Hendrick Motorsports had a big moment under the lights at Bristol this Saturday, as all four of their drivers secured spots in the second round of the NASCAR Playoffs. Kyle Larson shone the brightest, dominating nearly 92% of the 500 scheduled laps to clinch his fifth win of the season. His teammate, Chase Elliott, followed closely behind, giving the team a 1-2 finish. However, Elliott found himself on the wrong side of a new Bristol record. Larson’s 7.088-second margin of victory became the second-largest at Bristol since the digital scoring system was introduced in 1993. Despite this, Elliott believes the gap between himself and Larson was smaller than the result suggests, with only minor differences separating their performances.
The Bristol Night Race can be viewed from two angles. For Larson’s fans, it was a display of total domination. For others, it was a prime example of high-stakes short-track racing at its finest. Memories of the unpredictable tire wear from Bristol’s spring race earlier in the year lingered throughout the weekend. Goodyear’s decision to bring the same tire sets sparked concerns about whether the same issues would arise, especially on the cooler surface of the night race. However, apart from the stage breaks, there were only three cautions, and no major tire problems emerged. The main “falloff” came in the form of playoff eliminations. Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., and Harrison Burton were all knocked out of championship contention following the race. On the positive side, Larson will head into Kansas as the top seed in the next round of the playoffs. Behind him, William Byron sits in fourth place, Chase Elliott in seventh, and Alex Bowman narrowly missed the bubble with a 7-point deficit.
Elliott’s main competition during the race was with Larson. In a post-race interview, he reflected on where he lost ground to his teammate, stating that both cars were evenly matched, but Larson did a slightly better job navigating through traffic.
Ultimately, Hendrick Motorsports emerged as the big winners of the night. All four of their drivers remained competitive in the top 10 throughout the race, with the exception of William Byron, who missed out on a stage point in Stage 2 and finished 17th. With the playoff field now narrowed, the battle for the Bill France Cup will intensify. Teammates will face off against each other, rivals will go head-to-head, and former champions will have to fend off new contenders. The next round of the playoffs is just weeks away, and all eyes now turn to Kansas Speedway to see who will rise, who will fall, and which drivers will continue their pursuit of NASCAR glory.
Chase Elliott Boldly Rejects Kyle Larson’s Superiority with 7 Bold Statement
