Bass Pro Shops Night Race 2026

Bristol Motor Speedway was established in 1960 on the grounds of a former dairy farm in northeast Tennessee. The brainchild of Bristol entrepreneurs Larry Carrier, Carl Moore, and R.G. Pope was christened Bristol International Speedway and celebrated its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. At that time, the track measured exactly half a mile, featured 22-degree banking, and provided seating for approximately 18,000 spectators. Already in the same year, the introduction of a night race under provisional lighting created an atmosphere that would later become the track’s trademark.

Ownership changed significantly on January 22, 1996, when Larry Carrier sold the facility to Bruton Smith’s Speedway Motorsports Inc. for $26 million. Shortly thereafter, in May 1996, the track received its present name, Bristol Motor Speedway. Under the new ownership, spectator capacity grew rapidly, with 15,000 additional seats added by August of that same year.

Bristol underwent several major structural modifications. In the fall of 1969, the track was re-measured and shortened to 0.533 miles, equivalent to 0.858 kilometers, while the banking of all four turns was increased to a steep 36 degrees, the steepest in the nation at the time. In 1992 came the switch from asphalt to concrete, which solidified the track’s reputation as the World’s Fastest Half Mile. In 2016, the addition of the Colossus TV screen hanging above the infield provided another visual highlight.

The winning history of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race is closely tied to speed and drama. Kyle Larson has held the official track record since 2018 with 14.945 seconds, underscoring the compactness and speed of this short oval. Last year, 2025, Christopher Bell prevailed in the night race and joined the long list of renowned Bristol winners. Since the first official night race in 1978, the event has evolved into one of the most emotional dates on the NASCAR calendar, defined by intense racing in tight quarters.