NASCAR's Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race: Some things you might not know about Bristol

Week 3 of NASCAR Playoffs

This weekend, NASCAR visits a “twin city” for the second straight week.

Last Sunday, it was the Kansas version of Kansas City, and this week it’s the Tennessee version of Bristol, home to Bristol Motor Speedway, host to Saturday night's Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race.

Most refer to Bristol as a “half-mile” track, but technically it’s .533 of a mile — save your brain cells, that’s roughly 50 yards longer than a half-mile.

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Virginia, Tennessee are just two solid yellow lines apart

While the two Kansas Cities are separated by the mighty Missouri River, Virginia’s Bristol and Tennessee’s Bristol are divided by State Street, where you can stand with one foot in each state.

And you thought Nashville was the birthplace of country music?

As officially recognized by the U.S. Congress, the two Bristols are collectively known as the “Birthplace of Country Music” (and have the museum to prove it!).

In the late 1920s, Bristol was host to the first recording sessions of two country music legends — the Carter Family and the “Singin’ Brakeman,” Jimmie Rodgers.

Tennessee’s Bristol was the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford, who was 8 years old when the original “Bristol Sessions” were recorded.

Hokies vs. Vols: Bristol Motor Speedway has been host to a (very) big football game

Bristol Motor Speedway, which opened in 1961, has been host to three football games, most notably the 2016 game between Virginia Tech and Tennessee.

It set the football attendance record, drawing an announced crowd of 156,990. The track seats 153,000 for racing.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR Night Race at Bristol: A tale of two cities and two states