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).
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
