Bristol Motor Speedway Roasted Online Over Graphic Showing Racers Going Wrong Way

Bristol Motor Speedway took to Twitter on Thursday to promote a new tourism project for Northeastern Tennessee, but things went awry quickly. The “#PartnerPost” was humbled as fans of the Speedway and NASCAR pointed out the litany of errors in the possibly AI-generated illustration.

Most importantly, stock cars don’t drive clockwise around Bristol or any other track for that matter.

If you look past the cars turning right on an oval and going more than five wide on one of the narrowest tracks on the circuit, you’re still stuck trying to make out the numbers and words mirrored onto the cars and trackside advertisements.

While there is no official confirmation that the graphic is an AI image, one of the telltale signs of AI is that it has yet to master letters and numbers, and its attempts come out illegible and otherworldly. Other signs to look for include stray pixels, odd outlines, and random shapes; these can be seen through the background of the image as well.

This is the second time in 2024 that a racing entity has gotten flack over AI-based marketing. Back in January, Mahindra debuted an AI female racing ambassador instead of hiring one of the many women trying to create careers in motorsports.

Many fans came to Bristol's mentions to complain both about the image and the apparent AI usage.

Bristol responded to the first flood of messages, saying it was a partnered post and urged people to actually read about the Burnouts and Bootleggers Trail promotion instead of dunking on the image.

When Stafford Speedway poked fun at Bristol, the admin simply replied with "#PartnerPost." Stafford replied, saying all would be forgiven if the Speedway Motorsports-owned track sponsored a lap in its upcoming Spring Sizzler.

Neither BMS nor Northeast Tennessee replied to Road & Track’s request for comment.

Those who did click through the link to learn more about Burnouts and Bootleggers were greeted with more AI-looking images displaying the local racing and drinking attractions of the area.

Per NortheastTennessee.org, the Bootleggers and Burnouts Trail is “Calling all history buffs, car enthusiasts, and adventure seekers! Northeast Tennessee has unveiled a brand new experience that promises equal parts historical intrigue, scenic beauty, and a touch of good ol’ fashioned moonshine fun. Buckle up for the Bootleggers & Burnouts Trail, a self-guided driving tour that winds its way through the heart of the region’s captivating past.”

While the promotion is meant to celebrate the history of a racing hotbed while driving traffic to smaller race tracks and museums, using AI, if that is what happened here, was a risk that did not seem to pay off for the local tourism partner.

Hopefully, the traffic around the mistake leads readers to look into dirt racing at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn, Pavement Late Models at Kingsport Speedway, or the Overmountain Rally, the only national stage rally located in the Southeast. But hopefully, it also is a reminder that race fans care about supporting creative jobs in motorsports and to market accordingly.

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