By Rick Jabot

 

NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Bass Pro Shops Night Race

The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway

The Date: Saturday, September 16

The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

The Purse: $8,805,799

TV: USA, 7 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 266.5 miles (500 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 125),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 250), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 500)

 

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Next Race: Food City 300

The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway

The Date: Friday, September 15

The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

The Purse: $1,675,370

TV: USA, 7 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 159.9 miles (300 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 85),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 300)

 

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics

The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway

The Date: Thursday, September 14

The Time: 9 p.m. ET

The Purse: $692,239

TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 106.6 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 55),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 110), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

 

NASCAR Cup Series

Playoff contenders face Round of 16 elimination race at Bristol 

At a track as unpredictable as Bristol, the only thing guaranteed this weekend is four drivers will be eliminated from the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Tensions are high, the point standings are tight, and once the stadium lights illuminate the ‘World’s Fastest Half-Mile’ expect nothing less than the greatest stock car drivers in the universe to battle it out in spectacular fashion in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, this Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. With this weekend’s highly anticipated event serving as the elimination race for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 16, a lot is on the line for the postseason contenders. Two Playoff drivers have locked themselves into the Round of 12 by virtue of their wins in the first two races of the Round of 16 – Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson (Darlington) and 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick – leaving 10 spots still up for grabs on Saturday.

The 2023 season marks the fourth-time Bristol Motor Speedway has hosted the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and this Saturday’s race is just the fourth Cup Series postseason event at the 0.533-mile track all-time (2020-2023). From 2004-2019, Bristol Motor Speedway was scheduled as the 24th race of the regular season. Bristol Motor Speedway is the fifth different track in NASCAR Cup Series postseason history to host the third race of the Playoffs; joining Talladega Superspeedway (2004-2005), Kansas Speedway (2006–2010), Dover Motor Speedway (2011-2017) and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (2018-2019).

 

A total of 15 different drivers have won the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2004-2021), led by Jimmie Johnson (2008, 2013), Greg Biffle (2007, 2010), Tony Stewart (2006, 2009) and Kevin Harvick (2015, 2020) with two wins each.

 

In total, non-Playoff drivers have won the third race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs four times – twice at Kansas (Tony Stewart was 11th in points in 2006 and Greg Biffle was 14th in points in 2007), once at Talladega (Dale Jarrett was 14th in points in 2005), and once at Bristol Motor Speedway (Chris Buescher was 21st in points in 2022). A non-Playoff driver has not won a Playoff race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (2018-2019) or at Dover Motor Speedway (2011 – 2017) when they were scheduled as the third race in the Playoffs.

 

Third Race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – Race Winners
Track	Playoff Race Winners	Date
Bristol	Chris Buescher	Saturday, September 17, 2022
Bristol	Kyle Larson	Saturday, September 18, 2021
Bristol	Kevin Harvick	Sunday, September 19, 2020
Charlotte RC	Chase Elliott	Sunday, September 29, 2019
Charlotte RC	Ryan Blaney	Sunday, September 30, 2018
Dover	Kyle Busch	Sunday, October 1, 2017
Dover	Martin Truex Jr	Sunday, October 2, 2016
Dover	Kevin Harvick	Sunday, October 4, 2015
Dover	Jeff Gordon	Sunday, September 28, 2014
Dover	Jimmie Johnson	Sunday, September 29, 2013
Dover	Brad Keselowski	Sunday, September 30, 2012
Dover	Kurt Busch	Sunday, October 2, 2011
Kansas	Greg Biffle	Sunday, October 3, 2010
Kansas	Tony Stewart	Sunday, October 4, 2009
Kansas	Jimmie Johnson	Sunday, September 28, 2008
Kansas	Greg Biffle	Sunday, September 30, 2007
Kansas	Tony Stewart	Sunday, October 1, 2006
Talladega	Dale Jarrett	Sunday, October 2, 2005
Talladega	Dale Earnhardt Jr	Sunday, October 3, 2004

 

In total, the winner of the third race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has gone on to win the title four times; en yet is has only happened once (2021) since the elimination-style format was instituted in 2014. In 2021, Kyle Larson won the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Bristol Motor Speedway and went on to win his first series title. His Bristol Playoff victory was the first of a record tying five postseason wins in a single Playoff run (Bristol, Charlotte RC, Texas, Kansas, Phoenix) – tying NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart, who put up five Playoff wins in his 2011 championship run.

 

When the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (2018-2019) and Talladega Superspeedway (2004-2005) hosted the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, none of the event winners went on to win the title in the same season.

 

When Dover Motor Speedway hosted the third race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2011-2017), two drivers won the event and went on to win the title in the same season. In 2012, Brad Keselowski won the third race of the Playoffs at Dover and went on to win his first series title. It was Keselowski’s lone win during the 2012 Playoffs. In 2013, Jimmie Johnson won the third race of the Playoffs at Dover and went on to win his sixth series title. It was his first of two Playoff wins that season (Dover-2, Texas-2).

 

When Kansas Speedway hosted the third race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2006-2010), only one driver won the event and went on to win the title in the same season. In 2008, Jimmie Johnson won the third race of the Playoffs at Kansas and went on to win his third consecutive title. It was his first of three Playoff wins that season (Kansas, Martinsville-2, Phoenix-2).

 

The worst finish by a driver in the third NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race that went on to win the series’ title that same season was: 

 

• At Bristol Motor Speedway (2020-2022): In 2022, Joey Logano finished 27th at Bristol Motor Speedway, the third race of the Playoffs, and went on to win the title later that season.

 

• At Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (2018-2019): In 2019, Kyle Busch finished 37th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course – the third race of the Playoffs – and went on to win the title later that season.

 

• At Dover Motor Speedway (2011-2017): In 2011, Tony Stewart finished 25th at Dover Motor Speedway – the third race of the Playoffs – and went on to win the title later that season.

 

• At Kansas Speedway (2006-2010): In 2006, Jimmie Johnson finished 14th at Kansas Speedway – the third race of the Playoffs – and went on to win the title later that season.

 

• At Talladega Superspeedway (2004-2005): In 2004, Kurt Busch finished fifth at Talladega Superspeedway – the third race of the Playoffs – and went on to win the title later that season.

All the NASCAR Cup Series on-track activity at Bristol Motor Speedway begins this weekend with practice and Busch Light Pole Qualifying, and both events can be viewed on USA at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 15.

 

NASCAR Cup Series prepares for ‘The Last Great Colosseum’

Consistently named as one of their favorite tracks by the NASCAR Cup Series drivers, Bristol Motor Speedway is a one-of-a-kind place that has produced some great racing over the years. Looking back, there have been 122 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the first race in 1961, two races each season until 2021-2023 when the track replaced their spring date with the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt track.

 

The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was on July 30, 1961. The inaugural pole at Bristol was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen and the race was won by Jack Smith (with relief from Johnny Allen). A total of 42 competitors battled for 500 laps (250 miles) with fans seeing seven lead changes among five leaders. All of the NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps each.

 

A total of 52 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway, and nine of the 52 Cup Series Bristol pole winners are entered this weekend. NASCAR Hall of Famers Mark Martin (1989, 1993, 1995 sweep, 1996 sweep, 2001, 2009 sweep) and Cale Yarborough (1969, 1970, 1973 sweep, 1975, 1977 sweep, 1980 sweep) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Bristol Motor Speedway with nine poles each. Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Bristol Motor Speedway with four (2013, 2014, 2015, 2019).

 

Active Bristol Pole Winners (9)	Poles	Seasons
Denny Hamlin	4	2019, ’15, ’14, ’13
Ryan Newman	3	2011, ’04, ’03
Kyle Busch	2	2018, ’13
Aric Almirola	1	2022
Chase Elliott	1	2019
Kyle Larson	1	2018
Erik Jones	1	2017
Kevin Harvick	1	2014
Joey Logano	1	2010

 

A total of 44 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Bristol Motor Speedway, and 21 of the 44 have won multiple times. Seven of the 44 NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway race winners are entered this weekend, and all seven are Playoff drivers. NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Bristol Motor Speedway with 12 victories in 52 starts; including eight straight (1978, 1979, 1981 sweep, 1982 sweep, 1983 sweep, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1992). Kyle Busch leads all NASCAR Cup Series active drivers in wins at Bristol with eight victories in 33 starts (spring 2007, 2009 sweep, fall 2010, Spring 2011, fall 2017, spring 2018, spring 2019).

 

Active Bristol Winners (7)	Wins	Seasons
Kyle Busch	8	2019, ’18, ’17, ’11, ’10, ’09 sweep, ’07
Brad Keselowski	3	2020, ’12, ’11
Kevin Harvick	3	2020, ’16, ’05
Denny Hamlin	2	2019, ’12
Joey Logano	2	2015, ’14
Chris Buescher	1	2022
Kyle Larson	1	2021

 

RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher is the most recent winner at Bristol Motor Speedway, taking the checkered flag by .458-second over second-place Chase Elliott last season. This year, Buescher will look to defend his win and if he accomplishes the feat, he will become the 12th different driver to win consecutive Cup Series races at the 0.533-mile track; joining Fred Lorenzen (1963-1964 sweep), David Pearson (1968 sweep), Bobby Allison (1972 sweep), Cale Yarborough (did it twice-1974 sweep and four straight from 1976-1977), Richard Petty (1975 sweep), Dale Earnhardt (also did it twice-1985 sweep and 1987 sweep), Alan Kulwicki (1992 sweep), Rusty Wallace (2000 sweep), Kurt Busch (2003 sweep and 2004 Spring race), Kyle Busch (2009 sweep and Fall 2017-Spring 2018) and Brad Keselowski (Fall 2011-Spring 2012).

 

Clinch Scenarios: Last chance to make the Playoffs’ Round of 12

This weekend’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway will bring the first round of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs to a close and four drivers will be eliminated from the postseason bringing the 16-driver field to 12. With two drivers locked-in and moving on, that leaves 10 positions still up for grabs this weekend at the ‘World’s Fastest Half-Mile’.

Already Clinched

The following two drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver field of the next round: Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 11th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano or Kevin Harvick.

• Denny Hamlin: Would clinch with 7 points
• William Byron: Would clinch with 15 points
• Brad Keselowski: Would clinch with 23 points
• Ryan Blaney: Would clinch with 31 points
• Kyle Busch: Would clinch with 32 points
• Ross Chastain: Would clinch with 38 points
• Chris Buescher: Would clinch with 43 points
• Christopher Bell: Would clinch with 43 points
• Joey Logano: Would clinch with 44 points
• Kevin Harvick: Would clinch with 49 points
• Martin Truex Jr.: Could only clinch with help
• Bubba Wallace: Could only clinch with help
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Could only clinch with help
• Michael McDowell: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Martin Truex Jr. or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 10th winless driver in the standings.

• Denny Hamlin: Would clinch with 12 points
• William Byron: Would clinch with 21 points
• Brad Keselowski: Would clinch with 29 points
• Ryan Blaney: Would clinch with 37 points
• Kyle Busch: Would clinch with 38 points
• Ross Chastain: Would clinch with 44 points
• Chris Buescher: Would clinch with 49 points
• Christopher Bell: Would clinch with 49 points
• Joey Logano: Would clinch with 50 points
• Kevin Harvick: Would clinch with 55 points
• Martin Truex Jr.: Could only clinch with help
• Bubba Wallace: Could only clinch with help
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Could only clinch with help
• Michael McDowell: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell

 

NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 28
Rank	Driver	Points	Race Wins	Stage Wins	Playoff Pts	+ / – Cutoff
1	Kyle Larson (P)	2,117	3	4	23	In On Wins
2	Tyler Reddick (P)	2,111	2	4	14	In On Wins
3	Denny Hamlin (P)	2,105	2	7	27	49
4	William Byron (P)	2,097	5	8	36	41
5	Brad Keselowski (P)	2,089	0	5	11	33
6	Ryan Blaney (P)	2,081	1	3	8	25
7	Kyle Busch (P)	2,080	3	2	19	24
8	Ross Chastain (P)	2,074	1	5	11	18
9	Chris Buescher (P)	2,069	3	1	21	13
10	Christopher Bell (P)	2,069	1	2	14	13
11	Joey Logano (P)	2,068	1	3	8	12
12	Kevin Harvick (P)	2,063	0	1	4	7
13	Martin Truex Jr. (P)	2,056	3	6	36	-7
14	Bubba Wallace (P)	2,044	0	0	0	-19
15	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P)	2,041	1	0	5	-22
16	Michael McDowell (P)	2,023	1	2	7	-40

 

Can’t Eliminate This: Previous drivers that have raced their way into the Round of 12

Since the introduction of the ‘elimination-style’ format of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2014, several drivers have raced their way into the Round of 12 in the third and final cutoff race of the Round of 16.

2014: Heading to Dover Motor Speedway (the third race of the Playoffs) in 2014, Denny Hamlin was ranked 13th in the Playoff standings and six points back from the Round of 12 cutoff. Hamlin finished 12th at Dover and advanced on points, knocking A.J. Allmendinger (23rd-place finish at Dover) out of the Playoffs.

2015: Heading to Dover Motor Speedway (the third race of the Playoffs) in 2015, Kevin Harvick was ranked 15th in the Playoff standings, 23 points back from the Round of 12 cutoff and Kyle Busch was ranked 13th in the Playoff standings just one point behind the Round of 12 cutoff. Kevin Harvick won the race at Dover and automatically advanced to the next round. Kyle Busch finished second at Dover and advanced on points to the Round of 12 knocking Jamie McMurray (fourth-place finish at Dover) and Jimmie Johnson (41st-place finish due to mechanical issues at Dover) out of the Playoffs.

2016: Heading to Dover Motor Speedway (the third race of the Playoffs) in 2016, Austin Dillon was ranked 13th in the Playoff standings just five points back from the Round of 12 cutoff. Kyle Larson was ranked 12th in the Playoff standings coming into Dover. Dillon finished eighth at Dover and advanced on points knocking Kyle Larson (25th-place finish at Dover) out of the Playoffs.

2017: The four drivers below the Round of 12 cutline heading into the third race of the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Dover Motor Speedway – Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch – all failed to advance to the Round of 12 and were eliminated from the Playoffs following the Dover race.

2018: Heading to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (the third race of the Playoffs) in 2018, Clint Bowyer was ranked 13th in the Playoff standings and four points back from the Round of 12 cutoff. Bowyer finished third at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL and advanced on points knocking Austin Dillon (39th-place finish at the Charlotte ROVAL due to an incident) out of the Playoffs.

2019: Heading to the Charlotte ROVAL (the third race of the Playoffs) in 2019, Clint Bowyer was ranked 14th in the Playoff standings, four points back from the Round of 12 cutoff and Alex Bowman was ranked 13th in the Playoff standings just two points behind the Round of 12 cutoff. Bowyer finished fourth and Alex Bowman finished second at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. Both drivers advanced on points to the Round of 12 knocking Kyle Larson (13th-place finish at Charlotte) and Aric Almirola (14th-place finish at Charlotte) out of the Playoffs.

2020: The four drivers below the Round of 12 cutline heading into the third race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Bristol Motor Speedway – William Byron (-3), Cole Custer (-8), Matt DiBenedetto (-25) and Ryan Blaney (-27) – all failed to advance to the Round of 12 and were eliminated from the Playoffs following the Bristol race.

2021: Heading into Bristol Motor Speedway (the third race of the Playoffs) in 2021, Aric Almirola was ranked 11th in the Playoff outlook, up three points on the Round of 12 cutline. Kurt Busch was ranked in the 12th and final position to advance on points to the Round of 12, and he was tied with 13th place Alex Bowman; followed by Tyler Reddick in 14th (-5 points), William Byron in 15th (-18) and Michael McDowell in 16th (-38). Byron finished third and Bowman finished fourth at Bristol, and both drivers advanced on points to the Round of 12 knocking Aric Almirola (18th-place finish), Kurt Busch (19th-place finish) out of the Playoffs. Reddick (12th-place finish) and McDowell (24th-place finish) also failed to advance to the next round.

 

2022: Heading to Bristol Motor Speedway (the third race of the Playoffs) in 2022, Tyler Reddick was ranked 11th in the Playoff outlook, and he was tied with 12th place Austin Cindric, and they were two points up on 13th place Kyle Busch. Rounding out the top 16 was Austin Dillon in 14th (-3 points), Chase Briscoe in 15th (-9) and Kevin Harvick in 16th (-35). Briscoe finished 14th and Cindric finished 20th at Bristol, and both drivers advanced on points to the Round of 12 knocking Tyler Reddick (25th-place finish) out of the Playoffs. Busch (34th-place finish), Dillon (31st-place finish) and Harvick (10th-place finish) also failed to advance to the next round.

 

Pressure packed weekend for Harvick, Truex, Wallace, Stenhouse and McDowell

Bristol Motor Speedway, a high-banked, concrete, 0.533-mile short track, is one of the most challenging venues on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, and this weekend the famous short track deemed ‘The Last Great Colosseum’ will host the Playoff’s Round of 16 elimination race. Below is a look at the Playoff contenders teetering the Round of 12 cutoff line and their career performances at Bristol.

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) is currently in the 12th and final transfer position on points. Harvick holds a mere seven point advantage over 13th place Martin Truex Jr., who won the regular season championship earlier this season. After finishing 19th at Darlington and 11th at Kansas, Harvick is looking to advance out of the Round of 16 for the ninth time in his postseason career this weekend at Bristol. Last season was the first time he had failed to advance out of the Round of 16.

This season, Harvick has put up six top fives and 12 top 10s in 28 starts. He has led 123 laps, his average finish is 13.9, and his season-to-date Driver Rating is 82.5.

At Bristol Motor Speedway, Kevin Harvick has been elite. In 42 career starts he has collected three wins, 14 top fives, 22 top 10s and one pole. He has the third-best average finish among active drivers at 13.9. Plus, he ranks in the top-five in several pre-race Loop Data categories – Average Running Position of 11.764 (fourth-best), Driver Rating of 97.8 (fourth-best), 1,068 Fastest Laps Run (second-best), 11,927 Laps in the Top 15 (70.0%, series-most), 1,098 Quality Passes (series-most).

“Bristol, the night race, especially, is a place that just has a special feel,” said Kevin Harvick. “Being in the Playoffs now and being a part of that event for a long time just gets you jacked up as a driver. It’s just a very intense place to race. It’s an intense place to just make laps, honestly. As you get into that race and understand the magnitude of the situation, especially with Bristol being in the Playoffs, it’s something that I just think is very challenging and exciting to be a part of.”

Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) finds himself 13th in the Playoff point standings after winning the Regular Season Championship but finishing 18th at Darlington and 36th at Kansas to start the Round of 16. Now, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran is seven points behind Kevin Harvick in the 12th and final transfer spot on points. Truex is looking to advance to the Round of 12 for the seventh time in his career; every previous instance of him making the postseason in the elimination-style format he has advanced out of the Round of 16.

This season, Truex has posted three wins, nine top fives, 15 top 10s and one pole in 28 starts. He has led 832 laps, his average finish is 12.5, and his season-to-date Driver Rating is 95.3.

At Bristol Motor Speedway, Truex is still looking for his first career win on the historic half-mile. In 32 career starts he has put up two top fives and four top 10s. His average finish of 20.7 is 26th-best. In addition, he has some strong stats in the pre-race Loop Data at Bristol – Average Running Position of 15.955 (15th-best), Driver Rating of 82.1 (13th-best), 543 Fastest Laps Run (sixth-best), 8,626 Laps in the Top 15 (53.8%, sixth-most), and 1,007 Quality Passes (sixth-most).

“Bristol hasn’t been my favorite place, but we’ve had some good runs there, too,” said Martin Truex Jr. “I think we’ve been competitive there over the years. It’s a place that’s tight and things happen fast there, so you have to be on your toes. Always really excited to be a part of how great the crowd is there, and the fans love that place. Bass Pro Shops is the sponsor there again and they do a lot of cool stuff for the fans. Hoping we can have a strong run there for them and get to the next round of the Playoffs. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Bubba Wallace (No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota) currently resides in the 14th position in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs point standings, in his first career appearance in the postseason. Wallace is 19 points behind Kevin Harvick in the 12th and final transfer spot on points to the Round of 12.

This season, Wallace has amassed four top fives and seven top 10s in 28 starts. He has led 162 laps, his average finish is 17.0, and his season-to-date Driver Rating is 77.7.

At Bristol Motor Speedway, Wallace generally runs mid-pack at the high-banked half-mile. In eight career NASCAR Cup Series starts at the .533-mile track, he has posted just one top-10 finish (10th in 2020).

He ranks one spot ahead of Martin Truex Jr. in average finish (20.6, 25th-best) at Bristol. But he ranks in the mid-20s in pre-race Loop Data at Bristol – Average Running Position of 20.312 (20th-best), Driver Rating of 64.0 (24th-best), 25 Fastest Laps Run (22nd-best), 1,312 Laps in the Top 15 (32.8%, 23rd-most), 154 Quality Passes (22nd-most).

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet) holds the 15th position in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings after finishing 16th at Darlington and 23rd at Kansas. The Mississippi native is 22 points back from the Round of 12 cutline heading into this weekend at Bristol. This is his second career appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2017, 2023), and he is looking to advance out of the Round of 16 for the second time in his career.

This season, Stenhouse Jr. has gathered one win (Daytona 500), two top fives and seven top 10s in 28 starts. He has led 25 laps, his average finish is 16.9, and his season-to-date Driver Rating is 66.8.

Bristol Motor Speedway is one of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s best tracks on the schedule. In 18 career starts he has collected four top fives and six top 10s. He has average finish of 18.278 (20th-best). Plus, he ranks in the top 20 in several pre-race Loop Data categories – Average Running Position of 19.639 (19th-best), Driver Rating of 71.2 (16th-best), 177 Fastest Laps Run (13th-best), 3,493 Laps in the Top 15 (38.8%, 13th-most), 567 Quality Passes (11th-most).

Michael McDowell (No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford) rolls into Bristol this weekend in the 16th and final NASCAR Cup Series Playoff position after finishing 32nd at Darlington and 26th at Kansas. With a mountain of points (-40 points) between himself and the Round of 12 cutline, McDowell arrives at Bristol knowing he will need to win to advance. This is McDowell’s second NASCAR Cup Series Playoff appearance, and if he does advance, it would be the first time in his postseason career he has accomplished the feat.

This season, McDowell has posted one win, two top fives and six top 10s in 28 starts. He has led 92 laps, his average finish is 19.2, and his season-to-date Driver Rating is 67.6.

At Bristol Motor Speedway, McDowell has struggled to make his way to the front in the past. In 23 career starts he has put up just one top-10 finish (10th in 2020). He has an average finish of 28.826 (37th-best) at the .533-mile track. This weekend will be a challenge for McDowell as the pre-race Loop Data has him ranked outside the top-25 in several key categories – Average Running Position of 29.313 (35th-best), Driver Rating of 45.4 (33rd-best), 9 Fastest Laps Run (26th-best), 593 Laps in the Top 15 (5.2%, 35th-most), 66 Quality Passes (27th-most).

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.

NASCAR Cup Series milestones to watch for this season – Below is a look at some of the anticipated NASCAR Cup Series milestones to watch for as the 2023 season closes out its final eight races.

 

Starts

Drivers that are expected to make milestone starts during this season are:

Martin Truex Jr. – 650th NASCAR Cup Series start – Bristol Motor Speedway (9/16) – Truex will become the 28th different driver all-time to start 650 or more races in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Ryan Blaney – 300th NASCAR Cup Series start – Texas Motor Speedway (9/24)

Erik Jones – 250th NASCAR Cup Series start – Talladega Superspeedway (10/1)

Daniel Suarez – 250th NASCAR Cup Series start – Martinsville Speedway (10/29)

Ryan Preece – 150th NASCAR Cup Series start – Martinsville Speedway (10/29)

Ty Gibbs – 50th NASCAR Cup Series start – Martinsville Speedway (10/29)

Denny Hamlin – 650th NASCAR Cup Series start – Phoenix Raceway (11/5)

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 400th NASCAR Cup Series start – Phoenix Raceway (11/5)

Driver Wins

Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in career wins with 63, followed by Kevin Harvick (60), Denny Hamlin (50), Brad Keselowski (35), Martin Truex Jr. (34), Joey Logano (32), and Kyle Larson (22).

Organization Wins

Closing in on NASCAR Cup Series win number 300, Hendrick Motorsports currently sits at 299 team wins at NASCAR’s highest level – the most all-time in the Cup Series. Hendrick Motorsports will look for their 300th victory this weekend at Bristol. Wood Brothers Racing is also on the cusp a milestone victory in the NASCAR Cup Series and will look for their 100th NASCAR Cup Series win this weekend.

Hendrick Motorsports leads all active NASCAR Cup Series organizations in wins with 299, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing (206), RFK Racing (141), Team Penske (137), Richard Childress Racing (116), Wood Brothers Racing (99), Stewart-Haas Racing (69), Trackhouse Racing (5), 23XI Racing (5), Front Row Motorsports (4), JTG Daugherty Racing (2), Kaulig Racing (1), Spire Motorsports (1).

Manufacturer Wins

Closing in on NASCAR Cup Series win number 850, Chevrolet currently has 846 wins – the most all-time in the Cup Series. Ford has the second most wins all-time in the Cup Series at 712 and Toyota has the fifth-most all-time at 178 (behind Dodge at 213 and Plymouth at 189).

Car Number Wins

No. 99 car’s next win will be its 50th in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Grammy-nominated band Midland to perform pre-race concert at Bristol – Grammy-nominated country music group Midland will perform the pre-race concert to jump start the popular Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday, Sept. 16 (7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Midland will take the pre-race stage inside The Last Great Colosseum at 5:30 p.m. ET for a 45-minute set that will lead into Bristol’s highly-anticipated pre-race ceremonies. Midland, from Dripping Springs, Texas, is a powerhouse trio that plays ‘neotraditional country.’ The band is comprised of front man and lead vocalist Mark Wystrach, lead guitarist/vocalist Jess Carson and bass player Cameron Duddy. Midland’s three studio albums have produced seven chart-topping songs, including the Grammy Award nominated “Drinkin’ Problem.”

This is the third time that Midland has performed at a NASCAR race. The band also sang in March 2022 before the Echo Park Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas and played earlier this year before the NASCAR All-Star Race at the revitalized North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Michael Buffer and Joey Chestnut to make special appearances at Bristol – A pair of icons in sports and entertainment – Michael Buffer and Joey Chestnut – will make special appearances at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Saturday, Sept. 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Legendary ring announcer Buffer, who rose to prominence with the trademarked catchphrase ‘LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE ®,’ will once again take over the mic during Bristol’s tradition-rich driver introductions. Buffer will host the proceedings while each driver will introduce themselves as their choice in music plays in the background. Buffer’s intros will lead the elevated pre-race ceremonies right up to the green flag for the NASCAR Round of 16 Playoff race. Buffer will culminate his efforts with his signature throwdown mantra followed by his epic phrase, “This is Bristol!” as only he can deliver. This will be the ninth time that Buffer has served in this role during Bristol’s pre-race ceremonies.

Competitive eating superstar Chestnut, who is a 16-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion, including this past summer’s event at Coney Island in Brooklyn, will visit Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time in a guest-dignitary role. During his daylong visit on Saturday, Chestnut will make a variety of suite appearances and also visit with Trackside Live hosts Kenny Wallace and John Roberts on the Food City Fan Zone Stage where he will participate in a Wing Eating contest. Chestnut also will make a special appearance on the main stage during pre-race ceremonies.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

 

NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs get underway at Bristol Motor Speedway

Since the postseason’s inception in 2016, the NASCAR Xfinity Series has decided its champion through an ‘elimination-style’ Playoff format, that has a 12-driver field battle it out over a course of seven weeks through three rounds, with the champion being named in the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.

Last season, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs became the sixth different driver to win a NASCAR Xfinity Series title in the Playoff Era (2016-Present), joining Daniel Suarez (2016), William Byron (2017), Tyler Reddick (2018, 2019), Austin Cindric (2020), and Daniel Hemric (2021). Gibbs also became 32nd different NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion all-time (1985-2022).

Following the regular season finale at Kansas Speedway last weekend, the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series 12-driver Playoff field is set and ready to jump into the postseason this Friday, Sept. 15 in the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This season marks the first-time Bristol Motor Speedway has hosted the Playoffs’ opener in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the first-time it has hosted a postseason race in the series. Bristol Motor Speedway is the fifth different track to host the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs’ first race, joining Kentucky Speedway (2016-2017), Richmond Raceway (2018-2019), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2020-2021) and Texas Motor Speedway (2022).

NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Race No. 1 – Race Winners

 

Date	Track	Playoff Race Winners
Saturday, September 24, 2022	Texas	Noah Gragson
Saturday, September 25, 2021	Las Vegas	Josh Berry
Saturday, September 26, 2020	Las Vegas	Chase Briscoe
Friday, September 20, 2019	Richmond	Christopher Bell
Friday, September 21, 2018	Richmond	Christopher Bell
Saturday, September 23, 2017	Kentucky	Tyler Reddick
Saturday, September 24, 2016	Kentucky	Elliott Sadler

In total six different drivers have won the first race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, led by Christopher Bell with two victories (both at Richmond) in 2018 and 2019.

Twice a non-Playoff driver has won the postseason opener in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – Tyler Reddick in 2017 at Kentucky Speedway and Josh Berry in 2021 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Interestingly, the winners of the first race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs have never gone on to win the overall championship later that same season. But they did get a shot at it because all of the winners of the first Playoff race, if they were a Playoff contender, have all made the Championship 4 Round the same season of their win – Elliott Sadler (2016), Christopher Bell (2018, 2019), Chase Briscoe (2020) and Noah Gragson (2022).

Catch the start of the Xfinity Series Playoff action at Bristol Motor Speedway with practice and qualifying from 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

 

Clinch Scenarios: Bristol Motor Speedway

When it comes to the clinch scenarios in the first race of a round in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, the math can be pretty easy – just win. None of the 12-driver Playoff field have clinched a spot in the Round of 8 heading into this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway and their only way of clinching a spot this weekend is to win their way in.

Already Clinched

No drivers have clinched a spot in the eight-driver field of the next round.

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: John Hunter Nemechek, Austin Hill, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Sam Mayer, Chandler Smith, Josh Berry, Sheldon Creed, Jeb Burton, Sammy Smith, Daniel Hemric, Parker Kligerman

Only two former NASCAR Xfinity Series Bristol Motor Speedway winners are active this weekend, and only one is a current Playoff driver: Justin Allgaier (2010) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2004). But three drivers entered this weekend in the Food City 300 (Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) have won at Bristol in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in their careers: Chandler Smith (2021), Sam Mayer (2020) and Brett Moffitt (2019).

NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 26
Rank	Driver	Points	Race Wins	Stage Wins	Playoff Pts	+ / – Cutoff
1	John Hunter Nemechek	2,049	6	9	49	43
2	Austin Hill	2,039	4	4	39	33
3	Justin Allgaier	2,026	2	8	26	20
4	Cole Custer	2,017	2	5	17	11
5	Sam Mayer	2,015	2	0	15	9
6	Chandler Smith #	2,009	1	2	9	3
7	Josh Berry	2,009	0	3	9	3
8	Sheldon Creed	2,008	0	4	8	2
9	Sammy Smith #	2,006	1	1	6	-2
10	Jeb Burton	2,006	1	1	6	-2
11	Daniel Hemric	2,003	0	0	3	-5
12	Parker Kligerman	2,002	0	1	2	-6

Spotlighting the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Field

This season marks the eighth running of the Playoffs in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and this season’s postseason 12-driver field is one to remember.

Drivers from seven different organizations have qualified for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, led by JR Motorsports with three contenders (Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer and Josh Berry), followed by Joe Gibbs Racing (John H. Nemechek and Sammy Smith), Richard Childress Racing (Austin Hill and Sheldon Creed), and Kaulig Racing (Chandler Smith and Daniel Hemric) with two each, and Stewart-Haas Racing (Cole Custer), Jordan Anderson Racing (Jeb Burton) and Big Machine Racing (Parker Kligerman) with one each.

All three official engine manufacturers have earned spots in the 2023 Xfinity Series Playoffs, led by Chevrolet with nine cars in the postseason, followed by Toyota with two and Ford with one.

This season’s Playoff contenders include one former series champion (Daniel Hemric, 2021) and two current Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates (Chandler Smith and Sammy Smith). Below is a quick look at the 12 Playoff drivers heading into Bristol this weekend:

(Note: Drivers are listed in Playoff standings order)

John Hunter Nemechek (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

The current NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs point standing leader, John Hunter Nemechek, heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend up +43 points on the Round of 8 cutline. This season marks the second time Nemechek has competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs (2023, ’19).

This year, Nemechek has posted two poles, six wins, 13 top fives and 19 top 10s in 26 starts.

At Bristol, Nemechek has made three Xfinity Series starts putting up two top-five finishes. His career average finish at Bristol is 7.0.

Austin Hill (No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)

Austin Hill currently ranks second in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff point standings as he heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, up +33 points on the Round of 8 cutline, and just 10 points back from the standings lead. This season marks the second time Hill has competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs (2023, ’22).

This year, Hill has collected three poles, four wins, 15 top fives and 19 top 10s in 26 starts.

Hill made his Xfinity Series career track debut last season at Bristol Motor Speedway; the Georgia native started 15th and raced his way up to a third-place finish.

Justin Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet)

Justin Allgaier currently ranks third in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff point standings as he heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, up +20 points on the Round of 8 cutline, and 23 points back from the standings lead. Allgaier leads the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Playoff appearances with eight; he has participated in every postseason since its inception into the series in 2016 (2023, ’22, ’21, ’20, ’19, ’18, ’17, ’16) – the only driver to accomplish the feat.

This season, Allgaier has posted two poles, two wins, 11 top fives and 15 top 10s in 26 starts.

At Bristol, Allgaier has made 22 Xfinity Series starts amassing one pole, one win (2010), 10 top fives and 14 top 10s. His career average finish at Bristol is 11.4.

Cole Custer (No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford)

Heading into Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, Cole Custer currently ranks fourth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff point standings, up +11 points on the Round of 8 cutline, and 32 points back from the standings lead. This season marks the fourth time Custer has competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs (2023, ’19, ’18, ’17).

This year, Custer has collected four poles, two wins, 10 top fives and 16 top 10s in 26 starts.

At Bristol, Custer has made six Xfinity Series starts putting up two poles, two top fives and four top 10s. His career average finish at Bristol is 13.2.

Sam Mayer (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet)

Rolling into Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, Sam Mayer currently ranks fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs point standings, up nine points on the Round of 8 cutline, and 34 points back from the standings lead. This season marks the second time Mayer has competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs (2023, ‘22).

This year, Mayer has posted four poles, two wins, 10 top fives and 16 top 10s in 26 starts.

At Bristol, Mayer has made two Xfinity Series starts putting one top five and two top 10s. His career average finish at Bristol is 6.5.

 

Chandler Smith (No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet)

Arriving at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, Chandler Smith currently ranks sixth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs point standings, up three points on the Round of 8 cutline, and 40 points back from the standings lead. Chandler Smith is one of four drivers this season making their NASCAR Xfinity Series career debuts in the Playoffs, alongside Sheldon Creed, Parker Kligerman and fellow rookie Sammy Smith.

This season, Smith has collected three poles, one win, five top fives and nine top 10s in 26 starts.

This weekend, Smith will be making his NASCAR Xfinity Series track debut at Bristol Motor Speedway. Though this weekend will be his first start in the Xfinity Series at Bristol, he does have four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at .533-mile track posting one win (2021) and three top fives.

Josh Berry (No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet)

Josh Berry currently ranks seventh in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs point standings as he heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, up three points on the Round of 8 cutline, and 40 points back from the standings lead. This season marks the second time Berry has competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs (2023, ‘22).

This year, Berry has posted two poles, nine top fives and 15 top 10s in 26 starts.

At Bristol, Berry has made two Xfinity Series starts posting one top-10 finish (seventh in 2022). His career average finish at Bristol is 21.0.

Sheldon Creed (No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)

Heading into Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, Sheldon Creed ranks eighth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff point standings, up two points on the Round of 8 cutline, in the final transfer spot on points. Sheldon Creed is one of four drivers this season that are making their NASCAR Xfinity Series career debuts in the Playoffs, alongside Parker Kligerman and rookies Chandler Smith and Sammy Smith.

This season, Creed has collected one pole, five top fives and 11 top 10s in 26 starts.

Last year, Creed made his Xfinity Series track debut at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he started 22nd and finished 37th.

Sammy Smith (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

Arriving at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, Sammy Smith ranks ninth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff point standings, two points back from Sheldon Creed in the eighth and final transfer spot on points. Sammy Smith is one of four drivers this season making their NASCAR Xfinity Series career debuts in the Playoffs, alongside Sheldon Creed, Parker Kligerman and fellow rookie Chandler Smith.

This season, Smith has collected one win, four top fives and 10 top 10s in 26 starts.

Last season, Sammy Smith made his Xfinity Series track debut at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he started sixth and finished 14th.

Jeb Burton (No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet)

Jeb Burton currently ranks 10th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff point standings as he heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, back two points from the Round of 8 cutline. This season marks the second time Burton has competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs (2023, ’21).

This year, Burton has collected one win, one top five and five top 10s in 26 starts.

At Bristol, Burton has made seven Xfinity Series starts posting one top-10 finish. His career average finish at Bristol is 21.0.

Daniel Hemric (No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet)

Daniel Hemric, the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, currently ranks 11th in the Playoff point standings as he heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, back five points from the Round of 8 cutline. This season marks the fifth time Hemric has competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs (2023, ’22, ’21, ’18, ’17) – third-most all-time.

This season, Hemric has collected five top fives and 13 top 10s in 26 starts.

At Bristol, Hemric has made seven Xfinity Series starts posting two top-five and five top-10 finishes. His career average finish at Bristol is 10.7.

Parker Kligerman (No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet)

Parker Kligerman rolls into the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs point standings as the No. 12 seed, six points behind Sheldon Creed in eighth. Kligerman earned the final spot in the Playoffs in the regular season finale last week at Kansas, and this week enters postseason for the first time in his career.

This season, Kligerman has collected seven top fives and 13 top 10s in 26 starts.

At Bristol, Kligerman has made seven Xfinity Series starts posting three top-10 finishes. His career average finish at Bristol is 15.5.

Short track ringers to watch for this weekend

This weekend’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway (Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is the sixth race on the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule that will be competed on at facility that qualifies as a short track (1-mile in length or less), joining Richmond, Martinsville, New Hampshire, Dover and Phoenix. With five similar sized tracks in the books already, who has had the most success at those events so far this season?

The first thing you notice when looking back at the five short track events already run this season, is Toyota drivers have won four of the five events – Sammy Smith (Phoenix-1), John Hunter Nemechek (Martinsville, New Hampshire) and Ryan Truex (Dover) – the lone exception was Chandler Smith’s (Chevrolet) win at Richmond.

John Hunter Nemechek is the only driver this season to finish inside the top-10 in all five of the previous short track races this season. Five additional drivers have finished inside the top-10 at four of the five short track races this season – Austin Hill, Chandler Smith, Daniel Hemric, Sammy Smith and Josh Berry.

The top five in average finish in the five short track events run this season are John Hunter Nemechek (3.0), Chandler Smith (6.2), Sammy Smith (6.6), Josh Berry (6.8) and Austin Hill (7.8).

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

Two-time Xfinity champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns to the series at Bristol – This weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, NBC Sports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be trading in the mic for the driving gloves as he will attempt to make his NASCAR Xfinity Series 2023 season debut. This weekend will be the two-time champion’s 145th start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and his 13th at the .533-mile track.

In Earnhardt’s previous 12 Xfinity Series starts at Bristol, he has put up two poles, one win (2004), seven top fives and nine top 10s. His last start at Bristol was in 2017, where he started 17th and finished 13th. His average finish at the high-speed half-mile is a solid 6.9.

Earnhardt Jr. will be piloting the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend at Bristol, and he will be working with crew chief Jason Stockert.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Playoffs’ Round of 8 kicks off under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway

After the elimination race in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Round of 10 at Kansas Speedway last weekend, two drivers were eliminated from the Playoffs – Matt Crafton and Matt DiBenedetto. Now, the series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway to kick off the Round of 8 for the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics on Thursday, September 14 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio.

Thursday night marks only the second time that Bristol Motor Speedway has hosted the opening race in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 (2022-2023). In total, this will be the fifth-time Bristol has hosted a CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Race (2019-2023). Prior to moving to the Round of 8 opener last season, Thunder Valley was the first race of the Playoffs in 2019 and 2020. Then in 2021, the half-mile track served as the elimination race for the Round of 10.

Bristol Motor Speedway (2022-2023) is the fifth different track to occupy the third race on the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff schedule, joining Martinsville Speedway (2016-2018), Talladega Superspeedway (2019), Kansas Speedway (2020), and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2021).

Five different drivers have won the first race in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs’ Round of 8, led by Johnny Sauter with two postseason victories (2016, 2018).

NCTS Playoffs Round of 8 – Opening Race Winners (2016-2022)
Date	Track	Playoff Race Winner	Season	Race No.
Saturday, October 29, 2016	Martinsville	Johnny Sauter	2016	20
Saturday, October 28, 2017	Martinsville	Noah Gragson (non-Playoff Driver)	2017	20
Saturday, October 27, 2018	Martinsville	Johnny Sauter	2018	20
Saturday, October 12, 2019	Talladega	Spencer Boyd (non-Playoff Driver)	2019	20
Saturday, October 17, 2020	Kansas	Brett Moffitt	2020	20
Friday, September 24, 2021	Las Vegas	Christian Eckes (non-Playoff Driver)	2021	19
Thursday, September 15, 2022	Bristol	Ty Majeski	2022	20

Only one of these race winners has gone on to win the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship in the same season – Johnny Sauter at Martinsville in 2016. The Martinsville Speedway win was the first of two victories for Sauter en route to his championship.

Of Bristol Motor Speedway’s four Playoff races, there have been four different winners: Johnny Sauter (2019), Sam Mayer (2020), Chandler Smith (2021), and Ty Majeski (2022). None of these Bristol Playoff race winners have gone on to win the title in the same season.

Tomorrow night’s UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics will be broken up into three stages, the first two stages will be 55 laps each and the final stage will be 90 laps for a race total of 200 laps (106.6 miles).

Make sure to catch all the on-track action this week. Practice and qualifying will begin on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 4:00 p.m. ET on FS2.

Three’s Company: Eckes steals win at Kansas

Christian Eckes, who hadn’t contended for the lead all night during the Kansas Lottery 200, found himself in a three-wide battle with Corey Heim and Zane Smith on the final two-lap restart of the night. Making a bold move, Eckes was able to steal the win from his fellow Playoff contenders.

The Kansas Lottery 200 was the Middletown, New York native’s third win of the season and 11th top-10 finish. Additionally, it was his first victory, and sixth top-10 finish in eight races at Kansas Speedway.

While the driver of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing had already advanced to the Round of 8 previously, the win provides him more Playoff points to begin this new round. Friday night’s race cut the Playoff field from 10 to eight competitors, meaning Matt Crafton and Matt DiBenedetto were eliminated.

Driver of the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford Ben Rhodes was able to hold off DiBenedetto by five points to earn the final transfer spot to the Round of 8. Despite being slowed by right rear issues, Rhodes managed to survive the race and finished 25th.

As for the other NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff contenders entering the Round of 8, the return to Kansas had its ups and downs: Heim (fourth), Smith (fifth), Hocevar (sixth), Sanchez (eighth), Enfinger (17th), Majeski (18th).

 

Playoff Clinch Scenarios: Bristol Motor Speedway

With the Round of 10 in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs in the books, here is a look at the clinch scenarios for the now 8-driver field:

Already Clinched

No drivers have clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round.

Can clinch via win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith, Ty Majeski, Ben Rhodes, Nicholas Sanchez

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 19
Rank	Driver	Points	Race Wins	Playoff Pts	+ /- Cutoff
1	Corey Heim (P)	3,030	2	30	8
2	Christian Eckes (P)	3,024	3	24	2
3	Grant Enfinger (P)	3,024	3	24	2
4	Carson Hocevar (P)	3,022	3	22	0
5	Zane Smith (P)	3,022	2	22	0
6	Ty Majeski (P)	3,016	1	16	-6
7	Ben Rhodes (P)	3,013	1	13	-9
8	Nicholas Sanchez # (P)	3,006	0	6	-16

 

Ty Majeski returns to Bristol looking to defend last season’s Playoff victory

ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski returns to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend looking for a repeat of last season and another trip to Thunder Valley’s Victory Lane.

Last year, Majeski grabbed the lead off pit road during the second to last caution of the race and proceeded to lead the final 45 laps en route to the win, beating Front Row Motorsports’ and eventual 2022 champion Zane Smith to the finish line by 1.152-seconds. It was Majeski’s series track debut at Bristol and the win catapulted Majeski into the Championship 4 Round for the first time in his Truck Series career.

If Majeski were to win this weekend, he would become just the third driver in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series all-time to win consecutive races at Bristol Motor Speedway, joining NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. (1997-1998) and Kyle Busch (2008-2010).

 

NCTS Playoffs Contender’s Career Performances at Bristol Motor Speedway

 

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish
1	Corey Heim	1	0	0	0	1	0	10.0
2	Christian Eckes	2	0	0	0	1	0	10.0
3	Grant Enfinger	6	1	0	4	6	0	5.2
4	Carson Hocevar	3	0	0	0	1	0	14.0
5	Zane Smith	3	0	0	1	2	0	8.7
6	Ty Majeski	1	0	1	1	1	0	1.0
7	Ben Rhodes	8	0	0	1	5	1	12.4
8	Nicholas Sanchez #	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0

Majeski is the only Playoff contender entered this weekend with a win at Bristol, and going back-to-back will be a challenge, as the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is currently riding a streak of nine different winners at Bristol Motor Speedway dating back 2014 – Brad Keselowski (2014), Ryan Blaney (2015), Ben Kennedy (2016), Kyle Busch (2017), Johnny Sauter (2018), Brett Moffitt (2019), Sam Mayer (2020), Chandler Smith (2021) and Ty Majeski (2022).

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

 

Ryan Vargas set for Germany-Talladega doubleheader – NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Ryan Vargas announced he will compete in a unique doubleheader in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in back-to-back weeks.

On September 23-24, Vargas will make his Euro Series debut at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Germany, piloting the No. 30 Critical Path Security Chevrolet in a collaborative effort between Team FJ and 3F Racing in the EuroNASCAR PRO division. Following his debut, Vargas will turn his attention to his first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Talladega Superspeedway on September 30 behind the wheel of the No. 30 On Point Motorsports Toyota Tundra TRD.

Motorsport Arena Oschersleben and Talladega Superspeedway may be 4,714 miles apart and Vargas won’t get much time to mentally decompress, the La Mirada, California native is excited about participating in the upcoming doubleheader – finally being able to fulfill a childhood passion of competing across the Atlantic Ocean.

“I’ve always wanted to race in the NASCAR Euro Series,” Vargas said. “My dream has always been to go overseas and drive a race car, whether it be GT racing or NASCAR Euro. I’ve always had a fascination with racing overseas, so when the opportunity arose for [the doubleheader] to happen, I jumped on it as quickly as I could.”

 

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