Two of the national NASCAR series hit the track Friday afternoon and night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Xfinity Series teams will practice, qualify, and race at the Last Great Colosseum. This race is the final event of the regular season and it will set the 12-driver playoff field.
The Cup Series teams will practice and qualify in preparation for Saturday night's playoff race. This weekend marks the final event of the Round of 16. Four Cup Series drivers will no longer be in championship contention after the Bristol race.
Justin Allgaier is the defending winner of the Xfinity race at Bristol. He will be back in the lineup on Friday night, as will Dale Earnhardt Jr. who led 47 laps in last season's race. Earnhardt finished 30th after an unexpected fire sent him to pit road.
Bristol Motor Speedway forecast and schedule
Friday forecast: Partly cloudy skies with a slight chance of rain showers. A high of 77 degrees and a 3% chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity Series race.
Friday, Sept. 20 (Eastern Time)
- 9 a.m. -- Xfinity Series garage hours
- 10:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. -- Cup Series garage hours
- 2 - 2:35 p.m. -- Xfinity Series practice (USA Network, streaming on NBC Sports app)
- 2:40 - 3:30 p.m. -- Xfinity Series qualifying (USA Network, streaming on NBC Sports app)
- 4 - 4:45 p.m. -- Cup Series practice (USA Network, streaming on NBC Sports app, radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
- 5:05 - 6 p.m. -- Cup qualifying (USA Network, streaming on NBC Sports app, radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
- 7:30 p.m. -- Xfinity Series race (300 laps, 159.9 miles. CW, Radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Playoff picture: Eight of the Xfinity Series drivers have secured spots in the playoffs by winning races. This list includes Austin Hill (three wins), Shane van Gisbergen (three wins), Sam Mayer (two wins), Justin Allgaier (two wins), Chandler Smith (two wins), Cole Custer (one win), Riley Herbst (one win), and Jesse Love (one win).
Two drivers secured their spots in the playoffs by virtue of points. AJ Allmendinger and Sheldon Creed both scored enough points at Watkins Glen International last weekend to ensure that they will contend for the championship.
Two spots remain in the playoff field. The two drivers currently inhabiting these spots are Parker Kligerman (+85) and Sammy Smith (+43). Ryan Sieg is the first driver out of a playoff spot as he sits 43 points behind Smith. Brandon Jones is next at 148 points below the cutline.