Bass Pro opens Bristol store; Stewart pulls out of race

The day before Bass Pro Shops opened its Bristol, Tenn., store Aug. 21, the retailer’s sponsored NASCAR driver, Tony Stewart, pulled out of the Sprint Cup race this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Stewart-Haas Racing officials said Jeff Burton will drive the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS in place of Stewart for a second straight week, according to Channel 11 News in Bristol. Stewart has not returned to the track since the Aug. 8 accident at a dirt track in upstate New York, where Kevin Ward Jr. died after being hit by Stewart's car.

Meanwhile, Bass Pro founder John Morris was on hand for the opening of the 104,000-square-foot Outdoor World that anchors the new 500-acre Pinnacle development. Morris told News Channel 11 he feels at home in Bristol.

“Reminds me a lot of my hometown where I grew up and started Bass Pro in Springfield, Missouri. Beautiful mountain region, lots of natural resources, lakes, rivers, hunting, fishing, and friendly people at home, friendly people here,” he said.
 
Read more from Channel 11 News.