The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the concrete Saturday night for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Thirty-seven cars take the green flag at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. In Race 3 of The Chase, Denny Hamlin leads Kyle Larson by nine points. Larson starts on the pole after qualifying was canceled by weather on Friday. Five picks follow, starting with our outright call.
Last Updated: Saturday, September 19, 2026
2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tennessee |
| When | Saturday, September 19 – 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | USA Network |
2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race Betting Preview
Bristol is a 0.533-mile concrete oval, and this race runs 500 laps and 266.5 miles, with stages breaking at Lap 125 and Lap 250. Goodyear brought back the spring tire combination, so setup notes carry over. Track position is the currency, and the pole has produced the winner more often than any other starting spot here. Qualifying never ran, so NASCAR set the field by rule book: Larson, Joey Logano, Hamlin, William Byron, Carson Hocevar, Alex Bowman. The Chase has no eliminations, and a win is worth 55 points. Christopher Bell defends last year’s win.
The board has tightened around Larson since midweek. He was +400 in our Bass Pro Shops Night Race odds preview on Wednesday and sits at +350 now. The pole was confirmed Friday. Logano shortened from +1400 to +1200 and Hocevar from +2200 to +2000. Two drivers drifted. Chase Briscoe moved from +1000 to +1400 and Chase Elliott from +2000 to +2500. Both left Gateway with damage after Elliott’s rotor failure collected Briscoe, though no reported reason has been attached to either move. Track temperature is the last variable before green.
2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race — Top Odds to Win
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +350 |
| Denny Hamlin | +500 |
| Ty Gibbs | +550 |
| Ryan Blaney | +650 |
| Christopher Bell | +750 |
| Joey Logano | +1200 |
| Chase Briscoe | +1400 |
| Carson Hocevar | +2000 |
| William Byron | +2000 |
| Chase Elliott | +2500 |
Odds accurate as of Saturday, September 19, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NASCAR Odds – Props
2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race Best Bets
Kyle Larson (+350) is our pick to win, and the handicapping gets there on Bristol evidence rather than his spot atop the board. In April’s Food City 500 he led 284 laps and swept both stages before finishing third. He owns an 11.2 average finish in 20 Bristol starts, has led more laps here than any active driver, and won at Gateway last weekend.
The starting spot closes the case. Bristol rewards clean air, and Larson gets the pole without running a lap for it. At +350 the market asks him to win about 22 percent of the time, roughly Bristol’s raw pole conversion rate. His speed here is the part the price is not charging for.
Here is what would make the call wrong. Bristol punishes dominance, and Larson is the proof. He lost the spring race in one strategy cycle, when Ty Gibbs and four others stayed out on old tires. If the cautions fall badly, the fastest car finishes fifth.
Bass Pro Shops Night Race Predictions Mid-Tier Value Plays
Tyler Reddick (+2500) is the mid-board driver we like most, and the price drifted our way from +2200 earlier in the week. He finished fourth in the spring race and stayed out on old tires during the sequence that decided it. That is the profile you want here: a team willing to gamble on track position. The case against is thin speed, because he has not led meaningful laps at Bristol this year.
Alex Bowman (+3300) is the second mid-tier play, and the sixth starting spot is the reason. He finished second at Gateway last weekend, beaten by 0.333 seconds, so the Hendrick car is fast. Sixth is a real edge at this number. The counterargument is Bristol history: his spring race ended early with a Stage 2 crash, and he has no win here.
Long Shot Picks for The 2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Ryan Preece (+5000) has a plausible path, and the Chase math is part of it. He ran eighth in the spring Bristol race, so the speed is not theoretical. He also sits more than 100 points back with no cutline to chase, so only a win changes his season. Teams in that spot take the aggressive call. What must break right is the caution sequence, because he needs a late yellow.
Carson Hocevar to win Stage 1 (+1200) is our second long shot, and it is a stage bet rather than an outright. Hocevar starts fifth, and Stage 1 runs only 125 laps, which limits how far the field sorts itself out. He finished 10th in the spring race and gambled on old tires late, so this team races for position. The case against sits ahead of him: Larson is +250 and Ryan Blaney +325.
The Last Word on the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Bristol under the lights comes down to who controls the front early and who gets the pit call right late. Larson has the first part handed to him, and our card leans on it. Still, the spring race showed how fast 284 laps led turns into third. Watch the fall-off on the opening run. If tires wear hard, crew chiefs cycle the field and Reddick and Preece get the chaos they need. If the rubber holds, so does track position, and it comes down to who dares not to pit.
NASCAR Bass Pro Shops Night Race FAQ: Saturday September 19, 2026
Who is the favorite to win the Bass Pro Shops Night Race?
Kyle Larson is the favorite at +350 for the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Denny Hamlin follows at +500, Ty Gibbs at +550, Ryan Blaney at +650 and Christopher Bell at +750. Larson also starts from the pole.
What time does the Bass Pro Shops Night Race start?
The 2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. It is Race 3 of The Chase, NASCAR’s 10-race postseason, and 37 cars are entered.
What channel is the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on?
The 2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race airs on USA Network, with radio coverage from PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Leigh Diffey calls the race alongside analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte.
How many laps is the Bass Pro Shops Night Race?
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race is 500 laps and 266.5 miles around Bristol’s 0.533-mile concrete oval. The race splits into three stages. Stage 1 ends on Lap 125, Stage 2 ends on Lap 250, and the final stage runs 250 laps.
Who is on pole for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race?
Kyle Larson starts on the pole for the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Qualifying was canceled by weather Friday, so NASCAR set the lineup by rule book. Joey Logano starts second, Denny Hamlin third, William Byron fourth and Carson Hocevar fifth.