2021 Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race
Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Race 29 of 36 in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series
Date September 18, 2021 (2021-09-18)
Location Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee
Course Permanent racing facility
.533 mi (.858 km)
Distance 500 laps, 266.5 mi (429 km)
Average speed 87.409 miles per hour (140.671 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Joe Gibbs Racing
Grid positions set by competition-based formula
Most laps led
Driver Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports
Laps 175
Winner
No. 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports
Television in the United States
Network NBCSN
Announcers Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Radio in the United States
Radio PRN
Booth Announcers Doug Rice and Mark Garrow
Turn Announcers Rob Albright (Backstretch)

The 2021 Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on September 18, 2021 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Contested over 500 laps on the .533-mile (0.858 km) short track, it was the 29th race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, third race of the Playoffs and final race of the Round of 16.

The race was won by Kyle Larson. Tyler Reddick, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch and Michael McDowell were eliminated from the round of 16.

Report

Background

Bristol Motor Speedway, the track where the race was held.
The 2021 Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race program cover, featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. “It”s Bristol, Baby!”

The Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks.

Entry list

  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
  • (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
No. Driver Team Manufacturer
00Quin HouffStarCom RacingChevrolet
1Kurt BuschChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet
2Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord
3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
4Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFord
5Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
6Ryan NewmanRoush Fenway RacingFord
7Corey LaJoieSpire MotorsportsChevrolet
8Tyler ReddickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
9Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
10Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas RacingFord
11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
12Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord
14Chase Briscoe (R)Stewart-Haas RacingFord
15James DavisonRick Ware RacingChevrolet
17Chris BuescherRoush Fenway RacingFord
18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
19Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
21Matt DiBenedettoWood Brothers RacingFord
22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord
23Bubba Wallace23XI RacingToyota
24William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
34Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsFord
37Ryan PreeceJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet
38Anthony Alfredo (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord
41Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord
42Ross ChastainChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet
43Erik JonesRichard Petty MotorsportsChevrolet
47Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet
48Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
51J. J. Yeley (i)Petty Ware RacingChevrolet
52Josh BilickiRick Ware RacingFord
53Garrett Smithley (i)Rick Ware RacingChevrolet
66David Starr (i)MBM MotorsportsToyota
77Justin Haley (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet
78B. J. McLeod (i)Live Fast MotorsportsFord
99Daniel SuárezTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet
Official entry list

Qualifying

Martin Truex Jr. was awarded the pole for the race as determined by competition-based formula.[4]

Starting Lineup

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer
1 19Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
2 11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
3 22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord
4 9Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
5 5Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
6 20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
7 12Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord
8 4Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFord
9 18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
10 2Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord
11 48Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
12 10Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas RacingFord
13 8Tyler ReddickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
14 24William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
15 1Kurt BuschChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet
16 34Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsFord
17 42Ross ChastainChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet
18 3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
19 21Matt DiBenedettoWood Brothers RacingFord
20 14Chase Briscoe (R)Stewart-Haas RacingFord
21 99Daniel SuárezTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet
22 43Erik JonesRichard Petty MotorsportsChevrolet
23 47Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet
24 6Ryan NewmanRoush Fenway RacingFord
25 17Chris BuescherRoush Fenway RacingFord
26 41Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord
27 37Ryan PreeceJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet
28 23Bubba Wallace23XI RacingToyota
29 77Justin Haley (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet
30 38Anthony Alfredo (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord
31 7Corey LaJoieSpire MotorsportsChevrolet
32 78B. J. McLeod (i)Live Fast MotorsportsFord
33 52Josh BilickiRick Ware RacingFord
34 00Quin HouffStarCom RacingChevrolet
35 51J. J. Yeley (i)Petty Ware RacingChevrolet
36 53Garrett Smithley (i)Rick Ware RacingChevrolet
37 15James DavisonRick Ware RacingChevrolet
38 66David Starr (i)MBM MotorsportsToyota
Official starting lineup

Race

Martin Truex Jr. earned the pole position for the start of the race, where he led the first five laps. Denny Hamlin won stage one after passing Kyle Larson on lap 90. A red flag occurred for nearly eight minutes following a turn 4 incident that involved four vehicles on lap 221. Larson led at the end of stage two. On lap 464, Chase Elliott was forced to pit from the lead when he had a flat tire from damage he received when Kevin Harvick got into his rear quarter panel. When back on the track, Elliott attempted to retaliate by getting into the side of then race leader Harvick and then running Harvick's preferred line, thus slowing him down. Larson was able to pass Harvick on lap 497, and secure his 12th overall Cup Series win. Following the race, Harvick and Elliott bumped cars on pit road and confronted each other when they eventually parked. Elliott said, "It's something [Harvick] does all the time. He runs into your left side constantly at other tracks and sometimes it does cut down your left side (tires), other times it doesn't." The argument continued for several minutes continuing inside Elliott's hauler. Michael McDowell, Kurt Busch, Tyler Reddick, and Aric Almirola were eliminated from the Playoffs.

Stage Results

Stage One Laps: 125

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Points
111Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota10
25Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet9
39Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet8
42Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord7
512Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord6
64Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFord5
718Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota4
820Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota3
919Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2
1024William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1
Official stage one results

Stage Two Laps: 125

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Points
15Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet10
211Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota9
32Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord8
424William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet7
59Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6
64Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFord5
712Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord4
820Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota3
98Tyler ReddickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2
1018Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1
Official stage two results

Final Stage Results

Stage Three Laps: 250

Pos Grid No Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points
155Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet50059
284Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFord50045
31424William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet50042
4712Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord50043
51148Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet50032
6102Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord50046
7119Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota50032
82243Erik JonesRichard Petty MotorsportsChevrolet50029
9211Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota50047
101921Matt DiBenedettoWood Brothers RacingFord50027
11322Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord50026
12138Tyler ReddickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet50027
132014Chase Briscoe (R)Stewart-Haas RacingFord50024
141742Ross ChastainChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet50023
15183Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet50022
162823Bubba Wallace23XI RacingToyota50021
172737Ryan PreeceJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet50020
181210Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas RacingFord50019
19151Kurt BuschChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet50018
202347Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet49917
21918Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota49921
222199Daniel SuárezTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet49815
232517Chris BuescherRoush Fenway RacingFord49814
241634Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsFord49813
2549Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49726
26317Corey LaJoieSpire MotorsportsChevrolet49711
273551J. J. Yeley (i)Petty Ware RacingChevrolet4950
282641Cole CusterStewart-Haas RacingFord4949
29620Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota49314
303653Garrett Smithley (i)Rick Ware RacingChevrolet4870
313352Josh BilickiRick Ware RacingFord4826
323866David Starr (i)MBM MotorsportsToyota4820
333715James DavisonRick Ware RacingChevrolet4744
343400Quin HouffStarCom RacingChevrolet3753
353038Anthony Alfredo (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord3132
362977Justin Haley (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet2160
373278B. J. McLeod (i)Live Fast MotorsportsFord2150
38246Ryan NewmanRoush Fenway RacingFord1771
Official race results

Race statistics

  • Lead changes: 23 among 7 different drivers
  • Cautions/Laps: 8 for 71
  • Red flags: 1 for 7 minutes and 53 seconds
  • Time of race: 3 hours, 2 minutes and 56 seconds
  • Average speed: 87.409 miles per hour (140.671 km/h)

Media

Television

NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, 2008 Food City 500 winner Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the race from the broadcast booth. Dave Burns, Marty Snider and Dillon Welch handled the pit road duties from pit lane. Rutledge Wood handled the features from the track.

NBCSN
Booth announcersPit reportersFeatures reporter
Lap-by-lap: Rick Allen
Color-commentator: Jeff Burton
Color-commentator: Steve Letarte
Color-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dave Burns
Marty Snider
Dillon Welch
Rutledge Wood

Radio

PRN had the radio call for the race, which was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice and Mark Garrow called the race from the booth when the field races down the frontstretch. Rob Albright called the race when the field races down the backstretch. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan, Alan Cavanna, and Wendy Venturini handled the duties on pit lane.

PRN
Booth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters
Lead announcer: Doug Rice
Announcer: Mark Garrow
Backstretch: Rob AlbrightBrad Gillie
Brett McMillan
Alan Cavanna
Wendy Venturini

Standings after the race

References

  1. "2021 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  2. "Bristol Motor Speedway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  3. "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Starting Lineup". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  5. "Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. September 18, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  6. "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 18, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
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