Saturday, September 13, 2025

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying

#NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying

Bass Pro Shops Night Race

Bass Pro Shops Night Race

 

Known as The Last Great Colosseum, Bristol Motor Speedway’s stadium-like structure serves as a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events.

 

The very first NASCAR race at BMS, held on July 30, 1961, was won by Jack Smith with relief help from Johnny Allen.

 

Tonight’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race will provide plenty of action as it serves as the last chance for playoff contenders to move forward into the Round of Twelve.

 





NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying
Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tennessee
Friday, September 12, 2025

  1. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 126.930 mph.
  2. (12) Ryan Blaney (P) @, Ford, 126.905 mph.
  3. (2) Austin Cindric (P) @, Ford, 126.804 mph.
  4. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 126.720 mph.
  5. (5) Kyle Larson (P) @, Chevrolet, 126.670 mph.
  6. (11) Denny Hamlin (P) @, Toyota, 126.312 mph.
  7. (24) William Byron (P) @, Chevrolet, 126.187 mph.
  8. (23) Bubba Wallace (P) @, Toyota, 126.170 mph.
  9. (20) Christopher Bell (P) @, Toyota, 126.121 mph.
  10. (21) Josh Berry (P) @, Ford, 126.121 mph.
  11. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 126.071 mph.
  12. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 126.054 mph.
  13. (1) Ross Chastain (P) @, Chevrolet, 125.914 mph.
  14. (45) Tyler Reddick (P) @, Toyota, 125.856 mph.
  15. (48) Alex Bowman (P) @, Chevrolet, 125.757 mph.
  16. (9) Chase Elliott (P) @, Chevrolet, 125.650 mph.
  17. (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 125.642 mph.
  18. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 125.633 mph.
  19. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 125.633 mph.
  20. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford, 125.568 mph.
  21. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 125.494 mph.
  22. (22) Joey Logano (P) @, Ford, 125.428 mph.
  23. (3) Austin Dillon (P) @, Chevrolet, 125.150 mph.
  24. (38) Zane Smith, Ford, 125.052 mph.
  25. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 124.914 mph.
  26. (41) Cole Custer, Ford, 124.800 mph.
  27. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 124.695 mph.
  28. (88) Shane Van Gisbergen # (P) @, Chevrolet, 124.630 mph.
  29. (35) Riley Herbst #, Toyota, 124.622 mph.
  30. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford, 124.581 mph.
  31. (19) Chase Briscoe (P) @, Toyota, 124.347 mph.
  32. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 124.339 mph.
  33. (33) Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 123.953 mph.
  34. (51) Cody Ware, Ford, 123.000 mph.
  35. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 122.905 mph.
  36. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 122.756 mph.
  37. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 122.552 mph.
  38. (67) Corey Heim(i), Toyota, 122.427 mph.
  39. (66) Chad Finchum, Ford, 119.522 mph.
Playoff Drivers



 

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Allmendinger to Lead the Bass Pro Shops Race

Allmendinger Will Lead the Bass Pro Shops Night Race #NASCAR

Green Flag Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway

AJ Allmendinger Will Lead the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

 

Qualifying in the first half of a 39-driver field, AJ Allmendinger stole the spotlight from the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contenders who followed him around Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday afternoon.

 





Allmendinger toured the 0.533-mile concrete short track in 15.117 seconds (126.930 mph) to earn the top starting spot for Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the Round of 16 elimination event (7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

The lap held up against an onslaught of Playoff drivers. Ryan Blaney (126.905 mph) came closest with a lap just 0.003 seconds slower than Allmendinger’s. Austin Cindric, just 11 points above the current elimination line for the Round of 12, will start third after a lap at 126.804 mph), far better than his average Bristol starting spot of 21.4.

 

The Busch Light Pole Award was Allmendinger’s first of the season, first at Bristol and fifth of his career.

 

“We just had a really good practice,” said Allmendinger, driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. “We had a solid race in the spring, so good notes to go off of, for sure. You never know. They were saying the (softer right-side) tires were going to be a little different, but our practice was really good.

 

“I was pretty happy with that lap… The tire doesn’t feel a ton different. You can feel the softness—the car kind of moves around on it—but it’s not a massive difference to me. We’ll see how it races (on Saturday), once you get 125 laps on it.”

 

Blaney said his No. 12 Team Penske Ford felt tight in the final two corners.

 

“I’m proud of our lap and proud to be starting on the front row,” said Blaney, the 2023 series champion. “I wish I could have had it back and I’m sure a lot of guys say that. I just got tight in (Turns) 3 and 4...

 

“I think our race car is really good, too, over the long haul, and I’m just looking forward to (Saturday) night. Hopefully, we can run a good 500 laps and keep up with the race track and see what we can do.”

 

Non-Playoff driver Ty Gibbs (126.720 mph) qualified fourth in the fastest Toyota, with six Playoff drivers behind him. Kyle Larson (126.670 mph), winner of the last two Cup Series races at Bristol was fifth, with Last week’s Gateway winner Denny Hamlin (126.312 mph) sixth fastest.

 

William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell and Josh Berry will start sixth through 10th on the grid, respectively.

 



 

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Thursday, September 11, 2025

Zilisch Ready to Keep the Throttle Mashed

Zilisch Ready to Keep the Throttle Mashed

Xfinity Series Playoffs Ignite At Bristol's Food City 300 Friday Night

Connor Zilisch Ready to Keep the Throttle Mashed. #NASCAR

 

The Food City 300 has produced plenty of thrilling finishes over the years and certainly has earned its place as one of the crown jewel events for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

 

This year it will once again serve as the Xfinity Series Playoff opener for the Round of 12. Drivers and teams will be looking for a strong showing on Bristol’s high banks to ensure that they get off to a strong start in the Xfinity post-season.

 

As Justin Allgaier begins the defense of the long-awaited NASCAR Xfinity Series title he won at Phoenix Raceway last year, the focus, appropriately enough, is on his rookie JR Motorsports teammate, Connor Zilisch.

 





The 19-year-old driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet has won seven of the last eight races, including the last four straight, tying Sam Ard (1983) and Noah Gragson (2022) for the Xfinity Series record for consecutive victories.

 

Zilisch, the Regular Season Champion, is 59 points above the current elimination line for the Playoffs’ Round of 12 entering Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

He plans to keep his remarkable streak going as the postseason begins.

 

“This No. 88 team has been on a run this year, and four wins in a row is a rare feat, but we aren’t going to take any of that for granted going into the Playoffs,” Zilisch said. “(Crew chief) Mardy (Lindley), my whole team and my pit crew continue to execute every week, and we don’t plan on turning down the intensity anytime soon.

 

“It has been awesome to have the success we have had this season, and we plan to unload another fast WeatherTech Chevrolet this Friday.”

 

At 30 points above the current cut line, Allgaier is the only Playoff driver besides Zilisch with any degree of comfort entering the Playoffs.

 

Allgaier has taken his new teammate’s success in stride.

 

“One thing I love is that they’ve had success," Allgaier said of the Zilisch nine-win run. “As a company we’re still winning and we’re still doing all the right things … it doesn’t matter what race team you work at, when at least one of your cars is having success everybody’s elevated, everybody is ready to keep pushing and keep going.

 

“We’ve got four fast race cars every week, we just haven’t been able to show what we’re capable of and I’m hoping once these Playoffs start we can do a better job of executing. I know I have the team behind me.”

 





The remaining 10 Playoff drivers, from Sam Mayer in third to Austin Hill in 12th, are covered by a spread of 16 points. Mayer is 11 points to the good while Hill, who lost his regular-season Playoff points under penalty for wrecking Aric Almirola at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is five points below the elimination line.

 

Hill is motivated by his position entering the Playoffs.

 

“For me, I think going into the Playoffs and not having the Playoff points and all that just kind of gave me a little bit more determination in these last few races before the Playoffs started, kind of fired me up a little bit more," Hill said. “Almost made me angry in a sense… just that I want to show the world and all the outside noise what this 21-team is capable of and what I’m capable of doing and that’s to try and win a championship and I think we can do that no matter if our backs are to the walls or not."

 

The tight Playoff field all but guarantees an intense scramble for position in Friday night’s Playoff opener on Bristol’s concrete high banks.

 

Others to watch among a mix of the circuit regulars and Playoff contenders include RCR’s Jesse Love, veteran Sheldon Creed, Christian Eckes, William Sawalich, Brandon Jones, Carson Kvapil, Harrison Burton and surging Taylor Gray.

 

A few moonlighting drivers to keep on your radar for the race include Brendan “Butterbean” Queen, a rising star in the stock car racing world who will be making his Xfinity debut in the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevy. The race will mark the return of Jeffrey Earnhardt to Bristol, grandson of Dale Earnhardt Sr., who will be driving the No. 24 machine for Sam Hunt Racing. The No. 17 of Hendrick Motorsports which won here in the spring with Kyle Larson at the controls, will be piloted at this event by Corey Day, who is also entered in Thursday’s Truck race in the No. 7 Chevy for Spire. Finally, Cup veteran and semi-retired racer Aric Almirola also will be back in action at this event, driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing entry. Almirola seemed to have a knack for navigating Bristol during his Cup days.

 

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