It’s a Saturday night under the lights in Bristol, Tennessee, with the drama of a cutoff race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. What better way to wrap up the Round of 16 than the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway?
Date: September 13, 2025
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: USA Network
Stages: 125/250/500
Defending Winner: Kyle Larson
Entry List: 39 cars for 40 spots
Date
Time
Session
TV
Fri., Sep. 12
4:30 p.m. ET
Practice
truTV
Fri., Sep. 12
5:40 p.m. ET
Qualifying
truTV
Sat., Sep. 13
7:30 p.m. ET
Bass Pro Shops Night Race
USA Network
VIEWING GUIDE: How to Watch the Bass Pro Shops Night RaceCutting Down the Playoff Field
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Marking the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race will be the cutoff point in the first round, trimming the postseason field from 16 drivers to 12.
Following back-to-back last-place finishes, including a lap-one incident at Darlington Raceway, Josh Berry finds himself in a must-win situation at Bristol. Alex Bowman also will be looking for a win at Bristol to keep his championship hopes alive.
dark. Next. Cutline. Below the Cutline: Bowman, Berry Likely in Must-Win Situation
Three of the four drivers below the cutline entering Saturday’s race – Berry, Austin Cindric and Shane van Gisbergen – have never finished in the top five at Bristol. Bowman has three top-fives and five top-10s in 16 starts, but he’s never gone to victory lane in the Cup Series at Bristol.
An Eye on Tires
Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
Ever since a race at Bristol Motor Speedway in the spring of 2024, the talking point at every race at the high-banked track has been tire wear. In that race, fresh tires carried a massive advantage, with wear at unusual levels testing drivers.
Since then, we haven’t seen a true repeat of that race, and tire wear at Bristol has varied significantly. NASCAR has announced that Goodyear will be bringing a new right-side tire for teams at Bristol this weekend, a softer compound hoping to create increased tire wear.
Will the new tires have the intended effect? Unfortunately, we won’t know for sure until cars take the track this weekend, but teams will be keeping a close eye on this matter throughout the weekend.
Next. Bristol Tires. Hamlin Hopes Rumors of Increased Tire Wear at Bristol Are True. dark
Tempers Run High in Thunder Valley
Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
Like most of the established short tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, there is a history of high emotions and frayed tempers at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 0.533-mile facility crams NASCAR stars into close quarters, and contact is inevitable.
Whether it’s Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt in the 90s, the Ward Burton’s frustration with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in 2002, Tony Stewart’s helmet toss towards Matt Kenseth in 2012, or any of a number of other incidents, everyone has a favorite Bristol memory.
With the drama of the postseason cutoff, will we add another memorable Bristol moment to the timeline on Saturday night?
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