Welcome to Bristol Motor Speedway. The NASCAR spring races in the Nationwide and Sprint Car Series will be held this weekend in the 165,000 seat track, the fourth largest sports venue in America. And you can bet that the drivers, racing cars just inches apart, will be "trading paint" in this Southern spectacle. Once again, we will be rooting for Alex Bowman behind the wheel of the #23 Dr Pepper Camry. After a coincidental 23rd place finish at Daytona in the season opener, Bowman will be looking to rebound from disappointing finishes of 41 and 37 in Phoenix and Las Vegas, respectively.
The speedway opened in 1961 and has expanded several times to reach its current capacity. An incessant roar rumbles through the Northeast Tennessee hills on race days as the stock cars travel on a 30 degree banked half-mile track at speeds of more than 100 mph...for 500 miles. It has been named one of NASCAR's loudest race tracks. Little wonder the track has earned the nickname of Thunder Valley.
Let's look into the start of the 2012 Food City 500 to see why this stadium hosts the fastest half mile in racing.
http://youtu.be/Ckuj7tTPqg0