Posted on by Brandon White

Eddie Partridge 256

Riverhead Raceway

Riverheadraceway

 

  • Race Results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Laps Diff
1 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 256
2 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina & Hideaway 256 0.402
3 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 256 1.987
4 7 Doug Coby Baldwin Automotive 256 4.083
5 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 256 4.643
6 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 256 5.473
7 82 Craig Lutz Danny’s Cesspool Pool Service 256 6.059
8 66 Timmy Solomito Natural Designs/Highmark 256 8.174
9 15 Kyle Soper Eastport Foods 256 9.21
10 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 256 9.539
11 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 256 10.183
12 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 256 10.644
13 88 Roger Turbush Rheem 256 11.126
14 26 Ed Brunnhoelzl III Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 256 11.836
15 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 255 1 Lap
16 5 John Beatty, Jr. Elite Sound Studios 255 1 Lap
17 81 Chris Turbush* Mike Smith/Cromers Market 255 1 Lap
18 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 250 6 Laps
19 96 Matthew Brode Peter Clark Motorsports 249 7 Laps
20 27 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape Supply 248 8 Laps
21 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 214 42 Laps
22 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 192 64 Laps
23 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 85 171 Laps
24 70 Dylan Slepian* Eastport Feeds 85 171 Laps
25 3 Donny Lia Propane Plus/Huntington Honda 15 241 Laps
Posted on by Reid Spencer

BRISTOL, Tenn. – With Chase Elliott pursuing him relentlessly for the final 50 laps, Chris Buescher held on to win Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, becoming the 19th different NASCAR Cup Series winner this season.

After the event that set the field for the Round of 12 in the series playoffs — and eliminated superstars Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick from the postseason — a dozen drivers were breathing sighs of relief and hoping fervently for a return to stock-car sanity in the next round.

MORE: Busch blows engine | Harvick’s pit issue

A two-tire pit stop under caution on Lap 438 of 500 put Reddick in the lead for a restart on Lap 444. The driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford led the final 61 laps and a race-high 169 overall to give the RFK organization its first victory since Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took the checkered flag at Daytona on July 1, 2017 at Daytona.

03 R12 Ncs Grid

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

The victory was the first for RFK Racing since Brad Keselowski joined the organization as an owner/driver after the 2021 season.

Buescher was the third straight non-Playoff driver to win a race in the Round of 16, an unprecedented occurrence.

“It’s so special here,” said Buescher, whose only other Cup win came in a rain-shortened race at Pocono in 2016. “I love this race track. I love the fans. I love every time we come here. It’s so special. It’s pretty awesome.”

Buescher said he wasn’t worried about starting the final run on two fresh tires, even though everyone chasing had four.

“I wasn’t a bit,” he asserted. “It was up to me at that point. I made it work, and we had a really fast (car). We knew we had a really fast race car in practice and didn’t quite get the job done in qualifying (20th) — but what a race car.

“I don’t know what all to say right now. I’m out of breath. This place will wear you flat-out, and I love that about it. It’s just a special night.”

Elliott was .458 seconds behind Buescher at the finish. William Byron came home third, followed by Christopher Bell, who posted his third straight top-five finish in the Round of 16. Kyle Larson was fifth and Ross Chastain sixth, as all five drivers immediately behind Buescher in the finishing order advanced to the Round of 12.

Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Daniel Suarez, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman also clinched spots in the next round, though all had serious issues during the race.

Elliott got closer to Buescher on the final two laps but ran out of time.

“I felt like we were gaining, but it was… I wasn’t close enough to do anything with him,” Elliott said. “But I appreciate the effort. We had a long day yesterday. Was able to battle back from a bad qualifying effort (23rd) to get a top two, so proud of that.

“Glad to be moving on (in the Playoff) and looking forward to some more opportunities here these coming weeks.”

Needing a victory to advance to the next round, Harvick ran consistently in the top five after staying out at the end of Stage 1 to gain track position. But Harvick’s chances evaporated in the pits on Lap 438 when his crew failed to secure the left-rear on his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

As the tire rolled away, Harvick had to back up into his pit stall. The lost time left him 10th for the final restart on Lap 444. That’s where he finished, exiting the Playoffs in 16th place.

“It was pretty tough,” Harvick said. “We pitted in front of the 17 (Buescher), so just kind of the way the year has gone. Just went from having a chance to lead the parade to being a part of the parade. Just difficult to pass.”

Busch’s ouster was a touch-and-go affair. Both he and Tyler Reddick fell two points short after Austin Cindric, who finished seven laps down in 20th place but gained enough positions by passing backmarkers to advance.

Busch had accumulated 14 points in the first two stages and was running above the elimination line when his engine blew on Lap 270—Busch’s second such failure in the three Playoff races.

“It just goes with our year,” Busch said. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m flabbergasted. I just feel so bad for my guys. They don’t deserve to be in this spot. They work too hard. We are too good of a group to be this low — down on the bottom, fighting for our lives just to make it through. Two engine failures in three weeks, that will do it to you.”

Reddick and Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon both failed to make the Round of 12 after both drivers’ Chevrolets were damaged in a 12-car pileup on the backstretch on Lap 277. Reddick finished 25th and Dillon 31st.

Keselowski led 109 laps and appeared to have race-winning chances until his right-front tire went flat on Lap 414 while he was leading.

“We had two cars that were really good today and one that was unlucky and one that executed, and everything came the right way for them,” Keselowski said.

The Round of 12 opens at Texas Motor Speedway on Sept. 25 (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NOTE: Post-race technical inspection concluded without issue, confirming Buescher as the race winner. The Nos. 4, 20 and 24 cars will return to the NASCAR R&D Center for further teardown inspection.

Posted on by Staff Report

Trackhouse Racing driver Daniel Suárez appeared to get loose and spin during a restart just past the midway point of Saturday’s Bristol Night Race, an incident that sent his No. 99 Chevrolet down across the track and impacting multiple playoff drivers, including himself.

All told, 12 cars were involved at the close-quarters, high-banked half-mile that served as the host of the Round of 16 finale.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

Suárez, who entered the race six points above the playoff elimination line, lost a lap after the spin. That was a better fate than Richard Childress Racing teammates Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick, however.

Both the No. 3 and the No. 8 Chevrolets were behind Suárez and collected in the melee. Dillon’s team could not repair his car in the allotted 10-minute DVP window, leaving him out of the race and eliminated from the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Reddick, who immediately lost laps while having his car repaired on pit road, was able to continue in the race but his 2022 championship hopes come to an end. The No. 8 team finished 25th, 31 laps down and was two points shy of advancing to the Round of 12.

The second round of the Cup Series Playoffs begins at Texas Motor Speedway on Sept. 25 (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Busch’s engine failed at Lap 269 at Bristol Motor Speedway, sending the No. 18 Toyota behind the wall and ultimately ending his chances to advance in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

MORE: Official results | At-track photos

Busch lost his motor after scoring 14 stage points in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, providing a little extra cushion. The Las Vegas native, the series’ only active multi-time champion, has faced adversity in each race in the Round of 16. While leading under caution at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 4, the engine expired on his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing entry. Last week at Kansas, Busch spun at the exit of Turn 4 and finished 26th.

Since NASCAR introduced the elimination-style playoffs in 2014, Busch had never failed to advance out of the Round of 16, with a worst points finish of 10th in 2014. Busch finished Saturday night’s race two points below the elimination line and will not be eligible to win the 2022 Cup Series title.

Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find USA Network | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App | Watch on USA Network | Get the NBC Sports App | Watch on Peacock | FloRacing | How to watch NASCAR International

Monday, Sept. 19
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR America Motormouths, Peacock

Tuesday, Sept. 20
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
11 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2010 Aaron’s 499 (re-air), FS1

Wednesday, Sept. 21
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR America Motormouths, Peacock

Thursday, Sept. 22
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, Peacock
10 p.m., Race for the Championship: Talladega Frights, USA Network

Friday, Sept. 23
1:01 a.m., Race for the Championship: Talladega Frights (re-air), USA Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Saturday, Sept. 24
9:30 a.m., Race for the Championship: Old School Versus New School (re-air), USA Network
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing: Xfinity Series qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway, USA Network
Noon, Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane: Daddy Daycare (re-air), USA Network
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing: Cup Series qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway, USA Network
2:30 p.m.: Dale Jr. Download: Best of Dale Jr. Download, USA Network
3 p.m.: Countdown to Green: Texas, USA Network
3:30 p.m.: NASCAR Auto Racing: Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, USA Network
6:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-race Show: Texas, USA Network

On PRN:
3 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity race at Texas Motor Speedway

Sunday, Sept. 25
11 a.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Texas, FS1
12:30 p.m., Race for the Championship: Talladega Frights (re-air), USA Network
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing: Whelen Modified Tour (re-air), USA Network
2:30 p.m., Countdown to Green: Texas, USA Network
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing: Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, USA Network
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show: Texas, USA Network

On PRN:
2:30, NASCAR Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway

MORE: How to watch NASCAR International

Posted on by Staff Report

Team Penske teammates Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney suffered flat right-front tires early in Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, causing serious concerns for their playoff hopes.

MORE: Unofficial results | At-track photos

Ultimately, the duo advanced to the Round of 12, escaping the opening round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. But their chances faced legitimate threats before the race had reached Lap 100 of 500.

Blaney suffered the heaviest damage after his tire went flat at Lap 92, sending the No. 12 Ford hard into the outside wall. The team attempted to fix the subsequent suspension damage — and lost a left-rear wheel following the crew’s first crack at fixing Blaney’s car — but their tries were to no avail. Blaney slowed to a relative crawl around the half-mile bullring and was forced to pit numerous times.

Blaney went behind the wall after meeting minimum speed and ended the night in 30th place, 162 laps down.

Just seven laps prior to Blaney’s issues, his rookie Team Penske teammate Cindric also suffered a flat right-front tire. The No. 2 Ford contacted the outside wall in Turn 2 but was able to continue after a green-flag pit stop. However, the Daytona 500 winner was left multiple laps down throughout the event.

As other drivers was ousted, Cindric clawed up the running order and eventually finished 20th, seven laps down. He claimed the final available spot in the Round of 12 by two points over both Tyler Reddick and Kyle Busch.

Posted on by Staff Report

Joey Logano took the green flag on his 500th career NASCAR Cup Series start Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Logano’s milestone became official once his No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang rolled off from the 15th starting position for Saturday’s Bristol Night Race (coverage on USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at The Last Great Colosseum.

RELATED: Joey Logano through the years | All of Logano’s Cup wins

Logano is making his ninth NASCAR Playoff appearance in the past 10 years, all of which have come with Penske. He’s earned 27 of his 29 Cup wins with the Ford-backed organization, winning the 2018 title following the only year during that stretch he missed the postseason.

The Connecticut native’s first start came at his fellow New England track, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, when he piloted a No. 96 Toyota for owner Jeff Moorad to a 32nd-place finish. He also made his first start later that season for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 02 Toyota before hopping into the No. 20 Toyota full-time for the organization in 2009.

Logano earned his first win later that year at Loudon with crew chief Greg Zipadelli atop the pit box and raced for JGR until departing for Team Penske before the 2013 season.

In August 2022, Logano and Team Penske agreed on a long-term extension to remain in the No. 22 for the foreseeable future.

MORE: Logano signs long-term deal

Posted on by Brandon White

Eddie Partridge 256

Riverhead Raceway

Riverheadraceway

 

  • Qualifying Results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed
1 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 11.649 77.26
2 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina & Hideaway 11.678 77.068
3 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 11.702 76.91
4 7 Doug Coby Baldwin Automotive 11.721 76.785
5 15 Kyle Soper Eastport Foods 11.724 76.766
6 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 11.727 76.746
7 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 11.739 76.668
8 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 11.743 76.641
9 66 Timmy Solomito Natural Designs/Highmark 11.748 76.609
10 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 11.787 76.355
11 82 Craig Lutz Danny’s Cesspool Pool Service 11.823 76.123
12 5 John Beatty, Jr. Elite Sound Studios 11.824 76.116
13 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 11.825 76.11
14 96 Matthew Brode Peter Clark Motorsports 11.842 76.001
15 3 Donny Lia Propane Plus/Huntington Honda 11.848 75.962
16 88 Roger Turbush Rheem 11.851 75.943
17 81 Chris Turbish* Mike Smith/Cromers Market 11.877 75.777
18 70 Dylan Slepian* Eastport Feeds 11.883 75.738
19 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 11.91 75.567
20 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 11.929 75.446
21 26 Ed Brunnhoelzl III Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 12.021 74.869
22 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 12.111 74.313
23 27 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape Supply 12.542 71.759
24 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 12.792 70.356
25 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 13.074 68.839
Posted on by Brandon White

Eddie Partridge 256

Riverhead Raceway

Riverheadraceway

 

  • Practice Results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 11.603 77.566 10 44
2 7 Doug Coby Baldwin Automotive 11.612 77.506 9 44 0.009
3 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina & Hideaway 11.621 77.446 29 47 0.018
4 15 Kyle Soper Eastport Foods 11.659 77.194 9 28 0.056
5 66 Timmy Solomito Natural Designs/Highmark 11.669 77.127 19 40 0.066
6 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 11.695 76.956 57 65 0.092
7 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 11.696 76.949 19 37 0.093
8 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 11.731 76.72 21 56 0.128
9 70 Dylan Slepian* Eastport Feeds 11.751 76.589 19 62 0.148
10 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 11.759 76.537 40 56 0.156
11 96 Matthew Brode Peter Clark Motorsports 11.759 76.537 39 48 0.156
12 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 11.76 76.531 59 60 0.157
13 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 11.76 76.531 9 57 0.157
14 82 Craig Lutz Danny’s Cesspool Pool Service 11.777 76.42 22 40 0.174
15 3 Donny Lia Propane Plus/Huntington Honda 11.781 76.394 22 61 0.178
16 88 Roger Turbush Rheem 11.791 76.329 21 48 0.188
17 5 John Beatty, Jr. Elite Sound Studios 11.829 76.084 18 54 0.226
18 81 Chris Turbush* Mike Smith/Cromers Market 11.836 76.039 11 49 0.233
19 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 11.837 76.033 46 46 0.234
20 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 11.85 75.949 56 56 0.247
21 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 11.864 75.86 10 49 0.261
22 26 Ed Brunnhoelzl III Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 11.918 75.516 39 46 0.315
23 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 12.196 73.795 29 41 0.593
24 27 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape Supply 12.548 71.725 18 41 0.945
25 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 12.549 71.719 39 41 0.946
Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway
(⏰ 7:30 p.m. ET | 📺 USA Network, NBC Sports App | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol, the first elimination event of the 2022 campaign.

Where: Bristol, Tennessee
Approximate start time: 7:30 p.m. ET | Weekend schedule
TV/Radio: USA, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio | Full TV schedule
The purse: $8,338,394
Forecast: Mostly clear, with a low around 56 degrees, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 500 laps | 266.5 miles
Stages: 125 | 250 | 500
Pit-road speed: 30 mph
Caution car speed: 35 mph
Bristol 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: Where drivers will start
Pit stalls: Where drivers will pit
Practice/Qualifying: Aric Almirola earns Busch Light Pole
Playoff grid: Print yours now

Key things to watch 🔑

Big story line

Here it is. The first elimination race of the 2022 season. Four drivers will see their title hopes come to an end at the “Last Great Colosseum,” one of the most iconic tracks in NASCAR’s history. Two champions of the sport, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, find themselves below the cutline alongside Austin Dillon and Chase Briscoe. And coincidentally, Busch and Harvick are two of the most dominant active drivers at the 0.533-mile high-banked oval. On a night where 500 laps may as well feel like an eternity, it will likely come down to the final laps to determine which drivers move on to the Round of 12. The key is being there at the end. Easier said than done as the door-to-door battles ramp up near the finish. Don’t be the first one out.

Who’s hot? Who’s not? 

When Kevin Harvick won at Michigan International Speedway, the pressure was off the entire No. 4 team. Now, the pressure is back on. The two opening Round of 16 races were not kind to Harvick, leaving him sunken to the bottom of the playoff standings. But here’s the deal. This is Bristol — where Harvick has been red hot over the last six seasons. Harvick has nine top 10s, including two wins, in his last 12 races at the Colosseum. He has led a total of 782 laps in his last 16. Not many have been better than ‘the Closer’ when it’s closing time. He needs a win and he should be among the favorites to get it done on Saturday night.

With how much success Chase Elliott has had at almost every track, he has been pretty tame at Bristol by his standards. Elliott’s best career finish at the Tennessee track is third (2018), and while he has had five finishes of seventh or better in 11 starts here, he also has six finishes of 11th or worse. The 2022 Regular Season Champion came into the playoffs with extra points but sputtering momentum. Since Watkins Glen International, he has two finishes outside the top 28. Points may not be an issue moving through the Round of 16, but maybe Bristol can be a positive turning point in the No. 9 team’s quest for a second championship.

Driving under the radar

Brad Keselowski might not be the most popular pick to win on Saturday, but he is a good one. Keselowski has three wins at the track, albeit with Team Penske, and three top sixes in his last four races here. He simply knows how to navigate around the race track. All eyes will be on the playoff drivers as expected, but as the first two races have shown, non-playoff drivers have just as much motivation to reach Victory Lane. A win for Keselowski in his first season with RFK Racing would be a huge statement. He has the talent and ability to do it, strongly shown by his 10th-place effort in qualifying.

Bristolmotorspeedway Nightrace 2021
Getty Images

Race-day staples ✅

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

• Bubble Watch, presented by Xfinity: Where drivers stand before Bristol | Latest driver standing
• Paint Scheme Preview: Colors for the Colosseum | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Alex Bowman, William Byron surging | Updated driver rankings
• NASCAR betting:  Odds for Saturday’s Bristol playoff race | Underdogs, value bets
• Fantasy Fastlane: Kevin Harvick needs to win at Bristol | Top plays, sleepers
• Backseat Drivers: Debating which driver will get eliminated on Saturday | Watch the segment

Catch the pack 💨

Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Saturday’s race.

• 2023 schedule: See the latest slate for all three national series | Read more
• Kyle Busch: Two-time champion leaving JGR to join RCR in ’23 |Read more
• Reactions: Toyota, JGR react to Busch’s announcement | Read more
• Contract: Kyle Larson signs with Hendrick Motorsports through 2026 | Read more
• Austin Dillon: Driver reveals contract extension for pit crew | Watch video
• Reddick chimes in: Not surprised Busch is getting 8 car | Read more
• Joey Logano: Reacts to Kyle Busch heading to RCR, tells similar story | Listen in
• Track history: NASCAR’s history of racing at unique tracks | Learn more
• Heading to Phoenix: Ty Majeski punches Championship 4 ticket with Thursday win | Race recap

Get in on the action 💰

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

• BetMGM: Breaking down the Bristol driver matchups | Read more
• The Action Network: Should you pick Kyle Busch at Bristol? | Matchup insight
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | New rules for playoffs
• Going all the way: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here


Chaos at the Colosseum ⚔️

It gets wild at Bristol, especially after dark. Relive some of the most memorable moments in track history.

• Do you remember? Back to some memorable moments at Bristol | Relive them
• At-track photos: Scenes from Bristol Night Race weekend | See them here
• Last year: Kyle Larson fends off Kevin Harvick for the win | 2021 recap
• Race Rewind: Bristol win for Larson, hot heads on pit road | Watch highlights

Fast facts ⏩

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• There has never been a stretch of three straight playoff wins by non-playoff drivers (currently at two).
• Christopher Bell is the only driver locked into the Round of 12 so far.
• The last time Ford won a playoff race was 16 races ago at Kansas in 2020 (Joey Logano).
• All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers won on a short track in the last nine races.
• The driver leading the most laps won only one of the last nine races of 2022.

Say what? 🎙

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Saturday’s race.

• “It absolutely feels good. Man, what a ride to rip around here in less than 15 seconds. It’s pretty crazy how fast these cars are at this race track, but I’m just proud of my team, proud of everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing. They brought me a really fast BlueOval City Ford Mustang. We were good in race trim and obviously had a lot of speed in qualifying trim, so now we’ve got to go do it for 500 laps.” — Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

• “We’re in a good spot and we definitely feel good about how we’ve started the playoffs from a speed standpoint. We still need to clean up a few things and execute better if we’re going to have a shot to continue advancing beyond this round, but I’m confident going to Bristol this weekend. It would be nice if we can qualify up front and stay there all night to give ourselves a chance to pick up some more playoff points.” — Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, who qualified fourth

• “The addition of Kyle Busch to the Richard Childress Racing lineup is significant, not only for our organization, but for the sport as a whole. Kyle is a proven contender at the highest levels of the sport, and I believe that his experience and dedication to motorsports will elevate our race program across the board. I’ve always admired Kyle’s driving style and his ability to win and race for championships ever since he entered the sport. Who wouldn’t want a proven NASCAR Cup Series champion driving their car?” — Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing