2021 Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race

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.

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

Report

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Background

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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

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  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
  • (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
No. Driver Team Manufacturer
00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet
1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford
7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford
14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
15 James Davison Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford
22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota
24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford
37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford
41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet
47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
51 J. J. Yeley (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet
52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford
53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
66 David Starr (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota
77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford
99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
Official entry list

Qualifying

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

Starting Lineup

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Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer
1 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
4 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
5 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
7 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford
8 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
9 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
10 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
11 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
12 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
13 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
14 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
15 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
16 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford
17 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
18 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
19 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford
20 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
21 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
22 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet
23 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
24 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford
25 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford
26 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
27 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
28 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota
29 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
30 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford
31 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
32 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford
33 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford
34 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet
35 51 J. J. Yeley (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet
36 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
37 15 James Davison Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
38 66 David Starr (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota
Official starting lineup

Race

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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. Harvick said, "I just told him it was kind of a chicken shit move that he did there at the end you know. We're racing for the freaking win at Bristol. We're three-wide in the middle and he throws a temper tantrum like I was just trying to get the lead and racing hard, then he pulls up infront of me, and just sits there until I lose the whole lead." He ended by saying "God Damn. I'm about to rip somebody's freaking head off." 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

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Stage One Laps: 125

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Points
1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 10
2 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 9
3 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 8
4 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 7
5 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 6
6 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5
7 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 4
8 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 3
9 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 2
10 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1
Official stage one results

Stage Two Laps: 125

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Points
1 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10
2 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 9
3 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 8
4 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 7
5 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6
6 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5
7 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 4
8 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 3
9 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 2
10 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1
Official stage two results

Final Stage Results

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Stage Three Laps: 250

Pos Grid No Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points
1 5 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 59
2 8 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 500 45
3 14 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 42
4 7 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 500 43
5 11 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 32
6 10 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 500 46
7 1 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 500 32
8 22 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 500 29
9 2 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 500 47
10 19 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 500 27
11 3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 500 26
12 13 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 500 27
13 20 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 500 24
14 17 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 500 23
15 18 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 500 22
16 28 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 500 21
17 27 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 500 20
18 12 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 500 19
19 15 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 500 18
20 23 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 499 17
21 9 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 499 21
22 21 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 498 15
23 25 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 498 14
24 16 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 498 13
25 4 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 497 26
26 31 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 497 11
27 35 51 J. J. Yeley (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 495 0
28 26 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 494 9
29 6 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 493 14
30 36 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 487 0
31 33 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 482 6
32 38 66 David Starr (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 482 0
33 37 15 James Davison Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 474 4
34 34 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 375 3
35 30 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 313 2
36 29 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 216 0
37 32 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 215 0
38 24 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 177 1
Official race results

Race statistics

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  • 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

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Television

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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 announcers Pit reporters Features 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

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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 announcers Turn announcers Pit reporters
Lead announcer: Doug Rice
Announcer: Mark Garrow
Backstretch: Rob Albright Brad Gillie
Brett McMillan
Alan Cavanna
Wendy Venturini

Standings after the race

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References

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  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. ^ a b "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.


Previous race:
2021 Federated Auto Parts 400
NASCAR Cup Series
2021 season
Next race:
2021 South Point 400