Those relatively new to the sport who have never seen clips on television or on the web likely only know Tennessee’s Bristol Dragway as the state-of-the-art mecca of a megatrack that it is today, and while it’s true that the racing surface and all of its structures that stand today are virtually new, it’s far from the first incarnation of drag racing between those hallowed hills in Thunder Valley.

The original Bristol Dragway was constructed in 1965 and held IHRA drag racing events for several decades before Bristol Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith wiped the slate clean, built the facility up 20 feet higher than original, switched to NHRA sanctioning, and installed the finest of everything to make Bristol a crown jewel of the drag racing world for its grand opening in 1999.

With the annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals just around the corner, we thought we’d give Bristol the old Flashback Friday treatment by sharing some great old footage from the pre-makeover years of unquestionably one of the most recognizable drag strips in the world, both past and present.

Check out these videos from events such as the 1996 IHRA Spring Nationals, the 1990 IHRA Fall Nationals, and even some rare footage of the opening race in June of ’65.