Posted on September 18, 2021September 18, 2021 by Sean Montgomery

Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway
(⏰ 7:30 p.m. ET | 📺 NBCSN, TSN | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Saturday’s Round of 16 elimination race and 29th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season.

Where: Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533-mile short oval located in Bristol, Tennessee
Green flag: 7:47 p.m. ET
Grand Marshal: Sherry Pollex
TV/Radio: NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 3 a.m., then a slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 63, according to NOAA.gov
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: See the full lineup
Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where | Expert breaks down pit selections

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Five to watch

Here are five big story lines we’ll be following at Bristol Motor Speedway.

1. The elimination line. It is something that we’ve kept an eye on since the beginning of the NASCAR Playoffs and now we finally have a chance to see who advances through the Round of 16. Six-time Bristol winner Kurt Busch holds the final transfer spot, even after bowing out of Richmond Raceway with a heavy crash in Stage 1 just one week ago. A pair of Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Alex Bowman and William Byron, find themselves unexpectedly below the initial line to advance after a historically dominant season from the organization. Title underdogs, Tyler Reddick (5 points below the elimination line) and Michael McDowell (38 points below the elimination line), are also down but not out. A solid day from Reddick could potentially advance the first-year playoff driver to the Round of 12. McDowell? He likely needs a win. We have yet to see a playoff race where all 16 eligible drivers have finished the race, and as we know, anything can happen at “The Last Great Colosseum.” See the current playoff standings.

2. Regular season? Hendrick Motorsports’ dominance. Playoffs, so far? Joe Gibbs Racing has been up to the challenge. It isn’t outrageous to assume the veteran stable at JGR has caught up. Short-track success throughout JGR’s history has placed them in a perfect position in the opening round. Denny Hamlin has led 343 laps in the first two playoff races — the most ever. After failing to win in his first 80 short-track starts, Martin Truex Jr. has won six of the last 12 at this track type. If you stay with Kyle Larson as your championship pick, that’s fine. But Hamlin and Truex Jr. have certainly had a lot to say already. And Christopher Bell (eighth) and Kyle Busch (10th) are both currently in position to make the Round of 12. Either way it shakes on Saturday, this debate looks to be on pace to continue all the way to Phoenix Raceway. See what the experts have to say.

3. With his back against the wall, no driver in recent history has been more clutch than defending Cup Series champion Chase Elliott. Since the 2020 Round of 12, Elliott has won at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL and Martinsville Speedway to advance into the next round and at Phoenix Raceway to claim his first Cup title. Those were the last three elimination races. After a shaky 31st-place finish and DNF at Darlington Raceway to open the playoffs, the No. 9 wheelman bounced back for an impressive fourth-place result at Richmond. Elliott heads to Bristol with a comfortable cushion to the elimination line at plus 19, but with very little room for error. He’s led laps in seven of the last nine races at Bristol and in 10 career starts there, he has an even split — five finishes of seventh or better and five finishes of 11th or worse. The question is, which sort of performance will we see on Saturday night?

4. Look out for Joey Logano. The Team Penske driver has had an electric start to the playoffs and is climbing the standings after finishing eighth at Darlington and fifth at Richmond. Larson, Hamlin, and Truex Jr. are the only drivers ahead of him on the current leaderboard heading to Bristol. That’s some pretty good company. After a brief four-race skid to end the regular season — consecutive races of 22nd or worse — Logano and company have turned it up in their quest for a second Cup Series trophy. We sometimes forget that he’s made the Championship 4 four out of the seven years since the current playoff format’s inception in 2014, capped off by a championship in 2018. With other names taking up the majority of the spotlight, don’t sleep on Logano to have a say in the 2021 title quest. His only Bristol wins have come during the summer race and he has three straight finishes of 11th or worse at the Tennessee track on the concrete surface. Which will prevail this weekend: His hot playoff start or Bristol history?

5. So far this season, driver and team movement has rocked the NASCAR headlines — leaving some drivers gearing up for next season and others in search of a new seat. For the latter, winning can change everything. That’s certainly the case for Matt DiBenedetto. DiBenedetto has led laps in each of the last three races at Bristol and just fell short in this race of his first career win after a runner-up result in 2019. Saturday night presents another solid chance for the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing driver to pick up the elusive win and 100th all-time for the historic organization. Still rocking with the favorites over the underdogs? Well, each of the last five races at Bristol was won by a different driver. Can a non-playoff driver get their first win this weekend under the lights at the iconic short track? Follow the 2021-22 Silly Season here.

Race-day staples

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

• Power Rankings: Joey Logano likely to have a say in title picture | Latest rankings
• Paint Scheme Preview: Daniel Suarez brings out special scheme for Hispanic Heritage Month | Suarez’s scheme and more
• Clinching scenarios: Win and you’re in, but how else can you advance? | See what it takes
• Playoff Pulse: Analyzing the field after Richmond Raceway | Full breakdown
• Debate: Who are the first four drivers out of the Cup Series Playoffs? | Watch the debate
• Bubble Watch: Is William Byron in too deep of a hole to advance? | See the bubble breakdown
• Fantasy Fastlane: Backing the Busch brothers at Bristol | Top plays, sleepers
• Elimination aces: Which driver has the most wins in NASCAR Playoffs elimination races? | Find out

Get in on the action

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

• What are the odds?: Betting odds for Bristol | See them here
• NASCAR betting: Pro betters share NASCAR gambling stories from different era in Las Vegas | Read more
• Talking playoffs: How Fantasy Live game works for the postseason | Read more
• On the grid: How the Cup Series Playoffs Grid Challenge works | Read more
• No risk, big reward: Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2021 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ

Back to Bristol

NASCAR heads to another short track this weekend with a return to ‘The Last Great Colosseum.’ Learn more about the history and what happened last time out.

• All-time wins: Bristol Motor Speedway night race | See the list
• Top 10 lap leaders at Bristol | Who has led the most?
• Carl Edwards collects the checkered flag | Watch the 2008 Bristol replay
• Kevin Harvick holds off Kyle Busch for 2020 Bristol night race win | Full race recap
• Memorable moments at Bristol: Earnhardt rattles the cage | Relive the moments

Fast facts

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

• Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. both have an average finish of 2.3 on short tracks this season.
• Drivers ninth to 14th are separated by just 18 points heading into the Round of 16 elimination race.
• Chase Elliott has won the last three Cup Series Playoffs elimination races.
• Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with eight wins at Bristol, including top fives in six of the last seven here.
• Matt DiBenedetto has led laps in each of the last three races at Bristol, finishing runner-up in 2019 with 93 laps led.

Catch the pack

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

• 2022 schedule: Slate of tracks revealed for next season | See them all
• First class to St. Louis: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway makes Cup Series debut in 2022 | Read more
• On track at L.A. Coliseum: Historic venue getting short-track makeover | More details
• Coliseum demo: A look at the iRacing demo of the L.A. Coliseum, home of the 2022 Clash | Watch
• No. 1 pit crew returns: Kurt Busch’s usual pit crew will be with him at Bristol | Read more
• Changes at 23XI: Mike Wheeler takes on new role with Bootie Barker taking over as crew chief | Read more
• Penalty for two: Two Cup teams penalized, No. 77 crew chief suspended | More details
• Like father, like son: Brexton Busch wins at Mountain Creek Speedway | Read more
• Where are they now?: Catching up with Ricky Craven | Find out what he’s up to
• Moving up: Sheldon Creed to join Richard Childress Racing Xfinity program next season | More details
• iRacing at Bristol: Keegan Leahy gets another Coca-Cola iRacing Series win | See final lap

Say what?

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

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

• “It’s definitely a relief to have that win and not have to worry about Bristol this week. I enjoy racing there and we’ve had some great cars, but for whatever reason, we have had no luck whatsoever on the Cup side. Whether it’s flat tires, loose wheels, speeding penalties, getting caught up in crashes, you name it and it’s happened to us at Bristol. So, from that standpoint, it hasn’t been our best track, but we’re capable of running well there if we can just have a smooth night. It would mean a lot to have a good run because it’s a big night for Johnny Morris and everyone at Bass Pro sponsoring the race, so we’re going to give it our best shot and see if we can get a few more Playoff points before the next round.” — Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

• “Overall, this season has been great and, like you said, it’s been a career year for me and a career year for Front Row. We have more speed and more potential in our race cars and more top 10s and more top fives than we’ve ever had, so on the overall scale it’s been a great year. The playoffs have been really disappointing and what’s so disappointing about it, for me and for all of our guys, is that it’s been mistakes. It hasn’t been a lack of speed and my guys have done such a great job of getting prepared for the playoffs and we actually had good speed at Darlington and Richmond and we don’t have anything to show for it. We obviously crashed at Darlington and then had three pit road speeding penalties at Richmond that took us out of it, but feel like we had a 10th to 15th-place car at both of those racetracks, which is really good for us. So, I’m very disappointed in myself and I’m very disappointed on how these first two rounds of the playoffs have gone.” — Michael McDowell, driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

• “Our short-track program has definitely improved and we’re in such a different place than we were earlier this year, but I understand Bristol a lot better than I do Richmond. The biggest thing now is keeping up with the track and making sure the car is where I need it to be. Bristol is a track that is going to change a lot with the traction compound on the bottom. Everyone will be moving up to the top, and then the top will get rubbered in and you’ll move down to the bottom when that cools off. There’s always a lot going on at Bristol from a driver perspective that you have to keep an eye on and the track changes is one of those things.” — Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Posted on September 18, 2021September 19, 2021 by Terrin Waack

BRISTOL, Tenn. — If it weren’t for the final two laps of Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet and the No. 22 Team Penske Ford would have left the Tennessee short track rather unscathed.

Instead, both were severely damaged due to continuous beating and banging that continued even after the checkered flag waved.

AJ Allmendinger’s No. 16 Chevy ultimately crossed the start-finish line first, despite holding contact with Austin Cindric’s No. 22 as it did so.

“I would say it was a bit desperate, but monkey see, monkey do in that situation,” Cindric said. “Like I said in my TV interview, I don’t want to tear up race cars and can’t say I’m the one that instigated any of that. I had a shot to win. I mean, I’d love to see the margin there of two cars crashing across the finish line.”

The margin of victory was 0.082 seconds.

RELATED: Official results | Race recap | Playoff field set

Torey Fox | NASCAR Digital Media

There was a NASCAR Overtime restart in the Food City 300. Cindric fired off from the front spot, with Allmendinger next to him in second and Justin Allgaier behind him in third. Allmendinger tried to make a quick pass, staying inside. It didn’t work. The drivers ended up three-wide, with Allmendinger getting squeezed out in the middle. Allmendinger then went inside again, capitalizing on the Cindric-Allgaier battle, and ultimately pulled forward. Cindric attempted to retake the lead, also from the inside, but Allmendinger was too far ahead.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” Cindric said. “That’s how AJ races. That’s how he’s always raced. He’s usually walked that fine line no matter what position he’s running on the race track. I respect him for it – not for tonight, but I respect him for it in general.”

Said Allgaier: “I’ve been around AJ for a long time, and I knew when I saw him go the inside that he was going to send it there – there was no question. And I knew Austin was going to send it and try to be the best he could.”

It was the regular-season finale. Both Cindric and Allmendinger were locked in the playoffs by virtue of wins – Cindric has five; Allmendinger now four – but the regular-season title was still up for grabs between the two. With that honor came 15 playoff points, which can keep a driver’s championship hopes alive in the postseason.

Allmendinger held the advantage in that battle by a mere five points in the standings before Friday’s race. Cindric would have taken it had he won. That’s a big reason why Allmendinger didn’t let that happen.

“I’ve seen a lot worse out of a lot of people,” Allmendinger said. “That doesn’t make an excuse, like it’s right or wrong. I know he’s probably mad. I would be mad. I was mad after getting wreck coming across the start-finish line to get hit that hard after the checkered.”

Because now cars are destroyed.

Time will tell whether emotions will carry over to next Saturday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the Round of 12 opener. Cindric the reigning champ, claims the No. 1 playoff seed. Allmendinger is second thanks to the tiebreaker of wins.

“I don’t mind him winning,” Cindric said, “as long as I’m ahead.”

Posted on September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 by Reid Spencer

BRISTOL, Tenn. – With cars bouncing off each other like pinballs through two laps of overtime, AJ Allmendinger took his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet three-wide to the bottom, passed Justin Allgaier and Austin Cindric on the final lap and won Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The victory gave Allmendinger the NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship by 10 points over Cindric, who held the race lead when the 10th and final caution flag flew on Lap 297 of 300 after Allgaier turned JR Motorsports teammate Sam Mayer in Turn 1.

RELATED: Race results | Xfinity playoff field set

In the overtime, things got crazy. Cindric and Allgaier picked the top lane, and Allmendinger chose the inside of the front row. On the white-flag lap, Allmendinger drove hard into Turns 3 and 4 and slid up into Cindric’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

Allmendinger fell back to third, but contact between Allgaier’s Camaro and Cindric’s Mustang gave Allmendinger a chance to slip beneath both cars into the lead.

But the race wasn’t over. On the final lap, Cindric charged off the final corner, slammed into Allmendinger, and both cars slid sideways across the finish line, with Allmendinger the winner by .082 seconds.

After taking the checkered flag, Allmendinger careened off the inside wall, slid across the track into traffic and took a huge hit from Kaulig Racing teammate Justin Haley.

But the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship was his.

“I expected to get run into,” Allmendinger said. “It happened that previous corner. It’s frustrating getting hit that hard coming to checker, but we’re battling for the win. It’s Bristol, baby. That’s what it’s all about.

“I haven’t had a lot of chances to get a win at Bristol, so you know what? When you have a chance to do it, you’ve got to go do it. If I don’t take that chance, I don’t belong in a race car, because my team deserves the win.”

Under the circumstances, Cindric exhibited remarkable restraint in his post-race interview.

“I thought we had a great battle all season long up to this point, so congratulations to Kaulig and AJ,” said Cindric, who led 75 laps, third-most behind Allgaier’s 92 and Daniel Hemric’s 78. “Those guys didn’t want us to win really bad, and I hate that it completely destroyed our Ford Mustang.

“That’s all I’ve got, man… It looks like the 7 (Allgaier) just got loose there (in spinning Mayer), and AJ obviously just drove straight through us. You’ll have that in green-white-checkered racing.”

The victory was Allmendinger’s first at Bristol, his fourth of the season and the ninth of his career. The final lap of overtime was the only lap he led, as the race went six laps past its scheduled distance of 300 circuits.

The regular-season cutoff race also set the final positions for the Round of 12 in the Xfinity Series Playoff. With no new winner, Brandon Jones, Riley Herbst and Jeremy Clements clinched the final three spots on points, as expected, as the series heads for the Playoff opener Sept. 25 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Herbst finished third behind the wrecking cars of Allmendinger and Cindric. Allgaier fell to fourth on the final lap, with Jones and Haley running fifth and sixth. Harrison Burton, Myatt Snider, Mayer and Hemric completed the top 10.

The 12-driver playoff field is now set for the Xfinity Series. Drivers include Allmendinger, Cindric, Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Haley, Hemric, Jeb Burton, Harrison Burton, Snider, Jones, Clements and Herbst.

NOTE: Post-race inspection confirmed Allmendinger as the race winner. The No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Allgaier and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Hemric were found to have one lug nut not safe and secure. Any potential fines will be handed out next week on the NASCAR penalty report.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 by Staff Report

The 12-driver NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs field is set after Friday night’s regular-season finale at Bristol Motor Speedway.

AJ Allmendinger sealed the regular-season championship over defending series champion Austin Cindric by battling Cindric to the line for the win at Bristol, earning 15 extra playoff points heading into the postseason. The No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet driver earned four victories in the regular season, which included Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Michigan International Speedway and Bristol.

RELATED: Race results | Bristol weekend schedule

Below are the 12 drivers who make up the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoffs and their seeding:

1. Austin Cindric, No. 22 Team Penske Ford (five wins): 2044 points
2. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (four wins): 2044 points
3. Justin Allgaier, No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (two wins): 2020 points
4. Noah Gragson, No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (two wins): 2017 points
5. Justin Haley, No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (one win): 2015 points
6. Daniel Hemric, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (on points): 2014 points
7. Jeb Burton, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (one win): 2009 points
8. Harrison Burton, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (on points): 2008 points
9. Myatt Snider, No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (one win): 2005 points
10. Brandon Jones, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (on points): 2003 points
11. Riley Herbst, No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (on points): 2001 points
12. Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet (on points): 2000 points

The seven-race playoff stretch kick off on Sept. 25 with the Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The format includes three rounds. The Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (Oct. 9) serves as the Round of 12 elimination race when the playoff field dwindles down to eight drivers. An additional four drivers will be eliminated after the Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 30) and the Championship 4 field will be set for the season finale at Phoenix Raceway (Nov. 6).

Posted on September 17, 2021 by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Michael Annett, driver of the No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, will miss this weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway after re-injuring his right leg. Josh Berry will drive the No. 1 Friday night in the 300-lap regular-season finale (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM) on the .533-mile oval.

RELATED: Bristol weekend schedule

Annett, 35, has battled a stress fracture in his right femur much of this season and was forced to miss four races while recovering. The Iowa native had surgery in July to repair the injury. Annett re-injured the leg while working out and, given the pain level, team officials decided to make the switch for Friday night’s event at Bristol.

In his 18 NXS starts this season, 14 of them with JR Motorsports, Berry has earned a victory at Martinsville Speedway, five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. Berry filled in for Annett at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, finishing eighth, and again the following week at Michigan International Speedway, where the 30-year-old Tennessee driver earned a fourth-place result.

Posted on September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 by Marcus DiNitto

There is disagreement among bookmakers as to which driver is the favorite to win Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Bristol Motor Speedway. WynnBET has Kyle Busch listed with the shortest price, while Kyle Larson sits atop the oddsboard at SuperBook USA. BetMGM and Barstool are dealing both Kyles at 9-2 odds (+450).

The SuperBook, in fact, adjusted Larson’s odds to +400 after originally hanging +450.

Here are odds to win at Bristol for drivers priced at 50/1 odds or shorter, plus playoff contender Michael McDowell, from a quartet of sportsbooks – NASCAR’s three official betting partners and the influential SuperBook.

Driver	Barstool	BetMGM	WynnBET	SuperBook
Kyle Larson	+450	+450	+500	+400
Kyle Busch	+450	+450	+450	+500
Denny Hamlin	+650	+600	+600	+600
Chase Elliott	+800	+800	+800	+1000
Joey Logano	+1000	+1000	+1000	+1000
Brad Keselowski	+1100	+1400	+1200	+1600
Kevin Harvick	+1200	+1000	+1200	+1400
Ryan Blaney	+1400	+1200	+1400	+1600
Martin Truex Jr	+1500	+1400	+1500	+2000
Kurt Busch	+2000	+1600	+1600	+1800
William Byron	+2200	+2200	+1800	+2000
Alex Bowman	+2500	+2200	+2000	+2500
Christopher Bell	+2500	+2000	+2500	+2500
Tyler Reddick	+4000	+3300	+3500	+3000
Ross Chastain	+4000	+3300	+3500	+3000
Aric Almirola	+4000	+5000	+3500	+4000
Austin Dillon	+5000	+6600	+5000	+6000
Michael McDowell	+70000	+50000	+50000	+100000

Busch remains a bit out of sorts, failing to crack the top five in a Cup Series event since Watkins Glen on Aug. 8. But if there’s a track for Busch to regain his stride, it’s Bristol. His 5.33 average finish, 112.1 rating, two wins and five top fives over the six most recent non-dirt races on this infamous oval all lead the series.

In the 20 overall short-track races since 2018, Busch has been just as impressive, boasting the highest average finish (6.40) and second-best rating (108.0 to Martin Truex Jr.’s 108.4) on the circuit. He’s driven the No. 18 Toyota to four wins and 11 total top fives in that span.

Larson’s Bristol stats are pretty shiny in their own right, and he compiled them with Chip Ganassi Racing – a 7.25 average finish, 106.1 rating and three top 10s, including two in the top five in four races since 2018. He figures to improve upon those stats in Hendrick Motorsports equipment.

While only one of his five wins this season have come on a track shorter than 1.5 miles (Nashville), he can usually be found near the front of these races, finishing among the top seven — including two seconds to go along with the win — in seven of eight starts with the 750-horsepower package on ovals.

Larson vs. Busch, of course, makes for an intriguing head-to-head prop. For believers in the No. 5 over the No. 18, the -110 listings at WynnBET and BetMGM are the best prices we’re seeing. Busch can be had at even-money at the SuperBook, so shop for that price if you like him in this matchup.

Betting on the bubble

While Kurt Busch and Alex Bowman are tied for the 12th and final spot in the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs heading into Bristol, the betting odds suggest the No. 1 Chevrolet is more likely to advance.

Busch is priced above not only Bowman on oddsboards around the country, but also well ahead of Tyler Reddick, who is in 14th place and within striking distance of moving on to the Round of 12.

Bristol Motor Speedway has been an excellent track for the elder Busch. In the six (non-dirt) races on the .533-mile track since 2018, he has four top-10 finishes, including a win and a second. His 9.33 average finish is third among active drivers. In 20 short-track races over the same span, Busch is top-10 in both categories.

The stats for Bowman and Reddick stats don’t quite stack up.

While the situation in Bristol looks favorable for Busch to make his way into the final 12, winning the race outright is a different matter. He’s certainly capable, but this race figures to be won by a driver from the Hendrick, Gibbs or Penske garages.

For NASCAR bettors who like Busch on Saturday night but aren’t sure he’s got the goods to finish first, Barstool Sportsbook offers plus-money odds on some more likely outcomes, pricing Busch at +550 for a top-three finish and +275 for a top five. For those comfortable laying money, Busch is -225 for top 10 — a wager that requires at $225 risk for a $100 profit.

No. 19, prime from the pole

In a matchup prop at Barstool, Kurt Busch is priced as a short -108 underdog against Martin Truex Jr. (-120), which looks like a tough proposition on its surface. While the SuperBook pricing Busch shorter than Truex in its outright market entices a matchup play on the No. 1, Truex has been the better driver this season, and his 108.4 rating and six wins on short tracks since 2018 both lead the series.

Bristol, though, just hasn’t been his thing, and his stellar short-track record comes in spite of his performances here. He owns a paltry 22.33 average finish and no top 10s over the six most recent non-dirt races on this track.

Truex is priced in the 14-1 to 20-1 range at the sportsbooks listed above to win his second consecutive Cup Series race, long odds we’re not used to seeing for the No. 19 Toyota.

Truex figures to be aggressive this weekend – his win at Richmond last week secured his spot in the Round of 12 – and he starts on the pole. Aggressiveness at Bristol, of course, can go either way.

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 by Zack Albert

When Kurt Busch unveiled the news of a change in rides and manufacturers for the 2022 season, the quick-hit video reel included the tagline: “And you thought I was leaving.”

There’s a slight sense of defiance there — toward the odds, his age (43) and the conventional wisdom that says the former Cup Series champion is ready for the rocking-chair set. And while he has fewer driving years ahead of him than the nearly 21 seasons he’s already invested at NASCAR’s top level, Busch remains sought-after — by the 23XI Racing team that snapped him up, by broadcast partners who value his insight, and by crew chiefs past and present who are buzzing his phone for a chance to work with him.

Think he was leaving? Kurt Busch retirement rumors have been an annual tradition in recent years, but he hasn’t hung up his driving shoes yet.

“You know, it’s all a matter of the right timing and feeling everything come together for the right reasoning,” Busch told NASCAR.com. “And in all honesty, I didn’t know where I was going to end up in 2022, and Monster Energy has been a fantastic sponsor, partner. I feel like I’m part of their family when it comes to different events and working with all the different athletes around the world. So it’s a fun vibe, and the opportunity came together through Toyota. And Toyota was looking for a veteran to start up a second car with Michael Jordan’s team and Denny Hamlin and everybody at 23XI. And so when the phone kept ringing, it all made for the right timing, if you know what I mean.

“Again, it was something that I didn’t set out to do. I didn’t know where things would end up, and so there’s been a lot of hardcore fans that are like, ‘Don’t leave, don’t leave! We’d love you out there.’ My objective has been to race the Next Gen car all along, so it all works pretty good. Then there were some people, like, ‘Oh, he’s done, you know, this whole video of flying off into the sunset. He’s out.’ And so I’m glad it all worked out.”

There are still plenty of career opportunities at play for Busch in this transitional year to the next, but the more immediate task comes in Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the final race in the postseason’s opening Round of 16. Four drivers will be booted from the Cup Series Playoffs field, and the driver of Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 1 Chevrolet is deadlocked with Alex Bowman in the 12th and final spot ahead of the elimination line.

Busch opened the playoffs with a respectable sixth-place finish at Darlington, and he was running among the top five before a downed tire crashed him out of Richmond with a last-place result. There’s consolation to be found in the schedule, which arrives this weekend at one of Busch’s most favorable haunts at Bristol Motor Speedway, the Tennessee short track where he’s won six times in the Cup Series.

“Oh, 100%. I like Bristol, it’s one of my favorite tracks, and it’s a place that … it’s a comfort zone for me,” Busch says. “And I feel like this is the part of the schedule of this happening, it’s perfect. For us, we just need a nice, solid run. We’re racing the guys that are on the bubble, but at one of my best tracks and where our cars have been running good. Right now, the Ganassi cars have been running good. This is our chance to capitalize.”

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

The mutual effort from Chip Ganassi Racing has come in the wake of the organization’s announcement that its NASCAR operations will be shuttered after the 2021 season. Busch will join 23XI in its expansion effort to a two-car team next year, and teammate Ross Chastain has landed with Trackhouse Racing, which announced a purchase of CGR’s NASCAR assets in June.

The ride may be ending soon for Chip Ganassi Racing, but recent performance suggests the organization isn’t going out with a whimper. Busch won in Atlanta less than two weeks after the news dropped, and Chastain has been the top finisher among non-playoff drivers in the last two races, establishing his No. 42 team as a prime candidate to play postseason spoiler.

MORE: Pit-crew roster restored for CGR

Instead of playing out the string in a farewell season, Busch said all aspects of the Ganassi team have pulled together — not just to finish out strong, but to show their skills in an audition for potential new roles in 2022. “It seems like an all-in type of effort from everybody,” Busch says.

The other side of the dual focus is on assembling the new No. 45 Toyota team at 23XI, and Busch said his phone continues to ring with folks who want in on the organization’s growth. Among them are prospective crew chiefs, though Busch said this week that he’s still hopeful that his successful partnership with signal-caller Matt McCall might continue for a fourth season.

“It’s been another job title so to speak, and one that I’m embracing,” Busch says. “I really enjoy this aspect of building a team from scratch and finding the right personnel to go into the right spots and respecting the system that’s already in place at 23XI, but also seeing how fast it’s growing and how fast things are ramping up. It’s been great, so whether it’s a crew chief, a spotter, lead engineer — there’s so many positions, and even pit-crew guys, man, just all over the board at that we’re trying to assemble like puzzle pieces.”

The other jigsaw component to Busch’s career twilight is his broadcasting interests. He’s in the booth as an analyst for FOX Sports throughout the Camping World Truck Series Playoffs, and has provided guest commentary for the network’s Xfinity Series coverage and for MRN Radio.

When the long-rumored day — someday — that Busch’s driving career comes to a close, the possibility of transitioning to an on-air role could be the next natural landing spot.

“It’s another bridge that has opened up, and I’m thankful to have the opportunity with FOX Sports to call the Truck Series races in the playoffs,” Busch says. “You know, it feels like I’m giving back to the series that gave me so much when I first started out in NASCAR. And so it’s good to get the reps, it’s good to understand the production. As far as the respect of Vince (Welch), the main host, Michael Waltrip, the whole gang behind the scenes putting off the production, it’s neat to be part of it behind the scenes. And that way if I’m moving into the booth later on for Cup Series stuff, for Xfinity, whatever it may be — it could be another Supercross event or X Games — I just have a better understanding now of how the whole operation works.”

Posted on September 17, 2021January 19, 2022 by Zach Sturniolo

The first cut-off race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is already here as the circuit hits the bullring of Bristol Motor Speedway.

By this point of the season, there have usually been two races around the concrete half-mile. However, this year’s first trip to Bristol culminated in the Cup Series’ first dirt race since 1970.

The stars are back on the concrete for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday night with live coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) as the Round of 16 comes to a close.

GRIDDED FOR GREEN

It’s an all-Joe Gibbs Racing front row on Saturday night as last week’s Richmond winner Martin Truex Jr. is on the pole alongside teammate Denny Hamlin, who finished runner-up a week ago. Behind them in Row 2 are Joey Logano and Chase Elliott, while Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell make up Row 3. For the entire starting lineup, click here.

RULES PACKAGE

The Cup cars will be fitted with the lower-downforce 750-horsepower package this weekend as utilized at all tracks shorter than 1.4 miles. This package provides more power to the drivers while also decreasing the aerodynamic dependency of downforce, particularly at short tracks.

GOODYEAR TIRES

The high, concrete banks of Bristol provide not only a challenge for race teams but one for Goodyear as well. Concrete wears tires quickly on a “green” surface, but with the ARCA Menards Series, Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series all competing ahead of the Cup event, there may be plenty of rubber left on the track for Saturday night’s action.

Additionally, Goodyear, NASCAR and the track operations staff will work together to apply the PJ1 grip compound to the lower four feet of both sets of corners for this weekend’s races in an attempt to speed along the development of a second racing groove, giving drivers an alternate lane to pass.

“While only a half-mile in length, Bristol is a different animal than the other short tracks we have on the NASCAR schedule,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “The amount of banking Bristol has creates very high speeds and high loads, which more closely aligns with some of the bigger tracks we race on. Then you have the concrete surface, which we only race on a handful of times throughout the season. Laying rubber on concrete is a special challenge and is one that we have worked hard on over the past many years to get the right balance.”

IT’S BRISTOL HISTORY, BABY

– After rising upon the land of a former dairy farm, Bristol hosted its first NASCAR event on July 30, 1961 with a seating capacity of 18,000.

– Jack Smith is credited with winning that first race, but it was Johnny Allen who took the checkered flag in relief of Smith over the final 209 laps. Smith exited the car with a three-lap lead because the heat from the floorboard was burning his right foot. Allen won by two laps over Fireball Roberts.

– The track was dug up and reshaped in 1969 with significantly more banking introduced, bumping the distance around the then-asphalt racetrack from 0.5 miles to 0.533 miles.

– Dale Earnhardt claimed his first career Cup win in his 16th start in the 1979 spring Bristol race.

– Darrell Waltrip dominated Bristol like no other from 1979 through the first concrete event in 1992 by collecting 12 wins, a record seven of which came consecutively.

– By the 1990s, heat and increasing corner speeds were causing the track to require regular repairs. Between races in 1992, Bristol became the first track surfaced in all concrete.

– After reacquiring the track in 1985, track co-founder Larry Carrier sold Bristol to Speedway Motorsports for a reported $26 million in 1996. The track had a capacity of 71,000 and the Bristol Night Race was one of the Series premier events, called the “Toughest Ticket in Racing.”

– Speedway Motorsports immediately launched an aggressive expansion program. Seating was added at a rapid pace and by 2003 was at 160,000 and in 2006 reached 165,000 with the addition of the Kulwicki Grandstand.

– The track was reconfigured to include progressive banking in 2007. After the March 2012 event, Bruton Smith announced the track would return to its former style of racing and eliminated the upper groove that was created with the new banking.

BRISTOL STORYLINES

– Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. are the only two drivers to earn top-five finishes in each of the first two races of the Playoffs this year.

– Each of those two drivers has netted an average finish of 2.3 on short tracks this season, while Truex has won six of the last 12 such races.

– Chase Elliott has won each of the last three elimination races but has yet to win a points race in Thunder Valley. He was victorious in the All-Star Race held at Bristol one year ago and has won three of the last four stages there.

– Alex Bowman (-0), Tyler Reddick (-5), William Byron (-18) and Michael McDowell (-38) enter below the cutline entering Saturday’s race.

– Drivers ninth through 14th in the Playoff standings are separated by just 18 points.

– Each of the last 10 Bristol winners was over the age of 30, and each of the last five has been won by different drivers.

– The final lead change came with 32 or fewer laps to go in the last six Bristol races.

– Kevin Harvick claimed his ninth and final win of last year at Bristol in the Playoffs. He is the only driver to win after leading the most laps in the last nine Bristol races.

ODDS AROUND THE COLOSSEUM

Kyle Larson is searching for his first win at Bristol Motor Speedway and first overall since Aug. 8 at Watkins Glen International. Kyle Busch is an eight-time winner at Bristol and victor in three of the last seven.

Both are listed as 9-2 favorites to win Saturday night under the lights, courtesy of BetMGM. Larson had a pair of runner-up finishes at the bullring in 2018 and has been a threat at every track this season. Busch has finished fourth or better in each of his last four Bristol starts.

Denny Hamlin, a two-time Bristol winner, is listed at 6-1 odds while defending series champion Chase Elliott is posted at 8-1.

Meanwhile, for as strong as Martin Truex Jr. (14-1) has been on short tracks lately, Bristol has been unkind to the 2017 champion. Truex has finished 13th or worse in his last seven Bristol starts, dating back to the 2017 night race, and led only 52 laps in that span – all of which came in the 2019 night race.

But under the radar lies a sleeper who could use a win while setting his 2022 plans: Matt DiBenedetto (66-1). DiBenedetto nearly won the night race in 2019 and led the most laps (93) but was thwarted late by Denny Hamlin. He’s led in each of the last three Bristol races and could be a factor come Saturday night.

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out the playoff version of NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now and offers a fresh start for those of you who played the regular-season contest. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts, and there is a $10,000 prize for the winner.

The 2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Denny Hamlin (1,117), Kyle Larson (1,112) and Chase Elliott (932).

This year, NASCAR.com also has the Playoffs Grid Challenge game, presented by Ruoff Mortgage, where you can pick the winners for each round of the playoffs right up through the Championship 4. First prize is $10,000.

How to play: Playoffs Grid Challenge | Playoff Fantasy Live

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

New for this season, NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

And finally, head over to the NASCAR Mobile App for AR Racing presented by Mobil 1, where you can design your own car and race the playoff drivers at the playoff tracks in augmented reality.

Posted on September 17, 2021September 19, 2021 by Terrin Waack

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Both the Nos. 4 and 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyotas advanced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, and teammates John Hunter Nemechek and Chandler Smith were both in contention for the win as laps dwindled down at the 0.533-mile track in Tennessee.

The difference, Nemechek was looking for — and missed — win No. 6 of the 2021 season. Smith was searching for — and captured — his first, ever.

Smith beat Nemechek out in a battle for the lead with four laps left. Nemechek said he did not cut Smith any slack, nor was he told to over the team radio.

“No,” Nemechek said. “I mean, for an organization, obviously you want to get two trucks into the next round. But that’s not something that has been discussed.”

RELATED: Official results | Race recap | Final laps

After a late-race caution, action restarted with five laps remaining in the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics. Sheldon Creed, who led a race-high 189 of the 200 laps, led the field back to green with Smith alongside him and Nemechek behind him. Creed ended up sliding out of the lead and back into the pack after slight contact with the wall. That set the scene for the Smith-Nemechek showdown.

Smith was credited with the lead for the final five circuits. The No. 18 driver won by 0.422 seconds over Grant Enfinger. Nemechek fell to third at the checkered flag.

“I’m pissed right now,” Nemechek said. “Two teammates racing hard at the end, whatever. You get moved out of the way, kind of a cheap shot.

“But it’s a company win, so it is what it is. We raced as hard as we could, and that’s what we had to do.”

Nemechek entered Thursday’s elimination race already guaranteed a spot in the Round of 8 by virtue of points.

Smith, meanwhile, was last (10th; out by 12 point) in the playoff standings after placing 28th at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and seventh at Darlington Raceway. Originally the ninth seed in the postseason, Smith was looking at a must-win situation come the final stage at Bristol.

“I think any other driver that was in my situation would have done the exact same thing,” Smith said. “If you wouldn’t have done that, I think you are in the sport for the wrong reason.”

Austin Hill (wrecked out, finished in 24th) and Todd Gilliland (10th place) were ultimately eliminated from title contention.

The Round of 8 begins next Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Nemechek won on the 1.5-mile Nevada track earlier this season, while Smith finished 19th.

“All eyes forward to Vegas,” Nemechek said. “We’re going to go out there and try to win, lock ourselves in, go to Phoenix and hoist that big trophy at the end of the year.”

Posted on September 16, 2021September 17, 2021 by Reid Spencer

In a stunning upset on Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, rookie Chandler Smith stole a victory from reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed, clinched a spot in the Round of 8 of the Playoffs and eliminated Todd Gilliland from the postseason.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

The entire tenor of the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics changed in the final five laps. On a restart on Lap 196 of 200, Smith powered his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to the inside of Creed’s No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet and refused to cede the top spot.

After contact between the trucks, Creed slowed with a cut left-rear tire, spun and finished 19th as Smith parried charges from Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate John Hunter Nemechek and race runner-up Grant Enfinger, who finished .422 seconds behind the winner, with Nemechek taking third.

The victory was Smith’s first in the series, and it came at the most opportune time. As he approached the final restart, the 19-year-old driver knew his only remaining path to the Round of 8 was a victory.

“I’m speechless right now,” Smith said after climbing from his truck. “I’ve really been tested this last year or two and tested my faith. I have to thank everyone behind me… This is just incredible. It finally paid off. I’m just so happy right now.”

Creed led 189 laps and appeared headed for a sweep of all three races in the Round of 10 until he and Smith made side-to-side contact after the final restart.

“I was kind of at their mercy,” said Creed, who already had clinched a spot in the Round of 8 with wins at World Wide Technology Raceway and at Darlington. “I knew I was going to get hit—I just didn’t know where.

“They did what they had to do to win… I don’t know if they’re going to get away with that in the next round.”

Smith was not apologetic for the way he raced Creed after the final restart.

“I think any other driver that was in my situation would have done the exact same thing,” he asserted. “If you wouldn’t have done that, I think you’re in the sport for the wrong reasons.”

Austin Hill was eliminated from the Playoff after crashing out on Lap 189 and causing the 11th caution of the action-filled race. Gilliland fell from seventh to 10th after the final restart and missed advancing to the Round of 8 by two points.

“I really don’t know what happened,” Gilliland said. “They both slipped by me—the 21 (Zane Smith) and the 99 (Ben Rhodes). I’m just heartbroken. To miss by two points there—it really, really stings. Just heartbroken.”

Zane Smith and Rhodes were the last two drivers to advance to the Round of 8, both finishing two points ahead of Gilliland. They join Creed, Nemechek, Chandler Smith, Matt Crafton, Stewart Friesen and Sunoco rookie Carson Hocevar as the series heads for Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept. 24.

Friesen ran fourth on Thursday, followed by non-playoff driver Johnny Sauter, Hocevar, Crafton, Zane Smith and Rhodes.

NOTE: Post-race inspection in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series garage is complete with no issues, confirming Smith as the winner. The No. 88 of Crafton had one lug nut not safe and secure, resulting in a monetary fine to be announced next week.

Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (⏰ 7:30 p.m. ET | 📺 NBCSN, TSN | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)