The Sharpie 500 is hosted by Bristol Motor Speedway and earlier this week officials at the track, which is located in Bristol Tennessee and home to two NASCAR auto races each year, announced that the 2009 event has sold out. The two races that Bristol Motor Speedway host each year (the Sharpie 500 and Food City 500 in March) have sold out 55 straight times.
Still Need A Ticket To Sharpie 500?
Evelyn Hicks, Vice President of Tickets at the Bristol Motor Speedway, says be very leery of buying tickets for the Sharpie 500 anywhere but through Ticketmaster. She says the Bristol Motor Speedway uses Ticketmaster for all secondary ticket sales and they utilize a Ticketmaster product called Ticket Exchange.
"We recommend using (Ticketmaster) because we cannot guarantee the validity of tickets on any other site," Hicks said. "We know the ticket is real when purchased through our box office or through Ticketmaster, and it is the customer who is putting the tickets up for sale online."
What Is Different On Sharpie 500 Ticket?
More and more entertainment events, both sporting and non-sporting, are using computers to track ticket sales and seating. Most these days have some kind of barcode that links the customer to a specific ticket. That is the case with Bristol Motor Speedway and the Sharpie 500.
"All tickets are barcoded, and once the ticket is sold through Ticket Exchange, the original barcode is deactivated and a new barcode is generated for that ticket," Hicks said. "This barcode process does not happen with tickets sold on other online sites; therefore, we cannot guarantee that the ticket has not been reported lost or stolen by the customer and reprinted for entry by the customer."
Sharpie 500 Double Tickets Can Cause Problems
Hicks says when reselling happens outside normal channels, the result is frustrating for fans and officials of Bristol Motor Speedway.
"In a case such as that (when tickets are reported lost & stolen, reprinted and then the original ticket is resold online), the ticket online would have an invalid barcode, because once again when the original ticket has been reprinted, the first barcode is deactivated and the second barcode is activated," she said. "This has happened, but not often."
Buyer Beware When Shopping For Sharpie 500 Tickets
So be aware when shopping for tickets for the 2009 race. Find out if the ticket has been reported lost or stolen and reprinted. For the most up-to-date information on tickets and events at the Bristol Motor Speedway go direct to the online source at BMS website. Also plan ahead. The 2009 race is sold out but tickets are being sold for both 2010 NASCAR races at Bristol.
Where Is Bristol Motor Speedway?
The Bristol Motor Speedway is located in Bristol, Tennessee, which is on the border of Tennessee and Virginia in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It is accessible via Interstates 81 and 26. The concrete racing surface is 0.533 miles long so it is one of the shortest tracks on the NASCAR circuit. Banking in the corners goes from 24 to 30 degrees and the straightaways are 650 feet long. The seating capacity is 160,000.
Where To Stay Once You Get There
There are several campgrounds available, some owned by the BMS (which have been sold out for the Sharpie 500) and some private. To find openings in track owned properties, there is a camping office available at the Speedway with phone numbers and email addresses listed on the BMS website.
There are also numerous opportunities for traditional lodging at area hotels and a limited number of condominiums available across the street from the track.
Want A More Homey Feel For Sharpie 500?
There are also private homes available to rent for race weekends. Some of these homes are within a few blocks of the raceway while others are farther out. Race Lodging, LLC has listings of available rentals and prices.
Not Just For NASCAR
The Bristol Motor Speedway is also home to the Bristol International Dragway, more commonly known as Thunder Valley, seats approximately 25,000 fans. It is called Thunder Valley because the track sits between two mountains giving the area natural acoustics.
