Four Team Chevy drivers secured their positions in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 following an intense night at Bristol Motor Speedway, a pivotal race marked by unexpected tire wear and changing strategies. The latest playoff advancement saw Kyle Larson, William Byron, Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports, and Ross Chastain from Trackhouse Racing earn their place among the elite, setting the stage for the next phase in New Hampshire.
Chevrolet Drivers Navigate Tumultuous Race Conditions at Bristol
At the Bass Pro Shops Night Race held under Bristol’s bright lights, Team Chevy’s Carson Hocevar and Alex Bowman finished strong, leading Chevrolet with seventh- and eighth-place finishes. Multiple drivers contended with abrupt tire degradation from the start, upending planned strategies and forcing teams to adapt quickly as conditions changed on the high-banked Tennessee track.
AJ Allmendinger, piloting the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, led the field to green from the pole, gaining an early lead and even approaching lapped traffic before twenty laps had elapsed. However, Allmendinger and several others soon encountered significant tire wear, prompting unscheduled pit stops just before the 30-lap mark. As tire management became the defining factor across the field, Kyle Larson extended his first stint, climbing to second place before stopping for fresh Goodyears on lap 59. The first caution at lap 80 compelled the Cliff Daniels/Crew Chief-led team to pivot their strategy, adapting to the unpredictable pace.
Stage One wrapped up with William Byron finishing third, leading the Chevrolet contingent at the green-white-checkered. Larson, who entered the race with a robust points cushion, officially secured his advancement to the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 after Stage One.
Key Moments and Strategy Shifts Shape the Playoff Race
Approaching the midpoint of Stage Two, Team Chevy’s Carson Hocevar demonstrated notable progress, gaining a race-best twelve positions and briefly moving into the lead. After his scheduled pit stop, Hocevar and the Spire Motorsports team regained ground quickly. Late in the stage, a caution set up a sprint to the end; Alex Bowman’s pit crew executed a strong stop, putting Bowman in third for the ensuing restart—he held his place, leading Chevrolet at the stage’s conclusion.
Seeking to advance, the Blake Harris-led team kept Bowman near the front by opting not to pit for tires at the final stage break, earning him a restart from second position. On older tires, Bowman slipped to sixth before more cautions unsettled the leaderboard. Playoff contender Chase Elliott, who had been running tenth, was collected in a crash that ended his race prematurely. Despite this, Elliott’s points advantage protected his playoff hopes, confirming his spot in the Round of 12.
Race Results and Playoff Standings
Chevrolet posted two drivers in the top ten at Bristol, with Carson Hocevar finishing seventh and Alex Bowman eighth. The manufacturer’s performance through 29 Cup Series races includes twelve wins, eleven poles, fifty-four top-five finishes, 117 top-ten results, and twenty-two stage wins so far this season.
With the playoff field narrowing, four Team Chevy drivers—Kyle Larson, William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Ross Chastain—advanced to the next round, each overcoming the evening’s significant challenges.
Driver Reflections on a Difficult Night
Ross Chastain ended the event 19th, recounting the race’s difficult conditions and focus on survival:
“We survived. For tonight in our No. 1 Moose Chevy, to run those couple laps at the beginning of the race, we were just ripping and rolling along. I saw the No. 16 tank and realized it was a tire wear race. We just had no idea. I think the whole field was caught off guard, but we’ve got to understand when that’s coming. We’ve got some data points now from this track to see what was the same.”
—Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
“Across the board, we just survived. We’re qualifying better, and we have to take that to New Hampshire and on. I’ll be leaning on my teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, for the Charlotte ROVAL. We just have to keep working. The coolest part about this is we’ll wake up Monday morning and go to work.”
—Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
For Austin Dillon, tire prescription presented a stubborn obstacle:
“We just couldn’t go as far as the field on tires. Our setup just wasn’t conducive to that, and then no matter how easy I went, it was just chewing tires. It was just an unfortunate night for the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / Winchester Chevrolet team. I just wish we would have had the ability to run as long as the other guys and I think we would have been OK. I tried a lot to save it, but it was just out of my hands.”
—Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kyle Busch discussed challenges throughout the race:
“The No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet team battled the entire race tonight at Bristol Motor Speedway but we came up short. We struggled in qualifying and got a lap down early, but we gave it our all to the end. We battled some front end issues, and briefly drove our way inside the Top 10, as we worked strategically to manage our tires. We’re leaving Bristol with a 16th-place finish, and we’ll continue to chase the win next weekend in New Hampshire.”
—Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott, involved in a late race incident, elaborated on the events and tire challenges:
“The No. 22 (Joey Logano) got position on me. I thought I was doing the smart thing just trying to get back to the bottom. I guess I thought I was clear back down in line. I visually saw the gap, so I just tried to get back in line and I got a huge shot from behind. I’m not sure if the No. 42 (John H. Nemechek) got pushed in there or he wasn’t expecting me to come back to the bottom or what the reasoning was, but nonetheless, it happened and it’s done.”
—Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
“It was super sketchy. It was hard to know how hard to push. Our No. 9 NAPA Chevy was really good for a few laps, and then I felt like we struggled. We had spent the majority of the night in the back of the pack, just trying to get ourselves back in position and back on the lead lap. Once we did and we got back up towards the front, I just felt like we needed some balance adjustments there once we started running the pace of the leaders. We were working on it and making it better.”
—Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
“I don’t know that it forced you to change your style as much as it was just where you were running and how much pace you were pushing. We were in such a terrible position getting trapped a lap down early. We were probably a little late to realize that we needed to stop. But on the same token, if it goes green, it probably would have worked out OK for us. Being in the back of the pack versus being upfront was certainly a big difference in how I was driving the car. We were working on our balance and it was slowly getting better.”
—Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
William Byron, who finished twelfth, reflected on tire unpredictability:
“We only had one run that I felt like was weird with the scuffs. Other than that, all the tires felt pretty normal. It was just so weird and hard to predict. It was just chaotic. From around 10th on back, there were just people running into each other, and then you had differences in tires. If they were four laps different, you just couldn’t make the corner and wrecks would happen everywhere.”
—William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Austin Hill, 25th on the night, discussed his approach:
“Really proud of our United Rentals Chevrolet team. We had a top-18 or 20 car if we didn’t lose the laps at the beginning of the race, but no one expected the tires to wear like they did. It caught us all by surprise. From that first run, it was just managing the situation the best we could. Everyone worked extremely hard this week and I’m glad we were able to leave with a solid run. This No. 33 group should be proud and we have one more crack at it in Talladega.”
—Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Carson Hocevar, despite disappointment after a possible win slipped away, expressed pride in his team’s efforts:
“It sucks, but we had a shot to win. We can only control what we can control. We don’t have a crystal ball up there with the yellows. I am just proud of this No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet team. We got caught out really early, and we were able to execute there with tire saving, managing and just executing at a top caliber. If things go green there, we would have had a huge tire advantage, but it just didn’t work out. I’m just super proud of this group. There were a lot of times where I felt like we had a shot to win races, and we were 30th. Man, obviously we really wanted that one to work out there or at least see if it would have, especially for a new pit crew. This team really wants to win, and you can only ask for shots.”
—Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Shane van Gisbergen also described a challenging evening in the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet:
“It was a pretty wild night. I got run over once by a guy that was pretty average, but the rest of it, I just needed to put myself in better spots and understand what was going on earlier in the race. I just made it hard on myself early.”
—Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
He further analyzed the difference between practice and race dynamics:
“Guys have had experience with the tire wear before with last year’s race. I just didn’t understand how to manage the tire wear early enough. Our No. 88 Wendy’s Breakfast Baconator Chevrolet was decent at the end. We got the car handling better for what I needed. I was just too hard on the tires with the way I was driving the car.”
—Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Chevrolet Season Overview and Next Playoff Chapter
With 29 races completed, Chevrolet’s record includes 12 wins, 11 poles, 54 top-five finishes, 117 top-ten results, and 22 stage wins. These achievements highlight a robust campaign heading into the critical playoff stages. Drivers and teams have repeatedly adapted to evolving circumstances, especially highlighted by the dynamic conditions at Bristol.
The focus now shifts to the next race for the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The Mobil 1 301 is set for Sunday, September 21, at 2 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on the USA Network, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Anticipating the Road Ahead in the NASCAR Playoffs
The advancement of four Team Chevy drivers into the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 lays the groundwork for a competitive and unpredictable playoff battle at New Hampshire. With tire management and flexible strategy proving essential in Bristol, teams are evaluating data and refining their approaches for the next challenge. The evolving storylines around key figures like Kyle Larson, William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Ross Chastain will remain central as the postseason continues and the race for the championship intensifies.
