Bristol Winter 2012 • volume 5, Issue 3
Motor Speedway & Dragway
What A Week! 2012 August Race Week Recap
Destinations Great Smoky Mountains
Winter Wonder 2012/2013 Speedway In Lights
2013 Preview Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Denny Hamlin Winner • 2012 IRWIN Tools Night Race
Bristol Magazine Winter 2012
Contents Section Title
Features
14
10
What A Week! IRWIN Tools Night Race Weekend Recap
Thunder Valley 2013 Date Set
3
Letter From Jerry
8
Product Spotlights
Here’s To A Great Year!
IRWIN Tools, Slawsa & More
29 6
33
Winter Wonder Speedway in Lights
7
Contest Chow Down with Fred
25
Season Tickets Payment Plans Available
Destinations Smoky Mountains
Memory Lane 1991 Valleydale Meats 500
39
“It’s Bristol Baby!” Teamwork
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
1
Section Title
Story Title
Bristol’s best drivers count on us for their care.
Section Subhead
So can you.
The exclusive medical care provider for Bristol Motor Speedway • Infield Care Center • Five Fan Care Centers • WellmontOne and Med-Flight II air transport services • Regional EMS partners • Two fully equipped trauma centers just minutes away • Lifesaving AEDs provided courtesy of Philips Healthcare • WellmontOne base located at the speedway
Wellmont Nurse Connection 1-877-230-NURSE • wellmont.org
Your health. Our mission. 2
Winter 2012
We deliver superior health care with compassion.
Letter From Jerry
Here’s To A Great Year!
Dear Race Fans: Now that the 2012 race season at Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway is complete, I’ve had some time to reflect on our year. And let me tell you, it was an incredible year! I’m sure you realize it, but you are the reason 2012 was such an amazing year for us. We made some changes to the track surface between our NASCAR events and it seems most of you are really happy with what we did. Trust me, what you think, and how you feel about Bristol is always vital to any plans we make. You’re the reason we’re in business, you’re the reason for our success -- so when it comes to making big decisions about Bristol, we take your feedback to heart. Many of you take the time to write or call, either me or someone else here on our staff, and I can’t tell you how much we appreciate that. Many of the fan-friendly improvements and additions we’ve made here over the years are a direct result of your thoughts, ideas and comments. We always appreciate your input so keep it comin’! While it’ll be several months before we welcome you back in March for the Food City 500 race weekend, there’s still a lot going on at Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway this fall and winter. I know many of you have been here for Speedway In Lights, our biggest fund-raiser each year for the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, and I hope you’ll come back if you get a chance. There’s really nothing like it anywhere and when you throw in a couple million lights and hundreds of animated displays, it’s one of the largest holiday shows in the country. If you can’t tell, we’re pretty proud of this event. In the 15 years we’ve had Speedway In Lights, more than $7 million has been raised for children’s agencies in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Not only do visitors to the show get to give back to the community, but they also have a lot of fun on the four-mile drive-through route which features a lap around the World’s Fastest Half-Mile and a trip through Thunder Valley. Speedway In Lights opens Nov. 16 and runs through Jan. 5. While you’re here, you also can ice skate at the Johnson Controls Ice Rink and make a few runs down HVAC Chill Hill, both of which also benefit Speedway Children’s Charities. There’s something for everybody, young and old alike. It’s a great way to spend an evening with the entire family, so I hope you can visit and take part in the holiday fun. One more thing you’ve likely already noticed… we’ve redesigned this magazine in hopes of giving you an even better, more informative product. I hope you like it and will let me know what you think. After all, this is YOUR magazine, and we want you to enjoy it! In closing, I’d like to wish each and every one of you a blessed and joyous Christmas and a very happy New Year, too. And before you know it, it’ll be race time again at Bristol. Personally, I can’t wait until March when we can welcome you back home to Bristol! Thank you for making Bristol the best!
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
3
Contents
Departments
151 Speedway Blvd. Bristol, Tenn. 37620 P.O. Box 3966 Bristol, Tenn., 37625 Chairman/CEO...........................O. Bruton Smith EVP/General Manager................... Jerry Caldwell VP/General Counsel....................... Julie Bennett VP/Consumer Group...................Logan McCabe VP/Events........................................Wayne Estes VP/Finance........................................... Fred King VP/Ops. & Development................ Scott Hatcher VP/Safety & Asset Management........Dede Hash VP/Ticketing Operations................. Evelyn Hicks VP/Corporate Sales......................... Greg Harvey Sr. Dir. Guest Relations......................... Ben Trout Sr. Dir. Events.................................Tanyua Kerns Sr. Dir. Operations...............................Billy Kerns Dir. Brand Management..................Drew Bedard Dir. Ticket Sales............................. Landon Owen COMMUNICATIONS VP/Communications..................... Kevin Triplett Sr. Director Media/Comm................Lori Worley Manager Media/Comm..................Wes Ramey BRISTOL MAGAZINE Magazine Editor...........................Drew Bedard Copy Editor.....................................Lori Worley Graphics/Design........................Patrick Savage Archives/Research.........................Wes Ramey
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Bristol Motor Speedway is a subsidiary of Speedway Motorsports, LLC. Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company owns and operates the following premiere speedways: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, and Texas Motor Speedway. The Company provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiary, and manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars through its 600 Racing subsidiary. The Company also owns Performance Racing Network (PRN), which broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to more than 725 radio stations nationwide including Sirius and NASCAR.com. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www. gospeedway.com.
Do you have article ideas or comments for upcoming issues? Send your suggestions to: Drew Bedard dbedard@bristolmotorspeedway.com 4
Winter 2012
Section Subhead
Section Title
Story Title
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
5
Contest
Simply Delicious
with
Fred King
cious
Chow Down with Fred
Deli y l p m i S
By: Fred King
Who said, “You can’t go home again?” Well, nobody actually said it, it’s just the title of a novel written by Thomas Wolfe, but I needed something clever to segue into my new / old gig for the Bristol magazine. You see, my days of critiquing cheesy racing movies are finished and it’s time to go back to my roots….that being, providing you fine visitors to the Tri-Cities’ area up to date information on where to eat while attending your favorite Bristol race. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, the short answer is that I began my career years ago reviewing a local restaurant each issue, and I’m getting tired of eating popcorn and want to get back to scarfing up some real grub. Besides, I can’t locate any more Elvis racing flicks to skewer. So this is how it works. Each issue I will take you on a tour of one of the TriCities unique restaurants so that during your next visit, should it come to pass that you’ve just had enough of your campmate’s “world famous” deep fried, buffalo style ravioli fritters, you’ll have a backup plan within close proximity (that is, assuming you are camping or staying in close proximity to the restaurant I happen to be reviewing that issue).
For this issue, we’ll just amble on down the road a mile or so toward Bristol and take in the offerings of a little delicatessen named “Simply Delicious.” This place has been a favorite of the employees of BMS for going on two decades, and you can pretty much find at least a couple of us there at noon on any given day. Since the owner, Larry, is a genuine Yankee, the menu features pretty much everything that you would find at one of the famous New York delis and a few items that are particularly unique to this particular restaurant. For instance, you can order the Shelby or Crabby Angela sandwiches named after the owner’s daughters (apparently Angela was a little cranky at times). Or you can sample salads and platters named after famous BMS employees. Currently, I am negotiating with Larry on the naming rights for a really special item I developed in my own kitchen one night at about 1:30am. You can eat in or carry out and “Simply” (as Locals call it) has a large selection of items you can take back to the room or campsite including desserts, cold cuts, cheeses, bread, soups, and deli salads. Who knows? You might even run into Bruton Smith if you happen to be there during race week since “Simply” is also referred to as the Speedway Club and Mr. Smith has been known to make an
appearance at some time during each race week. Now, while I may have retired as a film critic and reverted back to my real passion, that is, eating and spilling the beans about it (clever food related reference to my new gig as restaurant reviewer, huh?), nothing else has changed. I’ll still offer up some great contests throughout the year and will cap it off with everyone’s favorite “Heck Yeah, I Want to Chow Down With My Hero, Fred” contest. For those of you that don’t know what I am talking about, here’s how it works. Each year for the past 11 years, my wife and I have taken three winning couples to dinner on Thursday of the August Night Race Week. Now, that might not sound like such a big deal, but in addition to dinner each person in our party will receive a gift bag containing well over $250 worth of merchandise, and to top it off, everyone will also receive a pit pass allowing them access to the BMS infield between 1 and 5pm the afternoon of the Sprint Cup race. Pretty neat huh? Oh, wait a minute…. not only do I take you to the best restaurant in the Tri-Cities’ area, The Troutdale Dining Room; I pick you up in my chauffeured limousine. So I’m guessing right about now you’re asking “How do I get in on that?” Well... see below and find out how.
ENTER TO WIN: To enter, just e-mail (fred@bristolmotorspeedway.com) or mail me your reason why you would like to chow down with me next August. Include your name, address and phone number for contact purposes. Sometime around the first week in August 2013, I will choose three names, and those lucky fans (and their guest) will join me for dinner on Thursday of the IRWIN Tools Night race week. I’ll pick you up in the aforementioned limo, give you a bunch of free stuff, and take you to dinner at one of the area’s finest restaurants. You’ll meet new friends, have a great time, and will get that rare opportunity to experience the race like you never have before, with pit passes allowing you access to the BMS infield the afternoon of the Sprint Cup race.
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Winter 2012
Memory Lane
Crazy Day @ BMS
Bristol
1991 Valleydale Meats 500
Memory Lane
Ricky Rudd
Rusty Wallace
Darrell Waltrip
By: Kevin Triplett
Rusty Wallace started first and finished there, but it sure was easier said than done. Between the start and finish of the April 14, 1991 Valleydale Meats 500 came frustration, cautions, more frustration, a red flag, some pointed words and pointed fingers and finally the checkered flag – which couldn’t come soon enough.
continued to experiment with pit road safety rules after a fatality in the final race of 1990. When the tour came to Bristol, teams pitted based on where they qualified. Odd number qualifiers pitted on one lap and even numbers on the next and then they alternated each pit stop. And at the first short-track race of the season, the fuses of frustration were lit.
During the fracas, Wallace lost two laps to the leaders, only to make it up with the help of a good race car and the pit rules. A red flag after 458 laps saw Allison back in the lead and hoping the rain would continue. But when racing did resume, Wallace and Ernie Irvan moved to the front, swapping the lead four times in the last 41 laps. In the end, it was the reverse of the previous August with Irvan chasing Wallace, instead of the other Davey Allison and Darrell Waltrip got way around, as the two battled to the together, resulting in a penalty for Allison, checkered flag. who was sent to the rear of the field.
Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd, the early-season point leader, swapped the lead 16 times in the first 118 laps, but on “I guess it’s ok if you’re Darrell Waltrip, the track was not the only place where but not anybody else,” Allison said. the action was heated. Pit road held its own frustrations. Waltrip said he was glad Allison was penalized, but the pit road rules were Six races into the season, NASCAR making drivers “do stupid things.”
Two years after winning the series title, it was the first win for Wallace’s new race team with partner Roger Penske. Allison, Mark Martin and Rudd rounded out the top five in that order.
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
7
Product Spotlights
irwin Tools & slawsa
IRWIN Marples Woodworking Series Saw Blades The new IRWIN® Marples® Woodworking Series saw blades deliver the precision and accuracy needed for fine finish work in a wide range of materials. Made in Italy, these woodworking blades are crafted to the highest design standards for precision and accuracy. The laser-cut, thin kerf design features extra-sharp, oversized carbide teeth for long life and multiple re-sharpenings. Engineered with a heat-resistant, non-stick coating, these blades reduce gumming for cleaner, truer cuts and provide extended life and a flawless finish. Featuring 10” and 12” blades and a Stacked Dado Set, the line ranges in price from $28-$130.
8
Winter 2012
Slawsa... The Ultimate Tailgate, Gourmet Topping Slawsa is the ultimate tailgate topper and a condiment that may just change your life. A cross between “slaw” and “salsa,” Slawsa is addictive atop hotdogs, brats, burgers, pulled pork, pintos, fish, as a spread for sandwiches or as a dip for tortilla chips. If you top it with slaw or eat it with salsa, you’ll love it with Slawsa. Friends don’t let friends tailgate without Slawsa: fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free and contains far less sodium than traditional condiments. As raved about by radio personalities John Boy & Billy and Rick and Bubba. Visit www.slawsa.com for more details and locations.
Cocktails
Ole Smoky, The Official Moonshine of BMS
Ole-New Fashion 1 oz Ole Smoky® Original Moonshine ½ oz Amaretto ¼ oz Simple Syrup 3 dash(es) Bitters 1 piece orange peel 1 Ole Smoky® Moonshine Cherries™
Cold Weather , Holiday recipes
y a d Holi
• • • • • •
1. Stir ingredients into a shaker with ice
ils a t k Coc
2. Strain into rocks glass 3. Serve chilled, neat; garnished with Orange Peel and Moonshine Cherry™
Cinnamon Toast-ed • • • •
1 ¼ oz Ole Smoky® Apple Pie Moonshine™ 6 oz Hot Apple Cider 1 Tablespoon Sugar 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon 1. Add hot apple cider and Ole Smoky® Apple Pie Moonshine™ to a mug rimmed with sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Hot Buttered Shine • • • • • • •
Pat(s) of butter ½ Tablespoon Vanilla ½ Tablespoon Cinnamon & Allspice Pinch of Nutmeg 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar ½ Cup of Pineapple Juice 1 oz Ole Smoky® White Lightnin’™ 1. Heat ½ cup pineapple juice with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Heat till brown sugar dissolves. 2. Add 1 oz Ole Smoky® White Lightnin’ ™
Proudly Brewed in
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
3. Sprinkle vanilla, cinnamon, allspice & nutmeg on pat of butter . Float pat of butter on top as garnish.
SHINE RESPONSIBLY ® Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
9
Section Subhead Section Title
Story Title
10
Winter 2012
PREVIEW: 2013 FORD NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS NHRA returns to Bristol Dragway June 14-16, 2013, for one of the most popular stops for NHRA, the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by the TriCities Area Ford Dealers on Father’s Day Weekend. NHRA’s trademark stop at Bristol Dragway on Father’s Day weekend has proved to be the perfect time for fans and racers alike to visit Thunder Valley. With 8,000 horsepower machines and fan-friendly amenities, there is no better gift for any father.
The promotion is limited to two free junior tickets per adult ticket. Junior weekend combo ticket prices have been lowered to reflect the free Sunday admission.
build a great following with NHRA fans. “The drivers and crews really are the most accessible you will find in sports, and they go out of their way to make the fans feel welcome. We are proud to host To take advantage of the offer, adult our friends from NHRA once again on tickets for the event must be purchased Father’s Day in 2013.” by Thursday, June 13, at 5 p.m. The 2013 edition of the Ford Thunder Special adult ticket pricing also is Valley Nationals marks the 13th annual available on Father’s Day Sunday, event in Bristol. with several sections of grandstand seating beginning at just $20 in honor Every grandstand ticket is also a pit pass, of the day. Tickets make, not only the which allows fans an up-close look at perfect Father’s Day gift, but the perfect the crews as they tune the cars between Christmas gift for any racing fan in the rounds. Pit access also gives fans and opportunity to meet their favorite drivers, family. pose for pictures and collect autographs. Jerry Caldwell, Bristol Dragway To make attending the race even easier, Executive Vice President and General the Bristol Dragway ticket office can Manager, said the date provides the place tickets on an interest-free payment plan if desired. perfect family get-together.
Because of the special day, Dragway officials plan several unique Father’s Day-themed events that coincide with the race. Additionally, the summer date provides families the chance to plan a vacation to include all the excitement of “We have built a great tradition with our To purchase tickets, please call the the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. NHRA event on Father’s Day weekend,” Bristol ticket office at 855-773-5324 or Caldwell said. “There truly is no better visit www.thundervalleytix.com. In celebration of Father’s Day, Sunday’s way to celebrate the special day than junior tickets (Ages 12 and under) with the entire family at Bristol Dragway. will be free with the purchase of With our Fan Fest autograph party, an advance adult admission ticket. Father’s Day Track Walk and Friday night qualifying session, we have been able to
Friday
Sections A - D $30 Adult / $10 Junior Sections E - U $35 Adult / $10 Junior Thunder Terrace $35 Adult / $10 Junior
Saturday
Sections A - D $45 Adult / $15 Junior Sections E - U $55 Adult / $25 Junior Thunder Terrace $55 Adult / $25 Junior
Weekend combos
Sections A - B $79 Adult / $25 (Advance) $30 (After June 14) Junior Section C – D $95 Adult/ $25 (Advance) $30 (After June 14) Junior Sections E - P $120 Adult / $35 (Advance) $40 (After June 14) Junior Sections Q – U $95 Adult/$25 (Advance) $30 (After June 14) Junior Thunder Terrace $120 Adult / $35 (Advance) ($40 After June 14) Junior
Thunder Valley Club
Admission for three days is $300 for adults and $100 for juniors.
Bruton’s Suite
Three-day admission is $450 for both adults and juniors.
Sunday
Sections A- B $20 Adult / Free Junior (Purchase by June 14; $5 after) Sections C - D $45 Adult / Free Junior (Purchase by June 14; $5 after) Section E – P $55 Adult/ Free Junior (Purchase by June 14; $5 after) Section Q – U $20 Adult/ Free Junior (Purchase by June 14; $5 after) Thunder Terrace $55 Adult / Free Junior (Purchase by June 14; $5 after)
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
11
Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Bristol Dragway
2013 Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Bristol Dragway
2012 In Pictures
12
Winter 2012
Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Bristol Dragway
2012 In Pictures
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
13
Take your experience to the next level
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423-989-6946
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Blowing Rock, North Carolina | 800-243-8652 | www.Chetola.com 14
Winter 2012
Section Subhead
Section Title
Story Title
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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Photos by: CIA, King College & Patrick Savage
Section Subhead Section Title
Story Title
What A Week! August 2012 Recap
16
Winter 2012
August 2012 Recap
Speedway
What A Week!
By: Wes Ramey
In the end, four drivers picked up their first career wins at BMS, while several drivers left with their blood boiling. One in particular almost left without his helmet. The weekend certainly was not without a multitude of storylines. UNOH Perfect Storm 150 Madness began as soon as the Whelen Modifieds took to the track for the aptly named UNOH Perfect Storm 150. On what became a wacky Wednesday night at BMS, pole sitter Ron Silk survived several cautions, and a bit of controversy, to come home the winner at the end of the race. After just three laps, the carnage started as Sprint Cup Series competitor Ryan Newman lost control in the third turn. The spinning Newman, who was looking for his third consecutive win in the event, caused a massive pileup which was highlighted by John Smith’s machine climbing over the spinning car of Rowan Pennink along the frontstretch. More than 20 cars were involved in the chaos, but each of the drivers walked away without injury. Open wheels and high banks obviously created a flurry of action for the modified competitors. Eight cautions slowed the
race, with one of the most contentious “I don’t think I did anything wrong. I’ve moments coming just after the final done things like that after a race, too. We aren’t doing this for the money. We are yellow flag came out. doing it for pride. I think I was in the right, NASCAR officials displayed the caution but if the video shows otherwise, I will for Ted Christopher’s stalled machine. take the responsibility. With the yellow flag waving, Todd Szegedy, in the UNOH-sponsored Ford, “This is pretty important; we have spun off the nose of Silk. Officials ruled struggled here the last few years. To get the spin occurred just seconds before close to right; it is good. It will be a much the caution was called. Szegedy and better ride back to Connecticut.” team argued the field was already frozen under the yellow. Szegedy explained his frustration with the incident following the event. Szegedy, who had one of the fastest cars of the night, appeared on his way to victory before the incident. After the ‘I don’t know if I came down ensuing restart, Szegedy weaved his on him. I was mad and had way through the pack, passing cars to vent my anger...’ high and low, desperately trying to - Todd Szegedy reach the front. Despite an enraged Szegedy streaking through the field, Silk managed to lay claim to his ninth career “I have no idea what happened,” he said. Whelen Modified victory, his second of “I don’t know if I came down on him. I the season and first at BMS. Szegedy was mad and had to vent my anger (on the cool down lap). Racing is pretty finished an impressive second. humbling. What are you going to do? During the cool down lap, Szegedy spun It sucks. We put on a good show for Silk’s car to express his displeasure the UNOH folks. Second is better than with the contact which occurred under wrecking. I guess it could have been worse. I did all I could to win the race, caution. but came up short.” “I got a run on him off two and got my nose in there,” Silk explained from “There was confusion about the contact. Victory Lane. “I kept it in there and he I guess the caution didn’t come out (Szegedy) came across the nose. I guess before my spin… I was going around the he was going to see if I was going to lift outside and trying to pass as many cars and I didn’t. I’m sorry it happened...” as I could after the restart. If I had five more laps, I would have gotten him.” Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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What A Week!
August 2012 recap
Speedway
UNOH 200
Just as everyone caught their breath following the modified event, the upand-coming stars of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series took to the track for their 200-lap event, the second stanza of the Wednesday doubleheader. Timothy Peters put on a clinic in the UNOH 200, leading every lap en route to his first career win at BMS. Peters started from the second position, but wrestled the lead from pole sitter Cale Gale on the very first lap. Peters was able to hold on to the top spot throughout the event, even through a round of yellow flag pit stops. A late rash of cautions kept the field close, forcing Peters to race hard to earn the win. In one incident, Todd Bodine and Gale came together off of turn two, cutting the left rear tire on Bodine’s truck. Bodine spun hard in to the outside wall. A few laps later, Gale suffered the same fate, getting turned around on the backstretch after several trucks bunched up in a tight race for the top positions. Gale slid hard in to the inside wall, ending the night for the number one starter.
‘I love short track racing. I love every track, but I feel more in my element when I come home... We were coming to our house.’ - Timothy Peters
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Winter 2012
The only other vehicle to lead the field during the night was the Ford pace car. Thanks to the event’s six cautions, almost one-fourth of the laps took place behind the pace vehicle. It did not matter to Peters though, as he fought off several late race challenges for the win. “These guys worked their butts off,” Peters said after the race. “We had great speed in the first practice. She (the truck) was flawless tonight. I thank the good Lord for being with me and letting me win two in one year. We are working hard. The sky is the limit right now. “
“It is very sweet tonight,” DeLoach said. “I am a blessed man. I am blessed with people who are good at doing their jobs. My job is to give them a playing surface, and boy did they do it tonight. One and two on your birthday is pretty doggone sweet.”
One interesting battle near the end of the race took place between Kligerman and Brad Keselowski, the owner who released Kligerman just a few weeks prior to the race. When asked about racing against his former owner for second position, Kligerman said it did not matter who was behind the wheel of “I love short track racing. I love every the truck ahead. track, but I feel more in my element when I come home. Last week, Butch (Hylton, “There are no hard feelings between Crew Chief) said we were coming to our Brad and I,” Kligerman said. “At the end house….The first lap, going in to the first of the day, we are both drivers. I’m glad turn, the truck was flawless. It is pretty to come out on top of that. In the end, cool to win on Tom’s birthday.” I don’t race him any different. We came out on top and that is all that matters. Peters’ win came on truck owner Tom DeLoach’s birthday. It was an impressive Ross Chastain finished third, with Joey night for DeLoach’s Red Horse Racing as Coulter fourth and Brendan Gaughan second place finisher Parker Kligerman fifth. Rookie Ryan Blaney came home also was driving a team truck. DeLoach’s sixth, followed by James Buescher, Ron third truck, driven by Bodine, also was in Hornaday, Matt Crafton and Justin Lofton. contention for most of the event.
What A Week!
When Friday morning dawned, a full day of activity rested ahead of the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series teams. Teams used every available minute of practice to fine-tune their machines to the revamped racing surface. During Nationwide Series qualifying, Knoxville-native Trevor Bayne put his Jack Roush-owned Ford on the pole at his home track. Not only did Bayne start from the number one spot, he was the sentimental favorite for the evening. Emblazoned in orange, Bayne’s machine carried the message of former University of Tennessee Women’s Basketball Coach Pat Summitt’s Alzheimer Foundation across the hood. Following Nationwide Series qualifying, a brief thunderstorm blew through Northeast Tennessee, forcing NASCAR officials to cancel Sprint Cup Series qualifying. Due to the cancellation, Casey Mears became the surprise pole winner as the lineup for Saturday’s IRWIN Tools Night Race was based on the quickest lap times recorded in the morning practice. BMS and NASCAR officials worked hard and had the track surface ready to go for the Nationwide Series Food City 250. At the end of the night, Joey Logano earned his first victory at BMS by surviving an event that, as of press time, produced the most cautions of the 2012 Nationwide Series campaign. Several drivers suffered ruffled fenders and raised tempers, but Logano was able to put it all in his mirror and come home with a coveted victory in Bristol. The caution flag flew nine times during the event. Prior to the race, the season high was eight cautions at both Daytona and Montreal. Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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August 2012 Recap
The high banks of BMS took a break on Thursday, but race fans had plenty to keep them entertained. The 25th Anniversary Food City Race Night took place in downtown Bristol with thousands of fans turning State Street in to the ultimate prerace party. The evening was capped by another of Bristol’s signature events, the Ford Transporter Parade. Rusty Wallace served as the grand marshal for the parade, which featured every Sprint Cup Series transporter in a colorful convoy from downtown Bristol to BMS.
Speedway
Food City 250
August 2012 recap
Speedway
What A Week!
The win was Logano’s sixth triumph “It is Bristol. This is one of the coolest of the season and one he held in tracks we go to. It is one of a few that is very special. As a kid, you watch these high regard. races on TV. I always got more excited “I thought, ‘Finally,’” an elated Logano than any other race to watch the Bristol said in Victory Lane. “We have been so night race. I was all about it.” close to winning here. Four times we’ve led the most laps and not won. It feels While Logano avoided drama, contact good to finally win here. It’s Bristol. This seemed to be the theme of the night. contenders Ricky is one of the top three or four tracks to Championship Stenhouse Jr. and Elliott Sadler created win at. It means a lot. “ one of the more exciting moments of “It is cool to be in Victory Lane here. It the evening. Coming to the white flag, is a cool race track to win at. There are Stenhouse tapped Sadler’s bumper, three or four that are extra special to win sending Sadler, who was running at and this is one of them. It is cool to be second at the time, skating toward the outside wall. upstairs in Victory Lane.”
opened it up so we can race each other differently the rest of this season.”
Logano worked hard and used track Sadler recovered, but wasn’t happy with position to his advantage as he muscled the move his championship rival put on him at the end of the race. Stenhouse his way to the front. crossed the line in second. “It is super, super hard to pass. I had a good enough car to run the top and “He said he didn’t mean to hit us,” a bottom…I tried to position myself to set dejected Sadler said. “I told him I’ve up lap cars. I was looking far enough always been careful around him. I’m just ahead to see if they were running the glad he didn’t wreck us. I really wanted top or bottom and used that to make to race that 18 (Logano). We should have finished second at worst. It is a my passes. frustrating night to finish fifth. He just
The late race action between the championship leaders was not the only friction that occurred during the event. Austin Dillon was involved in a couple of confrontations during the race. Early in the race, Dillon and Justin Allgaier made contact, with Allgaier’s machine ending up in the outside wall, effectively ending his night.
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Winter 2012
Stenhouse accepted responsibility for the accident and said it was not a move he planned. While the two have raced cleanly all season, tempers clearly flared between the two in Bristol. “It was my fault,” Stenhouse admitted. “He checked up. I should have lifted and gave him more room. When racing for championships, we need to give more room than that. I’m glad I didn’t crash him. This is our best Bristol finish, and we will settle for that. I hated to get in to Elliott.”
On lap 244, Dillon pushed Bayne in to the outside wall. After the event, a
‘It is Bristol. This is one of the coolest tracks we go to. It is one of a few that is very special. As a kid, you watch these races on TV. I always got more excited than any other race to watch the Bristol night race. I was all about it.’ - Joey Logano
With the unpredictable nature of the racing leading up to the main event, drivers put a huge question mark on Saturday’s IRWIN Tools Night Race. Prerace began with ring man extraordinaire, Michael Buffer helping introduce each of the 43 starters. Additionally, thanks to Sprint and BMS, fans were able to vote on which driver’s intro they liked best. Denny Hamlin’s rendition of the ‘Wobble’ earned his foundation a $10,000 donation. It wouldn’t be the only thing he won on Saturday evening. Hamlin ended the night by surviving a slugfest among NASCAR’s elite. His victory marked the 200th win for car No. 11, a number that has had much success at Bristol with drivers like Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough. Much like the hardnosed Waltrip and Yarborough before him, Hamlin had to fight his way through a race filled with action and 13 caution flags.
“I can’t even tell you,” Hamlin said as he described the feeling of his first win at Bristol. “This is such a great feeling. Darian (Grubb) came with a different set up and it hauled the mail. It has been a long time since we have been competitive at Bristol. This is the biggest crowd I have seen in forever. This is a big day. This is a big win. I don’t know how else to explain other than it is the Night Race at Bristol.
‘The only thing you could do was slide job someone…you still had the old Bristol here. It is one line. You still had to knock someone out of the way to make a move’ - Denny Hamlin
“The only thing you could do was slide job someone…you still had the old Bristol here. It is one line. You still had to knock someone out of the way to make a move. Our car was strong around the bottom all day… Big day; big win.” confrontation ensued between Bayne Winning the prestigious IRWIN Tools Hamlin said no matter what else is and Dillon. Dillon’s grandfather, Richard Night Race is something every driver accomplished in his career, the Night Childress, broke up the furious drivers. longs to do during his career. Hamlin can Race victory is one that he always will remember. “Somebody was going to get wrecked now mark it off his list. at the end,” explained Dillon. “It was a freight train. I think Bristol got what they wanted tonight. It wasn’t intentional. I got loose under him. That is part of it. We race hard every week. It is just racing hard and I got loose.” Third-place finisher Kyle Busch said the revamped Bristol surface definitely forced drivers to race differently around the .533-mile facility. “It is hard to pass out there. On the restart, everyone is fighting to boot each other out of the way to get up there. It is not what we (the drivers) want to see around here.” Dillon came home fourth, while Sadler managed a fifth-place finish. Cole Whitt finished sixth and surprising rookie Blaney followed his sixth-place truck finish with a seventh place finish on Friday. Michael Annett was eighth, with Danica Patrick ninth and Sam Hornish Jr. tenth. Bayne finished 16th. Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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August 2012 Recap
IRWIN Tools Night Race
Speedway
What A Week!
August 2012 Recap
Speedway
What A Week!
“You count down the laps,” he explained, “and you start to think about it with 10 to go about what it would mean to win, while hoping you will see the white flag. You struggle to say what it means. You grow up watching this race. This is a milestone type of race you want to win. It is one of the best trophies of all the tracks. It will be one of my prized possessions and it is my biggest win.
Night Race at Bristol because the most eyes are on us. It is the most exciting track on the circuit as far as competition is concerned. It is one race me, mom and dad loved to watch. We couldn’t wait to get home Saturday night to see the race. What makes it so special is I watched the race so many times.” The IRWIN Tools Night Race wasn’t without its divisive moments, the most notable occurring as Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth raced hard for the lead on lap 334. The two drivers slid together coming off the fourth corner, with both ending up against the inside wall. Kenseth was able to drive away, but Stewart was unable to continue.
“You had to be very aware of what was behind you before you attempted to pass the guy. You had to have two car lengths behind you before you could work the guy. It was a constant freight train of cars. The best car won; no doubt about it. At any given point, it was hard to get around the car in front of you…It is a different kind of racing. We were in a line and waiting on the guy in front to Once he was out of his damaged screw up to get around. It was like the machine, Stewart waited on Kenseth to make his way down pit road. As he old Bristol.” passed by, Stewart used his best throw When asked why he considered a to nail Kenseth’s car with his helmet and win in the IRWIN Tools Night Race HANS device. Stewart’s crew worked on more important than even a win at his his car and he was able to rejoin the race home track, Hamlin easily described a few laps later. his reasoning. “I checked-up twice to not run over “You are in front of a bigger crowd,” he him,” Stewart said, “and I learned my said. “It is the Night Race at Bristol. If lesson there. I’m going to run over him you talk to a causal fan and they ask every chance I’ve got from now until the someone where to go, everyone says the end of the year. Every chance I’ve got.” 22
Winter 2012
‘It is the Night Race... The most eyes are on us. It is the most exciting track on the circuit as far as competition is concerned.’ - Denny Hamlin Danica Patrick, who drives for Stewart, also was involved in a disagreement with another driver during the event. After contact with Regan Smith, Patrick’s machine tagged the inside wall hard, taking her out of the race. Patrick walked to the edge of the track, pointing at Smith to show her displeasure. Hendrick teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were able to avoid most of the drama, finishing second and third respectively. Johnson, who had poor lap times during the morning practice, had to start the race from 37th position. “It was a great night,” Johnson said after the race. “I wish we could have finished one spot better.
August 2012 Recap
Speedway
What A Week!
‘I checked-up twice to not run over him, and I learned my lesson there. I’m going to run over him every chance I’ve got from now until the end of the year. Every chance I’ve got.’ - Tony Stewart “Tonight was intense,” he said. “To start that deep in the field; when they drop the green flag you are half-a-lap behind. To get going was important for us; I give it to the guys for giving us a good car. At times we had a race winning car; certainly a top-three car. It was just a matter of getting to the front and surviving.”
“This was a pretty wild night,” Gordon said. “A typical night race at Bristol. That outer groove, I can’t believe it. I thought there was potential. What I loved about the racing, even though it was tough to pass, it reminded me of old school Bristol. It reminded me of ’92, before they put concrete down, being on the spotter stand and enjoying the heck out of it because Darrell, Davey and Ernie While he was concentrating on driving Irvan were against the wall, diamonding through the field, Johnson’s crew did the track, getting runs and doing slide inform him about the confrontation jobs. I think it was a success. I had a lot between Stewart and Kenseth. of fun. “I saw him (Stewart) waiting with his gear,” Johnson said with a laugh. “I know he impressed our crew. The guys said he had an arm on him; hit the car dead center.” After the race, Gordon relived the older days, comparing the event to a Cup race he watched at Bristol in 1992.
‘What I loved about the racing, even though it was tough to pass, it reminded me of old school Bristol.’ - Jeff Gordon
“We made a mistake coming down a closed pit,” he said. “I don’t know what we were thinking. The car was fast. We just lost track position. I had fun. I really enjoyed myself. I hope they (the fans) enjoyed it. The guys that didn’t come; I think they missed a good race.”
The IRWIN Tools Night race featured 22 lead changes, tied for the fifth most out of 105 Sprint Cup Series races at Bristol. At press time, the event’s 13 cautions were the most for a Sprint Cup Series event in 2012. The second-most occurred during “I raced here once in the Busch Series the season-opening Daytona 500, which when it was pavement, the way the cars featured 10 cautions. handled and the way the track was; that was the way you ran. You went in on the bottom and you go to the top. Guys were Brian Vickers ended an impressive night smoking right rear tires; that is what I’m in fourth, with Marcos Ambrose fifth. referring to. I think the combination of Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, the rubber and the new tire on the left Kasey Kahne and Paul Menard rounded side; the only way you could pass was to out the top-10. dive in and slide job the guy. Sometimes you don’t complete that. When you don’t August race weekend at Bristol Motor complete it, you get frustrated and if you Speedway featured something for hit the guy, it will fire him up.” everyone. From close finishes and closeDale Earnhardt Jr. ran well during the quarters racing, to contact, tempers race, but an ill-timed mistake dropped and frustration, the unpredictability of BMS once again proved why fans him to 12th on the final run down. have to see it in person…it truly is something different. Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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Photos
Speedway
What A Week!
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Winter 2012
Speedway
As Low As $175; “Pay Your Way” Payment Plans Available After the IRWIN Tools Night Race proved to be one of the best races of the year, tickets for the Sprint Cup events at BMS in 2013 are in even higher demand than normal. And now is time to get them if you’re looking for more bang for your buck.
Single event tickets also are on sale now for the March 1517 race weekend. Tickets for the Food City 500 start as low as $65, while tickets for the Nationwide Series event March 16 begin at just $35. Ford Fan Friday tickets (free for iBelong Season Ticket Holders) are only $5 if purchased in advance.
Season tickets, which start as low as $175 and include both the March and August Cup and Nationwide events, as well as A weekend package for the March race weekend, which pole day in March, are available now. And if they’re purchased includes the Food City 500 and the Nationwide Series event, before Nov. 15, 2012, fans get to choose from one of three starts at just $99. awesome premiums. Also don’t forget – at BMS, we offer our guests the “PAY The three premiums include: 10 percent off each ticket YOUR WAY” interest free payment plans. We want to make (not available for Wallace Tower, low rows on backstretch your experience the best it can possibly be and we realize and Premium Areas,) a $40 gift card for Speedway World paying for your tickets and staying within a budget on your merchandise (located in the Bruton Smith building) or a free own timeline is always the best option. parking pass (must purchase four season tickets). In order to take advantage of the “PAY YOUR WAY” payment Don’t forget that being in the exclusive iBelong Season Ticket plan, just call the BMS ticket office toll-free at 855-773-5324. holder program at BMS saves you an average of $66 on Upon speaking to a BMS customer service representative tell tickets alone, and over $300 in savings overall each year! them you want the “PAY MY WAY” plan and our folks will take care of the rest.
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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2013 Tickets On Sale now
Season Tickets On Sale Now
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Winter 2012
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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IRWIN Tools, Slawsa & GoGalley
Product Spotlights
Continued from 8
GoGalley Grills The Complete “Kitchen on the Go” GoGalley is the world’s most unique and complete “kitchen on the go.” In fact, in his review of the GoGalley, “Meathead” of AmazingRibs.com said, “It’s the best rig I’ve ever seen for tailgating.” The grill is a well-built, full-service on-the-go kitchen with a built-in standard 2” hitch. The hitch allows easy hook ups to any vehicle and a batterypowered, patent-pending winch system lifts the entire grill off of the ground with push of a button and secures the grill snug up against one’s vehicle. For more information, visit www.gogally.com
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Winter 2012
The Complete Solution for Levels and Squares IRWIN® offers a powerful line-up of levels and squares tools packed with features that stand up to the rugged conditions of the jobsite. We dedicated our development efforts to understanding exactly what professionals expect and need from these tools, and we delivered that accuracy and performance, and much more. Our new comprehensive line of IRWIN levels includes box beam levels, I-beam levels, torpedo levels, and multiple specialty levels for a broad range of users’ needs. We also offer a full range of squares and utility levels. For more information, visit www.IRWIN.com
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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Special Section: Speedway In Lights Speedway in Lights
Speedway in Lights
Speedway In Lights
Speedway In Lights Kicks Off 16th Season
LOCAL, WINTER WONDER KICKS OFF 16th SEASON Speedway in Lights opens November 16th with a change in entrance on TN-394 as drive through route now starts at Bristol Dragway. The transformation at Bristol Motor Speedway and Bristol Dragway, from two of the most magnificent racing facilities in the country to a winter wonderland, has begun. On Friday, Nov. 16, Speedway In Lights, the South’s largest holiday lights show, begins its 16th season. With millions of luminous lights and hundreds of brilliant displays positioned all around the World’s Fastest Half-Mile and Thunder Valley, it has become a must-see event that grows in popularity each year. Open for nearly seven weeks, Speedway In Lights, along with its companion events – the Johnson Controls Ice Rink and HVAC Chill Hill -- offers guests an evening of fun, while also allowing them to give back as proceeds benefit the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. Over the past 15 years, more than $7 million has been raised for children’s organizations in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Speedway In Lights is the single largest fund raiser each year for the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. Speedway In Lights will feature a new route this year, with holiday enthusiasts entering from Bristol Dragway on Hwy. 394 instead of from Volunteer Parkway. The 4.5-mile drive-through route of lights features such favorites as the Ripley’s Penguin Playhouse, which is an addition to the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies 30
Winter 2012
Proceeds from each of Bristol’s holiday attractions benefit the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to distributing funds throughout the region to qualified children’s charities. Funds form the foundation directly aid children in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. To date, Bristol’s Speedway Children’s Charities has raised in excess of $7 million for area agencies.
display and located underneath the Resources Coal Mountain Gift Mine, Speedway’s frontstretch grandstands. which is 70 feet long and 22 feet tall. The mine features a continuous miner tossing Another favorite display, the SUBWAY® presents through the air into a front-end Symphony of Lights, also returns. It loader with some help from an elf. is a spectacular exhibit that features more than 300,000 LED lights. The Speedway In Lights remains open though display, which covers the Darrell Waltrip Jan. 5. Tickets for the show, open nightly Grandstand, features dancing lights, 6-10 p.m., are available at the BMS gate. Ticket prices for cars are $12 Sunday synchronized to music. through Thursday, and $15 Friday and SUBWAY® Symphony of Lights also Saturday. Activity van tickets are $20 features a large Christmas tree, along each night and tickets for buses are $85 with glittering snowflakes that dance each night. in harmony on a large, ever-changing background. Light-covered arches are For those looking to take their holiday featured in the presentation, reflecting fun even further, a trio of the region’s dazzling colors on to more than three most popular outdoor holiday events, acres of aluminum grandstand seating, the Johnson Controls Ice Rink, HVAC Chill Hill (both opening Nov. 15) and the causing a magnificent spectacle. SUBWAY® 5k Run/Walk (Nov. 11) , return Holiday fun-seekers can view SUBWAY® to Bristol Motor Speedway in November. Symphony of Lights from the infield’s General Shale Brick Christmas Village, As BMS transforms into a winter which features various carnival rides, wonderland with the start of Speedway In food vendors and even Santa himself. Lights, its companion events continue to be favorites with young and old alike. All Along the route, which includes a lap three attractions are highly anticipated around BMS and a trip through legendary each year and have become a can’t-miss Thunder Valley, visitors enjoy numerous tradition for many families. other presentations, including the Twelve Days of Christmas, complete with 12 The Johnson Controls Ice Rink is the animated individual scenes, and Dinosaur only rink within a 90-minute driving Village, which features six dinosaurs, radius of BMS, making it one of including a towering Tyrannosaurus Rex the Speedway’s most popular nonmotorsports-related events. In its and an erupting volcano. 11th season, the rink has become a Other favorites include the cannon winter ritual for many with thousands shot, the dueling dragsters, the Sea of skaters taking to the ice each year. of Illumination and the Alpha Natural
Speedway In Lights
Speedway In Lights Kicks Off 16th Season
Lights, Chill Hill & More
151 Speedway Blvd. Bristol, TN 37620 Phone: 423-989-6900 Fax: 423-989-6964 bristol.speedwaycharities.org facebook.com/sccbristol @BMS_SCC
The enclosed rink is located just inside the main entrance of Bristol Motor Speedway, off Hwy. 11E (Volunteer Parkway). The cost to skate is only $5, plus an additional $2 to rent skates. The HVAC Chill Hill is a 300-foot long snowless slide that features side-by-side lanes and inflated tubes on which riders sit as they rocket to the bottom of the slope, just outside Turn 1 of BMS. Chill Hill is located adjacent to the Johnson Controls Ice Rink and cost is $7 per person for a 50-minute session. Anyone wishing to take part in the tube slide must be at least 48” tall to ride alone. Children also can ride with someone 16 or older if they are at least 36” tall for an additional $3 cost for the pair. Both the Ice Rink and Chill Hill will be open through Jan.13. A complete list of operating hours can be found at www. bristolmotorspeedway.com. The SUBWAY® 5k Run/Walk takes place the Sunday prior to Speedway In Lights opening. Runners and walkers will have an opportunity to see the hundreds of displays and millions of lights in a different way, as they traverse the 3.1-mile race route before taking the checkered flag at the start/finish line of the World’s Fastest Half-Mile. Adults can enter the SUBWAY® 5k Run/ Walk for $20 in advance of the event or for $25 the day of the race. Children 12 and under can enter for $7. Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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Photos
Speedway In Lights
Speedway In Lights Kicks Off 16th Season
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Winter 2012
Photos
Speedway In Lights
Speedway In Lights Kicks Off 16th Season
Clockwise: Credit Randall Perry, BMS, Digital Karma & Randall Perry Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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Section Subhead
Section Title
Story Title
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Justin Wiseman
A great place to visit ... Just around the bend from Bristol Motor Speedway
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Winter 2012
Greenbier • Porters Creek
Destinations
Great Smoky Mountain National Park
No matter the season, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a great pit stop for race fans visiting the area for the excitement at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.” There are 384 miles of road in the park, with most paved or gravel and suitable for standard passenger cars. Most of the parks roads average 35 miles per hour. Booklets are available to highlight landmarks of several of the park’s most popular routes including Cades Cove Loop Road, Cataloochee Valley and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Visitors are encouraged to check for seasonal and weather-related road closures GSMNP is the most visited national before planning an auto tour. park in America and features its highest visitation July 1- August 15 and during During autumn leaf season, auto tours the month of October, when fall foliage provide an amazing way to see the amazing fall color display throughout the is at its peak. park. The colors usually reach their peak Perhaps the easiest way to experience at mid and lower elevations between the park is by car. GSMNP encompasses mid-October and early November. The over 800 square miles and is one of the last three weeks of October are the most pristine natural areas in the East. busiest in the park, and traffic delays An auto tour of the park offers panoramic are common. The park website provides views, mountain streams, historic several alternative drives for anyone buildings and miles of forests stretching looking to skip the crowds. For those who want to get off the road as far as the eye can see. Just two hours from Bristol Motor Speedway, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers a wide-range of activities to allow every member of the family the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature. From hiking and bicycling to historic sites and nature preserves, fans coming to East Tennessee should carve some time out of their schedule for a trip to the park.
and experience the park up close, GSMNP has hundreds of trails designed with every skill level in mind. Each season offers a new and unique visual for each trail; the most daunting task for hikers is choosing a trail. Trail highlights include waterfalls, old-growth forests and endless views of nature’s beauty. The National Park Service recommends novice hikers limit themselves to roundtrip hikes of less than five miles. Popular waterfall hikes are abundant in the Smokies, with more than 200,000 visitors each year hiking to the most popular. Larger waterfalls attract crowds, but smaller falls and cascades can be found on nearly every river in the park. Some of the most popular waterfalls are Abrams Falls, Grotto Falls (which allows guests to walk behind the 25’ tall waterfall), Laurel Falls (one of the most popular destinations in the park), Mouse Creek Falls (one of the less crowded falls) and the Ramsey Cascades (the
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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Destinations
Great Smoky Mountain National Park tallest in the park, but along one of the Clingman’s Dome Road is seven miles long and ends in a large parking area. A more difficult trails.) steep, paved 0.5 mile trail leads to the Hikers should visit the National Park observation tower. website for a listing of trails, along with trail features, highlights, difficulty level, While the opinion of many in Bristol surface conditions, directions and special is that Thunder Valley can’t be beat, notices. Hikers also are encouraged another nice valley in East Tennessee to hike safely and to remember the can be found in Cades Cove. A wide, possibility of meeting one of the park’s fertile valley, Cades Cove is another of the park’s most popular destinations famous residents, the black bear. due to its abundant opportunities to If stretching views are desired, there is catch wildlife in action. Large numbers of no better place than Clingman’s Dome, white-tailed deer, black bears, coyotes, the highest point in both the park and turkeys and other animals call the area in Tennessee. It also is the third highest home. mountain east of the Mississippi. At 6,643 feet, the observation tower on Cades Cove also features the widest the summit of Clingman’s Dome offers variety of historic buildings of any area spectacular 360 degree views of the in the park. Along the loop road are Smokies and beyond. On clear days, three churches, a working grist mill, barns, log houses and many other views can reach more than 100 miles. restored eighteenth and nineteenth Visitors to Clingman’s Dome should dress century structures. An 11-mile, one-way in layers as temperatures can be up to loop road circles the cove and offers 20 degrees cooler than in the lowlands. motorists the chance to sightsee at a The road leading to Clingman’s Dome leisurely pace. A campground with 159 is closed from December 1 – March 31. sites is open year-round in Cades Cove.
Tents and RVs up to 35 feet can be accommodated in the campground. In fact, GSMNP offers several options for anyone looking to camp. Backcountry sites are available for backpackers. These sites require hikes of several miles into the park. Front-country spaces allow typical camping near a vehicle with restrooms featuring running water and flushing toilets. Group campgrounds and horse camps also are available. Entrance to GSMNP is free. In fact, thanks to legislation dating back to the 1930s, it is one of the only national parks in the country that does not charge an entrance fee. The park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Some roads and campgrounds close during the winter. Visitors are encouraged to check the website before planning a trip. Please visit www.nps.gov/grsm for more information about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Sunset • Clingman’s Dome
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Winter 2012
Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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Advertisement Storm Shelters
Peace of Mind ... One Shelter at a Time
It has been more than a year now, but memories remain The company was started in 2008 in Jackson, fresh in the minds of many of the citizens of Northeast Tennessee., by JD Favara and Lee Watson after several Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. severe weather occurrences in the western part of the state convinced the two veterans of the construction Spring, late April to be more precise, 2011, many lives industry there was a need for a new type of shelter. turned upside down and at least one mountain legend was shattered. Created to supply a quality unit at a reasonable cost, Storm Shelters of Tennessee installs its shelters in When tornadoes ripped through Washington and an existing garage or carport – “out of sight, yet very Smyth Counties in Virginia and Greene County, accessible in time of emergency.” Tennessee, that late April night, a myth most in these parts had heard their entire lives – that the mountains Check www.stormsheltersoftennessee.com for more will prevent such events from occurring here -- was information. frighteningly debunked. As weather patterns change and “nocturnal events” become more common, Storm Shelters of Tennessee can help a family prepare and ease its collective mind at the same time.
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Winter 2012
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“It’s Bristol Baby!”
Teamwork
Teamwork Makes Bristol Happen BY: BEN TROUT When we’re hosting an event for It never fails… The answer always is, “I
Bristol race weekends require hundreds of thousands of fans, we need love Bristol because of the people and the help of thousands of event a team. We need a big team. And here the hospitality.” at Bristol we’re blessed with the best in workers. the business.
Be it a round track battle on the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway, or a 300 mph duel at Thunder Valley, fans arrive… you watch the event… you go home. For all practical purposes, all you see is the finished product. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. In fact, that’s how it’s supposed to work.
Our event weekend teams are diverse to say the least. There are students, doctors, lawyers, teachers, coaches, policemen and women, EMT personnel, office workers, volunteers… The list of examples can go on and on.
year-round.
at Bristol?”
Our event workers, in many regards, are the face of Bristol Motor Speedway. Sure, you might shake Jerry Caldwell’s hand. Our Chairman Bruton Smith might give you a golf cart ride. But on the frontline of Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway there’s a wonderful team of individuals dedicated to exceeding your expectations.
The important thing is that our community and its constituents believe Bruton says it best… “They ask me But it’s worthy to recognize all who pitch in what we do here at Bristol, and they all the time why don’t I build another in and work together to make our events work hard to make sure you enjoy your Bristol somewhere else in the country. happen. It’s the epitome of teamwork. Bristol experience. I tell them I can build another half-mile Here’s the deal. Our full-time staff Time and time again we ask fans from track anywhere. But I could never build is comprised of 70 to 75 full-time all across the nation, “What do you another Bristol and it’s all because of the employees. We’re here day-in-day-out, like most about attending an event community and the people.” But from the “Department of Did You Know?” For our major events, we may carry more than 5,000 individuals on the payroll.
From all of us here at Bristol Motor No, it’s not the action. It’s not that elusive Speedway and Dragway, thanks to all autograph you may have captured. who help us make our event weekends It’s not that party you attended in happen. We couldn’t do it without you. the campground. Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway
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Speedway
2013 Advance Handicap permit application
PARKING FOR SPECIAL NEEDS GUESTS Bristol Motor Speedway asks guests using state-issued ADA placards to apply for a Bristol-issued pass to help these visitors park closer to their seats. Anyone planning to use state-issued placards should send copies of the permit and the supporting documentation in advance, along with an application form, so that the BMS Events Department can send advance passes for the appropriate parking lots. The documentation required (registration card, receipt, staterecognized disabilities ID card, driver’s license, or original approved application forms) is the same reviewed by law enforcement officials at the entrances to handicap lots. If a guest’s state does not issue supporting documentation with a permit, the guest should use a copy of the same documentation used to obtain the original permit. Individuals with temporary disabilities should submit medical documentation with an application to receive the BMS-issued permit. Space is limited in the South (B-side) Lot closest to the Earnhardt, Yarborough, Johnson
and Petty grandstands and terraces, and spaces in this lot will be allocated first to guests with seats in these grandstands, and second, on a first-apply, first-served basis. In the South Lot, only 400 spaces are available for Truck and Nationwide Series events and 600 spaces are available for Sprint Cup events. The number increases for the Cup races because after the Nationwide Series race, BMS opens Nationwide Series competitor spaces for special needs requests. In the North (A-side) Lot, cars with BMS-issued passes will park closer to the grandstand than cars using state-issued placards. After applications have been received, notification will be sent to the applicant confirming or denying the request. Passes will be mailed approximately one month before the race. Law enforcement officials will check the permits at the South and Dragway Entrances to ensure that the name on the BMS-issued permit matches a photo ID of the occupant
of the vehicle using the permit. Transferring a BMS-issued permit to another person should be considered the same violation of Tennessee law as fraudulently using a state-issued placard, and anyone doing so may face the same penalties. State-issued placards will be admitted at the Dragway Entrance only. Law enforcement officials will check documentation to ensure that the person to whom the permit is issued is in the vehicle. Please note that these permit procedures do not apply to reserved seat wheelchair guests. Reserved wheelchair seating and parking guests should contact Becky Fulwider at 423989-6931. For all other handicap parking questions, contact Alice Dawson at 423-989-6941 or alice@bristolmotorspeedway.com. If you applied for parking in 2012, you must apply again for 2013 parking.
2013 Advance Special Needs Parking Permit Application Deadline for application: Two Months Before Each Race or Once Annually (User must have state-issued disabilities placard to apply for this permit)
Full Name___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (as it appears on documentation and photo ID)
Address:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ar e l C t
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City, State, ZIP_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
in
Daytime Phone_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Pr e s a le
State Issued Plate/Placard Permit Number_______________________________________________________________________________
P SEAT LOCATIONS (please fill out seat information per event)
Nationwide Race___________________________________________________________________ Acct #____________________________ (March - Saturday Nationwide)
Grandstand
Section
Row
Seat
Food City 500______________________________________________________________________ Acct #____________________________ (March - Sunday Sprint Cup)
Grandstand
Section
Row
Seat
UNOH 200_________________________________________________________________________ Acct #____________________________ (August - Wednesday Truck/Modified)
Grandstand
Section
Row
Seat
Food City 250______________________________________________________________________ Acct #____________________________ (August - Friday Nationwide)
Grandstand
Section
Row
Seat
IRWIN Tools Night Race_____________________________________________________________ Acct #____________________________ (August - Saturday Sprint Cup)
Grandstand
Section
Row
Seat
Note: Seat Location and Ticket Account Number are required. Ticket holder and parking permit user may or may not be the same person. Parking will be assigned by seat location. Send this COMPLETED form, PLUS a photo copy of the state-issued permit, PLUS a copy of supporting documentation (registration card, receipt, handicap ID card, driver’s license, or original approved application forms) to obtain or use the permit TO: ATT: Alice, BMS Events Dept., PO Box 3966, Bristol, TN, 37625. Retain a copy of completed application for your records.
Signature of permit user ____________________________________________________________________________ Downloadable applications are available at www.bristolmotorspeedway.com
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Winter 2012