Bristol Motor Speedway, often dubbed “The Last Great Colosseum,” holds an iconic status in NASCAR and American motorsports history. Opened in 1961 in Bristol, Tennessee, the half-mile concrete oval is renowned for its steep 28-30 degree banking, stadium-style seating, and thunderous atmosphere created by more than 150,000 fans packed into a bowl-shaped arena. Its unique layout amplifies both sound and spectacle, making every race a sensory overload. Bristol’s night race, in particular, is considered one of NASCAR’s crown jewels, with its electric environment rivaling that of any major sporting event.
Over the decades, Bristol has been the backdrop for some of NASCAR’s most dramatic and memorable moments. The 1999 Night Race stands out, when Dale Earnhardt famously “rattled” Terry Labonte’s cage on the final lap, spinning him out to claim victory. Earnhardt’s unapologetic quote, “I didn’t mean to wreck him, just rattle his cage a bit,” became legendary, symbolizing both Bristol’s short-track aggression and Earnhardt’s “Intimidator” legacy. Another historic chapter unfolded during the Battle at Bristol in 2016, when the track transformed to host the largest college football crowd in history. 156,990 fans watched the University of Tennessee defeat Virginia Tech, showcasing the venue’s versatility and global scale.
In 2021, Bristol’s legacy expanded again when NASCAR returned to its dirt racing roots, covering the concrete with thousands of cubic yards of dirt for the Bristol Dirt Race, the first Cup Series dirt event in over 50 years. This bold experiment revived NASCAR’s grassroots appeal and added yet another chapter to Bristol’s long history of reinvention. Now Marcus Smith, the third-generation Speedway mogul, is steering the ship, and recently he shared his plans to make the place even greater, stirring up excitement with some truly wild ideas.
Marcus Smith’s grand plans
In a recent talk with Kevin Harvick on his Happy Hour Podcast, Marcus Smith revealed his bold vision for Bristol’s future. “I learned from my dad. You know that taking risks is how you can achieve things and so I have a high risk tolerance level that I’m willing to to do things and that that they could make a difference. I’m not afraid to fail. I think that’s important for anybody to not be afraid to fail on whatever you’re doing, but the dream. I think the thing that would be awesome to do and we could do it is to put a roof on Bristol one day. I would love that. And I mean then the things you could do there it would be. Yeah we’ve got a baseball game coming up next month in Bristol we’ve got. We’ve done a football game. You know we could do WrestleMania you could have you know who knows what the biggest UFC fight in the world.” Smith said.
Marcus Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports and owner of several major NASCAR tracks, credits his entrepreneurial mindset to lessons learned from his father, the late Bruton Smith. In interviews, Marcus has often cited Bruton’s bold approach to motorsports business emphasizing on maintaining a high risk tolerance, something essential in modern NASCAR operations, especially as the sport faces evolving entertainment demands. Marcus’s openness to unconventional ideas reflects Speedway Motorsports’ history of bold innovations, from night racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway to building the colossal Colosseum-style setup at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. His mantra of “not being afraid to fail” has shaped many experimental projects, such as dirt racing at Bristol Motor Speedway, which marked NASCAR’s first dirt event in over 50 years when it debuted in 2021.
A standout element of Marcus Smith’s future vision is the concept of putting a roof on Bristol Motor Speedway, a project he describes as a personal dream. Built in 1961 and known as “The Last Great Colosseum,” Bristol’s bowl-shaped design already makes it one of NASCAR’s most distinctive tracks. Covering the stadium with a retractable or permanent roof would transform it into the world’s largest indoor arena, potentially surpassing venues like AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The venue’s unique design could support large-scale non-racing events year-round. Smith references previous examples, including the 2016 Battle at Bristol football game, which hosted a record-breaking 156,990 fans for a clash between Tennessee and Virginia Tech, the largest crowd ever recorded at a college football game.
Smith continued, “I think anything you do at Bristol is going to be the biggest at any stadium because it’s the biggest stadium right? And in terms of a place where you could have a field and be able to see it, it’s one thing to put. If you put a football field at Charlotte it would be a postage stamp but it Bristol you know everybody can see it in this baseball game. Will kind of have that same feel. But yeah, roof on Bristol would be big dream that’d be pretty wild.”
The venue’s versatility has continued, with Bristol set to host its first professional baseball game in August 2025. Marcus Smith sees these events as stepping stones toward realizing his larger vision. With a roof in place, the possibilities could expand to hosting events like WrestleMania or even a major UFC title fight, both of which Smith believes would benefit from Bristol’s immense capacity and close-up sightlines. Smith’s focus isn’t just on capacity but visibility; he notes that unlike at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where adding a field would render the action hard to see, Bristol’s enclosed, bowl-like structure ensures every spectator gets a clear view, a critical factor for field sports and combat events.
Speedway preps for Baseball
As anticipation builds for tomorrow night’s Major League Baseball All-Star game, players from the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves are also looking ahead to a unique event: the Speedway Classic in Bristol, Tennessee, set to take place in three weeks. This event marks several firsts for Major League Baseball, including the first MLB game in Tennessee and the first game played inside a racetrack. The novelty of the venue has players buzzing with excitement and curiosity, turning heads as they prepare for a diamond showdown in the heart of NASCAR country.
Chris Sale, a seasoned player familiar with special events, shared his approach to the upcoming game: “Enjoy it, but also, to not overthink it.” While the All-Star game remains the immediate focus, the Speedway Classic is quickly capturing the imagination of players and fans alike, promising an exciting and challenging experience on the diamond. With Bristol’s steep banks swapped for a field, the stage is set for a historic moment that could rival the track’s racing legacy.
The post $500M Worth NASCAR Track Owner Sets Plans to ‘Make Bristol Great Again’ with Insane Ideas appeared first on EssentiallySports.
