Food City Race Night – game on!

The racing action at Bristol Motor Speedway is well-known for generating quotes. Bristol fans can recite them like the pledge of allegiance including liners like “That’s just Bristol” and “It’s Bristol baby!”

Where else will you see mild-mannered drivers like Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon have a candid conversation on pit-road after the 2006 Food City 500?

Now you have the chance to see NASCAR’s top drivers (Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Elliott Sadler & A.J. Allmendinger) drop their gloves once again to prove they are the King of Bristol!

Don’t worry, you won’t see black eyes or bloodied noses because we’re settling the score on Nintendo Wii Boxing. The only thing getting roughed up is the driver’s pride.

The boxing tournament is only one of many interactive activities happening at Food City Race Night in Hospitality Village including a Q&A Session with the Roush-Fenway Drivers and live music.

We’re not talking about Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart playing Rock Band (which is happening at 7:45 PM) but national recording artists like King Billy, 10,000 Flames and Great White.

Ford Fan Friday is a can’t miss day of racing including Food City 500 qualifying and night of interaction and entertainment. To sum up Friday it’s a whole lotta’ rock stars and race cars! You can’t miss it!

There’s still time to win!

Race week at Bristol Motor Speedway is nearly here and literally can’t get here quick enough. For me personally, it’s the highlight of my job – making race fans happy through various promotions and contests.

Creating and developing promotions is one of the main priorities of my job. The wilder and crazier the promotion the better it is in my book. Our “8 Bucks on Trucks” promotion went over a lot better than any of us could have imagined and I hope you took us up on our offer.

But if you didn’t I have listed a few of the promotions and contests we are running for your chance to save some cash or win a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Ultimate Bristol Fan Experience – BMS partnered with the Bristol Herald Courier and WJHL to give one lucky fan the Ultimate Bristol experience. Visit http://www.tricities.com and enter keyword “tickets” for your chance to win. Some of the prizes include Cold Pit Passes, Honorary Pit Crew Member, Suite Seats, Richard Petty Driving Ride-Along, Parking Passes and more.

Rubbin’ is Racin’ Signature Spice Rub Contest - Imagine being the chef of the “signature spice rub of Bristol Motor Speedway.” It can happen.  This contest, perfect for the tailagting fans, will result in one lucky individual being named the chef of Bristol’s Official Spice Rub… plus more prizes including Suite Tickets for the Sharpie 500!

Sharpie 500/Bristol Motor Speedway FANatic Contest – This contest should be easy for each of you to complete. All you have to do is complete the required information and in 250-words-or-less, tell us why you are a Sharpie 500/Bristol Motor Speedway FANatic. Did I mention if your name is picked you get to take home a Sharpie Autograph Canvas signed by every driver that competed in the 2007 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway!!

Track Scan’s “Scanning Bristol’s High Banks” – Scan Bristol’s news pages to find the Track Scan headset to enter the promotion. Four lucky winners will have the opportunity to use a Track Scan headset for two during the weekend. The grand prize winner takes home a new scanner as well as tickets to the O’Reilly 200 and Food City 250. Happy searching!

Food City’s Tailgater of the Race – This is a new promotion we are implementing and I’m excited. Tailgating is a way of life at Bristol and my team is going into the campgrounds and parking lots before the Sharpie 500 to find the top tailgater. All you have to do is incorporate Food City’s Food Club products into your party and decorate your area. It’s always a good idea to have lots of friends hanging with you. Winning tailgater will take home a Food City gift certificate.

Carpentier baptized at bristol in Petty ride-along

What’s the best way to cut your teeth at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile?” Throw down some jack and take a ride in the Richard Petty Driving Experience ride-along at Bristol Motor Speedway. That’s exactly what Patrick Carpentier, driver of the No. 10 Valvoline machine, on Thursday evening. The former Champ Car World Series and the IndyCar Series driver hopped in the Petty car before he could officially take his first laps under power at Thunder Valley’s legendary half-mile.

He came away very impressed with the track and said he looked forward to competing on the world-famous bull ring. Will his driver’s ed crash course on Bristol help him this weekend? Only time will tell….

Cleaning up the house… inside and out

Another Bristol Augsut Race Week week has come to an end. Hopefully you fans that visited made it home safe and sound. Now many of you might think my colleagues and I are resting today, or even taking the day off, but that idea is pretty far from the truth.

The majority of us were back in the office or on property (many were even here yesterday) laboring to get this place to look like new for our many fans that stop by the other 50 weeks of the year we don’t have NASCAR sanctioned events visiting the World’s Fastest Half-Mile.

In fact racing events are resuming this weekend across the creek at Bristol Dragway. Although it would seem like we have two big weekends a year to prepare for, most weekends from March – October you can smell the distinct scent of racing fuel and hear the engines rumble through Thunder Valley.

It was great to see everyone this weekend and we can’t wait to see you in March but if ever get the itch or you are in the area stop by because something is always happening at Bristol!

Shifting gears to Tri-Cities night life

While in Bristol for August Race Week, race fans always ask, “Where is the best place to find a little away-from-the-track fun?” Being the in-house night-life expert, I am going to share with a few places to visit during your stay.

Personally, you’d be hard pressed to find any more fun than the campgrounds around the Speedway. They all are great places to unwind and meet fellow racing diehards that share your love for Bristol. One location that has met legendary status is Pole 10 in the Blue Ox Campground. It’s a racing tradition to stop by and belt your favorite song in their karaoke area.

Now if you’re looking to have some off-site fun, each Tri-Cities town (Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport) has something for everyone regardless of your party style.

Starting in Bristol — Stateline Bar & Grille is the hottest place race fans congregate. The two-level bar hosts people of all ages with DJ’s spinning a variety of tunes for dancing downstairs with the upstairs oxygen bar offering more mellow dwelling space. Don’t forget their popular Karaoke Night on Thursday. Ireson’s Pub offers refuge for our punk-rock racing fans. It’s not the largest watering hole but with great drink specials like $5 Miller Lite bottomless cup on Wednesday Night and live music on Friday and Saturday Night, it’s definitely a place worth looking into. O’Mainnin’s Pub & Grill is re-opening just in time for race week (Wednesday, August 23). A quaint pub just a stone’s throw from Stateline and Ireson’s, this popular local hangout provides a nice place to grab a pint or two and enjoy the night sky from their outside patio in the back.

Johnson City provides bar-hoppers numerous night-life options to enjoy. The Electric Cowboy is the area’s hottest new place to quench your thirst of malty beverages and square dancing. The Cowboy plays a good balance of country tunes and the latest groovin’ tunes. Fella’s — did I also mention you can watch women show-off their riding skills on the mechanical bull? If she can stay on for longer than a minute, I think she’s a keeper. Second Level offers a pure dancing atmosphere that tends to lean towards the younger crowd. The scene at Second Level never gets old as they constantly host theme nights for an added element of excitement. Stir Fry Cafe is another popular hang out spot for the Gen X’ers (20 somethins) to enjoy the night. While Stir Fry is a bit up-scale, partygoers still know how to party and enjoy movin’ to the techno house beats of the region’s hottest DJ’s.

A few overall tips to keep in mind before you head out — Make sure you arrive early to your destination. I know it’s your style to arrive fashionably late but keep in mind the clubs and bars will have more visitors than normal and you don’t want to get stuck in line while everyone else is having a good time inside. Ladies, I know you want to turn some heads with your outfit but don’t go overboard because many of these hangouts enforce a dress-code and you don’t want to be turned away because you aren’t up to spec. Guys — that goes for you too; NO hats, NO un-tucked shirts, NO flip-flops. Remember the ladies actually like it when you look and smell good. Certainly last but not least — plan ahead and designate a sober driver or make plans to call a cab. Local law enforcement will be on patrol for people driving over the influence. Be safe during your nightly excursions and make sure to drink one for me!

For more information on other bars and clubs I didn’t mention, visit TriCitiesNights.com, GoTriCities.com, The Loafer, 1Night Magazine, TriCities.com and Radio Web Village.

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