Bristol Motor Speedway fan-favorite Austin Dillon punched his Playoff ticket with a victory Saturday night in Virginia guaranteeing he will be among the 16 drivers battling for the championship when the NASCAR Cup Series arrives at the crown jewel Bass Pro Shop Night Race on Saturday, September 13.
It was a moment of redemption for Dillon, who one year ago missed the Playoffs due to controversy around his win at the same event. Now the huge contingent of fans at Bristol Motor Speedway who cheer on the famed No. 3 Chevrolet of Richard Childress Racing, and show allegiance to the event title sponsor Bass Pro Shops, will once again have one of their favorites in the mix gunning for the series crown.
“Man, that feels good, I've got to thank the good Lord above," Dillon said following his win Saturday night. "I really wanted that one. Last year, hurt really bad. Just going through the whole process of it. But this one feels so sweet.”
After next weekend’s NASCAR regular season finale in Florida, Dillon can start focusing on the Round of 16 Playoffs, which includes stops at Darlington, S.C. and St. Louis, Ill., before the teams arrive at ultra-challenging Bristol Motor Speedway for 500 laps of Playoff mayhem. As the opening round’s elimination race, four of the 16 championship contenders will be eliminated from contention once the checkered flag drops at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio).
Dillon, who has advanced to the second round in three of the five times he has qualified for the Cup Playoffs, says he feels like he is hitting his stride in the season at the perfect time.
“We’re kind of like a fighter, we don’t go away," Dillon said. "I think a lot of people think that guy is going to go away at some point. We’re able to claw, chip, find ways. I like that underdog mentality a little bit.”
Dillon is still looking for his first Cup win at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has one victory on the Bristol concrete in the 2016 Food City 300 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He also won a Late Model race when the track was converted to dirt in 2021. At his most recent Cup start at Bristol this past April, he posted a 10th place finish in the tradition-rich Food City 500.
He recently talked about the keys to running well at Bristol during a media availability for the Speedway Children’s Charities Golf Tournament at the beautiful Olde Farm Golf Club in Bristol, Virginia.
“I can’t wait to get to Bristol," Dillion said earlier this month. "It’s always one of the best races of the year. I think the RCR short track program is pretty good right now... The biggest thing is being able to run both the high and low line. It’s being able to change lanes and make good moves from entry to corner.”
Including Dillon, the 14th different winner this season, the Playoff lineup of drivers is strong. One additional new winner could join the group next weekend at Daytona. The other 13 Playoff automatic qualifiers include regular season champ William Byron, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry and Shane Van Gisbergen.
At this point the Playoff math is very simple: there are two Playoff spots available with more than 10 very capable drivers trying to grab them.
The two drivers who are holding down positions 15-16 via points at the moment are Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman. Some of the drivers who are on the outside looking in that certainly have won races in the past and could get into the Playoffs with a victory include Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Daniel Suarez, and former Daytona winners Michael McDowell, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Others to watch include Ty Gibbs, Ryan Preece, AJ Allmendinger, Erik Jones and rookie Carson Hocevar.
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race weekend will feature three nights of action-pack racing, showcasing the Round of 12 Playoff opener in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 on Friday night, Sept. 11 (7:30 p.m. The CW, PRN Radio). Look for Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill, Sheldon Creed, Brandon Jones, Sammy Smith, Jesse Love, and current points leader Connor Zilisch to challenge for the victory.
On Thursday night, Bristol Motor Speedway will feature a thrilling doubleheader to kick off the weekend, with the second race of the Round of 10 Playoffs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series headlining the action. Corey Heim, Ty Majeski, Rajah Caruth, two-time Bristol Truck winner Chandler Smith and defending winner Layne Riggs are among the drivers to watch in the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (8 p.m., FS1, PRN Radio). Thursday’s racing will open with the Bush’s Beans 200 ARCA Menards Series (5:30 p.m., FS1) race, where the future stars of stock car racing will strut their stuff. A strong mix of veterans and newcomers will tangle, including Lawless Alan, Lavar Scott, Brendan “Butterbean” Queen, Brent Crews, Garrett Mitchell (aka Cleetus McFarland), Logan Misuraca and Isabella Robusto for the victory.
To purchase tickets to the Bass Pro Shops Night Race weekend, please visit the Bristol Motor Speedway website, or call the BMS ticket sales center at (866) 415-4158. Limited tickets are available at your neighborhood Food City stores until Friday, Sept. 5.
