Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, TN, USA
← All Tracks 
130
Total Races
66
Years Active
0.533 mi
Track Length
Track Information Short Track concrete
First Race
1961
Last Race
2026
Total Races
130
Years Active
66
Length
0.533 mi
Type
short
Surface
concrete
Seating
146,000
Track History
Half a mile of concrete, 26 degrees of banking, and 162,000 seats carved into the hills of northeast Tennessee. Bristol Motor Speedway is an amphitheater of speed, a colosseum where short-track racing reaches its most intense, most physical, most dramatic. The sight lines are unlike anything else in the sport — every seat looks down into a bowl where 40 cars circulate at 130 mph with barely a car width between them. Contact is not just expected, it is inevitable, and the drivers who thrive here are the ones willing to move a competitor out of the way to take a position. The track's concrete surface was laid in 2007, replacing the old asphalt and fundamentally changing the racing character, but the intensity never wavered. Bristol has produced some of NASCAR's most iconic moments — Dale Earnhardt spinning Terry Labonte for the win, Kyle Busch's dominance, the unforgettable Bristol Night Race under the lights. The Spring Race and the Night Race carry different personalities but the same fundamental truth: at Bristol, you earn every inch, and every inch matters.
Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference
Cup Upcoming Races at Bristol Motor Speedway
| Date | Race | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 19 | Bass Pro Shops Night Race | USA |
Top Drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway
Kyle Busch leads all drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway with 20 wins across 73 starts.
All-time stats across Cup, O'Reilly & Trucks (min 3 starts)
| Driver | Races | Wins | Avg Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Busch | 73 | 20 | 11.7 |
| Darrell Waltrip | 58 | 13 | 11.9 |
| Dale Earnhardt | 56 | 10 | 9.4 |
| Rusty Wallace | 47 | 9 | 10.4 |
| Cale Yarborough | 29 | 9 | 10.5 |
Race Winners (1961-2026)
Bristol Motor Speedway has crowned 103 different Cup Series winners since 1961.
| Year | Race | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Food City 500 | Ty Gibbs |
| 2026 | Tennessee Army National Guard 250 | Christopher Bell |
| 2026 | Suburban Propane 300 | Connor Zilisch |
| 2025 | Food City 500 | Kyle Larson |
| 2025 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Bristol | Kyle Larson |
| 2025 | Bass Pro Shops Night Race | Christopher Bell |
| 2025 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Bristol | Aric Almirola |
| 2025 | NASCAR Truck Series at Bristol | Chandler Smith |
| 2025 | NASCAR Truck Series at Bristol | Layne Riggs |
| 2024 | Bass Pro Shops Night Race | Kyle Larson |
| 2024 | Food City 500 | Denny Hamlin |
| 2024 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Bristol | Cole Custer |
| 2024 | NASCAR Truck Series at Bristol | Christian Eckes |
| 2024 | NASCAR Truck Series at Bristol | Layne Riggs |
| 2023 | NASCAR Truck Series at Bristol | Joey Logano |
| 2023 | Bass Pro Shops Night Race | Denny Hamlin |
| 2023 | Food City Dirt Race | Christopher Bell |
| 2023 | NASCAR Truck Series at Bristol | Corey Heim |
| 2023 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Bristol | Justin Allgaier |
| 2022 | Bass Pro Shops Night Race | Chris Buescher |
| 2022 | Food City Dirt Race | Kyle Busch |
| 2022 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Bristol | Noah Gragson |
| 2022 | NASCAR Truck Series at Bristol | Ty Majeski |
| 2022 | NASCAR Truck Series at Bristol (Dirt) | Ben Rhodes |
| 2021 | Bass Pro Shops Night Race | Kyle Larson |
| 2021 | Food City Dirt Race | Joey Logano |
| 2021 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Bristol | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 2021 | NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Bristol | Chandler Smith |
| 2020 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BRISTOL | Chase Briscoe |
| 2020 | Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 | Brad Keselowski |
| 2020 | Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race | Kevin Harvick |
| 2020 | NASCAR GANDER RV & OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES AT BRISTOL | Sam Mayer |
| 2019 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BRISTOL | Tyler Reddick |
| 2019 | Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race | Denny Hamlin |
| 2019 | Food City 500 | Kyle Busch |
| 2019 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BRISTOL | Christopher Bell |
| 2019 | UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics | Brett Moffitt |
| 2018 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BRISTOL | Kyle Larson |
| 2018 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BRISTOL | Ryan Preece |
| 2018 | Food City 500 | Kyle Busch |
| 2018 | Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race | Kurt Busch |
| 2018 | UNOH 200 | Johnny Sauter |
| 2017 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BRISTOL | Erik Jones |
| 2017 | Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race | Kyle Busch |
| 2017 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BRISTOL | Kyle Busch |
| 2017 | UNOH 200 | Kyle Busch |
| 2017 | Food City 500 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 2016 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BRISTOL | Austin Dillon |
| 2016 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BRISTOL | Erik Jones |
| 2016 | NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT BRISTOL | Kevin Harvick |
| 2016 | NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT BRISTOL | Carl Edwards |
| 2016 | UNOH 200 | Ben Kennedy |
| 2015 | UNOH 200 presented by ZLOOP | Ryan Blaney |
| 2015 | NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT BRISTOL | Joey Logano |
| 2015 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BRISTOL | Joey Logano |
| 2015 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BRISTOL | Kyle Busch |
| 2015 | NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT BRISTOL | Matt Kenseth |
| 2014 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at Bristol | Ryan Blaney |
| 2014 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Joey Logano |
| 2014 | UNOH 200 | Brad Keselowski |
| 2014 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at Bristol | Kyle Busch |
| 2014 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Carl Edwards |
| 2013 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at Bristol | Kyle Busch |
| 2013 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at Bristol | Kyle Busch |
| 2013 | UNOH 200 | Kyle Busch |
| 2013 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Matt Kenseth |
| 2013 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Kasey Kahne |
| 2012 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at Bristol | Joey Logano |
| 2012 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Denny Hamlin |
| 2012 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Brad Keselowski |
| 2012 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at Bristol | Elliott Sadler |
| 2012 | Bristol 200 | Timothy Peters |
| 2011 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Brad Keselowski |
| 2011 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Kyle Busch |
| 2011 | O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 | Kevin Harvick |
| 2010 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Kyle Busch |
| 2010 | O'Reilly 200 | Kyle Busch |
| 2010 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Jimmie Johnson |
| 2009 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Kyle Busch |
| 2009 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Kyle Busch |
| 2009 | O'Reilly 200 | Kyle Busch |
| 2009 | Scotts Turf Builder 300 | Kevin Harvick |
| 2009 | Food City 250 | David Ragan |
| 2008 | Food City 250 | Brad Keselowski |
| 2008 | O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 | Kyle Busch |
| 2008 | Sharpie Mini 300 | Clint Bowyer |
| 2008 | NSCS at Bristol pres. by Pennzoil Platinum | Carl Edwards |
| 2008 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol | Jeff Burton |
| 2007 | NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Bristol | Kyle Busch |
| 2007 | Food City 250 | Kasey Kahne |
| 2007 | NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Bristol pres. by Pennzoil | Carl Edwards |
| 2007 | Sharpie Mini 300 | Carl Edwards |
| 2007 | O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 | Johnny Benson Jr. |
| 2006 | Sharpie Mini 300 | Kyle Busch |
| 2006 | Food City 500 | Kurt Busch |
| 2006 | Sharpie 500 | Matt Kenseth |
| 2006 | Food City 250 | Matt Kenseth |
| 2006 | O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 | Mark Martin |
| 2005 | Food City 500 | Kevin Harvick |
| 2005 | Sharpie Professional 250 | Kevin Harvick |
| 2005 | Food City 250 | Ryan Newman |
| 2005 | Sharpie 500 | Matt Kenseth |
| 2005 | O'Reilly 200 Presented by Valvoline Maxlife | Mike Skinner |
| 2004 | Food City 500 | Kurt Busch |
| 2004 | O'Reilly 200 Presented by Valvoline Maxlife | Carl Edwards |
| 2004 | Sharpie 500 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
| 2004 | Sharpie Professional 250 | Martin Truex Jr. |
| 2004 | Food City 250 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
| 2003 | Channellock 250 | Kevin Harvick |
| 2003 | Food City 500 | Kurt Busch |
| 2003 | Sharpie 500 | Kurt Busch |
| 2003 | O'Reilly 200 Presented by Valvoline Maxlife | Travis Kvapil |
| 2003 | Food City 250 | Michael Waltrip |
| 2002 | Food City 500 | Kurt Busch |
| 2002 | Sharpie 500 | Jeff Gordon |
| 2002 | Channellock 250 | Jeff Green |
| 2002 | Food City 250 | Jimmy Spencer |
| 2001 | Food City 250 | Kevin Harvick |
| 2001 | Cheez-It 250 | Matt Kenseth |
| 2001 | Sharpie 500 | Tony Stewart |
| 2001 | Food City 500 | Elliott Sadler |
| 2000 | Food City 250 | Kevin Harvick |
| 2000 | Cheez-It 250 | Sterling Marlin |
| 2000 | Food City 500 | Rusty Wallace |
| 2000 | GoRacing.com 500 | Rusty Wallace |
| 1999 | Food City 250 | Matt Kenseth |
| 1999 | Food City 500 | Rusty Wallace |
| 1999 | Coca-Cola Family 200 | Jack Sprague |
| 1999 | Goody's Headache Powder 500 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 1999 | Moore's Snacks 250 | Jason Keller |
| 1998 | Food City 500 | Jeff Gordon |
| 1998 | Goody's Headache Powder 500 | Mark Martin |
| 1998 | Moore's Snacks 250 | Elliott Sadler |
| 1998 | Food City 250 | Kevin Lepage |
| 1998 | Loadhandler 200 | Ron Hornaday Jr. |
| 1997 | Food City 500 | Jeff Gordon |
| 1997 | Moore's Snacks 250 | Jeff Burton |
| 1997 | Goody's Headache Powder 500 | Dale Jarrett |
| 1997 | Food City 250 | Jimmy Spencer |
| 1997 | Loadhandler 200 | Ron Hornaday Jr. |
| 1996 | Food City 500 | Jeff Gordon |
| 1996 | Goody's Headache Powder 250 | Mark Martin |
| 1996 | Goody's Headache Powders 500 | Rusty Wallace |
| 1996 | Food City 250 | Jeff Fuller |
| 1996 | Coca-Cola 200 | Rick Carelli |
| 1995 | Food City 500 | Jeff Gordon |
| 1995 | Goody's 500 | Terry Labonte |
| 1995 | Pizza Plus 150 | Joe Ruttman |
| 1995 | Goody's 250 | Steve Grissom |
| 1995 | Food City 250 | Steve Grissom |
| 1994 | Food City 250 | Kenny Wallace |
| 1994 | Goody's 500 | Rusty Wallace |
| 1994 | Food City 500 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 1994 | Goody's 250 | David Green |
| 1993 | Bud 500 | Mark Martin |
| 1993 | Budweiser 250 | Michael Waltrip |
| 1993 | Food City 250 | Todd Bodine |
| 1993 | Food City 500 | Rusty Wallace |
| 1992 | Food City 250 | Todd Bodine |
| 1992 | Bud 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1992 | Budweiser 250 | Harry Gant |
| 1992 | Food City 500 | Alan Kulwicki |
| 1991 | Budweiser 250 | Bobby Labonte |
| 1991 | Jay Johnson 250 | Dale Jarrett |
| 1991 | Valleydale Meats 500 | Rusty Wallace |
| 1991 | Bud 500 | Alan Kulwicki |
| 1990 | Jay Johnson 250 | Rick Mast |
| 1990 | Busch 500 | Ernie Irvan |
| 1990 | Valleydale Meats 500 | Davey Allison |
| 1990 | Budweiser 250 | L.D. Ottinger |
| 1989 | Jay Johnson 200 | Mark Martin |
| 1989 | Valleydale Meats 500 | Rusty Wallace |
| 1989 | Busch 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1989 | Budweiser 200 | Rick Wilson |
| 1988 | Valleydale 500 | Bill Elliott |
| 1988 | Busch 500 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 1988 | Budweiser 200 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 1988 | Tri-City Pontiac 200 | Larry Pearson |
| 1987 | Budweiser 200 | Morgan Shepherd |
| 1987 | Valleydale 500 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 1987 | Busch 500 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 1987 | Tri-City Pontiac 200 | Larry Pearson |
| 1986 | Valleydale Meats 500 | Rusty Wallace |
| 1986 | Budweiser 200 | Morgan Shepherd |
| 1986 | Tri-City Pontiac 200 | Brett Bodine |
| 1986 | Busch 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1985 | Tri-City Pontiac 200 | Brett Bodine |
| 1985 | Budweiser 200 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1985 | Valleydale 500 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 1985 | Busch 500 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 1984 | Busch 500 | Terry Labonte |
| 1984 | Free Service Tires 200 | Morgan Shepherd |
| 1984 | Valleydale 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1983 | Southeastern 150 | Morgan Shepherd |
| 1983 | Valleydale 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1983 | Busch 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1983 | Free Service Tire Stores 150 | Sam Ard |
| 1982 | Valleydale 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1982 | Busch 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1982 | Southeastern 150 | Phil Parsons |
| 1982 | Pet Dairy 150 | Jack Ingram |
| 1981 | Valleydale 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1981 | Busch 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1980 | Valleydale Southeastern 500 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 1980 | Busch Volunteer 500 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1979 | Volunteer 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1979 | Southeastern 500 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 1978 | Southeastern 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1978 | Volunteer 500 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1977 | Southeastern 500 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1977 | Volunteer 400 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1976 | Southeastern 400 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1976 | Volunteer 400 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1975 | Southeastern 500 | Richard Petty |
| 1975 | Volunteer 500 | Richard Petty |
| 1974 | Southeastern 500 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1974 | Volunteer 500 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1973 | Volunteer 500 | Benny Parsons |
| 1973 | Southeastern 500 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1972 | Southeastern 500 | Bobby Allison |
| 1972 | Volunteer 500 | Bobby Allison |
| 1971 | Southeastern 500 | David Pearson |
| 1971 | Volunteer 500 | Charlie Glotzbach |
| 1970 | Volunteer 500 | Bobby Allison |
| 1970 | Southeastern 500 | Donnie Allison |
| 1969 | Southeastern 500 | Bobby Allison |
| 1969 | Volunteer 500 | David Pearson |
| 1968 | Southeastern 500 | David Pearson |
| 1968 | Volunteer 500 | David Pearson |
| 1967 | Volunteer 500 | Richard Petty |
| 1967 | Southeastern 500 | David Pearson |
| 1966 | Volunteer 500 | Paul Goldsmith |
| 1966 | Southeastern 500 | Dick Hutcherson |
| 1965 | Volunteer 500 | Ned Jarrett |
| 1965 | Southeastern 500 | Junior Johnson |
| 1964 | Southeastern 500 | Fred Lorenzen |
| 1964 | Volunteer 500 | Fred Lorenzen |
| 1963 | Volunteer 500 | Fred Lorenzen |
| 1963 | Southeastern 500 | Fireball Roberts |
| 1962 | Volunteer 500 | Bobby Johns |
| 1962 | Southeastern 500 | Jim Paschal |
| 1961 | Southeastern 500 | Joe Weatherly |
| 1961 | Volunteer 500 | Jack Smith |
Race Dynamics
Short Track
Short tracks feature close-quarters racing with higher caution rates. Aggressive drivers and bump-and-run tactics thrive here. Strong restarts and late-race speed are essential. Track-specific history matters more here than at any other track type.
Top Rated Drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway
Top-rated drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway based on the NR-Rating Elo system, measuring historical performance at this specific track.
NR-Rating Elo rankings based on track-specific performance
| Rank | Driver | Elo Rating | Races |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 1656 | 413 |
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | 1648 | 389 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 1623 | 732 |
| 4 | Christopher Bell | 1594 | 227 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 1577 | 626 |
| 6 | Chase Elliott | 1575 | 369 |
| 7 | William Byron | 1550 | 299 |
| 8 | Ty Gibbs | 1544 | 134 |
| 9 | Ross Chastain | 1539 | 270 |
| 10 | Brad Keselowski | 1536 | 604 |
Similar Tracks
Tracks with correlated driver performance based on NR-Rating analysis
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Shared Drivers
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Shared Drivers
44
Correlation
67.6%
Shared Drivers
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Correlation
66.5%
Shared Drivers
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Bristol Motor Speedway?
Bristol Motor Speedway is a 0.533-mile short with a concrete surface.
How many NASCAR races have been held at Bristol Motor Speedway?
Bristol Motor Speedway has hosted 130 NASCAR Cup Series races from 1961 to 2026.
When was the first NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway?
The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was held in 1961.
Who has the most wins at Bristol Motor Speedway?
Kyle Busch has the most wins at Bristol Motor Speedway with 20 victories since 1961. Last win: 2022.
Is Bristol Motor Speedway on the 2026 NASCAR schedule?
Yes. Bristol Motor Speedway will host the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on September 19, 2026.
What type of track is Bristol Motor Speedway?
Bristol Motor Speedway is a short. Short tracks are under 1 mile, featuring close-quarters, contact-heavy racing.