BRISTOL, Tenn. — One of the special races on the NASCAR Cup schedule takes place Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The night race at Bristol has created many memorable moments. It was 25 years ago that Dale Earnhardt rattled Terry Labonte’s cage on the last lap to win. Last year, Denny Hamlin teased fans after winning, saying “I beat your favorite driver … all of them.”
Tonight’s race (7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network) could add another chapter to Bristol’s legacy.
Here are the key storylines for the race:
1. Say goodbye to four title contenders
Four playoff drivers will be eliminated Saturday night. Two former champions — Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski — are among the four drivers below the cutline entering the race.
Also below the cutline are Denny Hamlin and Harrison Burton.
Truex, who is in his final full-time Cup season, enters 14 points out of the final transfer spot. Bubba Wallace went into this race a year ago 19 points below the cutline and advanced, so Truex has a chance.
Asked Friday if he was nervous for Saturday night, Truex said: “You just kind of want to get it done with – the next 24 hours there is going to be a lot to talk about, a lot to think about and a lot of guess work on how we approach the race. We will just see, but I wouldn’t say that it is nervous. I’ve been doing this long enough, that I just look forward to the opportunity.”
The past two years, two former Cup championship have been eliminated in the first round. In 2022, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick were eliminated in the opening round. Last year, it was Joey Logano and Harvick.
At least one former Cup champion has been eliminated in the first round each of the past three years.
Truex starts third, Hamlin starts eighth, Keselowski starts 23rd and Burton starts 34th.
2. Which history will repeat?
The spring race threw drivers and teams for a loop with the excessive tire wear. What confused teams is that the tire in the spring race was the same as used last fall — when there wasn’t excessive tire wear.
After a tire test this summer, Goodyear decided to bring back the same tire that was used in the spring race and last fall’s race.
Four drivers will be eliminated from title contention Saturday night on USA Network.
So, what will drivers see in tonight’s race?
“Old Bristol last year,” Ross Chastain said. “Spring (race) seems to be an asterisk. I haven’t seen anything or felt anything that felt like the spring so far. As we ran that first run (of practice) and we all got to lap 20, 30, I’m, like, waiting on it to slip or waiting on them to say ‘Caution, someone blew a tire,’ but we ran over 50, almost 60 laps. Like old Bristol.”
Brad Keselowski, who finished third in the spring race, said of what to expect with the tires Saturday night: “I wouldn’t be shocked by anything.”
3. Officiating
Christopher Bell noted earlier this week that he felt NASCAR changed how it officiated the spring race after the first two stages. There were seven cautions through the first two stages and only two cautions after that despite multiple cars having tire issues.
Ryan Blaney said he thought the change was due to NASCAR worrying that teams might run out of tires if cautions were called as often in the second half of the race as the first half.
Denny Hamlin, who is outside a playoff spot entering the cutoff race, said he wants the officiating to be consistent in terms of when cautions are called.
Watkins Glen winner Chris Buescher and Spire Motorsports showed that those outside the playoffs still have much to race for in these final weeks of the season.
“Just consistency on whatever is a caution early, it is the same caution that is late,” Hamlin said. “If you are willing to let guys run around the bottom or the top with a flat tire, let them do that at the end of the race as well. Just consistency as far as that is concerned.
“If it is called tight in the beginning, call it tight at the end. If it is called loose in the beginning, call it loose at the end. Those are kind of the only consistencies that competition would be looking for.”
4. Can Spire keep the momentum going?
Spire Motorsports placed all three of its cars in the top 10 last weekend at Watkins Glen, the first time the organization has done so.
Two Spire cars will start in the top 10 Saturday night — the first time the organization has accomplished that feat. Carson Hocevar will start seventh and Corey LaJoie will start ninth.
Saturday night’s Cup race at Bristol will be the final race for both drivers before switching teams.
Hocevar is the top non-playoff driver in the starting lineup. He and LaJoie are the only non-playoff drivers starting in the top 10.
For LaJoie, the effort came shortly after it was announced that he will move to Rick Ware Racing next weekend at Kansas and Justin Haley will move from RWR to Spire at Kansas.
