NASCAR Then and Now - Ben White [16]
Bristol Motor Speedway
When Carl Moore, Larry Carrier, and R. G. Pope came up with the idea of building a short track in the foothills of Tennessee, they had no idea it would become one of the most popular racing facilities in all of NASCAR. What began as a simple plan to bring stock car racing to the state turned out to be the tour’s hottest ticket.
First opened in 1961 as Bristol International Speedway, the famed track has experienced spectacular growth over the decades. From its original 18,000-seat capacity, Bristol had grown to 71,000 by the time racing entrepreneur Bruton Smith purchased the facility in 1996. Smith changed the venue’s name to Bristol Motor Speedway and immediately began renovations to redesign the track and increase capacity. The modern layout now seats 147,000 spectators, all eager to see Bristol’s unique and intense form of short track racing.
Bristol International Speedway was built on the site of a former dairy farm. The total cost of purchasing the land and building facility was approximately $600,000. The grounds covered about 100 acres and included parking for more than 12,000 cars. The half-mile track featured 60-foot-wide straightaways and 75-feet-wide turns with 22 degrees of banking. Photo courtesy Bristol Motor Speedway
The Bristol Motor Speedway of today features many changes to its racing surface and grandstands. In 1992, the track was resurfaced from asphalt to concrete. Four years later, Bruton Smith bought the track for $26 million. In addition to doubling Bristol’s seating capacity, Smith added 22 skyboxes and a spacious press box, all high above the racing surface. A Guinness World Record was set in August 2008 when the sell-out crowd completed the largest crowd wave in history.
Living Quarters
During NASCAR’s early years, race fans often opened their homes to drivers and team members when they arrived in the area for the latest event. There were home-cooked dinners and clean sheets on beds, items considered luxuries since hotels were limited in many of the towns they visited. Over time, hotel chains began to spring up around racetracks, as their owners realized the benefit of offering thousands of fans (and teams) a temporary place to stay for the weekend.
As the sport has grown over the decades, the casual driver-fan interaction of the old days has more or less disappeared. The sheer number of fans requires today’s tracks to provide secure areas for the teams to stay in. By the early 1990s, drivers began to enjoy the convenience of having motor homes on site at the tracks. These homes on wheels give drivers easy access to the garage areas and a place for them to relax with their families during down times.
While sitting in the family van, seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty eagerly checks out a cake and other food items prepared by his wife, Lynda, before the start of a race in 1986. Drivers and their families of that era used local hotels in the area.
The modern NASCAR driver motorhome features comfortable beds, a bathroom with shower, flat-screen TVs with satellite reception, and a fully functional galley. Here Kurt (left) and Kyle Busch talk racing in Kyle’s bachelor pad on wheels. Note the wood panel stowaway cabinets and vase with flower on the table.
Track Safety
Racing always has been and always will be a dangerous sport. What has changed between the old days and today is what is considered an acceptable level of risk. Not much thought was given to safety in NASCAR’s early years. Little was done to the cars or tracks to protect drivers or spectators; the inevitable result was that many drivers—and even some fans— paid the ultimate price. At the time, this was considered part and parcel of the racing experience—”you knew what you were getting into.”
Thankfully,