Bristol Motor Speedway is back under the spotlight this week as The Chase presented by Mobil 1 descends upon the legendary high-banked, 0.533-mile concrete short track known as “The Last Great Colosseum.” Fans are in for a frantic few days of motorsport as three different divisions take on the punishing venue, with the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series both tackling Race 3 of their respective Chase battles. Meanwhile, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is set to kick off its seven-race Chase under the lights on Thursday night.
Looking back at last year's heroics, Christopher Bell returns to the venue as the defending Night Race winner, ready to take on the concrete beast once again. Over in the truck ranks, Layne Riggs comes in as the reigning winner from last season's event at the same treacherous short track. Both drivers have a massive target on their backs as the weekend schedule gets underway.
The action kicks off sharply on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series takes the green flag on FS1. Teams in this division will have four total sets of rubber at their disposal, split into two new sets for the race, one for practice, and a single set for qualifying that rolls over into the race. Be aware that qualifying and practice sessions see cancellations, with the starting lineup set directly by the rule book.
Friday night brings the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series to the track at 7:30 p.m. ET, broadcast live on The CW. These machines are allocated five total sets of tires, consisting of three new sets for the race alongside one for practice and one for qualifying that transfers over. While practice sessions are on the docket here, the starting grid itself is likewise determined by the rule book following a canceled qualifying order.
Finally, the premier NASCAR Cup Series main event hits the track on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, with television coverage provided by USA Network. The premier division squads will manage thirteen total sets of tires over the weekend, broken down into 10 new sets for the race, two for practice, and one set for qualifying that transfers to the race. Much like the support classes, qualifying and all practice runs are canceled, meaning the starting lineup is locked in straight from the rule book as the Chase stakes reach a fever pitch.
