As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race this Saturday, the playoff picture is far from clear. This high-stakes event, scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on USA Network, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, marks the first elimination race of the playoffs, with only 12 drivers advancing to the next round.

Unexpected Struggles for Top Contenders

Several top drivers find themselves in surprisingly precarious positions:

Kyle Larson: The championship leader entering the playoffs has yet to secure a top-10 finish in the first two playoff races. He’s currently ninth in the standings, 20 points behind the new leader but still 26 points above the cutoff line.

Tyler Reddick: The Regular Season Champion dropped three positions after finishing 27th at Watkins Glen. Now ranked sixth, Reddick is 16 points behind the leader. His track record at Bristol isn’t encouraging, with only one top-10 finish in six starts.

Ryan Blaney: The reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion took a significant hit at Watkins Glen, falling seven positions to eighth place after being involved in a Lap 1 accident. He’s now 29 points above the cutoff line.

Veterans on the Bubble

Perhaps the most surprising development is the struggle of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. Both drivers, typically considered title favorites, are fighting just to advance out of the first round:

Hamlin is currently 13th in the standings, six points below the cutoff line. However, he remains optimistic, citing his strong track record at Bristol, including wins in the last two races there.

Truex, a former champion, is in an even more precarious position at 15th, 14 points below the cutoff. While he’s never won at Bristol, he did finish second there this spring, offering a glimmer of hope.

Unexpected Frontrunners

While some favorites struggle, other drivers have surpassed expectations:

Joey Logano is the only driver to have secured his spot in the next round, thanks to his win in the playoff opener at Atlanta.

Christopher Bell leads the standings, holding a slim three-point edge over Austin Cindric and a five-point lead over Alex Bowman.

Daniel Suarez, Chase Elliott, and William Byron are also comfortably positioned within the top 12.

The Bristol Factor

Bristol Motor Speedway, known for its unpredictability, could dramatically alter the playoff landscape. Among the playoff drivers, Hamlin, Larson, Logano, and Keselowski have all previously won NASCAR Cup Series races at this track, adding another layer of intrigue to the competition.

As the drivers prepare for this crucial race, practice is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on Friday, followed by Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 5:05 p.m. ET. Both sessions will be broadcast on USA Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and the NBC Sports App.

With so much at stake and the tight point margins, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race promises to be a thrilling and potentially season-defining event for many drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Predictions and Picks

Trucks: Christian Eckes
Xfinity: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Cup: Denny Hamlin

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images