NASCAR Cup Series Preview: Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway
Saturday, September 21 is the last stand for NASCAR Cup Series drivers below the cutoff for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, which will head to the Round of 12, following the race at "The Last Great Colosseum," Bristol Motor Speedway. Here's a look at the storylines going into the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol.
Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Date: September 21
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway (Bristol, Tennessee)
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: USA Network
NASCAR Viewing Guide: Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol
Weekend Schedule
Date | Time | Session | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
Fri., Sep. 20 | 4 p.m. ET | Practice | USA Network |
Fri., Sep. 20 | 5:05 p.m. ET | Qualifying | USA Network |
Sat., Sep. 21 | 7:30 p.m. ET | Bass Pro Shops Night Race | USA Network |
Round of 12 on The Horizon for Playoff Drivers
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race marks the final race in the Round of 16, and the playoff grid will shrink by four spots after 500 laps. No team is more vulnerable going into the cutoff race than Joe Gibbs Racing.
Denny Hamlin surprisingly finds himself below the cutoff entering Bristol, six points behind teammate Ty Gibbs. After three wins in the regular season, finishes of 24th and 23rd at Atlanta and Watkins Glen put Hamlin in a hole entering Saturday's race. However, Hamlin has won the last two Cup Series events at Bristol Motor Speedway, including the series' visit to the track in March of this year.
Brad Keselowski (-12 points), Martin Truex, Jr. (-14 points) and Harrison Burton (-20 points) also find themselves below the cutoff entering Saturday's event.
Tire Management Will Be a Major Factor
Speaking of Hamlin's win in March, it came in one of the most surprising races of the season that suddenly took on an old-school complexion. With tire wear being much more significant than expected, managing that tire wear proved critical for Hamlin's victory.
While the track will be much warmer than it was for the March event, Saturday's race could play out in a similar fashion. Therefore, being able to set the fastest lap won't matter nearly as much as putting together a consistent pace that the tires can tolerate.
If the Bass Pro Shops Night Race is anything like March's Food City 500, even the most seasoned observers may find their heads spinning at times keeping up with the various strategies that will be on display. That will only make it all the more exciting to see who ends up making the drive to victory lane.
Will Tempers Flare in The Last Great Colosseum?
Any advertisement or highlight video you'll ever find for the Night Race at Bristol is going to be filled with dramatic moments, with plenty of wrecked cars, pointed fingers, and safety equipment tossed at oncoming cars.
Meanwhile, another chaotic ending in last Sunday's race at Watkins Glen International left some drivers voicing their concerns that Cup Series racing has become too aggressive. While the expected tire management might lessen some of the on-track aggression Saturday, it's still inevitable when nearly 40 cars crowd onto the high-banked half-mile.
Will we see more aggression and aggravation in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race? Between the already heightened tensions in the garage and the pressure of a cutoff race in the Playoffs, there's certainly a strong chance.
ZACH EVANS