When historic Thunder Valley opens its gates in 2021, it will once again be one of the busiest drag strips in the country as it will offer fans a wide variety of compelling events guaranteed to satisfy every type of hot-rodding enthusiast.
There is so much action on tap this season at Thunder Valley it will certainly knock the peg in your thrill-meter to the maximum level. There are so many reasons for high-performance enthusiasts to be super excited about what Bristol Dragway has in store in 2021.
“Whether you are a fan of big-dollar bracket races, enjoy watching street cars go fast or love the wild rumble of Top Fuel Harleys, Thunder Valley has something special in store for you in 2021,” said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway. “We can’t wait to light the Christmas Tree for what promises to be a thrilling season of drag racing at iconic Bristol Dragway.”
The legendary Bristol Chevy Show will once again return to Thunder Valley, and will move to a brand-new date, Aug. 5-8. The Bristol Chevy Show showcases the best classic and modern Chevrolets in the region, both on the track and in the famed car corral. Fans can witness drag racing, take in a car show, score some hard to find merchandise at the swap meet and much more.
One of the most anticipated events of the season is the popular Street Car Takeover, the premier national street car lifestyle drag racing, roll racing, night meets and car show event, will visit Thunder Valley April 30-May 1.
The next generation of drag racers (ages 6 to 17) will once again descend upon Bristol Dragway in July. The region will welcome more than 500 young racers and their families for a week full of racing activities beginning July 9 with the Huddleston Performance Jr. Dragster Nationals presented by Mike Bos Chassis Craft, and culminating July 15-17 with the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing Eastern Conference Finals. Bristol Dragway has played host to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2004, with the exception of last year when the event had to be relocated to BD sister track zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, N.C. due to revised scheduling conflicts during the pandemic.
Bristol Dragway will welcome for the first time the powerful American V-Twin Motorcycles of the American Motorcycle Racing Association with an assortment of featured classes, including Top Fuel, Nitro Funny Bike, Pro Fuel, Pro Gas, Pro Mod, Modified, Outlaw Street and more. The Inaugural Thunder Valley Nitro Nationals & Rally will be held Aug. 20-22 as part of the circuit’s six-race U.S. tour.
During the latter half of the season, Bristol Dragway will be home to four of the most prolific bracket races in the USA, offering participants their chance to win some mega bucks and experience the famed strip in Northeast Tennessee.
The BTE World Footbrake Challenge XV returns on July 1-4, while the BTE Labor Day 250K will be held Sept. 2-5. Racers in both of those events will duel for the largest payouts in Thunder Valley history.
Long revered as one of the most popular bracket racing events in the country, the Sparco Fall Fling presented by Optima Batteries returns to the Thunder Valley schedule for the 12th time, running from Tuesday, Sept. 28 thru Sunday, Oct. 3. The most successful Super Pro racers in the country will converge at Bristol Dragway for the special opportunity to win life-changing money.
The popular DER Bracket Racing Series is set with six weekend dates in 2021, including May 14-16, May 28-30, June 25-27, July 23-25, August 27-29 and Sept. 24-26. It is the 12th consecutive season for the DER Bracket Racing Series, which offers a variety of classes from Super Pro to Junior Dragster.
Five dates have also been added to the calendar for the popular Thunder Valley Street Fights, and those include April 17, May 8, May 22, June 4 and July 31. The Thunder Valley Street Fights allows hot-rodding enthusiasts to race their street-legal vehicles on the legendary Bristol Dragway strip.
Bristol Dragway officials are continuing discussions with NHRA regarding the 2021 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
For more information on events at Bristol Dragway and to purchase tickets, please visit BristolDragway.com or call 423-BRISTOL.
2021 Bristol Dragway Schedule
April 17 Thunder Valley Street Fights
April 30-May 1 Street Car Takeover
May 8 Thunder Valley Street Fights
May 14-16 DER Series
May 22 Thunder Valley Street Fights
May 28-30 DER Series
June 4 Thunder Valley Street Fights
June 25-27 DER Series
July 1-4 BTE World Footbrake Challenge XV
July 9-17 Junior Drag Week (NHRA Jr. Drags Eastern Finals)
July 23-25 DER Series
July 31 Thunder Valley Street Fights
Aug. 5-8 Bristol Chevy Show
Aug. 19-22 American Motorcycle Racing Association
Aug. 27-29 DER Series
Sept. 2-5 BTE Labor Day 250K
Sept. 24-26 DER Series
Sept. 28-Oct. 3 Sparco Fall Fling presented by Optima Batteries
