Bristol Motor Speedway
GPS address: 151 Speedway Blvd., Bristol, Tennessee, 37620
Phone: 866-415-4158
Bristol Motor Speedway. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)
Formerly known as Bristol International Raceway, and sometimes called The Last Great Colosseum because of its stadium-like structure, Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) is one of the smallest tracks on the NASCAR circuit. It’s only half a mile long — well, technically 0.533 mile — located in the small northeastern Tennessee town of the same name. It has hosted many exciting races since 1961.
The great news for drivers who want to catch a race is that speedway officials recently changed their no truck parking policy. A BMS staff member told FreightWaves that drivers can pull their trucks and trailers into the lot marked “Bristol Campground & Event Parking” for free. This lot is located at 1750 Sweet Knob Trail, on the opposite side of the street from the drag strip campground.
Free parking is for race day only. If drivers want to spend the night, they have to pay the weekly campground fee of $125. Until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, this would let drivers park from Wednesday to Monday as opposed to a full week.
Martinsville Speedway
GPS address: 340 Speedway Road, Ridgeway, Virginia, 24148
Phone: 276-956-7200
Martinsville Speedway (Photo: Flickr/Raniel Diaz – CC BY 2.0)
Martinsville Speedway (MVS) is located just south of Martinsville in south-central Virginia. At 0.526 mile in length, it’s the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, built in 1947. It’s also the only track that has hosted NASCAR Cup Series races every year since the division’s inception in 1949.
Because of its small size, tight corners and unique “paper clip” shape, MVS offers some of the most exciting racing in the sport. Fans are closer to the action than any other track on the circuit.
The track has free parking for truckers on race day only, but they have to unhook their trailers and bobtail to the available lots. According to allstays.com and findtruckservice.com, the following truck stops are conveniently located 15 miles or less from MVS:
• Wilco Hess, 4801 Greensboro Road, Ridgeway, Virginia, 1 mile south of MVS.
• E-Z Stop Exxon, 6690 Greensboro Road, Ridgeway Virginia, 2.8 miles south of MVS.
• Wilco Hess, 5740 Virginia Ave., Bassett, Virginia, 13.2 miles north of MVS.
GPS address: 3545 Lone Star Circle, Fort Worth, Texas, 76177
Phone: 817-215-8500
Texas Motor Speedway (Photo: Flickr/rgbRandomizer – CC BY 2.0)
Opened in 1996, Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) is located in the northernmost portion of Fort Worth, Texas — the portion located in Denton County. The reconfigured track is 1.44 miles long, featuring a quad-oval design in which the front straightaway juts outward slightly.
Related: NASCAR roadies: Truck drivers keep the sport moving
Truckers can park for free in the designated bus lot on State Highway 114 on the southside of the track. It’s a 1,500-acre lot with plenty of room for drivers to pull in with their trailers. But this depends on demand, so call ahead. If any drivers have to unhook before heading to a race at TMS, these are a few nearby truck stops:
• Pilot Travel Center, 2400 Alliance Gateway Freeway, Fort Worth, Texas, 7.7 miles south of TMS.
• Drivers Truckstop, 3201 North Freeway, Fort Worth, Texas, 18.7 miles south of TMS.
• Quik Trip Travel Center, 101 W. Everyman Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas, 30.7 miles south of TMS.
Talladega Superspeedway
GPS address: 3366 Speedway Blvd., Lincoln, Alabama, 35096
Phone: 877-462-3342
Talladega Superspeedway (Photo: Flickr/Robert Mathers – CC BY 2.0)
Talladega Superspeedway, nicknamed “Dega,” is the biggest, fastest and most competitive motorsports facility in the world. North of Talladega, Alabama, it’s located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. Records for both speed and competition have been set at Talladega. The track opened as Alabama International Motor Speedway in 1969, changing its name 20 years later.
Parking is free for truckers in some campsite areas and designated larger lots, but they have to bobtail. Depending on truck size and demand for space, drivers may have to get a two-vehicle pass, so call ahead. These are a few nearby truck stops where truckers can unhook:
• Pilot Travel Center, 75750 Alabama Highway 77, Lincoln, Alabama, 4.5 miles west of Dega.
• TA Truck Stop, 75246 Alabama Highway 77, Lincoln, Alabama, 4 miles west of Dega.
• I-20 Truck Stop, 12089 Stemley Road, Lincoln, Alabama, 6.4 miles west of Dega.
• Pilot Travel Center, 130 Honda Drive, Lincoln, Alabama, 7.5 miles west of Dega.
• Circle K, 1601 Alabama Highway 21 S. Oxford, Alabama (near Anniston Regional Airport), 15 miles east of Dega,
GPS address: 1234 Long Pond Road, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 18334
Phone: 570-646-2300
Pocono Raceway (Photo: Flickr/Felicito Rustique, Jr. – CC BY 2.0)
Pocono Raceway is located in the scenic Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania. Also known as The Tricky Triangle, it’s one of only a few NASCAR tracks not owned by either NASCAR or Speedway Motorsports, the dominant track owners in NASCAR. It’s family owned by Mattco Inc., which also owns South Boston Speedway in Virginia.
Kevin Heaney, the raceway’s senior director of marketing communications, told FreightWaves that there’s a free lot for truck and trailer parking, with additional parking in the grandstand lot. However, overnight parking is prohibited. Truckers can enter through Gate 7 (off state route 115) or Gate 5 (off Long Pond Road) to enter the lots.
Click here for the full 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
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