Bristol Motor Speedway protects bleachers at “The Last Great Colosseum” with Eastman Tetrashield-based paint

KINGSPORT, Tennessee

When Bristol Motor Speedway needed a paint to stand the test of time, weather, and excited race fans, it turned to a paint formulated with Eastman Tetrashield™ protective resin systems.

"The Last Great Colosseum" purchased a highly durable Tetrashield-based protective paint from US Coatings for its aluminum bleachers in red, white, and blue. Completing the application in 2020, race fans around the world will be able to see the results for themselves this season­­––whether they visit in person or enjoy the action on television.

"It has a nice, vibrant look, and race fans will put it to the test with heavy foot traffic, big coolers and spilled beverages," said Adam Rust, vice president for events and operations at Bristol.

The iconic venue gets plenty of use, hosting major NASCAR races, concerts, football games and other events. Annual highlights include the Food City Dirt Race in March and "America's Night Race" in September. First held in 1978, Bristol was one of the first venues to illuminate NASCAR's marquee touring series under bright stadium lights. The speedway is located 20 miles from Kingsport, Tennessee, home to Eastman's global headquarters.

"We're proud that we're able to use a paint with a locally sourced Eastman product and technology," Rust added. "We're also happy to recommend it to other tracks."
Specialty materials company Eastman launched Tetrashield in 2016. Known for its superior weathering, scratch protection and chemical resistance, Tetrashield is used in a variety of markets, from automotive to metal packaging to industrial protection.

The speedway purchased VSC 1200, an advanced polyurethane industrial maintenance paint from US Coatings, an Eastman customer. US Coatings is a brand of Seal For Life Industries, the leading global provider of protective coating and sealing solutions for infrastructure markets.

"This Tetrashield-based coating is designed for longevity," said Mike Reed, president of US Coatings. "It provides long-term ultraviolet light protection and abrasion resistance for people getting up and down. It's formulated to apply in one coat and directly to metal, which makes it less labor intensive to apply."

Easy application was a key consideration.

"We wanted the process to be as simple as putting on another coat of paint," Rust said.

"Races at Bristol Motor Speedway are legendary, featuring some of the toughest icons in racing history. So it's fitting that the bleachers at BMS are just as tough," said Aaron Thornton, segment market manager for coatings and inks at Eastman. "These coatings need to look good for 10 to 15 years, so a product made with Tetrashield was the obvious choice when Bristol Motor Speedway needed tough paint that is easy to apply."

For more information on Tetrashield or Bristol Motor Speedway, please visit eastman.com/Tetrashield and BristolMotorSpeedway.com.

About Bristol Motor Speedway

Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race and in 2021 the track converted to a temporary dirt track to host the historic return of Cup Series racing on dirt. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world's largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world's greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., a publicly traded company that is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.

About US Coatings

US Coatings, acquired by Seal of Life in 2020, is a leading provider of high-performance coatings and linings. US Coatings custom tailor industrial coating products to fit the needs of clients across a wide variety of markets and offers superior customer service through the duration of the job.

Founded in 2000 in St. Louis, Missouri, US Coatings has emerged as a company doing business all over the country, with close connections spanning a vast number of specialty coatings markets. The company is committed to remaining nimble enough to be able to take on any coatings challenge, large or small.

US Coatings is focused on building relationships with our customers so we're here before, during and after the sale with personalized attention to your project that our competitors can't match.  More than just purveyors of paint, we take collaborating with our customers seriously, providing superior service throughout the course of your job.

To contact the home office, call 314-205-1500.