The very first NASCAR race at BMS, held on July 30, 1961, was won by Jack Smith with relief help from Johnny Allen. The facility was held by several different owners in the early days, but eventually found its way back to Carrier ownership in 1985. On Jan. 22, 1996, Carrier sold the speedway to O.

Bristol Motor Speedway

High up near the start line is good as you'll get a good view of the entire circuit.

Famer Darrell Waltrip NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Bristol Motor Speedway with 12 victories in 52 starts; including eight straight (1978, 1979, 1981 sweep, 1982 sweep, 1983 sweep, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1992).

Billed as the "World's Fastest Half-Mile", Bristol is a fan-favourite if for no other reason than it is different. The concrete track, twin pit lanes and furious nature of the racing makes it one of the biggest spectacles on the NASCAR circuit.

The legendary short track claims its banking is 36 degrees, which is kind of like falling off a roof, but recent resurfacing has probably put it at closer to 24 to 30 degrees. The half-mile track is so small that a full 43-car field stretches halfway around the track.

There are four riders in each heat/race, two riders from each team and each heat lasts four laps of the track Generally a heat will last about 60 seconds on average, but in that time there is plenty of action. Points are awarded as follows: First – 3 points, Second – 2 points, Third – 1 Point, Fourth – 0 Points.

Billed as the "World's Fastest Half-Mile", Bristol is a fan-favourite if for no other reason than it is different. The concrete track, twin pit lanes and furious nature of the racing makes it one of the biggest spectacles on the NASCAR circuit.

The most sought-after seats for NASCAR fans are in the upper half of the frontstretch grandstands near the start/finish line. With their elevated sight lines, these seats provide the best overall view of the track, and keep fans near the start/finish line for the race start, restarts, finish, and celebration.

Top 10: The drivers with the highest win percentages in F1...

• 8: Alain Prost – 25.63%
• 7: Max Verstappen – 26.84%
• 6: Jackie Stewart – 27.27%
• 5: Michael Schumacher – 29.64%
• 4: Lewis Hamilton – 31.60%
• 3: Jim Clark – 34.72%
• 2: Alberto Ascari – 40.63%
• 1: Juan Manuel Fangio – 47.06%

Winningest race car drivers: The AutoWeek list

1. Richard Petty, NASCAR. 200 wins.
2. John Force, NHRA. 126 wins.
3. Mario Andretti, NASCAR, Indy car, Formula One. 109 wins.
4. David Pearson, NASCAR. 105 wins.
5. Warren Johnson, NHRA. 96 wins.
6. Michael Schumacher, Formula One. 91 wins.
7. Bob Glidden, NHRA. 85 wins.
8. Bobby Allison, NASCAR. 84 wins.

Before the concept of speedway racing emerged, motorcycle races were held on dirt or cinder ovals or tracks, which were often called motordromes. The term “speedway” was first used in the 1920s to refer to these oval tracks specifically designed for high-speed motorcycle racing.