Basic guide to local racing venues

Bristol Motor Speedway is the largest sports stadium in the state of Tennessee and the place to catch NASCAR's three national series (Cup, O'Reilly and Trucks) in action. The two Cup Series at BMS are by far the biggest sporting events in the region with the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the most attended of any by a long shot. Beyond the NASCAR races which includes the Food City 500, Bristol Motor Speedway has hosted everything from winged sprint cars to big rigs to Monster Trucks. It is obviously a multi-use venue, hosting the largest live crowd ever for a football game when 156,990 saw Tennessee defeat Virginia Tech in the 2016 "Battle at Bristol." The Major League Baseball regular-season record (91,032) was set in August for the Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds. The stadium seating, fast-paced action around the "World's Fastest Half-Mile" and overall atmosphere make the "Last Great Colosseum" unlike any venue in the country. It's consistently voted the NASCAR's fans favorite place to attend a race. Bristol Dragway On the other side of the venue is Bristol Dragway, commonly referred to as Thunder Valley. It's a unique track with the drag strip cut between two mountains. While it's not a place where national records are set, the rumble heard makes it unlike anywhere else. Known for its challenging track conditions, the SuperGrip Thunder Valley Nationals ranks as one of the marquee stops on the NHRA tour. Bristol Dragway hosts much more, including Pro Mod Shootouts, big-money bracket races and local racing with the DER Bracket Series. Along with the speedway, it's truly an entertainment venue with both part of the path for Speedway in Lights. Kingsport Speedway The NASCAR Weekly Series track in the Bloomingdale area of Kingsport features a 3/8-mile concrete oval. With the tight confines, close racing and sometimes out of control tempers, it has the well-earned nickname of the "Concrete Jungle." Racing takes place in seven classes. While the Late Models are the featured class, some of the best racing comes in the Pure 4, Street Stock and Stock 4 classes Lonesome Pine Raceway An hour up the road from Kingsport Speedway, local racer Joey Owens has done a ton of work since purchasing the Coeburn, Va., speedway. It's a little longer at 4/10-mile and has hosted plenty of great racing over the years. The same can be said for Lonesome Pine as Kingsport in the Late Models are featured, but the support classes produce much of the best action. Muddy Creek Raceway The motocross track near Tri-Cities Regional Airport in Blountville has hosted national events in the past decade. The two biggest events are the Top Gun Showdown and the Tennessee State Championship. Plenty of superstars have cut their teeth as young racers coming through the ranks at Muddy Creek. The list includes such racers as Ricky Carmichael, Cooper Webb and Zach Osborne. Beyond the big events, Muddy Creek and nearby I-81 Motorsports Park off exit 44 are frequent hosts for the Hot Summer Nights Supercross Series. Volunteer Speedway Another venue near Interstate 81, the high-banked, 4/10-mile dirt track is located off exit 23. It hosts local racing and also special events with Late Models, Open Wheel Modifieds and street Stocks. The Bulls Gap track has even hosted major winged sprint car races. The 2026 schedule includes the World of Outlaws Late Models and "The Gauntlet at the Gap" which will showcase the richest payouts in track history. Cherokee Race Park The 1/8-mile drag strip near Cherokee Lake in Rogersville hosts weekly bracket racing, car shows and other events. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of Bristol Dragway, but does provide hard-nosed competition on a tricky track.