Bristol Motor Speedway named HonorAir Knoxville as its 2026 BMS Neighborhood Hero for the Knoxville region, recognizing their commitment to providing a vital service to our area veterans for two decades.

Starting in 2007, HonorAir Knoxville, a non-profit, began transporting veterans to Washington, D.C., so they could visit the memorials that were built in their honor and receive a huge feeling of gratitude in knowing that the community was always behind them.

NASCAR star Noah Gragson was on hand today in Knoxville to assist BMS officials with recognizing HonorAir Knoxville. Gragson, from Las Vegas, drives the No. 4 Ford for Front Row Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series. Front Row team owner Bob Jenkins lives in nearby Dandrige, Tenn. Noah has two victories at Bristol Motor Speedway in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2020 and 2022. The young driver would love to add a victory at the crown jewel Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Saturday, Sept. 19 at Bristol Motor Speedway to his racing resume.

“We can never say thank you enough to incredible services like HonorAir Knoxville who assist our veterans,” Gragson said. “People talk about race car drivers being heroes because we drive fast cars, but the group of individuals here today with HonorAir Knoxville are the true heroes that our society needs and relies on day in and day out. This is a wonderful program that Bristol has developed to identify Neighborhood Heroes and I feel very fortunate to be able to help with today’s announcement.”

In early April of this year the HonorAir Knoxville made its final flight. During its 20 years of service it conducted:

  • 38 in-person flights
  • Three virtual flights
  • Flights included World War II, Korea and Vietnam veterans
  • More than 4,500 East Tennessee veterans were transported
  • Provided service to East Tennessee veterans from Crossville to Chattanooga, to Mountain City and all points in between

“Bristol Motor Speedway created the Neighborhood Heroes program to celebrate incredible initiatives like HonorAir Flight Knoxville,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of BMS. “We are proud to honor them as our 2026 Knoxville regional hero for their decades of dedication in flying our veterans to Washington, D.C. to honor their service and sacrifice.”

Launched in 2018, the BMS Neighborhood Heroes program recognizes first responders, military members, educators, healthcare workers, athletes, community organizations and others who have gone above and beyond in service to their communities.

HonorAir Knoxville President and Founder Eddie Mannis will receive the commemorative BMS Neighborhood Heroes plaque and will be recognized on Colossus TV during pre-race festivities for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Bristol Motor Speedway also is providing lunch and race tickets to HonorAir Knoxville crew, volunteers, supporters, donors and many of the veterans who participated in the final flight as part of the recognition.

“Watching this community come together and support our veterans in the HonorAir Flight has been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” Mannis said. “While this chapter is closing, the impact will live on in every veteran we served and every heart we touched. We are humbled that Bristol Motor Speedway is recognizing HonorAir Knoxville for the impact it has made on veterans and all those it has touched over its 20 years of service.”

Past Knoxville-area Neighborhood Heroes honorees have included five members of the Tennessee Volunteers athletics program, including Colby Backus and Kirby Connell of the baseball team, Dayne Davis and Austin Lewis of the football team and Camryn Sarvis of the Softball team, Billy Yates-Matoy of the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Tennessee National Guard, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Knoxville Police Department Officer Jay Williams and Knoxville assistant fire chief Robert Roshay. 

In addition to celebrating Neighborhood Heroes, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Sept. 19 will feature a star-studded entertainment lineup, including Academy Award-winning actor and producer Brad Pitt as a Grand Marshal and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and two-time INDYCAR Series champion Josef Newgarden as the honorary pace car driver leading the NASCAR Cup Series field to green. Saturday’s festivities also will include appearances by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, a pre-race concert by Brian Kelley, Bristol’s signature driver introductions featuring music personally selected by the competitors, a children’s choir performing the national anthem, and Lee Greenwood singing “God Bless the USA” as a bald eagle soars above the stadium, followed by a dramatic flyover featuring two U.S. Air Force C-130s. Fans also will receive yellow “Rowdy Towels” and unite for an emotional Lap 18 tribute honoring Kyle Busch and his unmatched success at Bristol—another powerful, only-at-Bristol moment before the NASCAR Cup Series’ biggest stars battle under the lights in one of America’s most iconic sporting events.

The Bass Pro Shops Night Race weekend, Sept. 17–19, will transform Bristol Motor Speedway and the surrounding Northeast Tennessee region into a three-day celebration of racing, music and unforgettable entertainment. Championship competition in all three of NASCAR’s national series begins Thursday with the Bush’s Beans 200 ARCA Menards Series race and the UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics, which opens the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Chase, followed by Bristol’s popular Foam Party. Friday features Nobody Trashes Tennessee Qualifying, the Food City 300 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase race and a post-race concert featuring Tim Dugger. The weekend culminates Saturday night with the 500-lap, post-season Bass Pro Shops Night Race for the NASCAR Cup Series.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit BristolMotorSpeedway.com or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.