In addition to the main oval, the facility's complex also features a two-lane, 1⁄4 mile (0.40 km) long drag strip.

Since Smith's purchase, BMS underwent major expansion, becoming one of the largest sporting facilities in the United States.

[7][8] The facility also features a 30-by-63 foot television screen that hangs over the middle of the track that is named Colossus TV.

[9] In 1964, plans for a drag strip were announced by then-track owner Larry Carrier and National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) officials.

[12] In 1960, businessman Larry Carrier, continuing plans to expand a local recreation conglomerate within the Tri-Cities, Tennessee, area, wanted to build a race track.

[13] He drew up initial plans to build a track in Piney Flats, Tennessee, using land his real-estate agent father had bought.

[23] Within same month, Carrier was able to negotiate with Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall to hold a National Football League (NFL) exhibition game between the Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles[24] after a failed attempt by Marshall to hold the game at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The track was praised for its layout and amenities by team owner Bud Moore, driver Cotton Owens, and Redskins public relations director Dave Slattery.

[29] The track officially opened to the public on July 23, 1961, for a paved half-mile speed record attempt by driver Tommy Morgan.

[35] In October 1964, the Bristol Herald Courier reported that the track was negotiating with National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) officials on building a proposed dragstrip.

[37] In March 1965, the track announced plans to build a 2.25 miles (3.62 km) long road course that would utilize parts of the dragstrip.

[41] The repave was completed by July of that year, and in the next major race, drivers saw average lap speeds of over 100 mph.

On November 2, 1977, Carrier announced the sale of the track to Nashville businessmen Lanny Hester and Gary Baker for $1 million.

Upon the track's purchase, the duo announced $200,000 worth of renovations, a rebranding to "Bristol International Raceway", an increase of purse money, and a revert to the traditional 500 lap distance for its NASCAR races.

[54] By October, according to Gossage in a letter to the editor of the Herald Courier, he claimed that Hodgdon increased capacity by 3,000, added new sewer and water lines, and expanded parking.

Then-public relations manager of the Hodgdon-owned Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Tom Roberts, had a grudge with Hodgdon, and immediately realized "I needed to be looking for another job...

I looked at him as one of the biggest charlatans I had ever encountered", sharing sentiments with Gossage, who both left soon after Hodgdon bought the track.

[60] By the end of December, he was facing additional lawsuits from the North Carolina Motor Speedway and overdue payments to the Tennessee State Fair and Exposition Commission.

[73] The track by this point had expanded to 50,000 seats and generated more than $138 million annually in economic revenue, with stated future intentions to build $400,000 worth of improvements.

[80][81] The surface still oversaw more complaints for being too bumpy, and after the 1992 Food City 500, Carrier announced another complete repave of the track.

[83] Despite Carrier stating at the start of the 1990s that he had no intention of selling the track,[35] sometime in the early 1990s, motorsports mogul Bruton Smith displayed interest of buying Bristol International Raceway.

Although Carrier stated fears to Scalf about losing NASCAR race weekends, he eventually agreed to sell off the complex with the exception of a 78-acre campground.

[84] On January 23, 1996, the sale of the track was confirmed at the cost of $26 million,[85][84] with an executive for the sports marketing division of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Jeff Byrd, replacing Scalf as general manager.

[100] By the time the new variable-banking system was complete in August, the turns varied from 24 to 30 degrees, with the racing surface being widened from 40 to 43 feet.

[106] In October 2015, the track announced the construction of Colossus TV, a 30-by-63 foot television screen that was touted as the world's largest "outdoor, permanent, center-hung digital display".

[116] In 2020, BMS held a one-off edition of the NASCAR All-Star Race, which moved to Texas Motor Speedway the following season.

[122][123] In 2013, an NCAA Division I FBS game was officially announced for the track between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Virginia Tech Hokies, to take place in 2016.

[135] In 2021, YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known by his alias MrBeast, held a game of tag between 10 people at the track with a purse of $500,000 given to the winner.

[136] As of September 2024, the fastest official race lap records at Bristol Motor Speedway are listed as: