Bristol Motor Speedway announces '27 dates

Bristol Motor Speedway announced Thursday morning its 2027 NASCAR Cup Series weekend dates are moving to April 9-11 and August 12-14. The move will take the late summer race out of the NASCAR playoffs, but opens up the possibility of another college football game in the future. The Battle at Bristol between Tennessee and Virginia Tech in 2016 drew an NCAA record crowd of 156,990. East Tennessee State and Western Carolina played the following week in front of an ETSU record home crowd of 13,863. The earlier date also keeps the Bass Pro Shops Night Race from competing with college football and the Food City 300 from competing with high school football, which starts a week later in Tennessee. "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 in a release. "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 August date is more family-friendly with several school systems throughout the country still on summer break. The late summer race was scheduled in August from 1976-2019. Denny Hamlin won the last Bass Pro Shops Night Race held in August. Hamlin made a late pass of underdog Matt DiBenedetto to score the win. NASCAR is unveiling its 2027 schedule in a different way with the individual tracks instead of releasing it all at once. Atlanta Motor Speedway announced its dates Wednesday with New Hampshire, Talladega and Iowa also scheduled to release their 2027 schedules Thursday.