Bristol Motor Speedway

A Speedway Motorsports property, Bristol is the second shortest track on the Nextel Cup circuit at .533 miles - but it's second to none in excitement. For one thing, the track is banked 36 degrees in the corners and 16 degrees on the 650-foot straights, making "Thunder Valley" the fastest half-mile track in the world. Jeff Gordon set the qualifying record of 127.216 mph in March of 2002.

Built in 1961 just off Highway 394 near the Tennessee-Virginia border, the track was developed by Carl Moore, Larry Carrier and R.G. Pope. In the 32 years since Bristol Motor Speedway hosted its first NASCAR race in 1961, the seating capacity has grown from 18,000 to a phenomenal 147,000. Jack Smith won the inaugural Volunteer 500 with relief driving help from Johnny Allen, after legendary country music star Brenda Lee opened the show with the national anthem.

In 1992, Bristol was resurfaced with concrete, and in August of that year, the fabled oval became the first to host a Winston Cup event on an all-concrete track. The most popular short track on the circuit hosts two events per year, in the spring and fall, and tickets are always in strong demand. It's advisable to order early.

Darrell Waltrip is the all-time Winston-Nextel Cup winner at Thunder Valley; he collected 12 of his 84 victories at Bristol Motor Speedway.