One thing NASCAR has in abundance is epic trophies for winning races. Amongst the most coveted awards that a driver can take home after reaching victory lane are Bristol Motor Speedway’s Cup Series Trophy and Gladiator Sword. Though the first Cup Series race at the “Last Great Colosseum” was held in 1961, it wasn’t until 1983 that the track’s then-owner Warner Hodgdon made the call to have a specialized trophy given to the winners.
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Hodgdon had his GM and the city’s local trophy shop work together to come up with a prize suitable to the track’s image. What he got in return for his demands was the BMS Cup Trophy.
Hoisted on top of a wooden base, the trophy has a bronze cup atop it and four bronze eagles around its base. An angel with a torch in her hand sits at the top of the trophy. Amidst the many plates that read the event’s name and year is one that says ‘WINNER’. The award is a little over four feet tall and weighs over 50 pounds. The first person to win it was Darrell Waltrip (1983).
Noted historian and journalist David McGee says of Hodgon’s efforts, “He wanted the winner to take home a memorable trophy – something that would dominate a trophy case and be something they would keep forever to remind them of the accomplishment of winning Bristol.”
The track’s Gladiator Sword made its debut much later in 2014. It was introduced as part of the marketing campaign to promote the track as the “Last Great Colosseum”. The sword is 30 inches long in its entirety and has a 19-inch hand-forged blade. It also comes with a leather scabbard and sheath.
The Bristol Motor Speedway Trophy and Sword earns the love of drivers
Last year, when The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck posed the question of which NASCAR trophy was their favorite to Cup Series drivers, Kyle Larson picked the BMS Cup to be his choice. He quoted its classic look to be an instant draw. Brad Keselowski said, “If you go back and watch a race from the ’80s, it’s the same trophy. I appreciate the continuity that comes with that.”
Joey Logano was one other driver who was pretty impressed with the takings that he earned after winning at the track in 2021. Finding plenty of uses for the sword, he said to fellow driver Corey LaJoie on his podcast, “It kind of feels good too just to chop stuff with a sword. It was neat, so that was cool.”
Amongst other notable drivers who have taken home the trophy and sword are Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Jimmie Johnson.
