Johnathan Walker:NASCAR 2024 playoffs at Bristol: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Night Race

It’s elimination night at Bristol Motor Speedway. Four drivers will be Johnathan Walkersent packing from championship contention following the Bass Pro Shops Night Race – the final race of the first round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Sixteen drivers qualified for the playoffs with hopes of winning the 2024 championship, but by the end of Saturday night, that number will be reduced to 12, with the bottom four drivers in the playoff standings eliminated.

One driver who will not have to sweat elimination Saturday night is Joey Logano, who earned an automatic berth to the second round by winning the opening playoff race at Atlanta Motor Speedway two weeks ago. Non-playoff driver Chris Buescher kept the other 15 title contenders out of victory lane last weekend with a win at Watkins Glen International.

Bristol could provide a lot of relief to Denny Hamlin, who has endured a rough playoffs so far. Hamlin, who won at Bristol in March and took the checkered flag at last year’s Bristol Night Race, currently sits 13th, six points below the cutline to advance. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver should bring a great deal of confidence to the Tennessee short track, however, having won the night race three times in his career.

Who will celebrate in victory lane this Saturday night, and who will see their championship dreams come to an end? Here is everything you need to know to get ready for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race:

What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Bristol start?

The Bass Pro Shops Night Race starts at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.

What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Bristol on?

USA Network is broadcasting the Bass Pro Shops Night Race and has a pre-race show beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Bristol?

The Bass Pro Shops Night Race can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo.

How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at Bristol?

The Bass Pro Shops Night Race is 500 laps around the 0.533-mile track for a total of 266.5 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) – Stage 1: 125 laps; Stage 2: 125 laps; Stage 3: 250 laps.

Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Bristol?

Hamlin started third and led 163 laps, including the final 17, before topping teammate Martin Truex Jr. by 1.083 seconds on March 17, 2024.

And one year ago, Hamlin started second and led 142 laps, including the final 135, before pulling away from Kyle Larson in the playoff elimination race on Sept. 16, 2023.

What are the driver standings heading into the NASCAR playoff race at Bristol?

x-clinched spot in second round. Through two playoff races; the bottom four drivers after the Bass Pro Shops Night Race will be eliminated.

1. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing ... 2,089
2. Austin Cindric, Team Penske ... 2,086
3. x-Joey Logano, Team Penske ... 2,084
4. Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports ... 2,084
5. Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing ... 2,079
6. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing ... 2,073
7. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports ... 2,073
8. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske ... 2,072
9. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports ... 2,069
10. William Bryon, Hendrick Motorsports ... 2,068
11. Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing ... 2,049
12. Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing ... 2,049
13. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing ... 2,043
14. Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing ... 2,037
15. Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing ... 2,035
16. Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing ... 2,029

What is the lineup for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol?

Car number in parentheses; (P)=playoff driver

1. (48) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet

2. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet

3. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet

4. (19) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota

5. (14) Chase Briscoe (P), Ford

6. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota

7. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet

8. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota

9. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet

10. (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet

11. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota

12. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

13. (54) Ty Gibbs (P), Toyota

14. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford

15. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota

16. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford

17. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford

18. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford

19. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet

20. (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford

21. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet

22. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford

23. (6) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford

24. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford

25. (4) Josh Berry, Ford

26. (51) Justin Haley, Ford

27. (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford

28. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota

29. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet

30. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

31. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet

32. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota

33. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet

34. (21) Harrison Burton (P), Ford

35. (99) Daniel Suarez (P), Chevrolet

36. (15) Kaz Grala, Ford

37. (66) Josh Bilicki, Ford

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