We went through that green flag pit sequence and then a caution comes out for a wheel and gives a lot of those guys just a free gift that stayed out. Theres just not enough speed difference in the cars. That leaves nine remaining Round of 12 spots to be decided Saturday. J.R. (Houston), my engineer, and I just walked to figure out where that last section was. We had pitted and we had to take the wave-around, and we ended up at the very back. J.R. (Houston), my engineer, and I just walked to figure out where that last section was. Bristol Motor Speedway's spring race will take place with its oval covered in dirt on March 28, the first dirt race in NASCAR's modern era (dating back to 1972). 88 to go, Larson gets loose and Elliott works to his inside. Lap 388, Quin Houff cuts a tire and slams the wall. Dirty air against the pack. The August race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be shifted to that track's road course, as well. In 2021, Larson joined Niece Motorsports to drive the No. Paint Schemes. The green. Since Sundays race had 400 laps and most Martinsville races have 500 laps, another way to compare races is to look at the average number of position changes per lap. Its hard to pass., Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finished 8th: It was kind of a crazy day. Ive worked very hard to get better here. He tires had been on for 50 more laps than the field. I heard Cliff was teared up, too. Brad Keselowski takes over 2nd. The start times, TV channels, radio stations and more information will be added when the schedule is released by NASCAR. Watch the 2021 Bass Pro Shops Night Race from Bristol Motor Speedway in this week's NASCAR Cup Series full race replay. I could set them up, but I couldnt get the throttle down. But our NAPA Chevy, we struggled every run but the last one. After being rumored for weeks, NASCAR's Wednesday schedule release madethe dirt race official. Elliott and Harvick run three wide through lap traffic. 47 Kroger/Tree Top Camaro was just a little tight in the center all day. So this is an extremely special win for me. Brad Keselowski; 5. Larson started 28th after the heat races were cancelled due to rain and finished 35th. Nasvhille has been added to the schedule for a race on June 20. Elliott is back on track but three laps down. We win and lose as a team. This win here today means a lot for everybody and, too, Hendrick Motorsports as well with everything that theyve everything that this kind of racetrack and trip means to them., Joey Logano Finished 2nd: Solid recovery for what the start of the race looked like. Garrett Smithley31. I was super happy when that happened and just as surprised as probably everybody.. View Bristol results for the NASCAR Cup Series below. Kyle Busch; 6. Sundays race had 1,305 positions change in 350 laps of green flag racing (out of 400 total laps). It was really hard to pass. Coming into the schedule are races at Circuit of the Americas, Road America and Nashville. The iconic half-mile bullring in Northeast Tennessee will be transformed into a state-of-the-art dirt racing facility for the Food City race. So I dont know if were ever going to fix this until we put more horsepower on the cars or build a tire that somehow falls off. That is a 47.9% decrease in positions gained per green flag lap from that March 2015 race to Sundays race. We struggled every run but the last one, Elliott said. Right now, if you try to pivot or make the core do something you want it to do, it just cant take it.. It seemed like tires it took them 50-60 laps for them to fall off even if you had older tires. So, it was fun at the end passing a lot of cars and getting up there, but still needed to be a little bit better, but overall, you know, proud of everybody for sticking with it and just grinding one out today., Denny Hamlin Finished 4th: The package was terrible its either the package or the tires. Larson works to his inside and pins him behind the lap car, Larson to the lead. Aric Almirola19. April 9, 2023. Drivers earned points for where they finished in their heat race. But on top of it is a layer of sawdust and 23,000 cubic yards of dirt. Ross Chastain15. There was one change that woke it up a little bit, and I was, like, all right, Im decent now, but Im trapped. Legacy Motor Club Noah Gragson finished 30th and was followed one spot behind by teammate Erik Jones. Trouble! Obviously that was a tough race on him, tough race on any driver. Today, that comes to an end on the 19 degree banking of the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track. Honestly, probably more races where I have finished a lap down than on the lead lap. The November 2015 Martinsville race had an average of 5.7 positions change per green flag lap. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Chevy team worked hard all day, and a 12th-place finish is pretty good considering how loose our Chevy was throughout the race and some of the strategy that played out. I was calling that tire in the restart zone for three laps Im like, Call it, this is our chance. We capitalized. You cant pass. They felt like if we stayed out, our lap times would come back around and wed be able to hang on. I like to charge the center. 5 to go in stage one, Larson has caught the bumper of Hamlin in the battle for the lead. Men's Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Team Collection Heather Gray 2023 #29 Busch Light Name & Number T . Sometimes you make the wrong one, but its hard when youre in the lead because everybody normally does the opposite of you. And Paul (Wolfe) did a good job of getting some good changes to the Verizon Mustang to where it got competitive. The Cup stars of today racing their modern-day stock cars on a dirt surface meant a return to the . We just couldnt get the car to rotate through the center of the corner. Hamlin follows him through on the outside to take 2nd away. We want to get better. Lap 145, Hamlin runs the top to build momentum. We win and lose as a team. And some of those would be as much as a year to possibly 18 months lead time to get that work done and get parts ordered. Bristol Motor Speedway seats 160,000 and is the fourth largest sports venue in America. Free shipping. I think were in the middle of an evolution of the tire, Chastain told NBC Sports. Among a number of. Larson closes right to the bumper of Harvick in the battle for the win. It was really hard to pass. There were 10 lead changes in Sundays race but only three happened on the track. To hear that means a lot. I was super happy when that happened and just as surprised as probably everybody.. Ive been sitting on the couch for six weeks, so I think that probably hurt me more than anything. Larson has the lane wide open on the top. So its been difficult. I was racing in the 20s and we stayed out, Chastain said. He hits the pit lane under green. Truex delivered a dominating . But Mike Kelley (crew chief) and all the guys did a great job. The 29th race, of 36 races, of the 2021 season was action-packed and after some late lap drama, Kyle Larson scored his sixth win of the year. It felt like we were definitely the best weve been here in a long time, so were really happy with our day., Bubba Wallace Finished 9th: Yeah, for sure. We are missing something. Theyre almost the same. That was the only way he was going to go by me was he was going to have to get physical. Coliseum will be open invitiational for all Cup teams, Friday 5: Schedule change part of NASCARs broader makeover. We had a really fast race car, so once we got in the back it was so hard to do anything, so thats on me. So, let me entertain you and everything will be fine. They slice through lap traffic in sync. I pride myself on not making mistakes, so that was pretty brutal there, but, like Ive said, we have a fast race car and really felt like we could have probably swept the stages and ran top three or top five. Until we get lap-time variation, Im going to keep harping and keeping saying it over and over and over. Ill take blame for that. When you get the lead, you have to stay there. We have to try something different because we cant just have follow-the-leader racing. Kyle Larson; 10. Today is when you are pretty stoked that you finished a little better than I thought we were going to. Martin Truex Jr. Truex wrestled with an ill-handling race car much of the day but rebounded to finish third, his first top-five run of what has been a frustrating season. There are no mid-week races included on the new schedule. The November 2020 race had 4.6 such changes per green flag lap. Larson restarts 8th as 7 stay out. Were in a box with these engines, and NASCARs leadership wants us (with these) engines, they keep lowering horsepower, which makes us have to shift, Hamlin told NBC Sports after the race. Denny Hamlin; 2. Today is not one of those. Hamlin looked to Fridays Truck race as an example of how tire wear could be achievable. With a little bit of them moving each other for second, I was able to get away (from the field) and I never thought Id be able to do that. I was teared up the whole last lap. And then, like I said, when you can win at a place like this, it is definitely up there. I tried holding off Larson as long as I could, but overall theres days when you are mad about second. Kyle Larson2. I knew I was going to get bumped. I didnt think we could (speed in his pit box), to be honest with you, but I guess its my job to know that. It was warm. We finally got it going there at the end, and I was able to make some passes and do things that I didnt really think Id be capable of doing, or at least of us fixing it to that degree here at the race track. Ross Chastain kept Preece from lapping him for 20 laps early in the race and then held the lead for 31 laps despite much older tires than the rest of the field. Still, there was evidence of how tough it was to pass. That would stress his repaired leg. Its not like you have to have it super straight, so that was good.. We were just as good as anybody, but its really tough. The playoff finale will take place in Phoenix for the second-straight year. Harvick takes over the lead. Lap 168, Ryan Newman clears himself on Custer, not clear. NASCAR 2021 JOEY LOGANO #22 BRISTOL DIRT RACE WIN SHELL PENNZOIL 1/24 CAR. Lap 336, Larson has climbed to the bumper of Harvick in the battle for the lead. Chase Elliott26. STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 125. Horse Racing News; Only position changes that take place at the start/finish line are counted. He is among those who want changes to the tires. We got better and better, and then we caught that caution. Lap 220, Anthony Alfredo gets turned by Corey LaJoie. We didnt have the best race cars today, and he and (crew chief Alan Gustafson) fought all day long together.. We finally got it going there at the end, and I was able to make some passes and do things that I didnt really think Id be capable of doing, or at least of us fixing it to that degree here at the race track. Chase Briscoe; 4. Kevin Harvick3. Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman completed the top five finishers. Thinkin' Out Loud: 2021 Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol When NASCAR released the 2022 Cup schedule earlier this week, it confirmed previous assurances that Bristol's spring event will. Lap 237, Hamlin leans on the rear bumper of Larson in the battle for the lead. View Bristol results for the NASCAR Cup Series below. We got these Cup cars that somehow dont fall off a half a second in 80 laps. The 2021 Food City Dirt Race was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on March 29, 2021, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.Contested over 250 laps on the 0.533 miles (0.858 km) short track, it was the seventh race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. Anyway, it is good to just stay in it, mentally for myself and the team and pull that strategy there. So I dont know if were ever going to fix this until we put more horsepower on the cars or build a tire that somehow falls off. Ryan Blaney, Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron and Cole Custer were all eliminated from the playoffs. The first elimination race of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs takes place Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, where four drivers will be cut from the post-season field. 10 to go, Harvick leads Larson by 0.8 seconds. It was fun. Logano, the reigning series champion, started at the back of the field because of an unapproved adjustment before the race. We need more fall-off, and we need a lot more horsepower.. ET. LAST YEAR: Kevin Harvick outdueled Kyle Busch over the final 40 laps to win last September at Bristol. Cole Custer29. If somebody was asking for my opinion and was willing to let me come to a short track and test the tire, Id tell them its not always about softer tires, Preece told NBC Sports. Kevin Harvick; Bristol Race Stage 3 - Report Laps: 250 (251-500 / 500) Green flag on stage three, Bell leads Byron off turn two. The winner of Saturday night's NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Bristol Motor Speedway drove to checkered flag as a teammate tried to settle a score with another driver . They run three wide with lap traffic, Hamlin to the lead via the outside lane. A look at winners and losers from Sundays NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway: Kyle Larson Larson took advantage of a late-race caution flag and excellent pit strategy to score a convincing four-second victory, his second win of the year. Ricky Stenhouse Jr21. Have you had it up to here? The green flag drops at 3 p.m. I knew I was going to get bumped. Lap 91, Hamlin works to the outside of Larson. 2018 #22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Champion 1/24 Action NASCAR Diecast ARC. I thought we were going to end up with a top-10 finish, but I got too loose. But it came on a day when, according to NASCARs statistics, there were more green flag passes than in either of last seasons two Martinsville races combined. Theyre almost the same. Everybody knows what happened here so long ago, and I think everybody you know, thats on everybodys minds every time they come to Martinsville, so wish Rick was here (and) Linda, but weve got Jeff Gordon here. 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