Weekend schedule for Bristol

NASCAR travels to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend for some short-track racing with playoff implications.

It will be the last race in Round 1 of the Cup Series Playoffs. Four drivers will be eliminated from championship contention at the conclusion of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

Three drivers have clinched a spot in the Round of 12. Denny Hamlin won at Darlington, Martin Truex Jr. won at Richmond and Kyle Larson secured his place in the next round on points.

The Camping World Truck Series will also compete in the final race of Round 1 of its playoffs. Sheldon Creed won the first two races at Gateway and Darlington. If he can sweep all three races, he would become the first driver to do so in the series history. John Hunter Nemechek has also earned a place in the upcoming Round of 8 on points, leaving six open spots.  

Bristol is the last race of the Xfinity Series regular season. Nine drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver opening round of their playoffs – AJ Allmendinger, Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier, Daniel Hemric, Harrison Burton, Justin Haley, Noah Gragson, Jeb Burton and Myatt Snider. Jeremy Clements, Brandon Jones and Riley Herbst are currently 10th, 11th and 12th, respectively, in the driver standings.

The Xfinity Series regular-season championship will also be decided at Bristol, with Cindric and Allmendinger as the top contenders.

All times are Eastern.

Thursday, Sept. 16

6:30 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Beans 200
6:40 p.m.: Green Flag
200 Laps, 106.6 Miles
FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

9 p.m. Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics
9:18 p.m.: Green Flag
Stages 55/110/200 Laps (106.6 Miles)
FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR

Friday, September 17

7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Food City 300
7:47: Green Flag
Stages 85/170/300 Laps (159.9 Miles)
NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN2

Saturday, September 18

7:30 p.m.: Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race
7:47 p.m.: Green Flag
Stages 125/250/500 Laps (266.5 Miles)
NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/TSN

Bristol Motor Speedway Data

Season Race #: 29 of 36 (09-18-21)
Track Size: 0.533-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24-28 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24-28 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 4-8 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 4-8 degrees
Frontstretch Length:  650 feet
Backstretch Length:  650 feet
Race Length: 500 laps / 266.5 miles
Stages 1 & 2 Length: 125 laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 250 laps

Bristol Motor Speedway Qualifying Data

Track Qualifying Record: Chase Elliott, Chevrolet (131.713 mph, 14.568 secs.) on April 5, 2019.
2020 Playoff Race Pole Winner: Qualifying was canceled, Metric Qualifying, Brad Keselowski started in the first position.

• Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in starts at Bristol with 40 starts each.
• Chase Elliott leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in average starting position at Bristol with a 6.800 in 10 starts.
• Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Bristol with four (2013, 2014, 2015, 2019).
• The youngest Bristol pole winner: Joey Logano (March 21, 2010 – 19 years, 9 months, 25 days).
• A total of nine different manufacturers have won pols at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series; led by Chevrolet (39) and followed by Ford (36), Toyota (11), Dodge (8), Pontiac (7), Buick (4), Plymouth (4), Oldsmobile (3) and Mercury (2).

Bristol Motor Speedway Race Data

Track Race Record: Charlie Glotzbach, Chevrolet (101.074 mph, 2:38:12) on July 11, 1971.
2020 Bristol Playoff Race Winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford (95.911 mph, 2:46:43) on September 19, 2020.

• Kyle Busch leads the series among active drivers in wins at Bristol with eight victories in 31 starts (Spring 2007, 2009 sweep, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019).
• The youngest Bristol winner: Kyle Busch (March 25, 2007 – 21 years, 10 months, 23 days).
• The race winner has started from the pole or first starting position 27 times (22.6%), the most productive starting position in the field. The most recent driver to win from the pole or first starting position was Brad Keselowski last season (March 31, 2020).
• The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started is 27th, by Kurt Busch in 2002.
• Eight different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series 120 races at Bristol; led by Chevrolet with 45 victories (37.5% winning percentage); followed by Ford (39 wins), Toyota (12), Dodge (8), Pontiac (8), Buick (4), Plymouth (3) and Oldsmobile (1).

From OddsChecker: Kyle Busch slight favorite to win Bass Pro Shops Night Race

Busch stands tall at +440 to win the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. He’s quickly followed by Kyle Larson at +520. Then it’s Denny Hamlin at +675. After that the odds fall off to Chase Elliot at +900. So, it’s clear that oddsmakers have a top 3 in this race.

BASS PRO SHOPS NIGHT RACE WINNER ODDS