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Hurricane Helene: Bristol Motor Speedway opening campground for evacuees

JHby:Jonathan Howard09/27/24

Jondean25

Bristol Motor Speedway night race
Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The fine folks at Bristol Motor Speedway are opening the Medallion campground tonight at 6:00 PM EST for Hurricane Helene evacuees. Last week they hosted the NASCAR Playoffs and now they are opening up for those in need.

Hurricane Helene is causing a lot of issues in east Tennessee and the western part of North Carolina. Appalachia is being hit with a ton of rain and it is hard for those mountain communities to handle heavy rains.

Bristol is doing a great thing here by opening up the Medallion campground. They posted a statement on their social media pages. Evacuees will be welcomed free of charge to the campground just off Hwy 394 off of Interstate 81.

This storm has caused a ton of damage. There are roads washed out between North Carolina and Tennessee. Dams are flooding or experience major issues. So, it’s great to see Bristol Motor Speedway be proactive in this situation.

Hurricane Helene has covered just about all of the eastern United States in rain. Even here in Kentucky winds and rain have been heavy. However, in my part of the state, it hasn’t been anything like Tennessee.

During this time, Charlotte Motor Speedway has also opened up campgrounds for evacuees. When these large facilities are not in use for races, they make a great place for emergency situations like this. Kudos to all involved.

Hurricane Helene causes damage at Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol Motor Speedway was one of many areas in east Tennessee and the southeastern United States to sustain damage from Hurricane Helene.

The “It’s Bristol, Baby!” sign that sits in the parking lot outside the racetrack received the bulk of the damage. Today, it reads “Istol Baby!” as half the sign was damaged by Helene’s gusty winds.

To think the NASCAR Cup Series was racing at Bristol last weekend. One week later, it is acting as a refuge for evacuees in the storm. Hopefully, folks are able to use the facilities and stay safe while this storm continues to flood communities in the Southeast.

Hurricane Helene has been devastating in many places. Getting as many people and places like Bristol Motor Speedway to help is only going to make recovery efforts easier. Thoughts and prayers go out to those involved in the flooding and storm damage.