The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the “Last Great Colosseum” for a playoff elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.
Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick are already through to the Round of 12 after Larson won at Darlington and Reddick won last weekend at Kansas. After two disastrous playoff rounds, regular-season champion Martin Truex Jr. is on the outside looking in, sitting in 13th place, seven points back of a retiring Kevin Harvick for the final transfer spot.
Bristol’s high banks and tight confines typically produce chaos over 500 laps, so don’t rule anything out. Here’s everything you need to know heading into the Bass Pro Shops Night Race:
Bass Pro Shops Night Race TV/streaming schedule
All times Eastern
Friday
4:30-5:15 p.m.: Practice (USA, NBC Sports app)
5:20-6:30 p.m.: Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports app)
Saturday
7-7:30 p.m.: Pre-race show (USA, NBC Sports app)
7:30-11 p.m.: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (USA, NBC Sports app)
Bass Pro Shops Night Race details
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533-mile oval), in Tennessee
Length: 500 laps for 267 miles
Banking: Turns – 24-29 degrees | Frontstretch – 5-9 degrees | Backstretch – 4-8 degrees
Stage lengths: Stage 1 – 125 laps | Stage 2 – 125 laps | Stage 3 – 250 laps
2022 winner: Chris Buescher
2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings
1. Kyle Larson – 2,117*
2. Tyler Reddick – 2,111*
3. Denny Hamlin – 2,105
4. William Byron – 2,097
5. Brad Keselowski – 2,089
6. Ryan Blaney – 2,081
7. Kyle Busch – 2,080
8. Ross Chastain – 2,074
9. Chris Buescher – 2,069
10. Christopher Bell – 2,069
11. Joey Logano – 2,068
12. Kevin Harvick – 2,063
______________________________ Cut line
13. Martin Truex Jr. – 2,056
14. Bubba Wallace – 2,044
15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 2,041
16. Michael McDowell – 2,023
*-Clinched entry in Round of 12
Bass Pro Shops Night Race top drivers and best bets
After the first two postseason races went to playoff drivers, five of the top six favorites for the win at Bristol – according to BetMGM – are in the playoffs. Larson, who won the event in 2021, is the favorite at 5 ½-to-1, while no other driver has odds better than 8-to-1. Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott is the only non-playoff driver among the favorites, likely due to him having the best average Bristol starting position (7.9) and finish (12.3) of anyone in the field.
Best odds to win
• Kyle Larson +550
• Brad Keselowski +800
• Denny Hamlin +825
• Christopher Bell +900
• William Byron +900
• Chase Elliott +900
Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg wrote earlier in the week on the gambling outlook and identified defending series champion Joey Logano as a good mid-tier option as his +1700 moneyline isn’t in line with his career performance at Bristol (two wins and 10 top-10 finishes). If you like living dangerously, Bromberg suggests taking a flier on Daniel Suárez – who has two top 10s at the track – at 80-to-1.
Bass Pro Shops Night Race entry list
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Cole Custer (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Bass Pro Shops Night Race weather
The forecast calls for high temperatures in the mid-70s during the day, cooling into the 60s for the race Saturday night. That shouldn’t accelerate the normally high tire degradation Bristol produces – especially on the right sides earlier in the race before the track is rubbered in – meaning teams likely won’t be looking to extend runs beyond a normal pit window.