NASCAR’s All-Star Race has seen its fair share of strange and bizarre incidents, such as ‘One Hot Night’ ending with the winner in the hospital and a suspicious engine blowout at the finish line. There was also the time NASCAR allowed teams to roll out backup cars mid-race due to a surprise rain shower. In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the All-Star Race moved from Charlotte to Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time in over 30 years, taking place on a Wednesday evening.
The 2020 event at Bristol featured a limited number of fans in attendance, with about 22,000+ spectators, making it the most attended sporting event in the U.S. since the pandemic began. NASCAR experimented with visual changes to the cars, moving numbers and sponsor logos, which received mixed reactions from fans. The ‘Open’ race had an incident involving Bubba Wallace and Michael McDowell, with Wallace expressing his anger in a fiery post-race interview.
Despite the controversy, Wallace and McDowell later auctioned off the damaged bumper and raised money for charity. Overall, the 2020 All-Star Race at Bristol will be remembered for its unique setting, mid-week schedule, and eventful on-track action.
