While it's not a cutoff race like it has been in years past, due to NASCAR getting rid of the "win and in", knockout-style playoff format in favor of the old "Chase" format for 2026, Saturday night's Bass Pro Shops Night Race might well be just as important as it was during past postseasons.
The point standings have been shaken up in the first two races of the 10-race postseason at Darlington Raceway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, illustrating the fact that, just as was the case under "win and in", the playoffs are clearly still when success (or lack thereof) matters most. Every point matters, which wasn't necessarily true during the regular season.
Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson, who won at Gateway to move to within nine points of Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin, despite finishing 303 points behind Hamlin during the 26-race regular season, took the pole position for Saturday's 500-lap race around the four-turn, 0.533-mile (0.858-kilometer) high-banked Bristol, Tennessee oval because qualifying was canceled, and the starting lineup was set by the metric. Team Penske's Joey Logano joined him on the front row with the second-best metric score.
Follow along with our Bass Pro Shops Night Race updates from Bristol as the final night race on the 2026 calendar unfolds.
NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol: Bass Pro Shops Night Race Stage 1 results
1 - Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
2 - Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
3 - Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
4 - Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
5 - Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
6 - Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
7 - Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
8 - Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
9 - Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
10 - Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol: Bass Pro Shops Night Race Stage 2 results
1 - Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
2 - Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3 - Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
4 - Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
5 - Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
6 - Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
7 - Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
8 - William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
9 - Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
10 - Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol: Full Bass Pro Shops Night Race results
Kansas Speedway is set to host the fourth race on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series postseason schedule, that being the Hollywood Casino 400. Live coverage is set to be provided by USA Network beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 27.
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