Tradition-rich Food City 500 returns to familiar date in April; Legendary Bass Pro Shops Night Race comes home to August
- The 2027 Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race returns to a picturesque April weekend, April 9-11.
- The Bass Pro Shops Night Race reclaims its historic place on the August calendar, Aug. 12-14.
BRISTOL, Tenn. (Aug. 6, 2026) – Some weekends become dates on a calendar, others become traditions; at Bristol Motor Speedway, fans have cherished two of them for generations.
Bristol’s 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season will be anchored by the beloved Food City 500, April 9-11, as fans return to Thunder Valley when dogwoods bloom across the hills of Northeast Tennessee, and culminate with the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Aug. 12-14, as America’s Night Race returns to its historic August home for the first time in years.
For decades, those two weekends have represented the very best of Bristol—one welcoming fans back each spring for a family tradition unlike any other, the other delivering one of motorsports’ most anticipated nights beneath the lights of The Last Great Colosseum.
The return of America’s Night Race to August marks one of the most significant shifts on NASCAR’s 2027 calendar. For 44 consecutive seasons, Bristol’s signature Saturday night spectacle became synonymous with the final days of summer, producing unforgettable finishes, legendary rivalries and championship-defining moments that helped establish the event as one of NASCAR’s most legendary races. Now, one of the sport’s biggest weekends returns to the date where so much of its history was written.
“The Food City 500 and the Bass Pro Shops Night Race aren’t simply races on our schedule—they’re traditions that generations of fans have built memories around,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “The Food City 500 has found a tremendous home in April, where the beauty of spring in Northeast Tennessee creates an incredible backdrop for one of NASCAR’s favorite weekends.
“And now, to welcome the Bass Pro Shops Night Race back to its longtime August home – there is just something special about Bristol in August. The anticipation, intensity and electricity that builds throughout the weekend. Our fans know they’re about to witness something unforgettable, and our competitors know every lap matters. We couldn’t be more excited to celebrate both of these incredible traditions with our fans in 2027.”
The Food City 500 weekend begins Friday, April 9, with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Tennessee Army National Guard 250 before Saturday’s Suburban Propane 300 in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Bush’s Beans Qualifying. The weekend culminates Sunday with the Food City 500, one of NASCAR’s longest-running entitlement-sponsored events and one of Bristol’s most cherished annual traditions.
Four months later, the spotlight shifts to one of the most celebrated weekends in all of motorsports. The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics opens festivities Thursday, Aug. 12, followed Friday night by the always-popular Food City 300 and Nobody Trashes Tennessee Qualifying before the Bass Pro Shops Night Race roars to life under the lights on Saturday night.
Whether it’s the vibrant colors of spring or the electric atmosphere of a warm August night, Bristol Motor Speedway’s 2027 NASCAR season promises two unforgettable opportunities to experience the speed, passion and tradition that have made The World’s Fastest Half-Mile one of the sport’s most iconic venues.
“At Bristol, we don’t just host events—we welcome people into our community,” Caldwell said. “Whether it’s families returning for the Food City 500 each spring, race fans filling our campgrounds in August or visitors enjoying one of the many great events our region hosts throughout the year, every one of those weekends leaves an impact. This schedule gives our entire community the opportunity to make each of those moments even more special, and I think that’s something everyone can celebrate.”
Tickets for both NASCAR weekends will be available soon. Fans may visit BristolMotorSpeedway.com or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158 for ticket information.
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY’S 2027 NASCAR SEASON
Food City 500 Weekend
Friday, April 9
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Tennessee Army National Guard 250
Saturday, April 10
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Suburban Propane 300
Bush’s Beans Qualifying
Sunday, April 11
NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500
Bass Pro Shops Night Race Weekend
Thursday, Aug. 12
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics
Friday, Aug. 13
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Food City 300
Nobody Trashes Tennessee Qualifying
Saturday, Aug. 14
NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race
About Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, known as The Last Great Colosseum, sits in the mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line. The 0.533-mile concrete oval, with 28-degree banking, hosts two major NASCAR Cup Series weekends each year, the tradition-rich Food City 500 and the crown jewel Bass Pro Shops Night Race. The venue has staged iconic moments such as the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol football game between the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech (NCAA-record 156,990 fans), the 2025 MLB Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds (MLB regular-season record crowd of 91,032), the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race, the rebirth of NASCAR Cup Series racing on dirt from 2021–2023 and sold-out concerts for Morgan Wallen and Kenny Chesney. Fans enjoy Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided screen video board. The adjacent Bristol Dragway is the home to the NHRA Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals, and the dragway can transform into the Thunder Valley Amphitheatre for music concerts. Opened in 1961 and acquired by Speedway Motorsports in 1996, Bristol remains one of America’s most unique and versatile sports and entertainment destinations. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.
