The starting lineup for the final race of the opening round of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs is set. Who are the favorites to get the job done?
Two of the three races in the round of 16 of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are in the books, and the third and final race of the first of four rounds of the postseason is scheduled to take place this Saturday night.
This race, the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race, is the fourth consecutive Cup Series night race and second consecutive Saturday night race. Three of the last four races have been contested on Saturday nights.
After this race, four of the 16 playoff drivers will be eliminated, leaving 12 eligible to battle for the championship with seven races to go.
Where is the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race?
The Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race is a 500-lap race the four-turn, 0.533-mile (0.858-kilometer) high-banked Bristol Motor Speedway oval in Bristol, Tennessee. This track hosted a Cup Series race back in late March, but what is typically a paved surface was covered in dirt. This Saturday night’s race is set to be contested on the pavement.
Bristol broadcast information
NBC Sports Network is set to broadcast the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race live from Bristol Motor Speedway beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 18. If you have not yet begun your free trial of FuboTV, now would be a great time to do so!
Who is on the pole at Bristol?
Based on the NASCAR starting lineup formula, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. is set to start Saturday night’s race from the pole position behind the wheel of his #19 Toyota. Set to start alongside him in second place behind the wheel of his #11 Toyota is teammate Denny Hamlin. Truex and Hamlin finished in first and second, respectively, in this past Saturday night’s race.
Here is the full starting lineup for the 2021 Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Starting Lineup
1st – Martin Truex Jr.
2nd – Denny Hamlin
3rd – Joey Logano
4th – Chase Elliott
5th – Kyle Larson
6th – Christopher Bell
7th – Ryan Blaney
8th – Kevin Harvick
9th – Kyle Busch
10th – Brad Keselowski
11th – Alex Bowman
12th – Aric Almirola
13th – Tyler Reddick
14th – William Byron
15th – Kurt Busch
16th – Michael McDowell
17th – Ross Chastain
18th – Austin Dillon
19th – Matt DiBenedetto
20th – Chase Briscoe
21st – Daniel Suarez
22nd – Erik Jones
23rd – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
24th – Ryan Newman
25th – Chris Buescher
26th – Cole Custer
27th – Ryan Preece
28th – Bubba Wallace
29th – Justin Haley
30th – Anthony Alfredo
31st – Corey LaJoie
32nd – B.J. McLeod
33rd – Josh Bilicki
34th – Quin Houff
35th – J.J. Yeley
36th – James Davison
37th – Garrett Smithley
38th – David Starr
Bristol betting odds
Take a look at the top 10 in betting odds for this Saturday night’s race, courtesy of WynnBET.
- Kyle Busch: +375
- Kyle Larson: +425
- Denny Hamlin: +550
- Chase Elliott: +650
- Joey Logano: +750
- Kevin Harvick: +900
- Ryan Blaney: +1000
- Brad Keselowski: +1000
- Martin Truex Jr.: +1200
- Kurt Busch: +1300
Bristol betting prediction
For the first time since Bristol Motor Speedway hosted its first Cup Series race in 1961, this race can be considered somewhat of a wild card since it is the only race on the paved oval this season.
Prior to this year, the track had hosted two races on the paved track each season. But the race contested at the venue back in late March was not contested on pavement, as dirt covered the track to host the first Cup Series dirt race since 1970.
The favorites are obvious. Kyle Busch is an eight-time winner at Bristol Motor Speedway, and Kyle Larson, who has been strong at the track despite not yet winning, has pretty much been a contender everywhere in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports.
Kevin Harvick won the most race on the paved oval last September, but he hasn’t won any race since then. So at +900, the sixth shortest odds in the field, he probably isn’t worth a gamble.
Two underrated drivers to keep an eye on are Martin Truex Jr. at +1200 and Kurt Busch at +1300. As for Truex, we know that Bristol Motor Speedway isn’t one of his best tracks, but given his recent success on short tracks, coupled with Joe Gibbs Racing’s momentum to open up the playoffs, those odds may be too hard to pass up. Seeing him listed with those odds was somewhat shocking.
As for Busch, he is a six-time winner at Bristol Motor Speedway, and he may very well find himself in a position where a win is needed in order to advance to the round of 12.
Make your pick now on WynnBET.