Bristol Motor Speedway, known as Bristol International Raceway at first, is a NASCAR short track in Bristol, TN and was built in 1960. Its first NASCAR race was on July 30, 1961. It is one of the more popular tracks in NASCAR and the all-concrete structure is close to Dover, but is much shorter. The track still boasts a 36-degree banking, which would make it the steepest banked track used by NASCAR, but the actual banking now ranges from 24 to 30 degrees after it’s more recent resurfacing in 2007. Since the track is so short, speeds there are a lot lower than most typical NASCAR oval tracks, but are still very fast compared to other short tracks because of the steep banking. The starting grid of 43 vehicles stretches almost halfway around the track.

Driver Ryan Newman openly disputed the track’s measurement of the banking in an interview with Stock Car Racing’s Larry Cothren. His crew measured it during a test session to help with setups and found it to be at 26, not 36, degrees. Cars, the 2006 Disney-Pixar movie, used the Speedway as the basis for the racetrack in the movie’s opening race: the “Motor Speedway of the South.” The track’s size was enlarged to give a more stadium-like feel. The 1st race featuring NASCAR’s new “Car of Tomorrow” design was run at the Speedway. Jeff Gordon won the very 1st pole award in a Car of Tomorrow, but Kyle Busch won the race and became the very 1st winner in a COT. The Speedway is what’s called a true amphitheater because it’s completely enclosed by seating and is able to hold 165,000 people, making it the largest in the world. The Roman Colosseum was only able to hold 50,000 people and the Circus Maximus could accommodate around 250,000 people.