infield of Bristol Motor Speedway. A new attraction this year, however, gives them the opportunity to see the largest display to be added in the event's 14-year history.

Symphony of Lights, a spectacular show consisting of more than 300,000 LED lights, will be the highlight of this season’s event. Each light will be synchronized to music, creating an amazing display, sure to delight young and old alike. The new dancing lights, located in the Darrell Waltrip Grandstand, will be particularly entertaining for guests who take part in Christmas Village activities. The show, which is nearly 20 minutes in length, is programmed to dance to six holiday songs. 

Autotrader.com Speedway In Lights, one of the country's largest holiday light shows, kicks off the season Nov. 19 and remains open through Jan. 8, 2011.

The World's Fastest Half-Mile, home to NASCAR’s most popular events, transforms into an enchanted holiday attraction, decorated with nearly two million dazzling lights and more than 200 animated displays to delight both young and old. The show features a 4.5-mile drive-through route that allows spectators to take a lap around the World’s Fastest-Half Mile, as well as tour Bristol Dragway.

Greg Harvey today was named Senior Director of Corporate Sales for Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway by BMS general manager Jerry Caldwell.

Harvey has served as a senior corporate sales account manager since joining the Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway team in 2009.

Recently named Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway General Manager, Jerry Caldwell will open Wednesday’s edition of BristolLive!. Also on the show, hosts Ben Trout and Jose Castillo will announce the name of the season ticket holder that wins the trip to Las Vegas for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony.

Visitors to Autotrader.com Speedway In Lights have always driven around Bristol Motor Speedway and Bristol Dragway during the holiday light show but this year, if they choose to, they also can run or walk through 3.1 miles of the route.

Spectators gathered along the banks of Beaver Creek at Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon, each hoping their rubber shark would take victory in the third annual Sharky 500.

Marlene Reiske’s trip to the IRWIN Tools Night Race turned out to be a lucky one, as she purchased the winning shark during August Race weekend. The Brookefield, Conn. resident won the grand prize, the 2010 Ford Mustang GT BMS pace car, thanks to her rubber shark which beat more than 5,000 others across the finish line. Reiske, and everyone else who purchased sharks, helped raise in excess of $50,000 for the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities.

The second round of inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame were announced today, Oct. 13, 2010, in Charlotte, N.C., and it should come as no shock that some of the biggest names in the history of Bristol Motor Speedway made the cut.

While parents have visions of a 2010 Ford Mustang dancing in their heads, younger family members have the Kid’s Expo to keep them entertained at the Third Annual Sharky 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway Oct. 16.

The free Kid’s Expo is one of the most popular parts of the Sharky 500, a Speedway Children’s Charities rubber shark race that raises funds for agencies in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

Being seen in the pit area at Bristol Motor Speedway is nothing unusual for Bill Elliott. The 1988 Sprint Cup champion has logged quite a few miles at the World’s Fastest Half-Mile.

But seeing him with his head stuck under the hood of a car – one he isn’t racing – is a bit out of the ordinary. Until Chase Elliott pokes his head out of the driver’s side window.

Fresh off the IRWIN Tools Night Race, Bristol Motor Speedway hosts the USARacing Pro Cup Series American Freedom Spectacular Saturday, Sept. 11, an event which will showcase plenty of talent from a number of drivers eager to prove themselves on a bigger stage.

While USARacing Pro Cup drivers run the gamut from experienced short track veterans to young and exuberant rookies, all of them hope to be standing in victory lane once the checkered flag falls at the end of their 200-lap battle. For them, a win at Bristol puts them one step closer to finding their way through the ranks of stock car racing.

Bristol Motor Speedway’s Fifth Annual Blood Drive allows race fans the chance to give back to the community while also enjoying some great action on the track.

Anyone donating blood during the September 11 drive receives one free ticket to the American Freedom Spectacular that afternoon at BMS. The USA Racing Pro Cup Series is in action, along with the Frank Kimmel Street Stock Spectacular.

A very good thing for Ford and Bristol Motor Speedway is getting even better.

Region Area Ford Dealers announced today an extension of their official vehicle sponsorship agreement with Bristol Motor Speedway that will now go through the 2014 season.  Currently, the dealership group is in the second of an original three-year deal that was signed in 2009.

Kyle Busch raced his way in to the pages of the NASCAR history books by using a dominating drive to claim the IRWIN Tools Night Race on Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

After victories in Wednesday’s O’Reilly 200 and Friday’s Food City 250, the NASCAR world waited to see if Busch, who had come this far several times before, could finally make his mark.

Jimmie Johnson earned his first-ever pole at Bristol Motor Speedway, taking the top spot for Saturday night’s IRWIN Tools Night Race.

It was the 24th career pole for the four-time and defending Sprint Cup points champion, who scored his first Bristol win this past March.

Ryan Newman began his August race week on a high note taking home the victory in the UNOH Perfect Storm 150 at Bristol Motor Speedway after battling with modified legends Ted Christopher and Mike Stefanik at the front of the pack all evening.

After leading much of the event, Christopher’s evening went up in smoke near the end of the race due to engine problems, leaving the door open for Stefanik to steal the win. Newman, however, had other plans and raced his way by Stefanik and in to victory lane.

Food City officials recently announced that Virginia House Majority Leader and 9^th District Candidate for Congress, Morgan Griffith has been named Honorary Starter of the Food City 250 Aug. 20.

“Food City operates 20 locations in Southwest Virginia and we’re proud to have one of the area’s top legislators serve as Honorary Starter of our event,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. 

Food City officials recently announced that Tennessee Republican gubernatorial candidate and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam has been named Grand Marshal of the Food City 250 Aug. 20.

“Food City operates 17 locations within metro Knoxville and we’re proud to have one of the area’s top business leaders to serve as Grand Marshal of our event,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. 

Six lucky fans will have their dreams come true during next week’s events when their hero, Fred King, takes them for a night on the town as part of the “Heck Yeah, I Want To Chow Down With My Hero Fred” contest.

Bob and Jack Pirner of Barrackville, W. Va., James and Donna Lamb of Monroe, N.C., and Cheryl Myers and Ian Aker of Delran, N.J. are the winners of this season’s contest and should prepare for the racing experience of a lifetime.

As the area prepares for the onslaught of race fans and RV’s, the folks at Food City are gearing up for the annual Food City Race Night.  The event will take place Thursday, August 19, 2010 on State Street in downtown Bristol, Va./Tenn.

Food City has hosted the highly popular events, which have contributed over $500,000 in proceeds to area non-profits for over twenty years.  Race Night paves the way for a weekend of action-packed Nationwide and Sprint Cup racing at Bristol Motor Speedway, one of NASCAR’s most popular venues.

Race fans look for that special one-of-a-kind item to complete their souvenir collections. Bristol Motor Speedway makes that search much easier as the annual Racing Memorabilia Auction returns Aug. 19.

A number of race teams and drivers have donated items for auction, including sheet metal, autographed shirts, jackets and diecasts from drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne. Sheet metal from one of Danica Patrick’s Nationwide cars also will be up for bids.

Could it get any more exciting for race fans than having AMP Energy/National Guard driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bristol Motor Speedway together for two nights of unparalleled racing action?

It can for fans who would like to like to be in the audience when Earnhardt is scheduled for an appearance in the Amp Energy Club before the IRWIN Tools Night Race Saturday, Aug. 21.

On Friday, May 14, Bristol Motor Speedway and many of it's sponsor partners kicked off a 100-day long promotion which will see 100 straight days of awarding lucky fans with a wide array of prizes. It's the 100 to the 100th Give-Away and it's taking place at BMS100.com.  

Tailgating is a time-honored tradition at any number of sporting events and the addition of any type of competitive contest only makes for more fun for fans.

A year ago, Bristol Motor Speedway introduced the Scotts Turf Builder Cornhole Classic to fans during its August race week. The tournament met with incredible success, making it a regular part of every NASCAR race weekend in Bristol.

Monster truck pilot Jim Koehler has earned the nickname, “Mr. Excitement,” and he intends to show the Bristol Motor Speedway crowd why during the July 29 Thompson Metal Monster Truck Madness.

Koehler, a mainstay on SPEED’s Monster Jam coverage, will maneuver his 1957 Chevy-bodied monster truck through massive obstacles during the BMS event. For him, the freestyle portion of the evening is always a highlight, and the reason he earned the “Mr. Excitement” moniker.

Ask Joe Sylvester and he will agree Bristol Motor Speedway is the perfect place for a monster truck freestyle session. He returns to the July 29 Thompson Metal Monster Truck Madness as the defending freestyle champion.  

In just five short years, Sylvester has turned himself into one of monster truck racing’s up-and-coming freestyle stars.

Want to spend some time with one of NASCAR’s top stars or hang out in the pit area before the IRWIN Tools Night Race? Fans now have that opportunity with the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Bristol Experiences Online Auction.

Several unique events for fans are available Saturday, Aug. 21 during NASCAR’s most popular race, including the Ride of a Lifetime auction, as well as the BMS All-Access and Speed Channel’s Trackside Live packages.

Bristol Motor Speedway prepares for a high-flyin’, car-crushin’ good time during the Thompson Metal Monster Truck Madness on Thursday night, July 29.

Eight of the biggest names in monster truck racing come to town for a show that will be just exciting as the ones on television. Trucks currently scheduled to appear are War Wizard, Avenger, Brutus, Equalizer, Samson, Tailgator, Raminator and Bad Habit.

Drivers Denny Hamlin and David Ragan took time to chat with media about racing at Bristol Motor Speedway following their participation in a test for Goodyear Tire on Tuesday, June 29.

The 2011 Ford Mustang, which made history when it became the first car ever to deliver more than 30 mpg and 305 horsepower, has set a new record by running 1,457 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway while averaging 48.5 mpg. 

The Mustang 1,000 Lap Challenge was designed to demonstrate that a stock production Mustang V-6 could run 1,000 laps and 533 miles on a single of tank of fuel.  With the aid of fuel efficient driving techniques by Ford engineers, the Mustang far surpassed its goal of 1,000 laps. 

Over the years, race fans never have been shy about expressing their feelings about Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR’s most popular race track. They have consistently named the World’s Fastest Half-Mile their favorite NASCAR venue, and a recent poll on SceneDaily.com solidifies that standing.

SceneDaily.com polled fans to find out which track they would choose to attend their first NASCAR event and once again, Bristol Motor Speedway, was their top choice, garnering 25 percent of the votes among the nine tracks listed.

For the first time in nearly two decades, fans now may purchase single-event tickets to NASCAR’s most popular Sprint Cup event, the IRWIN Tools Night Race.

The Aug. 21 running of the IRWIN Tools Night Race is a major milestone for Bristol Motor Speedway as the World’s Fastest Half-Mile will host its 100^th Cup race. The first 500-lap NASCAR race at BMS took place July 30, 1961.

Bristol Motor Speedway’s slots on the NASCAR schedule traditionally draw guests from 50 states and as many as 12 countries.

But as a stop on the state of Tennessee’s new Sunny Side Trail, Bristol Motor Speedway welcomes folks year-round as well.

After participating in an exciting inaugural event in 2009, three NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers will return to the high-banks of Bristol Motor Speedway for a Hoosier Tire test Thursday, May 13. The test session is open to the public.

Whelen modified legend Mike Stefanik will be among the drivers helping Hoosier engineers select the tire compound that will be used during the Aug. 18 UNOH Perfect Storm 150. Burt Myers, of History Channel’s Madhouse fame, and James Civali also will take part in the session.

Bristol Motor Speedway hits a major milestone August 21, with the running of the IRWIN Tools Night Race. The Sprint Cup event will be the 100^th in the popular short track’s storied history and tickets are still available for the special race.

BMS opened in 1961, hosting its very first Sprint Cup event on July 30, with Jack Smith taking the checkered flag, kicking off  what has been nearly half a century of unrivaled action and excitement at NASCAR’s famed half-mile track.

Racing under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. Nothing else on the NASCAR schedule comes close to mirroring that kind of excitement or such a unique atmosphere.

NASCAR's most coveted ticket to its wildly popular Sprint Cup event, the IRWIN Tools Night Race, along with its companion events, is now on sale at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Since first coming off the assembly line 45 years ago, Mustang has always been known for its sheer power and speed.  Now you can add another element to that reputation - best-in-class fuel economy.

One year after the Ford Fusion Hybrid, America's most fuel-efficient mid-sized sedan, successfully eclipsed 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas, Ford will put its new 2011 Mustang V-6 on a similar quest as it attempts to run 1,000 laps on a single tank of gas at Bristol Motor Speedway on June 23, and they're inviting consumers to be involved.

Justin Allgaier drove through multiple wrecks and spins to collect his first career victory in the Scotts Turf Builder 300 after a wild Saturday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway.

While he qualified deep in the field, the Riverton, Ill. native was able to steadily move from his 30^th place starting position as soon as the green flag dropped.

After a successful two-race partnership with Bristol Motor Speedway, Scotts Miracle-Gro Company has extended the relationship through the 2011 season.

Scotts, the world's largest marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products, joined the BMS family in 2009 as sponsor of the March Nationwide Series event, the Scotts Turf Builder 300, as well as the Scotts EZ Seed Showdown. The Nationwide event is one of the most popular on the NASCAR circuit.

Jack Roush has reason to smile when he thinks about this weekend's NASCAR races at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Roush's drivers are good at the .533-mile short track. Really good. Until an uncustomary slump a year ago, they had scored Sprint Cup wins at the legendary bullring every year from 2002 through 2008.  Since Roush teams began competing at Bristol in 1988, they have notched an incredible 17 wins - 10 Cup, five Nationwide and a pair in the Truck Series.

Time machines. Imaginations have run wild for years about the possibilities of vehicles capable to transport people back in time. One Bristol business has found the solution and will have 12 of those machines ready for drivers like Cale Yarborough and David Pearson to race in the March 20 Scotts EZ Seed Showdown at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Okay, so they technically are not time machines, but Modern D-Signs, located on Volunteer Parkway in Bristol, has created a few looks for race cars that definitely will remind people of NASCAR's past.

Over the years, Bristol Motor Speedway has seen more than a few on-track skirmishes between drivers whose emotions have gotten the best of them, much like the recent incident between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Many times the differences of opinion begin before they ever get to BMS and then, with the close-quarters action and physicality of the race itself at the World's Fastest Half-Mile, dispositions rapidly change and emotions boil over, resulting in some memorable scenes.

Fans have the opportunity to see their favorite drivers in a totally different atmosphere at Food City Race Night March 19 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Once all on-track activities at Ford Fan Friday are completed on Friday, the party moves to the hospitality area at BMS. Some of NASCAR's finest wheelmen will then participate in several on-stage activities, including a question and answer session, Wii Boxing and Family Feud.

Dallas Cowboy standout Jason Witten has been named the Honorary Starter for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway Sunday, March 21.

Hopefully you've seen our TV spot promoting the Food City 500 race weekend by now. It's all about how fans belong at Bristol. Sure, it's about selling tickets, but it's also about the bonds formed with fellow fans, campground experiences and that good ol' Bristol Hospitality. 

4TROOPS, four combat veterans of the United States military will honor America before the Food City 500 March 21 with a rousing rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.

The four military members all have served on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. During their respective tours of duty they, came together to sing at large military events, as well as more somber occasions such as memorial services, where they sang to remember those troops who lost their lives fighting for our country.

One week before his 71^st birthday, Cale Yarborough will once again climb into a race car at Bristol Motor Speedway to take part in the Scotts EZ Seed Showdown, set for March 20.

What true NASCAR fan wouldn't want to play Family Feud with their favorite drivers or join them for a ride around the World's Fastest Half-Mile during pre-race introductions?

Fans now have that opportunity as the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities will host the Ultimate Bristol Experiences Auction. The online sale at www.bristol.speedwaycharities.org  provides fans the opportunity to participate in those events and others during the March 19-21 race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The Business Journal of Tri-Cities, TN/VA named Bristol Motor Speedway its Business of the Year in the January issue of the magazine.

Criteria for the honor were: the success of the company had to be newsworthy, it did not have to take the form of an increase in revenues, or even profitability for the year, the company had to have stated a goal or goals and to have met or exceeded them, and the company's success had to have made an impact on the region in a measurable way.

Bristol Motor Speedway officials today announced the addition of four more drivers to the lineup for the March 20 running of the Scotts EZ Seed Showdown.

Dave Marcis, a veteran of 883 Cup Series races, and Tommy Houston, a mainstay of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will make their debuts in the exciting event which was a huge fan favorite a year ago.

Jimmy Hensley, the Virginia Gentleman, also will make his first start in the race, while Phil Parsons returns after competing last season.

If a ride around the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway sounds like a dream, wake up and come to the Richard Petty Driving Experience Ride-Along program at BMS on Friday, March 19.

The Richard Petty Driving Experience Ride-Alongs will be available at Bristol Motor Speedway from 7 p.m.-11 p.m. and will give every wannabe racer the chance to tackle "The World's Fastest Half-Mile." After slipping on a fire suit, participants will climb in the passenger's seat of a replica Sprint Cup Series machine for three laps with a RPDE instructor around NASCAR's most popular track.