Photo Credit: Jessica Bure/SpeedwayMedia.com
BRISTOL, Tenn. (Jan. 25, 2016) — Numerous drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series spoke their praises of Bristol Motor Speedway during last week’s Media Tour in Charlotte, N.C.
The 34th annual Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour presented by Technocom was held this past Tuesday through Thursday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center in uptown Charlotte. The annual event provides members of the media the opportunity to speak with drivers and representatives of major teams and sponsors in the industry about the upcoming season.
Below are select quotes from drivers on their views of Bristol Motor Speedway:
Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88, Hendrick Motorsports: “I always enjoyed going to Bristol as a kid. That place was so unique in size, shape and configuration. To watch short track racing there was always exciting. I would feel the same way today if I was a youth going to that event. It’s a style of racing and configuration that you just don’t get anywhere else.”
Kyle Busch, No. 18, Joe Gibbs Racing: “I love going to Bristol. When you go around a half-mile bullring-type racetrack like that in 15 seconds, it’s pretty cool to be a part of all of that. It’s a thrill. I’ve always enjoyed going and hopefully always will.”
Danica Patrick, No. 10, Stewart-Haas Racing: “It’s an exciting place. I always tell anyone, if there is somewhere that you need to go see sensory-wise, Bristol is pretty awesome.”
Chase Elliott, No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports: “It’s always been a special place to go to. We had our first truck pole there. Racing under the lights at Bristol, I learned that night in the truck race that that’s one of those things in motorsports that’s hard to replace. It will be a different feel being there on the Cup side and experiencing the challenge that those cars are going to bring.”
Martin Truex Jr., No. 78, Furniture Row Racing: “I won my first XFINITY race there in 2004 so it has a special feeling when I go there. It’s always going to be where I won my first big NASCAR race. It’s such a fun track in general.”
Trevor Bayne, No. 6, Roush Fenway Racing: “I’ve always loved going to Bristol. First-of-all because it’s my home track and second-of-all because it’s the coolest track we go to. I can’t imagine how the Battle at Bristol is going to be. A football game in there is going to be insane because racing in there is insane.”
Drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series will return to the World’s Fastest Half-Mile for the Food City 500 weekend, April 15-17. The XFINITY Series will compete in the XFINITY 300 on Saturday, April 16 which will feature a new shootout-style race format for its Dash 4 Cash program. Stars of the Sprint Cup Series will battle it out on Sunday, April 17 at the Food City 500.
Tickets for the weekend are still available by visiting BristolTix.com or calling (855) 580-5525. Tickets for Saturday’s XFINITY Series / K&N Pro Series-East doubleheader start at just $35 for adults and $17 for youth (12 and under) with Food City 500 tickets beginning at $64 for adults and $32 for youth (12 and under). Full weekend packages for the Food City 500 are also on sale, beginning at $89 for adults and $44 for youth (12 and under).
About Bristol Motor Speedway:
Nestled in the mountains of northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking, 650-feet straightaways and a 40-foot wide racing surface. Renowned as The World’s Fastest Half-Mile, the short track features two races each year from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series, one Monster Truck event and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR K&N Pro Series-East race.
With a crowd capacity in excess of 150,000, the facility is expected to set a new NCAA college football attendance record on Sept. 10, 2016, when the racetrack transforms into a football stadium and plays host to border rivals, the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech. The speedway property is also home to Bristol Dragway.
The historic drag strip celebrates its 51st anniversary this year, headlines with the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals and operates more than 70 event days each season. In 2015, the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, a 501©(3) nonprofit organization, awarded a record-breaking $805,900 to regional children’s charities bringing their 18-year total to nearly $10 million in grants.
In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. a publicly traded company that is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, visit the company’s website at bristolmotorspeedway.com.
