Clouds hover over the Bristol Motor Speedway as 38 cars take to the track. For the Bristol night race the drivers choose entrance songs. It can be fun to hear the music they choose and what they choose to say. Unfortunately instead of simply showing driver intros as they occur on NBCSN we were subjected to the blatherings of Kyle Petty, Rutledge Wood, Marty Snider, and Dale Jarrett; people whom should never be allowed in the same state as a microphone. It defies logic that someone continues to give them jobs for which they are woefully inadequate. They have neither the talent, nor the skill for the position. The stages for the event are 125-125-250. A competition caution is scheduled for lap 40.
The drivers are already talking about making it to the end in pre-race interviews. Sounds like we’ll get a lot of lap logging if the drivers have anything to say about it. I’m guessing this will be a boring event. I hope I’m wrong, but I have little faith in a decent cut-off race until the final 50 feet or so. The rest of the event will probably provide a great time for a nap. That is helpful in a different way since Indycar qualifying is scheduled to follow the Bristol race. I’m quite looking forward to it.
A choir of kids doing the National Anthem. At least one is behind time and a bit off key. Cute! Since there were so many drivers hanging about, I’m guessing their kids were in the group. I wasn’t listening to the television broadcast nattering, nor the radio broadcast before they started, so I’m not sure.
Sherry Pollex brought it while giving the command. Good going girl! Great to see her there.
Oooh, the creepy big four prop plane did the fly-over. I call them the death haulers.
PRN’s Doug Rice said he had to “commend Sherry Pollex on nailing the command”. She did a great job.
Martin ‘MTJ’ Truex Jr (19) takes the early lead and quickly stretches ahead of Denny Hamlin (11) who started beside him and the rest of the field.
Chase Elliott (9) has hauled him down on lap 5 of 500 makes the pass for the lead.
Competition caution.
Restart on lap 49 of 500 with Chase Elliott (9) and teammate Kyle Larson (5) on the front row.
Larson takes over the lead from Elliott on lap 85 of 500.
‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11) takes the lead from Larson on lap 94 of 500.
Stage one ends with ‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11) up front.
Caution on lap 168 of 500 for Ryan Newman (6) losing a tire and tagging the outside wall.
Aric ‘Afterburner’ Almirola (10) is rolling around the track smoking.
He finally heads to pit road as they field was ready to go green. NASCAR black-flagged him to force him to go in for repairs. NASCAR called off the restart and has a safety truck putting down speedi-dry.
Restarting on lap 181 of 500 with Kyle Larson (5) and Denny Hamlin (11) on the front row.
Larson gets the early lead.
Caution on lap 220 of 500. Anthony Alfredo (38) got into the wall then bounced into BJ McLeod (78) who also hit the wall and Justin Haley (77) got into the back of Alfredo. PRN says Corey LaJoie (7) initially got into the back of BJ McLeod sending him into the wall, but from the NBCSN replay it looks like Corey tapped Anthony Alfredo getting him loose.
Red flag on lap 225 of 500.
Caution is out.
Restarting on lap 232 of 500 with Larson and Hamlin up front.
Larson gets the jump for the early lead.
NBCSN has split-screen up so I can’t tell what’s happening anywhere in the race. They switch from that to an overhead shot. Then on to a gimmick shot from the rear of a car. Now we’re watching some cars in a group; not sure where they are in relation to the lead. Now back to a split screen.
Larson wins stage two.
Kevin ‘Happy/KHarv’ Harvick (4) and Ryan Blaney (12) will lead the field to the green flag on lap 259 of 500.
Back to split screen on lap 262 of 500. Unwatchable.
Bumper cam for the pass for the lead on lap 265 of 500. Ryan Blaney (12) takes over the lead.
KHarv takes the lead back on lap 304 of 500.
PRN said NASCAR just reported to them that Joey Logano (22), Ryan Blaney (12) and Kevin Harvick (4) have clinched to go on to the next round following stage two.
Larson passes Harvick for the lead on lap 337 of 500.
Caution on lap 363 0f 500 for an incident involving Quin Houff (00). Houff loses a tire, bounces off the wall and slides down in front of Ricky Stenhouse (47) who was entering pit road. Stenhouse (47) got out of shape trying to avoid Houff and almost hit the pit wall.
Kyle Larson (5), Denny Hamlin (11), Kevin Harvick (4), Kyle ‘KyBu’ Busch (18), and Ryan Blaney (12) win the race off pit road.
Restarting on lap 370 of 500 with Larson and Harvick up front.
Caution on lap 387 of 500 for Quin Houff (00) tackling the outside wall possibly with another flat tire.
PRN reports fourteen cars stayed out.
Chase Elliott (9) has acquired enough points to advance to the next round.
Restarting on lap 396 of 500 with Larson and Harvick on the front row.
Larson gets the early lead with Hamlin on his bumper.
Caution on lap 397 of 500 as Hamlin gets into Larson while racing door-to-door loses a tire and tags the wall.
Restarting on lap 406 of 500 with Larson at the head of the field.
Larson has the early lead on a push from Kevin Harvick. Chase Elliott (9) is on Larson’s bumper.
Chase Elliott (9) takes the lead on lap 412 of 500.
There’s a battle for the lead and NBCSN is on the gimmick shot out the front windscreen so it’s hard to really tell what’s going on on lap 446 of 500.
Kyle ‘KyBu’ Busch (18) is on pit road on lap 457 of 500 for a flat tire.
Harvick passes Chase for the lead on lap 465 of 500.
Chase is on pit road on lap 468 of 500 for a flat left front.
Christopher Bell (20) pits on lap 475 of 500 for a right front tire issue.
NBCSN has a split-screen on what Aric ‘Afterburner’ Almirola (10) is doing mid-pack and the battle for the lead. What Afterburner is up to is pretty boring to watch.
On lap 492 of 500 it’s a split screen of Tyler Reddick (8) and Aric Almirola (10).
Larson is back on Harvick’s bumper battling for the lead.
Larson passes Harvick on lap 497 for the lead.
Larson holds off Harvick to win.
Harvick stopped beside Chase Elliott on pit road.
Both drivers are climbing out of the car. Chase has his finger in Harvick face. Harvick has his helmet on. Harvick has on his glasses.
They’re separating them. Harvick is trying to get to Chase.
Chase had turned away and has turned back toward Harvick.
Harvick threw his gloves at Chase Elliott who was walking away.
Larson said in his tv interview that Harvick got into Elliott and Chase was upset and held Harvick up. Larson was then able to catch up to Harvick and get around him.
Harvick said he said to Chase “it was a kind of a chicken shit move!” “Goddamn, I’m ready rip somebody’s frickin’ head off now.”
Chase said, “It’s something he does all the time and sometimes it cuts down your tire and sometimes it doesn’t. I just ran my line.” He said ,”I don’t care who he is. I don’t care how long he’s been doing it. I have to stand up for myself and my team.”
“I’m 25 I at least took my helmet off with him. He’s 40 something years old and didn’t take off his helmet to have a conversation.” – Chase during the PRN interview.
Chase and Harvick are talking again with a couple of guys standing nearby. One of which Josh Jones was clearly told to stay out of it by Chase Elliott.
Harvick is now going after a reporter, George Bianchi, who’s videoing their conversation.
When he wouldn’t stop videoing it, they walked away and went into the NAPA hauler to continue their discussion. Both quickly left the track after they concluded their conversation, so none of the media got a chance to get them to comment on camera again.
Drivers moving on to the round of twelve:
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- Kyle Larson (5)
- Denny Hamlin (11)
- Martin Truex Jr (19)
- Ryan Blaney (12)
- Kevin Harvick
- Joey Logano (22)
- Chase Elliott (9)
- Brad ‘It’ Keselowski (2)
- Alex Bowman (48)
- Christopher Bell (20)
- Kyle Busch (18)
- William Byron (24)
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These drivers do not advance
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- Tyler Reddick (8)
- Aric Almirola (10)
- Kurt Busch (1)
- Michael McDowell (38)
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The race was so-so overall. The action on pit road after the event was much more exciting and had much better camera-work than anything on-track. After Harvick cut down Elliott’s tire the intensity ramped up and the race action increased. Harvick and Elliott are two great examples of drivers with distinct and engaging personalities. They are both authentic and interesting, therefore a beef between the two is more exciting and dramatic than anything else that occurred all night. The driver’s intros may have been entertaining, but viewers of NBCSN could only rarely hear the songs and the words of the drivers as a result of the incessant babbling of the pair of speech impediments, the failed comic, and failed pit reporter on the desk. I wish NBCSN or nascar.com offered the Bristol night race driver’s intros – without chatter – online or something. To show some of the entrances, but not properly mic the music and have those old guys prattling on about nothing was pretty much the same as not showing it. NBCSN has an issue recognizing that their employees aren’t the show; they are not what a race fan tunes in to see and hear. Dale Jarrett, Kyle Petty and Rutledge Wood are a waste of budget. The money could be better spent on actual broadcast talent who would spend time selling the race and the sport in a viewer friendly manner. I miss being able to hear the cars, and to hear the Bristol intro songs, as well as the comments from the drivers. I miss the programming that was focused on the drivers and the race. The NBCSN crew all seem to only be interested in what they like without regard for what a viewer who’s income is not dependent on NASCAR might like. I feel like my love of NASCAR is not appreciated, nor welcome when it comes to NBCSN.
Motorsport News:
- Inspection complete at Bristol.
- Kyle Larson wins wild NASCAR Cup elimination race at Bristol.
- Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick exchange words after Bristol race.
- Bristol Driver Intro Song.
- Martin Truex Jr. Running Special Bass Pro Shops, Sherry Strong Paint Scheme at Bristol.
- Colton Herta Wins IndyCar Pole At Laguna Seca.
- John Capestro-Dubets, Tom Capizzi Win Watkins Glen GT4 America Race No. 1 With Last-Lap Pass.
- Cup driver intro songs at Bristol.
- Forces lead way in Carolina Nationals qualifying.
- Forces wrap dad-daughter NHRA qualifying sweep.
- World Superbikes: Jonathan Rea takes championship lead as Toprak Razgatlioglu retires.
- Michael Laverty: Former MotoGP rider sets up Moto3 team to help British riders.
- Hamlin explains 23XI Racing crew-chief change, vision for the role’s future.
- AJ Allmendinger Wins Thrilling Race at Bristol; Takes Regular Season Championship.
- Earnhardts announce partnership with Sugarlands Distilling Co.