Posted on by Staff Report

Christopher Bell won the pole for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series Round of 16 playoff race at Bristol Motor Speedway (6:30 p.m. ET, USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) with a hot lap of 126.997 mph.

It’s the third consecutive pole for the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and he’s the first driver to sweep the pole awards in the opening round of the playoffs.

RELATED: Starting lineup | Best Bristol Photos

Bell’s JGR teammate Denny Hamlin just missed the pole by .008 seconds with a 126.93 mph and joins Bell on the front row.

“It doesn’t get much closer than that—that’s crazy tight,” Bell said of his margin over Hamlin. (But) 500 laps (on Saturday) is an awfully long time. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that qualifying means nothing for the race.”

Bell knows whereof he speaks. After winning poles at Darlington and Kansas in the first two playoff races, Bell finished 23rd and eighth, respectively. As a result, he has a 13-point margin over Truex, the first driver below the current cutoff for the Round of 12.

William Byron, Michael McDowell and Martin Truex Jr. completed the top five. Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, rookie Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace and Corey LaJoie rounded out the top 10 in Friday night’s qualifying session.

Ryan Blaney was the quickest of drivers to miss the final round of qualifying and starts 11th on Saturday night. Tyler Reddick will start 12th. A handful of playoff drivers will have work to do in the race as Kyle Busch starts 15th, Chris Buescher rolls off 20th, Kevin Harvick starts 21st, Ross Chastain starts 23rd, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. starts 25th and Joey Logano starts 28th.

Kyle Larson, who was fast in practice, got loose during his first qualifying lap and didn’t have to momentum to improve on his second lap and will start last.

Practice

Larson put down the quickest time in Friday’s lone practice session with a 126.353 circuit around the Tennessee short track. Buescher (125.724 mph) and Wallace (125.142 mph) were top three while Gibbs and Bell rounded out the top five.

Gibbs backed up his fast lap by topping the board with the best 10 consecutive lap average along with Buescher, Byron, Bell and Wallace dropping top-five averages.

Harvick and Blaney did not have great practice sessions. Still seeking to clinch spots in the Round of 12, the two were at the bottom of the top 20 on single-lap speed and both were outside the top 20 in 10 consecutive lap average.

MORE: Practice results

Contributing: Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service

Posted on by Steve Luvender

We’re bringing you live updates covering Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race from Bristol Motor Speedway, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (6:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). Bookmark this page and check back often as we chronicle the action from ‘The Last Great Colosseum.’

Overview: 

  • Iconic NASCAR short track Bristol Motor Speedway hosts the 500-lap Round of 16 playoff elimination race Saturday night. 
  • Among the 16 playoff contenders, four drivers will leave Bristol eliminated from the championship fight. And, considering Bristol is famously known for its full-contact short-track racing action, expect some flared tempers and hurt feelings. Bristol, baby!
  • By virtue of their Round of 16 race wins, Kyle Larson (Darlington) and Tyler Reddick (Kansas) are safe from elimination; the other 14 drivers will battle for the remaining 10 available spots. See our guide to clinch scenarios—or, to consider things more simply, winning the race would automatically advance a playoff driver to the next round, regardless of points. Just win at Bristol … easy enough, right? 
  • This weekend marks the Cup Series’ lone stop on Bristol’s traditional concrete surface in 2023. Back in April, dirt-racing expert Christopher Bell won on the track’s dirt-covered surface; shortly afterward, cleanup began to return the track to its usual non-dirt format—the one that’ll set the Round of 12 Saturday.

Links to keep handy:

If it helps to get you in the mood, you can check out past Bristol races ad-free on NASCAR Classics. 

All times listed are Eastern.

Saturday, September 16

10:45 p.m.: That’ll do it for our live blog this evening. Up next? Texas Motor Speedway kicks off the Round of 12 next Sunday (3:30 p.m., USA Network). Expect playoff drivers to bring their A-game in order to avoid the treachery of Talladega and the Charlotte Roval lying ahead.

10:38 p.m.: Eliminated, but he’s still got time for the fans.

10:35 p.m.: Seems Michael Jordan is pleased with the No. 23 advancing in the playoffs.

10:30 p.m.: Mind the fence, DH!

Denny Hamlin's car taps a fence on the way to Bristol Victory Lane

10:27 p.m.: How about some strong runs from non-playoff drivers? Ty Gibbs picks up a career-best-tying fifth-place finish. Carson Hocevar came home 11th, his career-best result and the best finish for the No. 42 car in 2023. Ryan Preece finished 12th for his second-best run of the year.

10:23 p.m.: Your Round of 12: William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace.

10:19 p.m., checkered flag: Denny Hamlin’s out of the car after performing some smoky burnouts. “I beat your favorite driver,” he says to a crowd of mixed cheers and boos in his victory interview with NBC Sports.

10:18 p.m., checkered flag: Eliminated Ricky Stenhouse Jr. congratulates Bubba Wallace on advancing.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. speaks to Bubba Wallace

10:17 p.m., checkered flag: Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace narrowly advance to the Round of 12, which consists of Texas, Talladega, and the Charlotte Roval.

10:14 p.m., checkered flag: The playoffs are over for Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell, despite top-10 finishes tonight for the latter two. For Logano, a defending champ has never been eliminated in the Round of 16 until now.

10:13 p.m., Lap 500: Denny Hamlin has won the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, his 51st career victory. It’s his third win of 2023.

10:10 p.m., Lap 490: Just 10 laps to go for Denny Hamlin. He’s got a nearly two-second lead over Kyle Larson.

10:08 p.m., Lap 480: I think regardless of who wins tonight, it’s a win for the Vortex Theory. The cars definitely kept those raindrops away from the track this time. Science, baby!

10:07 p.m., Lap 475: With 25 laps to go, here’s the bubble picture. Time is running out.

9. Blaney: +26
10. Chastain: +22
11. Truex Jr.: +5
12. Wallace: +4
— Top 12 advance —
13. Logano -4
14. Harvick: -4
15. Stenhouse Jr.: -8
16. McDowell: -15

10:03 p.m., Lap 463: Denny Hamlin has lapped up to 13th place. Playoff drivers off the lead lap include Bubba Wallace (-1), Tyler Reddick (-1), Martin Truex Jr. (-2), Kyle Busch (-2), Ryan Blaney (-2), Ross Chastain (-3), Kevin Harvick (-5), Joey Logano (out).

9:57 p.m., Lap 442: It’s still Denny’s show.

Denny Hamlin leads the field at Bristol Motor Speedway
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

9:49 p.m., Lap 410: Now within the final 100 laps in the Round of 16, Christopher Bell and Brad Keselowski have clinched spots in the Round of 12. Regardless of what happens for the rest of the night, they’re safe. They join Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick.

9:45 p.m., Lap 395: Leader Denny Hamlin has reached quite a milestone: he’s now led 14,000 laps in his Cup Series career. That’s a lot of time spent out front.

9:41 p.m., Lap 379: It must be agonizing out there for Michael McDowell; he’s run in the top 10 most of the race—a more than solid night—but he’s still stuck double-digit points on the wrong side of the playoff bubble. He’ll almost certainly need to make his way from sixth to win in order to keep the underdog’s championship hopes alive.

9:37 p.m., Lap 368: Following a round of pit stops under caution, Denny Hamlin’s back up front with Kyle Larson. Ty Gibbs has fallen to fifth. Keep an eye on Chris Buescher restarting on the second row; remember, he’s the defending race winner and he’s visited Victory Lane three times this season.

9:32 p.m., Lap 361: Caution No. 6. Just after going a lap down, Martin Truex Jr. gets out of shape and tags the wall. That’ll cost him the free pass and there’s a bit of damage to the right-rear of his Toyota. Remember, MTJ needs a good run after poor runs at Darlington and Kansas.

9:32 p.m., Lap 360: Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs have been swapping the lead back and forth as the duo approaches their teammate Martin Truex Jr. to put the No. 19 a lap down.

9:29 p.m., Lap 350: Heading into tonight’s event, Ty Gibbs had led a total of 12 laps in his young NASCAR Cup Series career. So far in this race alone, he’s led 95 laps and counting.

9:25 p.m., Lap 335: Erik Jones has fallen from 12th on the restart to 29th and seems to be battling an issue with his No. 43 car.

9:24 p.m., Lap 332: You’re missing out if you’re not following along with live in-car cameras from NASCAR Drive. Here’s what Bubba Wallace is seeing out his window as he’s fighting to secure a spot in the Round of 12.

View from the windshield of Bubba Wallace

9:16 p.m., Lap 305: Ty Gibbs is still getting it done up front as he puts Ryan Blaney a lap down in 24th. It’s not a great night for Team Penske, but Blaney’s got a halfway-decent points cushion that should get him through Bristol barring a major issue in the next 200 laps.

9:12 p.m., Lap 288: We’ve reached that gritty part of the race. Bumpers, tempers, scrapes … that typical Bristol stuff. It doesn’t get any less frantic from here, folks, so buckle up.

9:08 p.m., Lap 272: We’re back to green with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin up front.

9:03 p.m., Lap 266: It’s terminal for the No. 22. Joey Logano has driven his heavily-damaged Ford behind the wall, and he’s done for the night. He’ll need a miracle to defend his title.

Joey Logano pulls his damaged car behind the wall at Bristol Motor Speedway
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

9:01 p.m., Lap 262: Caution No. 5. Corey LaJoie goes for a spin and slides back up the track into Ryan Newman, Justin Haley, Ty Dillon and Joey Logano. This could have serious playoff implications for Logano.

8:59 p.m., Lap 261: Let’s take inventory of the current playoff picture before we begin the final stage, shall we?

9. Busch: +23
10. Chastain: +19
11. Logano: +7
12. Truex Jr.: +4
— Top 12 advance —
13. Wallace -4
14. Stenhouse Jr.: -8
15. Harvick: -8
16. McDowell: -17

8:58 p.m., Lap 259: Good news if you’re a fan of Denny Hamlin or William Byron: with Stage 2 points awarded, they’ve officially advanced to the Round of 12, regardless of finishing position tonight. That’s a nice sigh of relief for those two.

8:55 p.m., Lap 256: Ty Gibbs will pick up the lead after a lightning-fast stop by the No. 54 team.

8:51 p.m., Lap 251: Caution No. 4. Christopher Bell picks up the Stage 2 win. Kyle Busch fought tooth and nail to stay on the lead lap, and he’ll look to dig out of his current 23rd-place running position in the second half of the race.

8:44 p.m., Lap 225: How about Carson Hocevar? Bristol’s a tough, tough place, and the 20-year-old runs seventh in just his fourth Cup Series start. He’s punching well above his weight in the Legacy Motor Club No. 42; he just passed William Byron, who’s won five races this year.

8:42 p.m., Lap 220: Don’t forget to adjust your Fantasy Live garage picks if you need.

8:38 p.m., Lap 202: Christopher Bell has made his way back to the point with laps winding down in Stage 2. The No. 20 is going for all of the points tonight.

Christopher Bell leads Kyle Larson at Bristol
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

8:37 p.m., Lap 200: The playoff bubble battle is wild right now. With low-ranked drivers running well (McDowell in fourth and Stenhouse in 11th) and higher-ranked drivers running poorly (like Harvick in 32nd), nobody’s safe … and nobody’s out of it yet.

8:32 p.m., Lap 178: From the top groove of the track to the top of the leaderboard, Kyle Larson takes over the top spot from C-Bell. Larson’s already locked into the Round of 12 due to his win at Darlington earlier this month.

8:29 p.m., Lap 172: Defending series champ Joey Logano (32nd place) cedes his lead-lap position to Christopher Bell. Up next to lap for Bell? Kevin Harvick and Ross Chastain. Miserable nights for these playoff contenders so far.

8:25 p.m., Lap 155: I know the playoff battle is what everybody’s talking about tonight, but how about Ty Gibbs in second place? The rookie walked out to “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds in driver introductions. Apt!

8:22 p.m., Lap 141: We’re back to green! Welcome to Stage 2. Christopher Bell leads.

8:19 p.m., Lap 138: Cars are again rolling off pit road. Nice work, track-drying team.

8:11 p.m., Lap 137: While we’ve got a moment, let’s take a peek at the current playoff picture after pit stops, shall we?

9. Chastain: +26
10. Busch: +23
11. Harvick: +16
12. Logano: +9
— Top 12 advance —
13. Stenhouse Jr.: -9
14. Truex Jr.: -9
15. Wallace: -11
16. McDowell: -18

8:04 p.m., Lap 137: Cue the sad trombone. A small cell of precipitation has wet the track and forced cars to pit road, and we’re now under a red flag condition. But, never fear; the track-drying crew has already sprung into action.

7:55 p.m., Lap 128: It’s not a fun time if you’re Joey Logano (24th) or Kevin Harvick (29th), two playoff contenders who have their hands full with ill-handling cars. If you’re watching the live standings, you’ll notice these two have fallen below the cut line, while Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace are back in the top dozen … for now.

7:53 p.m., Lap 125: Caution No. 3. That’ll do it for Stage 1; it’s Christopher Bell’s stage win and playoff point. Corey LaJoie, Bubba Wallace, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs join Bell in picking up stage points.

7:51 p.m., Lap 119: Christopher Bell takes over the top spot, and he’s setting his sights on a stage win.

7:50 p.m., Lap 115: Those raindrops didn’t do much, and we’re back to green! Corey LaJoie’s still pacing the field.

7:46 p.m., Lap 109: Among those pitting under the caution is Kevin Harvick, who’s battling a tight car. The No. 4 fell all the way to 28th on the previous run after changing two tires. That won’t cut the Round of 12 mustard, so it’s time for Rodney Childers and team to make some adjustments.

7:43 p.m., Lap 106: Caution No. 2. Apparently, the Vortex Theory can’t stave off all the raindrops.

7:41 p.m., Lap 100: The no-tire call seems to be working out well for Corey LaJoie up front. He’s now led 29 laps. Can he pull off the stage win?

7:35 p.m., Lap 77: Green flag is back in the air. The top six—Corey LaJoie, Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Todd Gilliland—opted to stay out. It’ll be up to Michael McDowell and Christopher Bell to pick their way through to the front on fresh tires.

7:33 p.m., Lap 75: Busted! Denny Hamlin’s headed to the tail of the field for speeding on pit road under caution. That’s tough to swallow after running second.

7:30 p.m., Lap 70: Caution No. 1. AJ Allmendinger pounded the wall, and Austin Cindric, well, pounded Allmendinger.

7:28 p.m., Lap 65: As we pass the halfway point of Stage 1, how about Michael McDowell? He’s running third—still 10 points below the cut line—but it’s a great start for the No. 34.

7:23 p.m., Lap 50: Denny Hamlin’s following in teammate Christopher Bell’s tracks up front.

Christopher Bell leads Denny Hamlin at Bristol
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

7:18 p.m., Lap 27: It didn’t take long for the leaders to catch lapped traffic, but that’ll happen at a half-mile bullring. Slower cars will cause headaches for the top cars all night long.

7:14 p.m., Lap 15: Before we get too far into this thing, you might want to pull up our live standings to keep an eye on the points situation this evening.

7:11 p.m., Lap 1: Green flag! Christopher Bell brings ‘em to the start, just like he’s done for every playoff race this season.

7:09 p.m.: Cars are rolling again! Let’s put Darrell Waltrip’s “Vortex Theory” to the test.

6:58 p.m.: After a few pace laps, the field has pulled onto pit road to wait out some precipitation.

6:45 p.m.: Drivers are seated in their cars. Can you imagine the nerves?

6:25 p.m.: Pre-race ceremonies are underway and it’s just about time to fire up those engines.

6:14 p.m.: You’ve set your Fantasy Live lineups, right? Here’s who I’ve got (Harvick, Byron, Larson, Gibbs, Elliott; Truex in the garage). Promise you won’t poke too much fun if this all goes south, OK? Anything can happen at Bristol.

Steve Luvender Fantasy Live lineup for Bristol: Kevin Harvick, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr.

6:00 p.m.: Good evening! It’s almost time to set the Round of 12. Tune in for some short-track action at 6:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio or the NBC Sports App. Or tune in on all of them, no judgment here.

Friday, September 15

6:50 p.m.: That’s it for the Cup Series on-track action this evening, but stick around for the Xfinity Series Playoffs opener from Bristol (7:30 p.m. ET, USA). (Dale Jr.’s racing, by the way!)

6:40 p.m.: Some playoff notables will have their work cut out Saturday. Defending race winner Chris Buescher will start 20th, just ahead of Kevin Harvick in 21st. Ross Chastain rolls off 23rd, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will come from 25th, and Joey Logano starts 28th. Kyle Larson, already locked into the Round of 12, qualified last after losing grip on his run. 

6:35 p.m: He’s three-for-three! Christopher Bell will start from pole position tomorrow night after setting a quick lap of 15.109 seconds—his third consecutive pole in the third race of this year’s playoffs. That’s never been done before. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin will start alongside Bell on the front row. Full results

6:15 p.m.: Denny Hamlin leads Group B in qualifying, advancing with Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Michael McDowell and Martin Truex Jr. Time to set fast laps for the pole!

5:55 p.m.: One notable omission from Group A’s top five: Kyle Larson. The No. 5 went for a slide that cost quite a bit of time; that means Larson will start deep in the field tomorrow night.

Kyle Larson slides in qualifying

5:50 p.m.: Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, Corey LaJoie, Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott advance to the final round of qualifying from Group A to run for the pole against Group B’s fast five, on deck now. 

5:20 p.m.: Practice is now history. Kyle Larson set the fastest lap overall with a 15.186-second trip around Bristol in Group A. William Byron paced Group B, good enough for eighth overall with a time of 15.390 (full results). On to qualifying!

4:30 p.m.: The lone practice session (4:35 p.m. ET) and qualifying (5:20 p.m. ET) takes place this afternoon. Catch the on-track action on USA Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, or the NBC Sports App, and stick around for the Xfinity Series playoffs opener shortly afterward — it’ll be a nice appetizer for tomorrow night’s main course.

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – On Wednesday, the National Motorsports Final Appeal Officer Bill Mullis heard and considered an appeal of a behavioral penalty issued on July 13, 2023 to No. 34 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver John “J.B.” Fortin; team owner Nicole Fortin; and crew members John Fortin and Amber Fortin.

Upon hearing the testimony, the decisions of the National Motorsports Final Appeal Officer are:

  1. That the Appellant violated the Rules set forth in the Penalty Notice.
  2. That the FAO upholds the original Penalties assessed by NASCAR to Amber Fortin, John Fortin and Nicole Fortin. That the FAO amends the original Penalty assessed by NASCAR to John “JB” Fortin to read:
    • $2,500 fine, suspended from all NASCAR sanctioned events until fine is paid
    • Indefinitely suspended from all NASCAR sanctioned Events until successful completion of Anger Management Training, as determined by NASCAR.
    • Probation for one (1) year upon successful completion of Anger Management Training.

In coming to this decision, the FAO provided the following explanation:

“The $5,000 penalty listed for the driver penalty, JB Fortin, is incorrect. It would be correct if 12.8.1.D had been listed on the penalty notice. 12.8.1.B and 12.8.1.C has a maximum amount of $2,500.”

NASCAR has reinstated J.B. Fortin, Nicole Fortin and John Fortin. J.B. Fortin has filed an entry to compete in Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Eddie Partridge 256 at New York’s Riverhead Raceway.

Posted on by Staff Report

Kaulig Racing announced Friday that Daniel Hemric is set to return to the NASCAR Cup Series to pilot the team’s No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in 2024.

Hemric, the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, is currently finishing his second full-time Xfinity Series season with Kaulig Racing and in the playoffs to compete for the 2023 championship. Hemric previously competed in the Cup Series full time in 2019 with Richard Childress Racing, earning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors that same year.

RELATED: Catch up on latest Silly Season moves

“This is a big day, and it means so much to my family and me,” Hemric said in a team release. “It’s truly special to have an opportunity to do something big with a group of people that want it just as bad as you. It takes heart, and each and every person at Kaulig Racing has it. I’m looking forward to finishing out this season strong and getting right back to work in the offseason with everyone at Kaulig Racing.”

Hemric joined Kaulig Racing in 2022 to compete for back-to-back Xfinity titles and made select Cup Series starts for the team during the 2022 season. Across 47 total Cup Series starts, Hemric has earned one Busch Light Pole Award, one top five, three top-10 finishes and led a total of 22 laps.

The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native was a full-time Cup Series driver for Richard Childress Racing in 2019, then spent the 2020 season in Xfinity competition on a part-time basis with JR Motorsports before chasing and claiming the 2021 title with Joe Gibbs Racing.

The journey has been trying, but Hemric has been unrelenting.

“I appreciate these guys,” Hemric said Friday of team owner Matt Kaulig and president Chris Rice. “You know, they went to bat for me whenever I didn’t know what I had next in 2021. I said then whenever I got to sit down and actually hear them out, hear what their vision was not only for 2024, 2025 and beyond – back well before that was on the horizon –I knew after hearing what they had to say I wanted to be a part of it.”

“They say that tough times don’t last, but tough people do,” Rice said in a statement. “That rings true with Daniel Hemric. Throughout all the ups and downs the past couple of years, Daniel continues to believe in the Kaulig Racing culture. Over the last few months, we have been asking ourselves, ‘What can make us a better race team?’ We truly believe Daniel can and will continue to make Kaulig Racing better as an organization.”

Hemric will replace Justin Haley, who announced his departure July 20 after signing a multiyear agreement with Rick Ware Racing.

Kaulig’s racing operations have grown in recent years, from a single-car Xfinity team in 2016 to a three-car outfit in that series. Kaulig made its first Cup Series appearance in 2020, and two years later went full-time with two chartered cars.

Hemric made nine Cup starts for Kaulig Racing in 2022, garnering experience not just at NASCAR’s upper-most echelon but in its newest vehicle, the Next Gen car. His best finish came at Auto Club Speedway – a ninth-place result – all after falling as many as six laps down due to a mechanical failure early in the contest.

“To come back, make those laps up and get a top-10 finish,” Hemric said, “I got out of that car right then and man for me, it was like all of 2019, the years trying to figure out how to even get back to a Cup seat, period – even though then it was only a part-time basis – felt like, ‘Yeah, you’re right. You can do this back at this level.’

“And for me, that was like ‘OK, how do we bridge this gap? How do I get back here full-time?’ ”

The answer was with belief from Kaulig and Rice, who have placed him in their No. 31 car for the full 2024 season.

Hemric will continue to compete for the 2023 NXS championship, as the Round of 12 kicks off at Bristol Motor Speedway. Team partnership information will be announced at a later date, according to Kaulig Racing.

Contributing: Zach Sturniolo from Bristol, Tenn.

Posted on by Staff Report

Bristol Motor Speedway announced Friday that after three years of hosting competitive spring dirt races on the track’s half-mile high banks, the facility will see a return to the traditional concrete, paved short track for the spring in 2024.

One of the sport’s most beloved and historic race tracks, “The Last Great Colosseum” will once again hold a pair of races on the track’s unique concrete, .533-mile short track with the same beating and banging fans have grown accustomed to over the years.

MORE: Memorable moments at Bristol | Weekend schedule

Specific race dates and times will be announced at a later date, but track president and general manager Jerry Caldwell indicated the springtime Cup Series event will return as the Food City 500. That move, Caldwell said, will include a vintage feel and logos that date back to the early 1990s.

“I think NASCAR has done a great job the past several years of trying new things,” Caldwell said in a Friday afternoon appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I think as a sport, we’ve really embraced that. People love our sport, they love tradition, but they also love trying some new things, and they love returning to some some old ways, whether that’s North Wilkesboro, whether that’s dirt, maybe it’s the road course in Chicago, all those things are great things. You know, sometimes you do that for a little while, and then you change things up and go back to the way it was, and that’s what we’re doing here. So, thrilled to be able to do that.

“I think dirt was great. I love dirt, but I think it’s time for us to go back to the concrete in the spring and see what these these drivers can do on concrete twice a year.”

Reigning champion Joey Logano won the dirt-track race’s inaugural running in 2021, followed by two-time champ Kyle Busch claiming the victory last season before dirt maven Christopher Bell secured his own win earlier this season.

Martin Truex Jr., Ben Rhodes and Logano were winners of the three Craftsman Truck Series events held on Bristol’s dirt configuration the last three seasons.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

BRISTOL, Tenn. — In 2022, Zane Smith surged to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship while Ty Majeski stormed to the Championship 4 on the heels of two wins in the Round of 8.

After the opening stanza to the 2023 Round of 8 on Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, both drivers sit beneath the provisional elimination line, with Smith 14 points back and Majeski out by 22 markers.

MORE: Race results | Playoff standings

Smith led 43 laps in Thursday’s UNOH 200 after a strategy call by crew chief Chris Lawson to not pit after the first stage sent the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford to the front of the field. But when Smith finally hit pit road after Stage 2 at Lap 116, his truck sat over the lines of the pit box while he received service, incurring a penalty that sent him to the rear of the field for the impending restart.

In the end, Smith finished 24th, the lowest of the eight remaining drivers in the NASCAR Playoffs and one lap off the pace.

“They said I was pitted outside my box by just a little bit,” Smith said. “I had to start at tail-end and yeah. I mean just definitely a rough, rough night but I mean, you saw it. Wherever you were gonna restart is where you were gonna run. My truck was terrible in the second stage but I had clean air, so just can’t pass. Just sucks.”

Majeski’s misfortune struck at Lap 106 as Stage 2 wound down. Running fourth, Majeski was forced to the inside lane after Corey Heim sped to his outside to battle for position. The duo quickly approached the lapped truck of Spencer Boyd entering Turn 3 and Majeski tried to run the middle lane to split Boyd and Heim. But that was the lane Heim chose on corner entry, leading to contact between Majeski’s right-front tire and Heim’s left rear.

Ty Makesi walks toward the left rear of his battered No. 98 truck after Bristol
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

The contact flattened Majeski’s tire, leading the No. 98 ThorSport Ford to limp around the track for the closing circuits of the stage before the yellow flag was displayed. All things considered, Majeski and his team made the most of the situation — they fell off the lead lap before the end of the stage but remained the first truck one lap down, earning the free pass to get back on the lead lap to begin the final stage. Majeski eventually took the checkered flag in 19th place.

“Yeah, I mean, the situation could have been a lot worse,” Majeski said. “Obviously not ideal. I don’t think we’re quite in the must-win (situation) yet, but it’s close. We need to gain points at Talladega. There’s no doubt about it. So yeah, just got to have a short-term memory. Felt like we got the lucky dog and made our way back up to 19th. Had one of the fastest trucks there at the end of the race.”

Two races remain before the Truck Series’ Championship 4 is set — first at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, Sept. 30 (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) followed by Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 21.

Smith has gone to the title round in each of the last three years, earning two runner-up finishes before last year’s championship triumph. Last year, he advanced to the Championship 4 by scoring two runner-up finishes in the Round of 8 in addition to a 17th-place finish at Talladega. Previous experience in managing these rounds would appear to be a significant benefit, but the looming uncertainty of superspeedway racing doesn’t add much comfort to the fourth-year Truck Series competitor.

“Yeah, I mean, I’ve experienced it. So I guess that’s maybe a little bit (of help),” Smith said, “but yeah, it’s still a lot of racing to go do.”

Majeski dominated the Round of 8 a season ago, winning Bristol and Homestead-Miami on the way to his first title-round appearance — besting Smith by one spot in each to do so. A 22-point deficit to Grant Enfinger for the fourth and final spot is significant, but Majeski is confident in his abilities and his team’s, especially after leading exactly half the laps at Homestead in 2022.

“I think we have to maximize the the next six stages, right?” Majeski said. “I don’t think we’re out. You know, it’s not out of the question to point our way in yet. You know, I think we’ll reassess that after Talladega. Obviously we want to go win Talladega. But if we can come out of there with stage points in all three stages and a solid top-five finish, that should put us in a good position to potentially point our way in depending on what happens into Phoenix. So we’ll just see what happens. We have really fast trucks right now. That’s one thing we can we can go back to the shop with (and) are working hard to make our race trucks better and keep our heads down and move on to Talladega.”

Majeski burst into the playoffs with significant momentum, leading 168 laps at Richmond in the regular-season finale before finishing second, then stomping the field at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park with a win after leading 179 of 200 circuits. The No. 98 team cooled in the two races leading into Bristol, however, with a seventh-place finish at the Milwaukee Mile and 18th at Kansas Speedway.

RELATED: No. 98 team issued L2-level penalties after valve-stem infraction

“We had a few off races here, know exactly why, so I feel good about where we’re at as a race team,” Majeski said. “I really do. Obviously a tough one tonight. I felt like we were plenty capable of winning. You know, we were right there with the 19 (Christian Eckes), 42 (Carson Hocevar) or the 11 (Heim) were probably the four best trucks. Didn’t end up that way but I thought we showed some good speed tonight.

“We found some issues with with the truck we had at Kansas. So you’ll have those things, right? It’s just part of racing but proud of my race team. We’re in good shape. We’re in a good spot. Just keep marching forward.”

Posted on by Brandon White

Valley Star

Car No.  Driver
01 Camden Gullie
01A G.R. Waldrop
03 Brenden Queen
04 Ronnie Bassett Jr.
06 Terry Dease
07 Chase Dixon
07A Kenny Forbes
08 Brody Duggins
09 Riley Gentry
0 Landon Pembelton
1 Trent Barnes
1A Jamie York
1B Andrew Grady
2 Brandon Pierce
2A Josh Kossek
2B Matt Waltz
4 Mike Chambers
4A Kyle Dudley
5 Dexter Canipe Jr.
5A Carter Langley
6 Bobby McCarty
7 Dylan Ward
7A Blayne Harrison
7B Karl Budzevski
8 Thomas Scott
8A Carson Kvapil
8B Chase Burrow
9 Bruce Anderson
10 Kaden Honeycutt
11 Buddy Isles Jr.
14 Jared Fryar
14A Jonathan Worley
14B James Sweeney
15 Logan Clark
15A Kres VanDyke
15B Tristen Barnes
15C Ryan Millington
16 Casey Kelley
17 Jason Myers
18 Anthony Adams
19 Jessica Cann
22 Landon Huffman
23 Kade Brown
23A Zachary Dabbs
24 Mason Diaz
24A Blaise Brinkley
24B Chase Ratliff
25 Derrick Lancaster
25A Jacob Borst
26 Peyton Sellers
26A Tony Housman
31 Chase Robertson
31A Cole Bruce
32 Zack Miracle
33 Dillon Harville
35 Steve Zacharias
38 Riley Neal
41 Davey Callihan
42 Chris Horton Jr.
43 William Sawalich
44 Conner Jones
50 Ross ‘Boo Boo’ Dalton
51 Matt Cox
51A Jamey Caudill
51M Ryan Matthews
57 Jimmy Mullins
59 Heath Causey
61 Justin Hicks
71 Katie Hettinger
75 Cory Dunn
77 Trevor Ward
77A Blake Stallings
77B Connor Hall
81 Adam Murray
87 Mike Looney
87A Tate Fogleman
88 Brad Housewright
88A Doug Barnes Jr.
88B Dustin Rumley
90 John Goin
91 Justin S. Carroll
95 Sam Yarbrough
95A Jacob Heafner
97 Daniel Silvestri
97A Michael Faulk
97W Magnum Tate
99 Austin ‘Willie’ Somero
99A Colby Higgins
Posted on by Kobe Lambeth

Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway

(⏰ Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET | 📺 USA, NBC Sports App | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol, the 29th points-paying race of the 2023 Cup Series campaign.

Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | Bristol playoff race 101

📍 Location: Bristol, Tennessee
📐 Track length: 0.533 miles
🎟️ Buy tickets: Find weekend passes, seats for the race
💰 Cup Series race purse: $8,805,799
📏 Race distance: 500 laps | 266.5 miles
🔢 Stages: 125 | 250 | 500
—
📋 Starting lineup: Bell wins third straight pole
🚗 Pit stall assignments: See where drivers will pit
🏆 Most recent winner: Chris Buescher, fall 2022

Key things to watch 🔑

Friday update

Christopher Bell continued a run of three straight events winning the Busch Light Pole Award, becoming the first driver to sweep the poles in the Round of 16. The good starting positions haven’t translated to a victory  thanks to in-race issues, including missteps on pit road. But if Bell and the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team can clean up those issues, one would figure he’d be in the running to finally close out a race with a checkered flag. Bell won twice in elimination races last year, so he has a recent history of rising to the occasion. Bell’s biggest competition could come from teammate Denny Hamlin, who will join Bell on the front row and has risen to race favorite in DraftKings’ updated race-day odds.

Big story line

Can Martin Truex Jr. avoid going from regular-season champion to early playoff exit? In the history of the NASCAR Playoffs era, there has never been a regular-season champion eliminated from postseason contention before the Round of 8. Truex enters Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET, USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) seven points below the elimination line. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has experienced a tough start to the Round of 16 with finishes of 18th and 36th at Darlington and Kansas. Given the No. 19 Toyota’s current situation, Bristol could be an uphill battle for Truex to keep the streak alive of regular-season champions avoiding a first-round playoff exit.

While Truex has visited Victory Lane at short tracks such as Richmond and Martinsville, he has not been able to break through in Thunder Valley, with only two top fives and four top 10s at the 0.533-mile high-banked short track. In his last nine Bristol starts, Truex has eight finishes of 13th or worse, including three DNFs. Last year’s Bristol Night Race result was 36th place and the No. 19 did not finish. These are not the numbers that Truex wants to see going to a track that is far from his best. If he wants to avoid a shocking elimination in the Round of 16, Truex will likely have to put together the best Bristol drive of his Cup Series career and outperform what his history here suggests. | Truex Jr. blows a tire in Kansas playoff race

History tells us…

Expect several playoff drivers to have issues. The 2023 Cup Series Playoffs have seen multiple title contenders run into trouble in the first two Round of 16 races. At both Darlington and Kansas, 10 of 16 playoff drivers did not have a clear, straightforward race. Looking back at the 2022 Bristol Night Race, 12 of 16 title competitors experienced problems. Whether it is a mechanical issue, a mistake on pit road or contact on the track, expect Bristol to deliver drama again that could shake up the playoff picture by the end of Saturday night.

Any issue for the four drivers currently below the elimination line would be catastrophic for their hopes of advancing to the Round of 12. At the same time, issues for others above the line could play into the hands of Martin Truex Jr. (-7), Bubba Wallace (-19), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (-22) and Michael McDowell (-40) if they are lucky enough to stay out of trouble themselves. A mistake-free Bristol is a recipe for success but there is no telling what will happen in this high-pressure elimination race. | Preview Show: Inside the playoff grid’s uncertainty as Bristol looms

He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…

Kyle Busch. After winning three times in the first 15 races, Busch battled some inconsistency in the late summer. However, kicking off the postseason with finishes of 11th at Darlington and seventh at Kansas is a good start at building momentum during the most important time of the year. Entering the Bristol Night Race with 16-1 odds, the Richard Childress Racing driver will look to rediscover his past Bristol magic and earn his fourth win of 2023. Busch has eight career Cup Series wins on the Bristol concrete, which includes three wins in the last nine Bristol races.

His 16 short-track wins are the most among active drivers. However, his recent results on short tracks have not been spectacular. The driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet has finished outside of the top 10 in four of the last five short-track races. In the last two Bristol races, Busch did not finish higher than 21st place. Nevertheless, this guy knows how to get around Bristol, so a ninth win here cannot be ruled out. | Relive Busch’s dramatic race-ending moment in the 2022 Night Race

Familiar favorites ⭐️

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles. 

• At-track photos: Sights and scenes from Bristol Motor Speedway | Photo gallery
• Bubble Watch: Clock ticking on Cup Series Playoffs’ elimination phase | Who’s who on the bubble
• Fantasy Fastlane: Kyle Busch, RFK drivers ripe for the picking | Advice for your lineup
• Paint Scheme Preview: See the schemes for Bristol | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Defending Championship 4 drivers in Bristol bubble trouble? | Latest driver rankings
• Stacking Pennies: Corey LaJoie reacts to a close call with Chase Briscoe at Kansas | Listen to the podcast

💎 NASCAR 75: Learn more about the history of the sport, from pioneers to current stars | Visit NASCAR 75 hub

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.

• Fantasy Live: Participate in interactive gameplay from week to week | Choose your lineup
• Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation | Learn more
• NASCAR BetCenter: Don’t miss your chance to make picks each week | Visit the BetCenter
• Going the distance: 2023 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

🔮 Advance to Victory Lane: Racing Insights projects the finishing order

Posted on by Reid Spencer

BRISTOL, Tenn. – After stealing a victory last Saturday at Kansas Speedway, Christian Eckes got his pocket picked by Corey Heim on Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

On Lap 195 of 200 of the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics, Heim forced his way beneath Eckes’ No. 19 Chevrolet — with the lapped truck of Eckes’ Tricon Garage teammate, Tanner Gray, to the outside — took the lead and claimed the victory by .218 seconds over his disappointed rival.

With his third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory of the season, his first at Bristol and the fifth of his career, Heim, the Regular Season Champion, moved one step closer to another possible title. The win propelled him into the Championship 4 race, scheduled for Nov. 3 at Phoenix Raceway.

RELATED: Race results | Bristol schedule

“This is insane,” said Heim, who led only the last six laps. “I felt like I’ve given so many away this year, to win one like that at the end is so special … Like I said, we’ve given so many away, and we finally got one back …

“Gosh, it’s just so awesome to know we’re in Phoenix.”

Eckes seemed Phoenix-bound himself before Heim made the decisive pass. Eckes led 150 laps and swept the first two stages. The runner-up finish left him one point behind Heim in the playoff standings but without a ticket to the Championship 4.

“I just think it’s ironic that the 15 (Tanner Gray) is three laps down and waited,” said Eckes, who felt Gray held him up and allowed Heim to close in. “Whatever. Good truck. I got really tight there at the end …

“That one stinks, for sure.”

If it’s any consolation to Eckes, mistakes and ill fortune that beset other drivers created a significant spread between those above the cut line for the Championship 4 and those below it.

Defending series champion Zane Smith was penalized for pitting outside his box on Lap 116, was relegated to the rear of the field and fell a lap down to Eckes on Lap 161. He finished 24th and heads for the next race — Sept. 30 at Talladega — in fifth place, 14 points behind Grant Enfinger (third on Thursday) for the final playoff-eligible position.

Contact between Heim’s Toyota and Ty Majeski’s Ford cut Majeski’s right front tire on Lap 107, three laps before the of Stage 2. Majeski was never a factor after that and finished 19th, leaving him 22 points behind Enfinger.

Carson Hocevar ran fourth and enters the second Round of 8 race 18 points above the elimination line.

Tyler Gray, Rajah Caruth, Ben Rhodes, Chase Purdy, rookie Nick Sanchez and Matt DiBenedetto completed the top 10.

Sanchez started at the back of the field because of a broken suspension part that prevented him from making a qualifying run. Though he salvaged the ninth-place result, he trails Enfinger by 22 points with two races left in the Round of 8.

The Round of 8 continues at the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, Sept. 30 (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Note: Post-race inspection was completed without issue in the Craftsman Truck Series garage, confirming Corey Heim as the winner. The Nos. 2 and 17 each had one lug nut not safe and secure.