Newport Speedway roars back to life this Saturday as the high-banked asphalt race track known as the “East Tennessee Bullring” reopens for the start of its 2016 season.
The track had sat idle for over 17 months as it was announced in early January of last year that the track was not going to open for 2015. Since then, veteran racers and track promoter Andy Hyde has signed a lease for the aging facility and has spent countless hours, thousands of dollars and gallons of paint to get the track up to shine and ready for business.
Gone are the old familiar orange and white striped patterns on the outside wall, now replaced with a fresh coat of brilliant “NASCAR” yellow. The cracked asphalt grandstand seating has been repaired, a new sound system installed and new fence has been installed along the back stretch. “This place is looking the best it has ever looked,” Hyde said. “It’s a safe bet to say that those fans and competitors who have been to this facility for the last several years won’t recognize the place when they go through the gates.”
But don’t let the fresh coat of paint fool you, it might look different but it’s the same old Newport with its 26-degree banking and fast surface which has made the track one of the best places in the Southeastern United States to watch local racing, and one of the few places in Tennessee to watch racing on asphalt.
The path to reopening was not an easy one for the track. The track was originally slated to open in late April, but the track had to delay the opener on three separate occasions. “We wanted to make sure that it was done right,” Hyde said about the delays “we had delays with the weather and some projects took longer than we had anticipated, but we wanted to make sure that when we opened, everything was done and done right.”
The track looks to make up for the delays to their start and have gotten down to business right out of the gate, with an opening night featuring a 100-lap Late Model race with $1,500 going to the winner. There will also be a 50-lap Street Stock race with $1,000 in prize money up for grabs and a 35-lap Pure-4 event with $500 going to the winner. Also on the schedule are the Rookie Pure-4, Mini Cup and Pure Stock divisions.
Gates for spectators will open at 4:00pm and the racing will get underway at 8:00pm. Tickets for the grandstands are $10 per person, tier parking is $15 per car, $10 per person and children under 10 are admitted free. For a complete rundown of the schedule, rules, and policies, please visit the track’s website at www.newportmotorspeedway.com or “Like” them on Facebook.
