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
Order | Driver |
|---|---|
1 | Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford |
2 | Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
3 | Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
4 | Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
5 | Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
6 | Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford |
7 | Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota |
8 | Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
9 | William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
10 | Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford |
11 | Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford |
12 | Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
13 | Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford |
14 | Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
15 | Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford |
16 | Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
17 | Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
18 | Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota |
19 | Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
20 | Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
21 | Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
22 | A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
23 | Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
24 | Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
25 | John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
26 | Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet |
27 | Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
28 | Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
29 | Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
30 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet |
31 | Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet |
32 | Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
33 | Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford |
34 | Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota |
35 | Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
36 | Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
37 | Josh Bilicki, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford |
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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