Chase Elliott says Bristol Motor Speedway is a great place to show off the sport of NASCAR. Throw in an intense Playoff atmosphere, 16 drivers who are hungry to advance to the next round and flip on the stadium lights for dramatic effect and you have all the makings of America’s Night Race.
NASCAR’s most popular driver visited with media members in Nashville Tuesday to talk about the crown jewel Bass Pro Shops Night Race, where so much NASCAR history has taken place over the years. When there’s water cooler conversations being had about NASCAR racing, you can bet a past Bristol race is probably a part of the discussion.
Elliott says the versatile stadium that has proven itself as a successful host venue for college football, Major League Baseball, sold-out country music concerts and so much more entertainment over the years, also continues to be one of the best places to watch NASCAR stock car racing.
“People always ask me the best races, the best race track,” Elliott said. “It’s hard to beat Bristol, such a great environment, something you don’t get everywhere we go.”
Elliott's lone Cup win at Bristol came during the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol. In 18 official points starts he has two second place finishes, including last year's Night Race, five top-fives and 11 top-10s (includes two dirt top 10s).
Elliott will be one of the 16 championship-eligible drivers mixing it up on Saturday night under the lights at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on September 13. Before the racing action begins there will be a NASCAR Trackside Live show in the pits with Kenny Wallace and John Roberts, an amazing Track Walk where fans can go explore the all-concrete high-banks, a pre-race concert with Grand Ole Opry member Chris Janson and Bristol’s famous driver introductions, where each driver walks into The Last Great Colosseum to the sound of his favorite music.
“Bristol does such a great job of bringing the action of what NASCAR has to offer to the fan in an intimate manner,” Elliott said. “Everything is right there close. We don’t get that stadium environment in racing like you get in football and other sports. Bristol has always been the closest thing to that. It’s a lot of fun for us as competitors and the fans feed off that.”
It’s what track president and general manager Jerry Caldwell likes to call a county fair meets a music concert that meets a NASCAR race. The Bristol weekend has it all. The NASCAR Playoff implications – which are attached to each of the races on Thursday, Friday and Saturday – adds tons of drama and the challenge for the drivers to navigate the notorious 132-mph half-mile bullring where the action comes flying at your face as you try your best to stay out of trouble.
"Playoffs produce a lot of excitement,” Caldwell said. “Bristol produces excitement on its own. For that to be part of the playoff just makes a lot of sense, and I think the fans have responded really well. The drivers seem to like it. Some of them love it, some of them hate it, but that's what we like. That's what produces excitement."
Bristol’s unique layout and big-eyes wow moment when someone walks into the venue for the first time is why NASCAR drivers, including Elliott, continue to point to it as a place if you want to experience your first NASCAR race that’s where you should go.
“There is nothing else like Bristol out there,” Caldwell said. “It is the last great Colosseum. It’s a football stadium on steroids. You go into that place and you’ve got 40 cars, running 130 miles an hour right in front of you. And all these people are completely bowled over. It’s an electric environment, and it’s just something that you don’t replicate anywhere else in the country.”
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race weekend will feature three nights of action-pack racing, showcasing the Round of 16 Playoffs for the Cup Series on Saturday night (7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio) with Elliott, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, William Byron and Chase Briscoe, among others, looming large as the pre-race favorites.
The Round of 12 Playoff opener in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is the 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 as their postseason gets underway.
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 for the victory, including Lawless Alan, Lavar Scott, Brendan “Butterbean” Queen, Brent Crews, Garrett Mitchell (aka Cleetus McFarland), Logan Misuraca and Isabella Robusto.
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.
