Mike Joy: One of the most intense and fun tracks on the circuit has arrived, it's Bristol Baby! 500 laps around an arena-style track, lots of bumping and banging is in store today!
Race Details
Track: 0.533 Mile Short Track
Race Length: 500 Laps/266.5 Miles
Stages: 125/125/250
Fuel Window: 155-160 Laps
Tire Wear: High
Race Start: 2:00 PM
Weather: 60° Cloudy
Chance of Rain: 50%
Starting Lineup
Row 1: Corey Heim (R)/Todd Gilliland
Row 2: Matt DiBenedetto/Chase Elliott
Row 3: Denny Hamlin/Kyle Busch
Row 4: Christopher Bell/Kyle Larson
Row 5: Joey Logano/Ty Gibbs (R)
Row 6: Jimmie Johnson/William Byron
Row 7: Brad Keselowski/Noah Gragson
Row 8: Martin Truex Jr/Kasey Kahne
Row 9: Kurt Busch/Ryan Blaney
Row 10: John Hunter Nemechek/Matt Kenseth
Row 11: Shane Van Gisbergen/Chris Buescher
Row 12: Gracie Trotter/Ty Majeski
Row 13: Chase Briscoe/Sheldon Creed (R)
Row 14: Zane Smith (R)/Brett Moffitt
Row 15: Tyler Reddick/Justin Haley
Row 16: Casey Atwood/Ross Chastain
Row 17: Kaz Grala/Myatt Snider
Row 18: Parker Kligerman/Anthony Alfredo
Row 19: Michael McDowell/Tyler Ankrum (R)
Row 20: Hailie Deegan/Landon Cassill
Row 21: Ryan Sieg (R)/David Ragan
Row 22: Matt Tifft
1/500
Rookie Corey Heim is gonna lead the field to green from pole, we are underway at Bristol! Heim gets a quick jump and he's out ahead of Todd Gilliland into turn 1, the Roush teammates start off 1-2 in this race!
3/500
Side-by-side for 3rd, Chase Elliott trying to get around Matt DiBenedetto for the position, Elliott is gonna make the work on the outside!
4/500
Teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch still side-by-side for 5th, Busch on the high side swings past and takes the spot, the high line is working really well already!
8/500
Bumper to the, Joey Logano wants to Christopher Bell for 8th, he bumps him again and takes the spot away into turn 1!
12/500
Kyle Busch underneath Matt DiBenedetto into turn 1, Busch moves forward as he picks up another place on the 23 car.
17/500
Chase Elliott to the outside of Todd Gilliland for 2nd, Elliott's wrapping the top so well to start and he's gonna the 6 easily to take the position. Lots of ing at the front so far!
23/500
Corey Heim is on rails right now, he's driving away from the field, leading his first laps of the season and taking heavy command of this race.
30/500
Ty Gibbs bumps Christopher Bell and he moves him out of the way! Bell getting taken advantage of by the Penske cars and Gibbs moves into 9th, needing a big run to kickstart his rookie campaign.
35/500
Kyle Busch to the bumper of Todd Gilliland, that Ford is getting sent up the track and Busch takes the spot away to get into 3rd.
41/500
Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin going at it for 6th, here comes the defending champ up the inside and he takes the place away from the 11.
51/500
Look at Corey Heim go, now 3 seconds ahead of Chase Elliott and continuing to gap the 9 car. His laptimes are consistent and he's effectively weaving through lapped traffic.
55/500
Caution is out, rain in turn 3! We knew precipitation was on the horizon, it was a matter of when, not if, the rain would arrive and it looks like it has now.
63/500 -> Red Flag
NASCAR has decided to bring the field down pit road, cover the cars, and red flag the race for precipitation. We haven't completely lost the track, but it's gonna take a while for the rain to stop.
63/500 -> Caution
6 hours have ed, it's nighttime here at Bristol, we have a night race at Bristol on our hands as cars are back rolling, we have pit stops for tires and fuel for all the leaders.
Race Off Pit Road
1 - Corey Heim (R)
2 - Chase Elliott
3 - Kyle Busch
4 - Todd Gilliland
5 - Matt DiBenedetto
6 - Kyle Larson
7 - Denny Hamlin
8 - Joey Logano
9 - Ty Gibbs (R)
10 - Christopher Bell
76/500
We're finally ready to race once more, Corey Heim on the inside, Chase Elliott on the outside and we're green again! Corey Heim surges out in front, he continues to lead the way as Elliott drops behind him to stay in 2nd.
83/500
Kyle Busch into the back of Chase Elliott, he's gonna take 2nd away as the 18 is coming alive in the night! Busch looking for another short track win this season.
91/500
Matt DiBenedetto will get alongside and get past the 6 of Todd Gilliland, DiBenedetto is having a great run when he needed one most.
95/500
Corey Heim's lead is under threat, here comes Kyle Busch! The 18 is strong, the 18 is outside of Heim, the 18 is surging ahead to take the lead of this race!
107/500
Ty Gibbs picks up another place, moving ahead of teammate Joey Logano to get himself into the 8th spot. Solid run for the 54 team so far.
116/500
Denny Hamlin up the inside of Kyle Larson, this is for 6th place and Hamlin is gonna gain a position, Hamlin moving forward.
125/500
Out of turn 4, Kyle Busch wins Stage 1 here at Bristol ahead of Corey Heim!
Stage 1 Results
1 - Kyle Busch
2 - Corey Heim (R)
3 - Chase Elliott
4 - Matt DiBenedetto
5 - Todd Gilliland
6 - Denny Hamlin
7 - Kyle Larson
8 - Ty Gibbs (R)
9 - Joey Logano
10 - Christopher Bell
128/500 -> Caution
Here comes Kyle Busch leading the field into the pits! It's gonna be 4 tires and fuel for everybody as Busch continues to lead the way.
Race Off Pit Road
1 - Kyle Busch
2 - Corey Heim (R)
3 - Matt DiBenedetto (+1)
4 - Denny Hamlin (+2)
5 - Chase Elliott (-2)
6 - Todd Gilliland (-1)
7 - Christopher Bell (+3)
8 - Ty Gibbs (R)
9 - Kyle Larson (-2)
10 - Joey Logano (-1)
131/500
Stage 2 ready to go, we're racing again! Kyle Busch leads Corey Heim into turn 1, and Busch clears the youngster to hold onto the lead! Busch is looking good tonight!
138/500
Denny Hamlin puts the bumper to Matt DiBenedetto, Hamlin on the inside takes the spot away from the car he owns.
150/500
Ty Gibbs underneath Christopher Bell again, this is for 7th and Gibbs moves up a place, he's having himself a great run so far.
157/500
Todd Gilliland getting impatient with Chase Elliott, big bump to the back of the 9 and Gilliland moves ahead into 5th place as Elliott takes a swipe of retaliation but misses.
165/500
Kyle Busch has driven off from Corey Heim, the 18 is in a league of its own right now. This could be a huge statement race for Joe Gibbs Racing with 2 other cars in the top 10 as well.
174/500
Pressure being put on Matt DiBenedetto, by Todd Gilliland! Gilliland wants 4th and he's gonna take it with the help of lapped cars holding the 23 up.
181/500
Ty Gibbs for 6th, he's gonna take the position away from Chase Elliott down into turn 1, Gibbs continues to march forward in his 54 Dodge.
201/500
Kyle Larson to the outside of Christopher Bell for 8th, Larson will take over that place as he's trying to get something going to get to the front.
217/500
Denny Hamlin tried to get around Corey Heim but he gets held up by a slow car and he's not happy! Hamlin flips off the 46 of David Ragan after ing him on the outside, and he loses out on a chance to get 2nd.
233/500
Ty Gibbs drives around the outside of Matt DiBenedetto for 5th, the 54 moves up into the top 5 as his advance continues forward!
250/500
Here comes Kyle Busch, he sweeps the stages here at Bristol and takes Stage 2! Dominant performance for the 18 so far.
Stage 2 Results
1 - Kyle Busch
2 - Corey Heim (R)
3 - Denny Hamlin
4 - Todd Gilliland
5 - Ty Gibbs (R)
6 - Matt DiBenedetto
7 - Chase Elliott
8 - Kyle Larson
9 - Christopher Bell
10 - Joey Logano
253/500 -> Caution
Here comes Kyle Busch and the rest of the field! It's gonna be tires and fuel for everyone as Busch keeps his stranglehold on this race.
Race Off Pit Road
1 - Kyle Busch
2 - Denny Hamlin (+1)
3 - Corey Heim (R)(-1)
4 - Todd Gilliland
5 - Ty Gibbs (R)
6 - Christopher Bell (+3)
7 - Matt DiBenedetto (-1)
8 - Kyle Larson
9 - Chase Elliott (-2)
10 - Joey Logano
256/500
Teammates on the front row, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin and we're green again! Side-by-side for the lead into turn 1, Hamlin tries to pin Busch to the apron, but Busch is too strong and he keeps the lead!
266/500
Teammates battling for 3rd, Todd Gilliland wants to get past Corey Heim and he's gonna do just that to take the spot away from his rookie teammate!
281/500
Christopher Bell has figured something out and has found a lot of speed, Bell is looking for 5th on Ty Gibbs, and Bell moves ahead into turn 1!
294/500
Kyle Larson on the offense again, going for 7th on Matt DiBenedettoz he'll take the spot away easily into turn 3. Larson trying to his teammates in the top 5.
301/500
300 laps down, Kyle Busch has led 206 of them. It's been a dominant performance for the 18 team, but can they keep it up another 200 laps.
322/500
Trouble, car into the wall! Ty Majeski has lost a right front tire and hits the wall in the middle of turns 3 and 4, his night is going to end here while running inside the top 30.
326/500 -> Caution
Here comes everyone into the pits, it'll be 4 tires and fuel for everyone except for Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and William Byron! Larson is gonna grab the lead with a big gamble!
Race Off Pit Road
1 - Kyle Larson (+6)
2 - Joey Logano (+8)
3 - William Byron (+8)
4 - Kyle Busch (-3)
5 - Denny Hamlin (-3)
6 - Corey Heim (R)(-2)
7 - Todd Gilliland (-4)
8 - Christopher Bell (-3)
9 - Ty Gibbs (R)(-3)
10 - Matt DiBenedetto (-2)
330/500
Kyle Larson and Joey Logano on the front row, they have history, how will this go as we're green again! Larson and Logano side-by-side into turn 1, going at it for the lead! A little off of turn 2 but they stay side-by-side into turn 3! Out of 4, Larson slips up, gets into Logano and they're both around! Larson into the inside wall, Logano into the inside wall, the leaders have crashed! Heavy nose damage and heavy left front damage for the 17, Logano is a little more fortunate with less severe damage. Tensions are boiling between these two!
333/500 -> Caution
Kyle Larson climbs out of his car, his day is done and he is not happy with Joey Logano! Larson gives Logano the double bird and walks off as Logano comes to the service of his pit crew.
338/500
Kyle Busch took the lead back after that crash, he's got William Byron with older left side tires to his outside, and we're back underway! Great restart for the 18, he surges ahead of William Byron, and Busch gets away!
351/500
Denny Hamlin puts the bumper to the 24 of William Byron, and Hamlin moves up to 2nd place, trying to chase after his teammate!
359/500
William Byron continues to get shuffled back, Corey Heim has had enough of sitting behind the 24 and he moves Byron to move up a place!
371/500
Crash! Sheldon Creed goes around off the bumper of Gracie Trotter and he gets hit by Anthony Alfredo hard off of turn 2. Big damage to both, they're both done for the night.
376/500 -> Caution
Here comes the field again, for likely the final pit stops for the night! 4 tires and fuel for everyone and Kyle Busch remains out front.
Race Off Pit Road
1 - Kyle Busch
2 - Denny Hamlin
3 - Corey Heim (R)
4 - William Byron
5 - Todd Gilliland
6 - Christopher Bell
7 - Ty Gibbs (R)
8 - Matt DiBenedetto
9 - Chase Elliott
10 - Kurt Busch (+1)
381/500
120 laps of racing to go and we're green again! Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin side-by-side into turn 1, Busch gets loose and Hamlin powers through on the outside to take the lead away! What a move by the 11!
388/500
Kurt Busch past Chase Elliott for 9th, Busch has finally entered the picture after being quiet all night long. Great day for 23XI.
402/500
Caution again! Kaz Grala into the wall after with Myatt Snider, Grala has right side damage and his night is done.
406/500 -> Caution
Nobody comes into the pits this time around, but it's a chance for Kyle Busch to redeem himself on a restart after losing hold of the lead.
410/500
Denny Hamlin chooses the outside for this restart, he's the control car and he leads us to green with 91 to go! Hamlin with a great jump, he pins Kyle Busch to the apron but it doesn't matter, Busch has a huge turns 1 and 2 and he blows past the 11 to take the lead back!
423/500
Christopher Bell up to 5th, he gets past Todd Gilliland and gets back inside the top 5! What a race for Joe Gibbs Racing, a much needed masterclass.
431/500
Denny Hamlin is trying to stay in with Kyle Busch, but it's getting harder to as that 18 is even better on long runs than it is on short runs!
440/500
Christopher Bell with a bump to William Byron, up to 4th he goes as Todd Gilliland also gets past Byron to get into the top 5.
453/500
Kurt Busch to the outside of Matt DiBenedetto, teammates going at it for 8th, Busch with a big run and he takes the spot away!
467/500
Christopher Bell on the move again, trying to make it a JGR 1-2-3 at the front! Side-by-side with Corey Heim, and Bell takes the spot away!
480/500
Denny Hamlin is gaining ground back on Kyle Busch in traffic, but will it be enough to take the win away from his teammate?
491/500
10 to go, and it's a half a second between the leaders, and another second back to Christopher Bell. Who's gonna win it?
500/500
One last lap here at Bristol, Kyle Busch leads Denny Hamlin by a couple car lengths with traffic ahead! Here comes Hamlin with a run off of turn 2, he's in range of the bumper! Hamlin bumps Busch into turn 3, moves him up the track, gets alongside, drag race to the line, Kyle Busch wins! What a finish at Bristol!
Food City 500 Results
1 - Kyle Busch (373 Laps Led/Swept Stages)
2 - Denny Hamlin (29 Laps Led)
3 - Christopher Bell
4 - Corey Heim (R)(94 Laps Led)
5 - Todd Gilliland
6 - William Byron
7 - Ty Gibbs (R)
8 - Kurt Busch
9 - Matt DiBenedetto
10 - Chase Elliott
11 - Jimmie Johnson
12 - Brad Keselowski
13 - Kasey Kahne
14 - Noah Gragson
15 - Martin Truex Jr
16 - Ryan Blaney
17 - Shane Van Gisbergen
18 - Chase Briscoe
19 - John Hunter Nemechek (-1)
20 - Joey Logano (-1)
21 - Matt Kenseth (-1)
22 - Brett Moffitt (-1)
23 - Tyler Reddick (-1)
24 - Justin Haley (-2)
25 - Chris Buescher (-3)
26 - Ross Chastain (-3)
27 - Michael McDowell (-3)
28 - Gracie Trotter (-4)
29 - Parker Kligerman (-4)
30 - Myatt Snider (-4)
31 - Zane Smith (R)(-5)
32 - Casey Atwood (-5)
33 - Matt Tifft (-6)
34 - Hailie Deegan (-8)
35 - Tyler Ankrum (R)(-9)
36 - Ryan Sieg (R)(-9)
37 - Landon Cassill (-11)
38 - David Ragan (-11)
DNF
39 - Kaz Grala
40 - Sheldon Creed (R)
41 - Anthony Alfredo
42 - Kyle Larson (4 Laps Led)
43 - Ty Majeski
Comment