Bristol Motor Speedway

Built in 1960 in Bristol, Tennessee, this tight-packed amphitheater held its first race on July 30, 1961. Since then, it’s gotten a nasty reputation among drivers and has proven to be one of the most exciting places to watch a race for a number of reasons.

The track is short – ½ a mile – and the tight turns mean close quarters for powerful NASCAR racers. This leads to a high likelihood of “paint-swapping,” which brings out the yellow flag with a high frequency.

Also, with a starting lineup of 43 cars, the slower qualifiers start the race nearly half a lap back. This lends to a sense of urgency among drivers, and urgent drivers tend to step on the throttle and not let up – obstacles or not.

The track has been called a washing machine and a toilet bowl on behalf of its concentric properties, and the race itself has been likened to flying fighter jets in a gym. With so many cars in such a small space, crashes are nearly impossible to avoid.