Race Tracks in Tennessee
Tennessee's motorsport calendar is dominated by two NASCAR ovals: Bristol Motor Speedway, the concrete half-mile 'Last Great Colosseum' famous for its Night Race, and Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile oval east of the city. Downtown Nashville also closes its streets each August for the Music City Grand Prix, an IndyCar street race. The state has no major permanent road course, so wheel-to-wheel car racing centers on ovals and drag strips instead: dirt tracks like Volunteer Speedway, 411 Motor Speedway, Smoky Mountain Speedway and Tazewell Speedway host national dirt late-model touring series most weekends, while Bristol Dragway, Music City Raceway and the reopening Darana Motorsports Park Millington cover NHRA and IHRA drag racing. Two-wheeled motorsport runs deep here too: Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills hosts the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship every August, and Muddy Creek Raceway near Bristol was an AMA Pro Motocross national venue from 2013-2018. A 2026 fire damaged the historic Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway grandstands, with rebuilding underway.
18 venues listed across 7 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Ovals and speedways in Tennessee
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Motor Speedway | Bristol | 0.533 mi | The 'Last Great Colosseum,' a steeply banked concrete half-mile that hosts NASCAR Cup Series races each spring and the night-race playoff weekend each September. |
| Nashville Superspeedway | Lebanon | 1.33 mi | 1.33-mile concrete oval east of Nashville hosting NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series races each June. |
| Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway | Nashville | 0.596 mi | Historic 5/8-mile paved oval that ran NASCAR Cup races from 1958-1984 and still hosts the All American 400 super late model race; grandstands were damaged by a fire in June 2026 and remain under repair. |
| Kingsport Speedway | Kingsport | — | NASCAR-sanctioned weekly short oval in the Tri-Cities area running Late Model, Modified and Street Stock divisions from April through October. |
| Duck River Raceway Park | Wheel | — | Middle Tennessee paved oval near Columbia used for weekly stock car racing and occasional regional touring series. |
Dirt tracks in Tennessee
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volunteer Speedway | Bulls Gap | 0.4 mi | High-banked 4/10-mile dirt oval nicknamed 'The Gap,' a regular World of Outlaws and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series stop. |
| 411 Motor Speedway | Seymour | 0.375 mi | East Tennessee dirt oval near Knoxville that regularly hosts World of Outlaws and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series touring events. |
| Smoky Mountain Speedway | Maryville | 0.375 mi | Dirt oval that hosted NASCAR Grand National races in the 1960s-70s and now runs World of Outlaws, Lucas Oil and ASCS sprint car events. |
| Tazewell Speedway | Tazewell | — | Northeast Tennessee dirt oval running weekly late-model and support-class racing. |
| Clarksville Speedway & Fairgrounds | Clarksville | — | Middle Tennessee dirt oval at the Clarksville fairgrounds running a weekly local racing program. |
Drag strips in Tennessee
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Dragway | Bristol | 0.25 mi | Concrete quarter-mile strip next to Bristol Motor Speedway, nicknamed 'Thunder Valley,' hosting the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals each June. |
| Music City Raceway | Goodlettsville | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile drag strip serving the Nashville area with weekly test-and-tune and bracket racing. |
| Middle Tennessee Dragway | Buffalo Valley | 0.25 mi | Quarter-mile asphalt strip (also known as Buffalo Valley Dragway) serving the Cookeville area. |
Motocross and off-road in Tennessee
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loretta Lynn's Ranch | Hurricane Mills | — | Home of the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship every August, the sport's premier amateur event, held on country singer Loretta Lynn's ranch since 1982. |
| Muddy Creek Raceway | Blountville | — | Northeast Tennessee motocross track near Bristol that hosted AMA Lucas Oil Pro Motocross national rounds from 2013-2018 and still runs regional and vintage AMA events. |
Street circuits and temporary in Tennessee
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music City Grand Prix | Nashville | 2.17 mi | Temporary downtown street circuit around Nissan Stadium hosting an NTT IndyCar Series round each August. |
Karting in Tennessee
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music City Kartplex | Shelbyville | — | Middle Tennessee sprint kart circuit running club racing series for regional karters. |
Closed and historic in Tennessee
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darana Motorsports Park MillingtonClosed | Millington | 0.25 mi | Formerly Memphis International Raceway; closed in 2022 after ownership changes and bought by the IHRA in December 2025, with reopening and IHRA Sportsman and Outlaw Nitro Series finals planned for late 2026. |
Race tracks near the big cities in Tennessee
Near Nashville
- Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway · about 10 min
- Music City Grand Prix · about 15 min
- Music City Raceway · about 20 min
- Nashville Superspeedway · about 35 min
- Music City Kartplex · about 60 min
- Duck River Raceway Park · about 65 min
Near Tri-Cities (Bristol-Kingsport-Johnson City)
- Bristol Motor Speedway · about 15 min
- Bristol Dragway · about 15 min
- Kingsport Speedway · about 15 min
- Muddy Creek Raceway · about 20 min
- Volunteer Speedway · about 30 min
- Tazewell Speedway · about 45 min
Near Knoxville
- 411 Motor Speedway · about 25 min
- Smoky Mountain Speedway · about 25 min
Major race weekends in Tennessee
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass Pro Shops Night Race | Bristol Motor Speedway | September | NASCAR Cup Series |
| NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals | Bristol Dragway | June | NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series |
| Music City Grand Prix | Music City Grand Prix | August | NTT IndyCar Series |
| NASCAR tripleheader weekend | Nashville Superspeedway | June | NASCAR Cup / Xfinity / Truck Series |
| AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship | Loretta Lynn's Ranch | August | AMA Amateur Motocross |
| All American 400 | Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway | October | Super Late Model |
Track days and driving experiences in Tennessee
Tennessee has no major permanent road racing circuit, so track-day options are more limited than in neighboring states. SCCA and NASA members in Tennessee typically travel to Road Atlanta or NCM Motorsports Park in Kentucky for HPDE and time-trial days, while in-state seat time comes from drag-strip test-and-tune nights at Bristol Dragway, Music City Raceway and Middle Tennessee Dragway, or autocross events run by local SCCA chapters in parking lots and fairgrounds. Costs run roughly $30-$60 for a drag-strip test-and-tune session and $40-$80 for a local autocross entry.
Frequently asked questions
Does this guide include horse racing tracks?+
No. This page covers motorsport venues only. Tennessee's Thoroughbred and harness racing facilities are not included here.
What is Tennessee's biggest race?+
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway each September is the state's marquee event, alongside the Music City Grand Prix IndyCar street race in downtown Nashville each August.
Is Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway still racing after the 2026 fire?+
The track's grandstands were damaged by a fire in June 2026, and operators are rebuilding; check the facility's own channels for the latest on its 2026-2027 schedule.
Does Tennessee have a permanent road course I can drive my own car on?+
No purpose-built permanent road course currently operates in Tennessee. Local drivers typically travel to Road Atlanta in Georgia or NCM Motorsports Park in Kentucky for HPDE and time-trial days.
Where can I watch dirt late-model racing in Tennessee?+
Volunteer Speedway, 411 Motor Speedway, Smoky Mountain Speedway, Tazewell Speedway and Clarksville Speedway all run regular dirt-oval seasons and host national touring series like World of Outlaws and Lucas Oil.
Where is Loretta Lynn's motocross event held?+
The AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, widely known as 'Loretta Lynn's,' runs every August at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
Venue list checked against 14 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.
Tennessee track guides on RaceTrackWorld
Bristol Motor Speedway
Address: 151 Speedway Blvd., Bristol TN, 37620 USA Website: http://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (+1) 423-989...
Loretta Lynn Ranch Hotels – Stay Near the Music
Address: 800 TN-13 Hurricane Mills, TN 37078 USA Website: http://www.lorettalynnranch.net/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: 931-296-7700 Hote...
Nashville Street Circuit
Address: Nashville, TN USA Website: https://musiccitygp.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +1 615-270-8705 Hotels Near Nashville Street Ci...
Nashville Superspeedway
Address: 4847-F McCrary Rd, Lebanon, TN 37090 USA Website: https://www.nashvillesuperspeedway.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: ( +1) 866-...