BRISTOL, Tenn. — Kevin Harvick shadowed Chase Elliott down pit road after Saturday night’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford practically kissing the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet as they parked. Both exited their cars immediately, ready for some type of confrontation after their on-track drama.
Not even bothering with his helmet, Harvick marched over. Heated words were exchanged, but there was no physical contact until Elliott tipped up Harvick’s helmet with the hand he’d already been using to point in Harvick’s face. That’s when the shoving began, and the two had to be separated by officials.
Only then did Elliott leave the scene, escorted by a police officer. Harvick stayed to fulfill his media responsibilities, and the two later reconnected in the garage and ultimately in Elliott’s hauler to continue the discussion.
“It’s just chicken-(expletive),” Harvick said. “What else can I say? Throw a temper tantrum like you’re 2 years old because you got passed for the lead and got a flat tire. We barely even rubbed. It’s all Chase’s way or it’s no way. And if he doesn’t get his way, he throws a fit.”
Elliott held the lead with 36 laps remaining in the 500-lap event. Heading into Turn 3, Harvick used the lapped car of Josh Bilicki to hold up Elliott on the top line near the wall. Harvick and Elliott dipped low on the track, only to slide back up. It was then Harvick’s No. 4 Ford hit the left side of Elliott’s No. 9 Chevy and took the front spot.
The contact ended up cutting Elliott’s left-front tire, forcing him to pit.
“That’s the thing that sucks,” No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson told NASCAR.com. “Trying to win one of these races and he certainly took us out of contention.”
Elliott finished with a 25th-place result, three laps down despite leading 129 laps on the night. Harvick led the next 32 laps from there (among the 71 he led on this night) before Kyle Larson passed him with four circuits remaining to win. Harvick went down as the runner-up – still winless in 2021.
When Elliott returned to the track after his unplanned but necessary pit stop, he showed his displeasure toward Harvick on Lap 473, bumping him despite being in completely different places in the running order.
“Whether he did it on purpose, it doesn’t matter,” Elliott said on NBCSN. “At some point, you got to draw the line. I don’t care who he is or how long he’s been doing it; I will stand up for myself and my team.”
Said Gustafson on Elliott: “He’s a super nice guy, but he’s got his point. When he breaks, he obviously breaks.”
Neither driver was in a must-win situation when it came to the playoffs. Harvick clinched his spot in the Round of 12 after the Stage 2 break on Lap 250 by virtue of points. Elliott locked in his berth when Anthony Alfredo retired midway through the final stage.
That did not matter.
“You race to win,” Gustafson said. “That’s what you’re supposed to do.”
The NASCAR Cup Series’ next race is Sept. 26 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The two drivers openly later continued their conversation in the garage and then brought it into the No. 9 hauler for further privacy. What was said inside is currently unknown – unlike on pit road.
“I told him I wanted to rip his freaking head off,” Harvick said.
Four drivers were eliminated from the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs after Saturday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, as the postseason field was trimmed from 16 drivers to 12.
WINNER
Kyle Larson. Larson got his sixth victory of the season with a dramatic late pass of Kevin Harvick to cap the opening round of the playoffs. Larson’s win got Hendrick Motorsports back into Victory Lane and spoiled Joe Gibbs Racing’s chance to sweep the opening round.
Tyler Reddick, Richard Childress Racing
Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing
Kurt Busch, Chip Ganassi Racing
Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports
ADVANCING TO THE ROUND OF 12 (ordered as they are seeded)
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, 3059 points
Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, 3029 points
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, 3024 points*
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, 3024 points
Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing, 3022 points
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, 3021 points
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, 3015 points
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, 3014 points
Joey Logano, Team Penske, 3013 points
Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, 3008 points
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, 3005 points
Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, 3002 points
* = Hamlin owns tiebreaker over Blaney based on best finish in Round of 16.
WHO’S HOT
William Byron. Byron came to Bristol 18 points down and somewhat in need of a miracle to advance. Well, he got it, with a third-place finish that was enough for him to advance to the Round of 12 by two points.
Alex Bowman. Bowman wasn’t at one of his better tracks, but he had one of his better recent performances when he needed it most. He was 13th in the playoff standings coming to Bristol, but he left 10 points to the good thanks to a fifth-place finish.
WHO’S NOT
Kurt Busch. He entered the race in the last transfer spot for the Round of 12, but he got off to a poor start at Bristol and never recovered. Busch battled an ill handling car to a 19th-place finish, and he ended six points below the elimination line.
Aric Almirola. Almirola began the night three points above the elimination line, but he was black-flagged in Stage 2 because his car was smoking and dropping fluid. He lost ground due to the ensuing pit stop for repairs, but he battled back and was in good position until he got overtaken in points late.
NEXT RACE
The Round of 12 opens at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the South Point 400 at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 26 (NBCSN, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Who it favors
Joey Logano. Logano has scored the most points in the past five races at Las Vegas, a stretch that includes two victories. He also leads active drivers with an average finish of 8.4 at the 1.5-mile track.
Who it hurts?
Chase Elliott. Elliott’s last three finishes at Las Vegas have left a lot to be desired: 26th, 22nd and 13th. Before that, his best finish was third in 2017.
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Kyle Larson celebrated victory in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race with a burnout on the frontstretch at Bristol Motor Speedway, as tempers flared between Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott on pit road.
With an assist from Elliott, who took Harvick’s line at the 0.533-mile concrete track and slowed his progress, Larson made the winning pass on Lap 397 of 400 and sealed his sixth NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season.
At the other end of the spectrum, Aric Almirola, Tyler Reddick, Kurt Busch and Michael McDowell were eliminated from the playoffs in the final race of the Round of 16. William Byron snagged the final transfer spot into the Round of 12 by finishing third behind Larson and Harvick.
That result gave Byron a two-point edge over Almirola and Reddick, the first two drivers knocked out of the postseason field.
On Lap 465 of 500, as Harvick was attempting to pass Elliott for the lead, the driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford pinched Elliott’s Chevrolet toward the outside wall, with contact between the cars cutting a tire on Elliott’s machine.
Elliott brought his car to pit road on Lap 466, lost three laps in the process and returned to the track behind Harvick. On new tires, Elliott quickly passed Harvick to get one lap back and took Harvick’s line at the top of the track.
Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Larson gradually closed on Harvick and made the winning pass on Lap 397. Larson did an admirable job keeping his car under control as Harvick retaliated with contact to the rear of Larson’s Camaro on the frontstretch.
“Yeah, that was an awesome race,” said Larson, who won for the first time at Bristol and the 12th time in his Cup Series career. “It was so cool to be able to race there for the win. Obviously, Harvick and Chase got together. Chase was upset. Kind of held him up. It got Harvick having to move around and use his tires up off the bottom.
“I started to get some dive-ins working off of (Turn) 2, got a big run, decided to pull the trigger, slide him, squeeze him a little bit. Then he had me jacked up down the frontstretch. It was wild.”
While Larson celebrated, Harvick and Elliott traded their views of the finish in a heated exchange on pit road.
“It’s just chicken-(expletive),” Harvick said after the confrontation broke up. “I don’t know what else to say. Throw a temper tantrum like you’re two years old because you got passed for the lead and got a flat tire. We barely even rubbed. It’s all Chase’s way, or it’s no way. If he doesn’t get his way, he throws a fit.”
Not surprisingly, Elliott had a different interpretation of the events in the closing stages of the race.
“It’s something that he does all the time,” said the reigning Cup Series champion, who finished 25th. “He runs into your left side constantly at other tracks, and sometimes it does cut down your left sides. Other times it doesn’t.
“Whether he does it on purpose, it doesn’t matter. At some point, you’ve got to draw the line. I don’t care who he is and how long he’s been doing it. I’m going to stand up for myself and my team, and we’ll go on down the road.”
Of the 12 drivers who advanced to the second round of the Playoff, four represent Hendrick Motorsports (Elliott, Larson, Byron and Alex Bowman); four represent Joe Gibbs Racing (Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell); and three represent Team Penske (Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney).
Harvick is the lone driver from Stewart-Haas Racing to advance to the Round of 12.
Both Kyle Busch and Bell survived cut tires near the end of the race to clinch spots in the next round. Blaney finished fourth and Bowman fifth on Saturday night. Keselowski, Truex, Erik Jones, Hamlin and Matt DiBenedetto completed the top 10.
Harvick and Elliott later continued their discussion behind closed doors in Elliott’s No. 9 transporter.
The Cup Series’ next race is the South Point 400, scheduled Sunday, Sept. 26 (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Nevada track hosts the first of three races in the next phase of the postseason, the Round of 12.
Note: Post-race inspection in the NASCAR Cup Series garage yielded no issues, thus validating the victory for Larson. The Nos. 10 and 19 cars each had one lug nut not safe and secure, which will result in a fine for those respective crew chiefs next week.
Monday, Sept. 20 6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1 Tuesday, Sept. 21 3 p.m., IMSA Auto Racing Special Lamborghini Super Trofeo: Laguna Seca, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
4 p.m., IMSA Auto Racing Special Mazda MX-5 Cup: Laguna Seca, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m., IMSA Auto Racing Monterey Sports Car Championship, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
Wednesday, Sept. 22 6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
Thursday, Sept. 23 5 p.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Miller Lite 200 at Riverhead Raceway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (tape delay)
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
Friday, Sept. 24 6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Raceday: Vegas, FS1
9 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts, FS1
11 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive—Las Vegas (re-air), FS1
On MRN
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts
Saturday, Sept. 25 Midnight, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts, FS1 (re-air)
2 a.m., Lost Speedways: Earnhardt Proving Grounds, NBCSN (re-air)
2:30 a.m., Lost Speedways: In the Still of the Night, NBCSN (re-air)
6 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts, FS1 (re-air)
8 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive—Las Vegas, FS1 (re-air)
7 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green—Las Vegas, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 302, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)
10 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Post Race—Las Vegas, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
On PRN
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 302
On MRN
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Late Model Race: ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway
Sunday, Sept. 26 10 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts, FS2 (re-air)
2:30 p.m., Lost Speedways: Home Treasures, NBCSN (re-air)
5 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Las Vegas, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green—Las Vegas, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN)
10:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post Race—Las Vegas, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Despite only eight races remaining in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, first-year team 23XI Racing made a significant personnel change.
Mike Wheeler dropped his crew-chief responsibilities and upgraded his role as director of competition to a full-time position, the organization announced Thursday. Robert “Bootie” Barker was then tapped to take over atop the No. 23 pit box and team with driver Bubba Wallace, starting Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway with the Round of 16 elimination race (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“I just think we were kind of overwhelming Wheels with everything he needed to do,” 23XI Racing team co-owner Denny Hamlin said. “There’s a long list of projects to get our shop ready, get all these things ready, but I need a performance bump on the 23. So how can I ask him to spend more time working on that, but yet hey, by the way, I need you to finish this list of stuff as well.”
Through their 28 races together, Wallace and Wheeler had two top-five finishes – second at Daytona International Speedway three weeks ago and fifth in the second half of the Pocono Raceway doubleheader in late June. Wallace is ranked 22nd in the points standings.
Wallace will line up 28th for his first race with Barker in his ear.
Barker’s job transition was internal at 23XI Racing.
“He really kind of did everything — and the manual labor of what a crew chief would kind of do anyway,” Hamlin said. “He did the initial builds, and then the actual race engineers took that setup and fine-tuned it to the track and driver. That’s what I’m saying, his role really won’t change that much except for he will guide those engineers during the week now with the direction he wants to go.”
Barker has deep crew-chief experience at the NASCAR Cup Series level, too, spanning from 2003-17 with three victories. His last partnership was with Ty Dillon at Germain Racing. Barker will now close out the year with Wallace.
As for 2022, Hamlin said 23XI Racing is “looking at all options,” including one that may seem rather unorthodox in NASCAR.
“We’re working on restructuring our team itself where the crew chief isn’t really a crew chief,” Hamlin said. “It’s more of a F1 style, where you have a team manager. He’s not necessarily the one putting the setups in. There will be a group that really is going to be the deciding factor on the setups of the car; the team manager, his job on race day will be a lot different than what it is during the week.”
What exactly that will look like is still to be determined.
“It’s a complicated spider chart,” Hamlin said. “But I think it promotes everyone pulling toward the team doing well.”
GATLINBURG, Tenn. – Sugarlands Distilling Co., along with racing legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. and wife Amy Earnhardt, together announced a strategic partnership that includes existing and new Sugarlands products to bear the Earnhardt’s names. The partnership was announced Saturday before the NASCAR Playoffs race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
As part of the partnership, Sugarlands’ Electric Orange Sippin’ Cream is being rechristened Dale and Amy’s Electric Orange Sippin’ Cream. The 40-proof Sippin’ Cream combines a bright, fresh orange zest with the smooth taste of vanilla cream.
“Amy and I are excited to be part of the Sugarlands family. The Electric Orange Sippin’ Cream has become one of our favorites, and we’re thrilled to have our names on it,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “From the first time we met Ned (Vickers, president and founder of Sugarlands Distilling Co.), we were impressed with his vision and passion. We’re proud to kick off this partnership, and we’re looking forward to what the future holds.”
Since launching in 2014, Sugarlands has integrated itself into the racing world. Earlier this year, the brand partnered with Bristol Motor Speedway to release a limited-edition corn whiskey to commemorate the legendary track’s 60th anniversary. The Bristol Motor Speedway 60th Anniversary Corn Whiskey was the third release in Sugarlands’ commemorative corn whiskey products, along with previous versions celebrating Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
“Few names are as synonymous with racing in America as Earnhardt, and we’re honored to welcome Dale and Amy to the Sugarlands family,” said Vickers. “We’re thrilled to add their names to our Electric Orange Sippin’ Cream and can’t wait to collaborate with both Dale and Amy on future releases.”
In addition to the Dale Jr. and Amy Earnhardt partnership, Sugarlands also has a line of beverages with country music superstar Cole Swindell and baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones. Last year, Sugarlands produced a special lemonade moonshine in partnership with the Ryder Cup.
“Teaming with the Earnhardts further integrates Sugarlands into the racing community while expanding our already diverse partnership portfolio,” said Sugarlands Chief Revenue Officer, Patrick Sullivan. “Collaborations with names as recognizable as Dale Jr. and Amy help strengthen the Sugarlands name with customers while providing tremendous value for our retail partners.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a champion team owner, businessman, television analyst for NBC Sports Group, and new inductee into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He won a record 15 straight NASCAR Most Popular Driver awards from 2003 to 2017, consecutive NASCAR Busch Series Championships in 1998 and 1999, and the prestigious Daytona 500 in 2004 and 2014. He is a two-time New York Times bestselling author, most recently with his 2018 book Racing To The Finish. Dale and Amy live in Mooresville, North Carolina, with their two daughters, Isla and Nicole.
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.
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
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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).
