Bristol Motor Speedway will honor country music star Dolly Parton throughout the NASCAR Bristol Bass Pro Shops Night Race weekend Sept. 17-19.
The speedway, located about 100 miles from Parton's hometown of Sevierville, will stage several tributes featuring her signature pink butterfly. With approval from the Dollywood Foundation, BMS created a special tribute
logo with a pink butterfly and "Dolly" in script across its center.Parton died on Aug. 25.
Prominent Dolly butterfly signage will be displayed on the 0.533-mile track and throughout the BMS property.
There also will be race-ready Dolly butterfly decals made available to teams
across NASCAR’s three national series — Cup, O'Reilly and Craftsman Trucks — to display on their race cars.
A 15-foot by 7-foot tribute banner will be placed in the BMS Fan Zone where fans can write messages, add their signatures and take photos.
Parton's music will be incorporated throughout the race weekend.
“Dolly’s impact reaches far beyond East Tennessee, but she’ll always have a special place here at home,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “We wanted to create a meaningful way for our fans and race teams to join us in honoring her during one of Bristol’s biggest weekends. We’re grateful to the Dollywood Foundation for helping us bring this tribute to life.”
In addition to celebrating Parton’s life, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Sept. 19 will feature a star-studded entertainment lineup, including Academy Award-winning actor and producer Brad Pitt as a grand marshal and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and two-time IndyCar Series champion and Nashville resident Josef Newgarden as the honorary pace car driver.
The Sept. 19 festivities will include appearances by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, a pre-race concert by Brian Kelley, Bristol’s signature driver introductions featuring music personally selected by the competitors, a children’s choir performing the national anthem, and Lee Greenwood singing “God Bless the USA.”
As a tribute to Cup driver Kyle Busch, who died on May 21, fans will receive yellow “Rowdy Towels” and unite for a Lap 18 tribute honoring Busch's unmatched success at Bristol.
The NASCAR Bristol Night Race is the third in the 2025 NASCAR Chase. Christopher Bell won the first race at Darlington on Sept. 6, and Kyle Larson won the second at Gateway on Sept. 13.
For tickets, visit BristolMotorSpeedway or call 866-415-4158.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dolly Parton to be honored at NASCAR Bristol Night Race weekend with special logo
