Christopher Bell starts top in Cup Series elimination race at Bristol; complete starting grid

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the “Last Great Colosseum” for a playoff elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick have already qualified for the round of 16 after Larson won at Darlington and Reddick won last weekend at Kansas. After two disastrous playoff rounds, regular season champion Martin Truex Jr. is watching from the outside, sitting in 13th place, seven points behind the retiring Kevin Harvick for the final transfer spot.

Bristol’s high banks and tight confines typically produce chaos beyond 500rpm, so don’t rule anything out. Here’s everything you need to know to enter the Bass Pro Shops Night Race:

Starting grid of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race

1. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

3. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

4. Michael McDowell (34), Ford Motorsport front row

5. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

6. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

7. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

8. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

9. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

10. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

11. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

12. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

13. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

14. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

15. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

16. Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

17. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

18. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

19. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

20. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

21. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

22. AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

23. Ross Chastain (1), Chevrolet Racing Trackhouse

24. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

26. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

27. Ryan Newman (51), Rickare Racing Ford

28. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

29. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

30. Todd Gilliland (38), Ford Motorsports front row

31. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

32. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

33. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

34. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet

35. JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

36. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Bass Pro Shops Night Race TV/Streaming Schedule

All Eastern times

Friday
4.30pm-5.15pm: Training (USA, NBC Sports app)
5.20pm-6.30pm: Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports app)

Saturday
7-7.30pm: Pre-race show (USA, NBC Sports app)
7.30pm-11pm: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (USA, NBC Sports app)

Bass Pro Shops Night Race Details

Trace: Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533 mile oval), Tennessee
Length: 500 laps for 267 miles
Banking: Laps – 24-29 degrees | Frontal stretch – 5-9 degrees | Back stretch – 4-8 degrees
Phase lengths: Phase 1 – 125 laps | Phase 2 – 125 laps | Phase 3 – 250 laps
Winner 2022: Chris Buescher

2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings

1. Kyle Larson – 2,117*
2. Tyler Reddick – 2,111*
3. Denny Hamlin – 2,105
4. William Byron – 2,097
5. Brad Keselowski – 2,089
6. Ryan Blaney – 2,081
7. Kyle Busch – 2,080
8. Ross Chastain – 2,074
9. Chris Buescher – 2,069
10. Christopher Bell – 2,069
11. Joey Logano – 2,068
12. Kevin Harvick – 2,063
______________________________ Cutting line
13. Martin Truex Jr. – 2,056
14. Bubba Wallace – 2,044
15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 2,041
16. Michael McDowell – 2,023

*-Access gained to the round of 16

The best drivers and best bets from Bass Pro Shops Night Race

After the first two postseason races went to playoff drivers, five of the top six favorites to win at Bristol – according to BetMGM – are in the playoffs. Larson, who won the event in 2021, is the 5 1/2-to-1 favorite, while no other driver has odds better than 8-to-1. Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott, is the only non-playoff driver among the favourites, probably because he has the best average starting position at Bristol (7.9) and finishing (12.3) of anyone else in the field.

Best odds of winning
• Kyle Larson +550
• Brad Keselowski +800
• Denny Hamlin +825
• Christopher Bell +900
• William Byron +900
• Chase Elliott +900

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg wrote earlier in the week about gambling prospects and identified reigning series champion Joey Logano as a good mid-tier option as his +1700 moneyline doesn’t line up with his Career performance at Bristol (two wins and 10 top-10 finishes). If you like living dangerously, Bromberg suggests taking a flier on Daniel Suárez – who has two top 10s on the track – at a ratio of 80 to 1.

List of entries for the Bass Pro Shops night race

Ross Chastain (1), Chevrolet Racing Trackhouse
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Ford Motorsport front row
Todd Gilliland (38), Ford Motorsports front row
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Cole Custer (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Fast Motorsports Ford Live
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Bass Pro Shops Night Racing Weather

The forecast calls for high temperatures in the mid 70s during the day, with a cool down to the 60s for Saturday night’s race. This is not expected to accelerate the normally high degradation of the tires Bristol produces, especially on the right sides early in the race, before the track is rubberised, meaning teams will likely not look to extend racing beyond a normal pit window .