Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway belongs to the NASCAR Cup Series as the Bass Pro Shops Night Race closes the track’s 2026 Chase weekend. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network and covers 500 laps, or 266.5 miles, around the 0.533-mile concrete oval.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series have already completed their Bristol races, with Jake Garcia and Sheldon Creed taking the victories.
The Cup Series now takes center stage for Race 3 of the 2026 Cup Series Chase after Darlington and Gateway.
Christopher Bell, who won the Bristol Night Race last year, is scheduled to be introduced at about 6:45 p.m. ET before the green flag drops at 7:30 p.m. ET.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Bristol
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series completed the UNOH 250 Presented by Ohio Logistics on Thursday night. The race started at 8 p.m. ET on FS1 and served as the opening Truck Series Chase race.
Jake Garcia earned his first career Truck Series victory in the No. 98 ThorSport Ford. Garcia led 104 laps and held off Bayley Currey to take the win.
The race covered 250 laps and 133.25 miles, with stage breaks scheduled at laps 65 and 130 before the final stage continued to lap 250. Truck Series practice and qualifying took place Thursday afternoon.
The Truck Series will not race Saturday. Fans looking for the UNOH 250 will need to use available replay coverage.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Bristol
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series completed the Food City 300 on Friday night. The race started at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW and covered 300 laps and 159.9 miles.
Sheldon Creed won in overtime in the No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet after a late tire strategy call. The victory moved Creed into the Chase points lead, 11 points ahead of Justin Allgaier.
Friday’s schedule at the track featured practice at 2 p.m. ET and qualifying at 3:05 p.m. ET. NASCAR Countdown Live followed at 7 p.m. ET ahead of the race, with PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio handling the radio coverage.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series does not race Saturday.
NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol
The NASCAR Cup Series takes over Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. The 500-lap event starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network and marks Race 3 of the 2026 Cup Series Chase.
Cup Series practice and qualifying were canceled because of weather. NASCAR therefore used its qualifying metric to set the starting lineup. Kyle Larson starts on the pole, followed by Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and William Byron.
Christopher Bell enters the race as the defending Bristol Night Race winner. Driver introductions are scheduled for around 6:45 p.m. ET before the 7:30 p.m. ET green flag.
USA Network carries the live broadcast, while PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio provide radio coverage. Fans can also stream USA Network through YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, DirecTV Stream and Sling Blue.
HBO Max offers additional in-car cameras, multi-view options, and live statistics. The free NASCAR Channel on Prime Video, Tubi, Roku, Samsung TV Plus and Xumo can provide replays and studio programming, but it is not a live substitute for the USA Network broadcast.
Saturday’s NASCAR schedule at Bristol is therefore centered on the Cup Series. The Truck Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series have already completed their races, while the Cup Series heads into the Bass Pro Shops Night Race after weather canceled practice and qualifying.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
