Posted on by Staff Report

Eddie Partridge 206

Riverhead Raceway

  • Race results
Pos. Car No. Driver Sponsor Laps Diff
1 1 Patrick Emerling USNE Power 206  —
2 73 Paulie Hartwig III* Professional Therapy LLC; Jersey Shore Contracting 206 1.399
3 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications; Inc. 206 1.88
4 3 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling; SYP 206 3.575
5 58 Eric Goodale Terra-Vite Winery GAF Roofing Riverhead Building Supply 206 3.938
6 4 Joey Braun* Highmark Building Efficiency 206 4.203
7 66 Timmy Solomito USNE Power; Kennedy Realty; KPC; FX Caprara; Natural Designs 206 4.428
8 64 Austin Beers G&G Electrical Supply; Dell Electric; Lumiere Electrical; Andrew James Interiors; Hughes Motors; AP Marquadt & Sons 206 4.74
9 88 Roger Turbush Rheem 206 5.615
10 12 Craig Lutz Elite Towing; Lake Mason Supplies; A Lot Maintenance 206 6.505
11 82 Andrew Molleur Danny’s Cesspool Service 206 6.715
12 79 Jonathan McKennedy Stuarts Automotive; Christophers Towing; Boyle Electric; Leone’s; Levasseur HVAC; Hillsboro Ent 206 7.072
13 81 Mark Stewart Truck and Autoworks; Village Overhead Doors; Keith Grimes Excavating; Cromers Market; Condon Engineering; Spiderweb Racing; E 206 7.13
14 2 Chase Grennan* Gershow Recycling 206 8.457
15 31 Michael Christopher Elite Towing; Lake Mason Supplies; A Lot Maintenance 205 1 Lap
16 18 Ken Heagy Merkel Racing Engines 205 1 Lap
17 00 Chris Rogers* Coors Light; JDL Environmental 204 2 Laps
18 36 David Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 202 4 Laps
19 8 John-Michael Shenette USNE Power Charlotte; Eighty-Two Services 202 4 Laps
20 21 Stephen Kopcik Wanick Construction; Newtown Pools 185 21 Laps
21 05 Teddy Hodgdon* Business Time Motorsports; Omaha Beef; The Landau Team of Re/Max 177 29 Laps
22 96 Matthew Brode Peter Clark Motorsports 99 107 Laps
23 60 Matt Hirschman Bar Harbor Bank & Trust 95 111 Laps

 

Posted on by Mike Hembree

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Joey Logano charged from the shadows in the closing laps to win Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and then was practically forgotten.

The crowd’s focus immediately fell on Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney, who had crashed late in the race in a controversial incident, and anticipation — both along pit road and in the grandstands — was that their post-race discussion might not include Danish and tea.

It didn’t. The two drivers engaged in one of the biggest fights in recent NASCAR history near Hocevar’s No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet along pit road after the race. Blaney charged Hocevar and pushed him, and Hocevar immediately responded with a fist to Blaney’s face. It got worse from there as Blaney repeatedly tried to push through officials and team members to get closer to Hocevar.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Bristol

Blaney perhaps was as angry as he’s ever been in a NASCAR post-race scenario. As he was moved away from the incident area, he repeatedly pointed and shouted at Hocevar.

Thousands in the backstretch crowd had a perfect view of the incident, and many stood and cheered. After Blaney was escorted from the scene by team members, Hocevar turned and acknowledged the cheers of the crowd.

Neither driver appeared to be injured.

Hocevar stood between his car and the pit wall for several minutes, talking to team members and delaying addressing the crash and fight with reporters.

“I understand why he’s upset,” Hocevar said. “That’s probably his championship. So I understand 100 percent. And I’d probably be mad at me, too. Whether it was his mistake, my mistake, my fault or not, I’d be pretty pissed if I was him.

“That was the first time I ever hit anybody. I don’t know if he tripped on somebody or I got a decent one in. I’ve never thrown one.”

Hocevar said the crash happened, “as I was just trying to stop my bleeding, and I got loose there and was trying to just cross over because I knew that spot was going to be important. I don’t know if he made a poor decision or not. I kind of crossed him over there, and I felt like I was at least at his left rear, and it looked like he just kept coming down, and I was on the brakes pretty hard and obviously it resulted in that.

“I think everybody saw the intensity of the Chase. I don’t know if he’s mad at me or just mad at the situation or both or if I’m an easy punching bag.”

MORE: Blaney heated after Hocevar contact | Hocevar describes post-race fracas

Hocevar finished third. Blaney, who led a race-high 202 laps, finished 33rd. He fell to sixth in The Chase presented by Mobil 1, 52 points behind, and, as Hocevar said, took a big hit in the race for the championship.

“We were trying to win the race,” Hocevar said. “I saw him coming, and he’s moving pretty fast, and then he grabbed me, and I was like, ‘OK, I’m not going to wait.’ I’ve seen enough of these. I’m going to start swinging and see what happens.”

After the on-track incident (and before the fight), Blaney told reporters that Hocevar “just kept coming left and never lifted and crashed me.”

He did a bit of forecasting, saying “Something is going to happen.”

WATCH: All angles of Bristol incident

Hocevar has had several on-track incidents and has sparked a series of controversies.

“I haven’t had a problem with him for probably a year and a half, but it’s getting old,” Blaney said before the confrontation. Team Penske representatives declined comment after the fracas.

Hocevar described the end of yet another dramatic Bristol race as “a very cool moment for me. They could sell some tickets next year and improve ticket sales. We get a cool story, and we get to be in the highlight reel because you know that’s everything I want to be a part of.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

BRISTOL, Tenn. — When Ty Gibbs finally ran out of magic, Joey Logano took full advantage.

Thanks to a dramatic pass through a gaggle of traffic on Lap 494 of 500, Logano stole a victory in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and moved close to the lead in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase presented by Mobil 1.

As Logano celebrated on the frontstretch, his Team Penske teammate, Ryan Blaney, traded punches with Carson Hocevar on pit road. Moments after taking second place from the Spire Motorsports driver, Blaney wrecked off Hocevar’s front bumper on Lap 458, leading to an aggressive confrontation after the race.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Bristol

The victory was Logano’s third at the 0.533-mile concrete track, his third of the season and the 40th of his career, tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin for 20th all-time.

The three-time Cup Series champion climbed four positions to third in The Chase standings, 16 points behind race runner-up Kyle Larson, who took over the series lead by one point over top-seeded Denny Hamlin, Saturday night’s eighth-place finisher.

As Hocevar and Gibbs raced side-by-side for the lead after the final restart — with Kyle Larson immediately behind Hocevar in the top lane — Logano rolled the bottom past the trio of cars and moved up the track with the lead. As Gibbs faded to fifth, Larson moved into second place.

SHOP: Winner gear

After climbing from his No. 22 Ford on the frontstretch, Logano was greeted with a chorus of boos by the same partisans who had waved yellow M&M’s hand towels honoring Busch (distributed by the track) when Gibbs was out front.

“I’ve got a great team,” said Logano, who led twice for 93 laps. “We’ve got a team that knows how to win championships. I thought there for a minute, I was like, ‘OK, I might just finish third or fourth here tonight,’ but (we) kind of worked our way up, and I was like, ‘Well, Merry Christmas to me. I got a gift there.’

“There is nothing like the Bristol Night Race, man. This is just the coolest experience as a race car driver, being in front of all you fans down here, hearing everyone screaming, cheering, sometimes booing. That’s all right. It’s pretty awesome.”

In arguably the fastest car, Gibbs ran an exceptional race in a Toyota featuring a throwback M&M’s paint scheme honoring the late Kyle Busch. Gibbs led 120 laps and appeared victory-bound until he succumbed to relentless pressure from Hocevar (who finished third) and Logano, who came from fourth on the final restart to win the race.

Ostensibly channeling some of Busch’s prowess and good fortune at a track where the driver nicknamed “Rowdy” won eight Cup races, Gibbs survived a three-wide accident at the start/finish line immediately after passing Hocevar for the lead on Lap 432.

Busch tried to split the middle between the cars of Alex Bowman and Cole Custer, but Bowman moved up the track, sandwiching Gibbs’ Toyota between the two cars. Miraculously, despite contact from both sides — enough to put Bowman out of the race — Gibbs was able to continue and maintain the speed he showed before the wreck.

“It was an honor to drive the M&M’s Camry and it was something I’ll never forget,” Gibbs said. “That was such a fun race. Unfortunate that we lost it. I just tried to stay up a little bit too long in (Turns) 1 and 2 that shut the 77 (Hocevar) off, and then the 5 (Larson) got in there, and we just missed it a little bit.

“But I had a blast tonight, and it was so much fun. We’ll just keep working hard and keep getting better.”

Blaney led a race-high 202 laps and regained track position after a commitment line penalty caused by an inopportune caution on Lap 397 near the end of a cycle of green-flag pit stops.

After passing Hocevar for the second on Lap 457, he moved down the track to block Hocevar’s line. Hocevar didn’t lift and knocked Blaney into the outside wall in Turn 1. Blaney’s Ford was damaged too extensively to continue, and he exited the race in 33rd place, dropping three positions to sixth in The Chase standings, 52 points out of the lead.

On pit road after the race, Blaney approached Hocevar aggressively with a hand to Hocevar’s shoulder. The Spire driver landed two punches in return. After the second blow, Blaney lost his balance and fell backward. He got to his feet and landed a left hand to Hocevar’s face before officials and crew members pulled them apart.

“I just felt like he didn’t lift,” Blaney said of the wreck. “I left him plenty of room for a lap before that. I didn’t chop him. I didn’t run him into the fence or nothing like I easily could have. I protected the bottom, and he just decided he wanted to be there and didn’t lift and wrecked me.”

WATCH: Full recap of Blaney-Hocevar disagreement

Hocevar seemed all but nonchalant after the fight.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of talking,” he said. “He just kind of said one thing and then went after me, and I wasn’t going to take it.

“I mean, that was fun with the 54 (Gibbs). I got ran into a lot for the win. I mean, that was for second and he wants to come fight… They got an old-school Bristol show here.”

Christopher Bell finished an unassuming and non-controversial fourth on Saturday and leaves Thunder Valley fourth in the standings, 17 points behind Larson, the only driver to have scored top fives (fifth, first and second) in all three Chase races so far.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s good,” Larson said. “It’s good. But there’s still so much racing left. Just got to keep having good, consistent days. It’s three top fives to open The Chase and looks like leading the points now by just a point.

“But we’re going to some good tracks for us but also good tracks for the Toyotas — Vegas and Kansas, Charlotte. It could easily change a lot here in the upcoming weeks. But we’ve just got to be ready for anything and keep plugging away.”

Josh Berry finished sixth, the only non-Chase driver in the top 11. Bubba Wallace, Hamlin, William Byron and Ryan Preece completed the top 10.

The Cup Series’ next race is the Hollywood Casino 400, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 27 at Kansas Speedway (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Blaney captures Stage 2 honors after Ware caution

Ryan Blaney powered to a Stage 2 win in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series showdown at Bristol Motor Speedway, sealing a Team Penske sweep of the stages in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

Blaney has led 119 of the 250 laps in the race’s first half in Penske’s No. 12 Ford, and the stage victory helps his cause in The Chase presented by Mobil 1. A total of 500 laps make up the complete scheduled distance in the third of 10 postseason races.

MORE: Stage 2 results | Watch Blaney clinch Stage 2 win

Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was second at the halfway point. Stage 1 winner and Penske teammate Joey Logano placed third at the stage intermission with Josh Berry fourth and defending race winner Christopher Bell completing the top five.

Stage 2 went green all the way until Cody Ware’s spin after a jam-up with Denny Hamlin and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ended the stage with two laps remaining in the scheduled length.

Three Chase contenders fell off the pace through the first half, dropping from the lead lap: Daniel Suárez in 18th, Chase Elliott in 25th and Tyler Reddick two laps down in 28th. The other Chase hopefuls occupied 13 of the top 14 spots at halfway.

Logano holds off Larson, rolls to Stage 1 victory

Joey Logano won the opening stage of Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series event, holding off polesitter Kyle Larson and setting the early tone in Bristol Motor Speedway’s annual Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

MORE: Stage 1 results | Watch Logano win Stage 1

Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford led 81 of the 125 laps in Stage 1, adding 10 points to his total in The Chase presented by Mobil 1. Logano, a two-time Bristol winner, went the entire stage without pitting, taking the top spot from Larson in the first pit-stop exchange.

Larson placed second at the end of Stage 1 in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Denny Hamlin, making his 750th Cup Series start, was third, with Ross Chastain fourth and Ty Gibbs fifth.

Chase contender Tyler Reddick started 20th but faded after the green flag, going one lap down and losing 13 spots before a competition caution period on Lap 40. He ended Stage 1 in 33rd.

The only other yellow flag in the stage was prompted by Erik Jones’ solo spin on Lap 95, and both cautions set a mix of pit strategies in motion.

NOTE: Post-race inspection in the Cup Series garage concluded without issue, confirming Logano as the Bristol winner.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Staff Report

Eddie Partridge 206

Riverhead Raceway

  • Qualifying results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications; Inc. 11.945 75.345 2 2  —
2 73 Paulie Hartwig III* Professional Therapy LLC; Jersey Shore Contracting 11.953 75.295 2 2 0.008
3 1 Patrick Emerling USNE Power 11.968 75.201 2 2 0.023
4 79 Jonathan McKennedy Stuarts Automotive; Christophers Towing; Boyle Electric; Leone’s; Levasseur HVAC; Hillsboro Ent 12.051 74.683 2 2 0.106
5 00 Chris Rogers* Coors Light; JDL Environmental 12.098 74.392 2 2 0.153
6 12 Craig Lutz Elite Towing; Lake Mason Supplies; A Lot Maintenance 12.104 74.356 2 2 0.159
7 60 Matt Hirschman Bar Harbor Bank & Trust 12.116 74.282 2 2 0.171
8 64 Austin Beers G&G Electrical Supply; Dell Electric; Lumiere Electrical; Andrew James Interiors; Hughes Motors; AP Marquadt & Sons 12.132 74.184 2 2 0.187
9 2 Chase Grennan* Gershow Recycling 12.138 74.147 2 2 0.193
10 88 Roger Turbush Rheem 12.161 74.007 2 2 0.216
11 66 Timmy Solomito USNE Power; Kennedy Realty; KPC; FX Caprara; Natural Designs 12.179 73.898 2 2 0.234
12 31 Michael Christopher Elite Towing; Lake Mason Supplies; A Lot Maintenance 12.197 73.789 2 2 0.252
13 96 Matthew Brode Peter Clark Motorsports 12.201 73.764 2 2 0.256
14 82 Andrew Molleur Danny’s Cesspool Service 12.208 73.722 2 2 0.263
15 4 Joey Braun* Highmark Building Efficiency 12.223 73.632 2 2 0.278
16 3 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling; SYP 12.228 73.602 2 2 0.283
17 58 Eric Goodale Terra-Vite Winery GAF Roofing Riverhead Building Supply 12.251 73.463 2 2 0.306
18 81 Mark Stewart Truck and Autoworks; Village Overhead Doors; Keith Grimes Excavating; Cromers Market; Condon Engineering; Spiderweb Racing 12.283 73.272 2 2 0.338
19 21 Stephen Kopcik Wanick Construction; Newtown Pools 12.284 73.266 2 2 0.339
20 05 Teddy Hodgdon* Business Time Motorsports; Omaha Beef; The Landau Team of Re/Max 12.397 72.598 2 2 0.452
21 8 John-Michael Shenette USNE Power Charlotte; Eighty-Two Services 12.412 72.51 2 2 0.467
22 18 Ken Heagy Merkel Racing Engines 12.474 72.15 2 2 0.529
23 36 David Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 12.5 72 2 2 0.555

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Bristol Motor Speedway takes center stage this weekend as The Chase presented by Mobil 1 rolls into “The Last Great Colosseum.” The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will each contest Race 3 of The Chase, while the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series opens its seven-race Chase on Thursday night. Christopher Bell returns as the defending Night Race winner, while Layne Riggs won last season’s Truck race at the high-banked, 0.533-mile concrete short track. Bookmark this page and return often for your race-week essentials, from qualifying orders, pit stalls, results and more.

RELATED: Full weekend schedule | TV listings | Goodyear tire setup

NASCAR Cup Series

Race day: Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

Tires: Thirteen total sets — 10 new sets for the race, two for practice and one for qualifying that transfers to the race.

Entry List
Qualifying Order (CANCELED)
Practice Results (CANCELED)
Practice Lap Averages (CANCELED)
Practice Lap Times (CANCELED)
Starting Lineup (SET BY RULE BOOK)
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series

Race day: Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

Tires: Five total sets — three new sets for the race, one for practice and one for qualifying that transfers to the race.

Entry List
Qualifying Order (CANCELED)
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Starting Lineup (SET BY RULE BOOK)
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Race day: Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

Tires: Four total sets — two new sets for the race, one for practice and one for qualifying that transfers to the race.

Entry List
Qualifying Order (CANCELED)
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Starting Lineup (SET BY RULE BOOK)
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

Posted on by Staff Report

Eddie Partridge 206

Riverhead Raceway

  • Final practice results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 4 Joey Braun* Highmark Building Efficiency 11.882 75.745 13 37  —
2 73 Paulie Hartwig III* Professional Therapy LLC; Jersey Shore Contracting 11.889 75.7 22 22 0.007
3 1 Patrick Emerling USNE Power 11.913 75.548 24 26 0.031
4 3 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling; SYP 11.918 75.516 26 36 0.036
5 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications; Inc. 11.919 75.51 25 37 0.037
6 81 Mark Stewart Truck and Autoworks; Village Overhead Doors; Keith Grimes Excavating; Cromers Market; Condon Engineering; Spiderweb Racing 11.926 75.465 6 34 0.044
7 79 Jonathan McKennedy Stuarts Automotive; Christophers Towing; Boyle Electric; Leone’s; Levasseur HVAC; Hillsboro Ent 11.937 75.396 37 37 0.055
8 64 Austin Beers G&G Electrical Supply; Dell Electric; Lumiere Electrical; Andrew James Interiors; Hughes Motors; AP Marquadt & Sons 11.96 75.251 11 27 0.078
9 60 Matt Hirschman Bar Harbor Bank & Trust 11.965 75.219 13 22 0.083
10 12 Craig Lutz Elite Towing; Lake Mason Supplies; A Lot Maintenance 11.982 75.113 9 24 0.1
11 2 Chase Grennan* Gershow Recycling 12 75 14 37 0.118
12 05 Teddy Hodgdon* Business Time Motorsports; Omaha Beef; The Landau Team of Re/Max 12.03 74.813 40 50 0.148
13 00 Chris Rogers* Coors Light; JDL Environmental 12.033 74.794 13 38 0.151
14 82 Andrew Molleur Danny’s Cesspool Service 12.048 74.701 26 28 0.166
15 31 Michael Christopher Elite Towing; Lake Mason Supplies; A Lot Maintenance 12.048 74.701 25 36 0.166
16 58 Eric Goodale Terra-Vite Winery GAF Roofing Riverhead Building Supply 12.05 74.689 26 38 0.168
17 96 Matthew Brode Peter Clark Motorsports 12.075 74.534 10 13 0.193
18 66 Timmy Solomito USNE Power; Kennedy Realty; KPC; FX Caprara; Natural Designs 12.091 74.436 26 36 0.209
19 8 John-Michael Shenette USNE Power Charlotte; Eighty-Two Services 12.105 74.349 9 13 0.223
20 88 Roger Turbush Rheem 12.126 74.221 7 27 0.244
21 21 Stephen Kopcik Wanick Construction; Newtown Pools 12.155 74.044 36 37 0.273
22 36 David Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 12.164 73.989 27 37 0.282
23 18 Ken Heagy Merkel Racing Engines 12.218 73.662 21 23 0.336

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Eddie Partridge 206

Riverhead Raceway

  • Practice results
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 1 Patrick Emerling USNE Power 11.874 75.796 7 40  —
2 00 Chris Rogers* Coors Light; JDL Environmental 11.976 75.15 37 41 0.102
3 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications; Inc. 11.986 75.088 6 38 0.112
4 8 John-Michael Shenette USNE Power Charlotte; Eighty-Two Services 11.986 75.088 13 43 0.112
5 64 Austin Beers G&G Electrical Supply; Dell Electric; Lumiere Electrical; Andrew James Interiors; Hughes Motors; AP Marquadt & Sons 11.987 75.081 53 54 0.113
6 60 Matt Hirschman Bar Harbor Bank & Trust 11.992 75.05 41 55 0.118
7 4 Joey Braun* Highmark Building Efficiency 11.993 75.044 9 42 0.119
8 3 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling; SYP 11.997 75.019 23 54 0.123
9 73 Paulie Hartwig III* Professional Therapy LLC; Jersey Shore Contracting 12.01 74.938 41 42 0.136
10 05 Teddy Hodgdon* Business Time Motorsports; Omaha Beef; The Landau Team of Re/Max 12.028 74.825 40 53 0.154
11 58 Eric Goodale Terra-Vite Winery GAF Roofing Riverhead Building Supply 12.037 74.769 33 35 0.163
12 66 Timmy Solomito USNE Power; Kennedy Realty; KPC; FX Caprara; Natural Designs 12.038 74.763 10 41 0.164
13 2 Chase Grennan* Gershow Recycling 12.065 74.596 50 55 0.191
14 31 Michael Christopher Elite Towing; Lake Mason Supplies; A Lot Maintenance 12.072 74.553 39 41 0.198
15 79 Jonathan McKennedy Stuarts Automotive; Christophers Towing; Boyle Electric; Leone’s; Levasseur HVAC; Hillsboro Ent 12.081 74.497 53 56 0.207
16 81 Mark Stewart Truck and Autoworks; Village Overhead Doors; Keith Grimes Excavating; Cromers Market; Condon Engineering; Spiderweb Racing 12.081 74.497 8 13 0.207
17 21 Stephen Kopcik Wanick Construction; Newtown Pools 12.105 74.349 13 54 0.231
18 88 Roger Turbush Rheem 12.108 74.331 13 27 0.234
19 12 Craig Lutz Elite Towing; Lake Mason Supplies; A Lot Maintenance 12.137 74.153 45 46 0.263
20 82 Andrew Molleur Danny’s Cesspool Service 12.169 73.958 12 43 0.295
21 18 Ken Heagy Merkel Racing Engines 12.204 73.746 35 40 0.33
22 96 Matthew Brode Peter Clark Motorsports 12.222 73.638 38 51 0.348
23 36 David Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 12.314 73.088 53 55 0.44

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Saturday’s green flag for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway marked another milestone in Denny Hamlin’s decorated NASCAR Cup Series career: his 750th start at NASCAR’s highest level.

Hamlin became the 15th driver in Cup Series history to reach 750 starts. Former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch became the 14th driver to reach the milestone last November at Phoenix Raceway.

RELATED: Denny Hamlin through the years | All of his Cup wins

The milestone came nearly 21 years after Hamlin made his Cup debut with JGR in October 2005 at Kansas Speedway. He has driven full time for JGR since 2006, spending his entire Cup career behind the wheel of the No. 11 entry.

Along the way, Hamlin has amassed 64 victories, ninth-most in Cup Series history. His resume includes three Daytona 500 victories, three Southern 500 wins and a Coca-Cola 600 triumph, along with four career wins at Bristol.

But unlike many career milestones that arrive with a focus on what has already been accomplished, Hamlin’s 750th start comes with plenty still at stake.

The 45-year-old entered Thunder Valley atop The Chase presented by Mobil 1 standings, nine points ahead of Kyle Larson after two races. Hamlin has four wins, 14 top-five finishes and 18 top 10s this season, with an 8.6 average finish through 28 races.

Hamlin also entered Bristol riding a streak of 27 consecutive lead-lap finishes, one shy of Carl Edwards’ Cup Series record of 28.

That consistency has helped keep Hamlin at the front of the championship picture as he continues his pursuit of a first Cup title. He finished second in the standings last season after leading late in the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway and has returned in 2026 as one of the series’ strongest drivers.

MORE: Most all-time Cup Series starts

Bristol provided a fitting setting for the milestone. Hamlin has four career victories at the 0.533-mile concrete short track, including Night Race wins in 2012, 2019 and 2023. He entered the weekend with one of the best recent records at the track among active drivers.

Hamlin made his 700th career Cup start at Nashville Superspeedway in June 2025, finishing third after leading 79 laps. At the time, he became the 22nd driver in series history to reach 700 starts.

Fifty starts later, Hamlin reaches another landmark, his focus still fixed forward.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Daniel Suárez is on baby watch heading into Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Still, the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet driver said he plans to compete in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Race 3 of The Chase presented by Mobil 1.

“It’s coming, and it’s coming very soon,” Suárez said Friday afternoon. “I think last night, for the first time, we actually had like a little ‘oh [expletive]’ moment, so yeah, I mean (wife) Julia is already at home right now, and she’s doing amazing. I feel like I’m way more nervous than her.”

MORE: Starting lineup | At-track photos: Bristol Night Race

Suárez is competing in The Chase this year but enters last in the 16-driver points standings, 119 points behind Hamlin for the championship lead after two contests. With eight races remaining, including Saturday’s showdown, Suárez remains intent on competing in the 500-lapper. But Spire Motorsports still has NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series veteran Justin Allgaier on standby in case Suárez needs to exit the race.

“Honestly, the points situation. I mean, I think there is still a lot to fight for,” Suárez said. “We have 20% of The Chase in only, so there is a lot to fight for. I believe that my team is capable of running to finish the championship in the top 10, top eight maybe. So that’s where my mind is. But with that being said, Justin Allgaier already sat in my car, making sure that he fits OK. I mean, who knows what is going to happen? But hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”

Suárez added that their due date was originally set for Thursday, Sept. 17, “so right now we are actually in the real window. It can actually happen at any time.” Team owner Jeff Dickerson has also offered travel assistance, dating back to last weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, allowing Suárez to fly to the track Saturday instead of coming out Friday and giving the expectant father an extra day at home.

Suárez is intent on racing at Bristol on Saturday, though. Much of that stems from his competitive nature. Some of it comes from listening to the universe.

“I’m gonna race because listen, especially here in Bristol, the window is — if I miss the baby, I’m with Julia 90% of the time. So if I miss the baby, it’s the baby trying to tell me something,” Suárez laughed. “Who knows when it’s going to happen? But I’m going back home here in a little bit (Friday night), and hopefully everything goes smooth. Hopefully the baby doesn’t come until Sunday or Monday. I think it’s going to come very soon. So hopefully, it’s not (Saturday).”

Suárez is typically cool under pressure and doesn’t get rattled. But the prospect of becoming a father at a moment’s notice has certainly challenged that usual disposition.

“I’m not an anxious person. I’m very chill,” Suárez said. “People that know me will tell you that I don’t get very nervous. I just go do my thing, and I’m very cold. And if I’m in the car, I focus only on the car, and I don’t get distracted. But this is the one thing that actually has had my mind on it quite a bit. I guess something is changing.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Tennessee for a showdown under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Race No. 3 of The Chase presented by Mobil 1 moves on to Thunder Valley after a wild race last Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. With 14 of 16 Chase drivers running into issues in the Midwest, an uneventful night in The Volunteer State would be a welcome sight for any of the 16 title contenders. Denny Hamlin enters Bristol atop the Cup Series Chase standings, holding a nine-point margin over Gateway winner Kyle Larson.

RELATED: Starting lineup | At-track photos: Bristol

“The Last Great Colosseum” has produced many memorable moments over the years in the Bristol Night Race, with the high-banked 0.533-mile Tennessee short track serving as a “make-or-break” time for Chase drivers. Bristol is the type of track that could put drivers in a good position to keep their title hopes in focus, or dig a trench that may be impossible to climb out of. See drivers to watch, as well as Racing Insights’ full projections for 500 laps on the Bristol concrete.

DRIVERS TO WATCH

CARSON HOCEVAR: Entering Thunder Valley 88 points behind championship leader Denny Hamlin, Hocevar needs a big night at the Tennessee short track to surge into the top half of The Chase standings. The Spire Motorsports driver finished eighth at Gateway, moving up three spots to ninth in points. However, he only gained one point on Hamlin. At Bristol, Hocevar has finished 11th or better in four of six career Cup Series starts. That could be a telltale sign of a strong points night Saturday, as long as the No. 77 Chevrolet stays out of trouble and does not expose his “The Hurricane” moniker.

DENNY HAMLIN: With an uncharacteristic 18th-place finish at Darlington and Kyle Larson’s victory at Gateway, Hamlin looks as vulnerable as ever with his points lead shrinking despite a strong regular season. The nine-point margin atop The Chase standings over Larson will certainly put some pressure on the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to step it up Saturday night at “The Last Great Colosseum.” In the last seven of eight Bristol races, Hamlin has finished in the top 10, including four top fives and two wins. In five short-track races this season, the No. 11 Toyota driver earned four top-fives and two runner-up finishes. If that version of Hamlin shows up to Thunder Valley, it will show the rest of the Chase field that the 2026 Cup Series championship still runs through the 45-year-old Chesterfield, Virginia, native.

TY GIBBS: Gibbs earned his first career Cup Series victory in the Bristol spring race, which officially symbolized the 23-year-old taking the next step in his career as a championship contender. His 463 laps led at the Tennessee short track are his most among all active tracks as the driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota sits sixth in The Chase standings, 51 points back. In seven career Bristol starts, Gibbs has finished in the top 10 five times. Saturday’s Bristol Night Race could give Gibbs some extra motivation as he runs a special throwback paint scheme, with M&M’s reuniting with JGR to honor the late Kyle Busch. Sweeping Bristol this year would certainly bring out plenty of emotions from the No. 54 team and potentially put Gibbs right in the middle of a championship fight with NASCAR’s best.

FULL PROJECTED RESULTS FOR BASS PRO SHOPS NIGHT RACE (7:30 p.m. ET, USA)

Rk#Driver
15Kyle Larson
211Denny Hamlin
320Christopher Bell
454Ty Gibbs
512Ryan Blaney
622Joey Logano
71Ross Chastain
819Chase Briscoe
924William Byron
109Chase Elliott
1177Carson Hocevar
1223Bubba Wallace
1345Tyler Reddick
146Brad Keselowski
152Austin Cindric
1617Chris Buescher
1748Alex Bowman
1860Ryan Preece
193Austin Dillon
2043Erik Jones
2116AJ Allmendinger
2271Michael McDowell
237Daniel Suárez
2438Zane Smith
2597Shane van Gisbergen
2621Josh Berry
2747Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2834Todd Gilliland
2942John Hunter Nemechek
3041Cole Custer
314Noah Gragson
3233Austin Hill
3335Riley Herbst
3410Ty Dillon
3588Connor Zilisch
3651Cody Ware
3766Josh Bilicki