By David Morgan, Associate Editor
After running on the dirt at Bristol earlier this year, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the track we all know and love this weekend for Saturday night’s running of the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race and the first elimination race of the Playoffs.
Racing at Bristol is always intense, but when the lights go down for the night race, the intensity gets cranked to 11. The aggressiveness that the drivers will show on the high-banked bullring that is called “The Last Great Colosseum” to take home the coveted Bristol trophy and the chance to wield the gladiator sword in Victory Lane illustrates why this race is on every fan’s bucket list, because it is a must-see event from start to finish.
Bristol is a track that makes it easy to get caught up in someone else’s mess and if that were to happen to any of the drivers on the bubble, their chances to continue on in the race for the championship could go right down the drain.
Just one driver, Cristopher Bell, is safe Saturday night, with 11 others hoping to be on the right side of the cut-off line when the checkered flag falls.
By the Numbers
What: Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race, NASCAR Cup Series race No. 29 of 36
Where: Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tennessee (Opened: 1960)
When: Saturday, September 17
TV/Radio: USA Network, 7:30 pm ET/ PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Channel 90
Track Size: 0.533-mile concrete oval
Banking: Turns: 30 to 34 degrees; Straights: 4 to 9 degrees
Race Length: 500 laps, 266.5 miles
Stage Lengths: First two stages – 125 laps each, Final stage – 250 laps
April 2022 Race Winner (Dirt): Kyle Busch – No. 18 Toyota (Started 11th, one lap led)
September 2021 Race Winner: Kyle Larson – No. 5 Chevrolet (Started fifth, 175 laps led)
Track Qualifying Record: Chase Elliott – No. 9 Chevrolet (14.568 seconds, 131.713 mph – 4/5/2019)
Top-10 Highest Driver Ratings at Bristol Motor Speedway:
- Kyle Larson – No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – 102.4
- Kyle Busch – No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota – 102.4
- Chase Elliott – No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – 98.8
- Kevin Harvick – No. 4 Stewart Haas Racing Ford – 97.6
- Erik Jones – No. 43 Petty GMS Chevrolet – 94.0
- Denny Hamlin – No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota – 92.4
- Ryan Blaney – No. 12 Team Penske Ford – 91.9
- Joey Logano – No. 22 Team Penske Ford – 91.0
- Brad Keselowski – No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Ford –…
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