Race fans enjoy company of others at Bristol campgrounds

BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — On Monday morning, race fans were already descending on the Bristol Motor Speedway for the upcoming Food City 300 and the Bass Pro Shop Night Race.

Some campers told News Channel 11 they spend the week enjoying area attractions like the Bristol Caverns or South Holston Lake, but others say they enjoy the spending time with friends in the campground.

Deb Snavely, an Ohio race fan, said it’s the laughter and good company that have brought her back to Bristol for more than twenty years.

“We have a friend that plays the guitar, and we just sit around and laugh, and laugh and laugh,” Snavely said with a smile. “We play cornhole, we play cards.”

Snavely and her sister’s family camps right across from another group of longtime fans that include visitors from South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Missouri. They said they camp in the same spot every year.

Brenda Moss is one of those fellow campers.

“We love the race, but we love the friends we meet from all over the United States and Canada,” Moss told News Channel 11.

76-year-old Gordan Ravis has been coming to Bristol for nearly 30 years, and he says at his age, unfortunately, he’s had a few friends who didn’t made it back.

“We’ve lost a few,” Ravis recounted. “That is one advantage of being this age when we’re sitting around and doing nothing, we can talk about the years past.”

Ravis is bringing up the next generation of race fans, though–and he says his grandson will join him at his campsite on Wednesday. By then, he should have it all set up, including about 30 flags he’ll fly. Ravis said his grandson, however, has to help him take them all down.

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