What's With The Bristol Motor Speedway Obsession?

#1
Tux

Tux

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#1
I saw this question on twitter and it puzzles me.

"What is with the obsession of some Vols fans to play a game at Bristol Motor Speedway?"

Why would any Vols fan want to give up a home game in order to play a football game at Bristol Motor Speedway, when we have a cathedral for stadium?
 
#2
#2
Tux said:
I saw this question on twitter and it puzzles me.

"What is with the obsession of some Vols fans to play a game at Bristol Motor Speedway?"

Why would any Vols fan want to give up a home game in order to play a football game at Bristol Motor Speedway, when we have a cathedral for stadium?
Click to expand...

There used to be a field in the infield, and (I think it was back in the 80's) the owner of the track (Bruton Smith) talked about a UT vs Va Tech neutral site game. The field in the infield is now gone from my understanding.

Edit: Capacity is around 160,000 which would be pretty cool for a football game.
 
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#4
#4
Tux said:
I saw this question on twitter and it puzzles me.

"What is with the obsession of some Vols fans to play a game at Bristol Motor Speedway?"

Why would any Vols fan want to give up
a home game in order to play a football
game at Bristol Motor Speedway, when
we have a cathedral for stadium?
Click to expand...
And it seems as Virginia Tech is the team
that is brought up by people to play
the VOLS there. Who knows!!!
 
#5
#5
My guess: A lot of southern people like NASCAR...and thus view this as a way of getting to combine two things they love, (maybe some see it as like having peanut butter and chocolate, or ice cream cake)
 
#8
#8
Also, I wouldn't necessarily consider something that gets brought up once in a blue moon around here an "obsession".
 
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#12
#12
It'd have been neat to accept the man's offer a few years ago and set the record for highest single-game attendance ever, which is from where I assume the "obsession" stems. Record attendance plus the undeniable novelty factor make for a pretty cool game.
 
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#13
#13
I would never give a home game in Neyland up for BMS. I would give up an away game only and even then it would have to be done right. Otherwise - forget it.
 
#14
#14
TrueOrange said:
My guess: A lot of southern people like NASCAR...and thus view this as a way of getting to combine two things they love, (maybe some see it as like having peanut butter and chocolate, or ice cream cake)
Click to expand...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC_gkcplz_4[/youtube]
 
#15
#15
from Wiki take it for what its worth.


In 2005, track owner Bruton Smith made a public offer of $20 million apiece to the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech to schedule a non-conference college football game between the powerhouse Volunteers and Hokies' programs. Smith suggested that grass could be grown in the infield section of the racetrack. Virginia Tech showed much interest and nearly agreed to the proposal but Tennessee on the other hand showed little or no interest and in fact avoided the offer which made this possibility ultimately fall by the wayside.[11]

Organizers hoped that a game would draw 150,000 spectators, which would break all previous American team sports records for attendance. The track's location near the Virginia/Tennessee state line puts BMS about 125 miles (201 km) from Tech's campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, and about 110 miles (180 km) from the UT campus in Knoxville, Tennessee. However, holding a football game at the site would now seem highly impractical following the recent construction of the aforementioned scoring pylon and four-sided video screen in the middle of the infield
 
#18
#18
Many here in the tri-cities area have been "obsessed" with the idea because: a. This area is sort of the mesh point for VT and UT fans, b. as some mentioned, the record attendance would be fun, and c. The city of Bristol, as many know, is split down the middle by the TN/VA border.
 
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#21
#21
The only people that a game at BMS would serve, are those who stand to make money from such a game. The fans would not have nearly as good of a vantage point, the field would not be anywhere as near as good as Neyland would be, and the merchants that support UT would be hurt.

There is no good reason to ever play there.
 
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#22
#22
Tux said:
The only people that a game at BMS would serve, are those who stand to make money from such a game. The fans would not have nearly as good of a vantage point, the field would not be anywhere as near as good as Neyland would be, and the merchants that support UT would be hurt.

There is no good reason to ever play there.
Click to expand...

the schools would of been the one to make the money, more than what we are getting for the NCstate game in 17 days.

your correct the vantage point wouldn't be near as good as Neyland

Burton Smith would of made the field world class just like he did when he transformed the track for Dirt track racing.

Merchants are effected just like all neutral site games.

UT being part of a world record is always a good reason.

like I said earlier it can't be done anymore, but at the time it was offered it would of been great.
 
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#23
#23
I remember back in the day (like when Bristol only had one race a year...yeah back in that day) it was being batted around as an idea to get NASCAR to sanction a second race at BMS. The thinking was if they put together a package deal (i.e. football on Saturady, race on Sunday) they could guarantee to NASCAR that the fans would be available for 2 races a year at one venue...crazy, huh?
 
#25
#25
I live close to BMS.
Personally I think NASCAR sucks.

Keep football, football, and racing, racing.

To each his own.

I dislike being negative but, living close to the track and seeing all the bad things that go on, I cannot help it.
I have come to despise NASCAR.

Bristol Tn./Port O Potty TN. interchangable
 
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