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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series News & Notes – Bristol Motor Speedway

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: UNOH 250 presented by Ohio LogisticsNASCAR Craftsman Truck race at Bristol, the UNOH 200
The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
Track Length: 0.533 Mile Concrete Oval
The Date: Thursday, September 11
The Time: 8 p.m. ET
The Purse: $782,900
TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET
Radio: NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 133.25 miles (250 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 65),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 130), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 250)

Where To Watch NASCAR This Week:

Thursday, Sept. 11

NCTS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (FS2 at 3 p.m. ET)
ARCA Race: Bush’s Beans 200 (FS1 at 5:30 p.m. ET)
NCTS Race: UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics (FS1, NRN, SiriusXM at 8 p.m. ET)

Friday, Sept. 12

NXS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (The CW App at 2 p.m. ET)
NCS Practice & Busch Light Pole Qualifying (truTV, PRN, SiriusXM at 4:30 p.m. ET)
NXS Race: Food City 300 (The CW, PRN, SiriusXM at 7:30 p.m. ET)

Saturday, Sept. 13

NCS Race: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM at 3 p.m. ET)

Bristol Storylines and Insights:

  • This week marks the 30th running of a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the track has hosted at least one race every season since joining the schedule in 1995.
  • 2025 is the 10th season of Playoffs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (2016-2025).
  • Bristol serves as the second track of the seven-race NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs and the second race of the Round of 10: Darlington, Bristol and New Hampshire, two drivers will be eliminated after New Hampshire.
  • This is the seventh Playoff race at Bristol, it has been in the Playoffs every year since 2019, and this is the fifth time that Bristol has been part of the first round of the Playoffs.
  • This is the third 250 lap race at Bristol, both Truck races in 2025 were 250 laps.
  • 2025 is the second season to have two Bristol races (2024).
  • Bristol is the sixth of seven short track races in 2025.
  • The NCTS Playoff Outlook following Darlington: Corey Heim (Advances next Round on Darlington win), Layne Riggs (+38 up on cutline), Daniel Hemric (+33), Grant Enfinger (+30), Tyler Ankrum (+22), Ty Majeski (+16), Rajah Caruth (+4), Jake Garcia (+2), Chandler Smith (-2 back from the cutline) and Kaden Honeycutt (-7).
  •  Chandler Smith won at Bristol last April making him the only repeat winner in the last 13 Bristol races.
  • The last four Bristol Playoff races were won by current Playoff drivers (Riggs, Heim, Majeski, C. Smith).
  • Front Row Motorsports won the last two Bristol races.
  • Bristol has not gone to overtime since 2017 (nine races).
  • The Bristol winner has only stopped one time in the last five Bristol races (9/22-4/25).
  • The driver who led the most laps won the last three Bristol races, but failed to in the six prior Bristol races.
  • Ford drivers won the last two Bristol races after going winless in the nine previous races.
  • Corey Heim is one win away from tying Greg Biffle for most wins in a single season (9 wins in 1999).
  • Corey Heim is 341 laps led away from tying the all-time single season laps led record (Mike Skinner, 1996).
  • Corey Heim won the last three races of 2025, the record for most consecutive wins is five (Ron Hornaday Jr 2009).
  • Corey Heim’s Richmond win was the first short track win for Toyota in the last nine races.
  • Front Row Motorsports drivers won three of the last four short track races.
  • Any driver 57 points ahead of eighth following Bristol will advance to the next round.
  • Corey Heim’s eight wins in 2025 are the most through 19 races all-time, the first driver to accomplish the feat.
  • Corey Heim’s 19 career wins passes Dennis Setzer for seventh most all-time in the Truck Series.
  • Heim at 83 starts is the fastest driver to reach 19 NCTS wins since August 2010 (Kyle Busch – Bristol:  77 starts).
  • Heim is the youngest driver to reach 19 NCTS wins (previous record: Kyle Busch – Bristol 08/10:  25 y: 03 m: 16 d.)
  • Heim is the fifth driver to win eight or more NCTS races in a single season, first since 2010 (Kyle Busch).
  • Corey Heim is the fifth driver to win at 17 or more NCTS tracks.
  • Heim is the first driver to lead in each of the first 19 races of a NCTS season.
  • Current Playoff drivers have won five of the last six Bristol races – Chandler Smith (2021, 2025), Ty Majeski (2022), Corey Heim (2023) and Layne Riggs (2024).
  • Grant Enfinger moved up +3 spots in the Playoff standings – the largest positive move in the points following Darlington (from 7th to 4th).
  • Chandler Smith moved down -6 spots in the Playoff standings – the largest negative move in the points following Darlington (from 3rd to 9th).
  • All four drivers straddling the Playoffs’ Round of 8 cutline – Caruth (+4), Garcia (+2), Smith (-2), Honeycutt (-7) –finished inside the top-10 at Bristol earlier this season – Smith (1st), Garcia (6th), Honeycutt (8th) and Caruth (9th).
  • TRICON Garage leads the series in wins this season with eight victories – all by Corey Heim.
  • The NCTS has produced 218 lead changes through the first 19 races of the season – third-most all-time.

NCTS Clinch Scenarios For Bristol Motor Speedway (Playoff Race #2):

Already Clinched

  • The following driver has clinched a spot in the 8-driver field of the next round: Corey Heim.

Can Clinch Via Points

  • If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 57 points above the 7th winless driver in the standings.  The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Layne Riggs, Daniel Hemric, Grant Enfinger, Tyler Ankrum, Ty Majeski or Rajah Caruth.
    • Layne Riggs: Could only clinch with help
    • Daniel Hemric: Could only clinch with help
    • Grant Enfinger: Could only clinch with help
    • Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help
    • Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
    • Rajah Caruth: Could only clinch with help
  • If there is a new winner from Jake Garcia or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 57 points above the 6th winless driver in the standings.
    • Layne Riggs: Could only clinch with help
    • Daniel Hemric: Could only clinch with help
    • Grant Enfinger: Could only clinch with help
    • Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help
    • Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

  • The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:
  • Layne Riggs, Daniel Hemric, Grant Enfinger, Tyler Ankrum, Ty Majeski, Rajah Caruth, Jake Garcia, Chandler Smith, Kaden Honeycutt

NASCAR & Bristol, Etc.

Historical & Significant Events at Bristol Motor Speedway:

  • Groundbreaking for Bristol International Speedway, as Bristol Motor Speedway was originally known, took place in 1960.
  • The track was built by Bowling operator Larry Carrier, Kingsport businessman Carl Moore and construction company owner R.G. Pope and the track measured an exact half-mile.
  • The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway was on July 30, 1961, and the inaugural event was won by Jack Smith with relief from Johnny Allen. Smith had a three lap lead when Allen took over and Allen built the lead to as many as six laps.
  • Also in 1961, the NFL’s Washington Redskins took on the Philadelphia Eagles in a pre-season game at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Eagles won, 17-10.
  • In 1969 the track was dug up and reshaped and the banking significantly increased. Starting in July 1969 the track was measured at .533 miles.
  • Financial problems led to sale of the track after the 1976 season to Nashville accountant and attorney Gary Baker and his partner Lanny Hester.
  • All of the NASCAR Cup Series races at Bristol have been scheduled for 500 laps, except for both races in 1976 and the second in 1977, which were 400 laps each.
  • The name changed to Bristol International Raceway in 1978.
  • The first night race was held in the fall of 1978.
  • In 1982 and in 1985 the track underwent ownership changes. In 1982 California businessman Warner Hodgdon began buying into teams and tracks. In 1982 he bought out Hester and in 1983 Baker’s half. In 1985 Hodgdon declared bankruptcy. Larry Carrier stepped in to run the track.
  • The surface was changed from asphalt to concrete in 1992, becoming the first track on the schedule to be completely surfaced in concrete.
  • Larry Carrier led the track for 10 years until he sold it to Speedway Motorsports for a reported $26 million in 1996. The track had a capacity of 71,000 and the Night Race was one of the Series premier events, called the ‘Toughest Ticket in Racing’.
  • The track name changed again, this time to Bristol Motor Speedway in May of 1996.
  • The track was resurfaced between races in 2007, and the turns were ground down in 2012 to eliminate part of the progressive banking.
  • In 2016, Bristol enjoyed its “Biggest Year Yet” hosting the Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals Virginia Tech and the University of Tennessee played a college football game in front of an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990.
  • In 2016, a special country music concert was held, featuring a trio of successful local acts. The Honda Ridgeline Bristol Tailgate featured Kenny Chesney, The Band Perry and Old Dominion in front of a crowd of more than 40,000.
  • The week following the Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, Bristol Motor Speedway held a second game in 2016, the Food City Bucs at Bristol presented by Food City. The local favorite East Tennessee State University Buccaneers upset rival Western Carolina University 34-31 in a thrilling come-from-behind victory.
  • In 2020, Bristol Motor Speedway hosted the NASCAR Cup Series Open and All-Star Race for the first-time.
  • In total, there have been 125 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races at Bristol Motor Speedway since the first race in 1961, two races each season until 2021 when the track replaced their spring date with the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt track (2021-2023).
  • The 2024 season is the first season since 2021 that both Bristol races will be run on the concrete surface. From 2021-2023 the spring Bristol race was run on a dirt surface.
  • In 2025, Bristol Motor Speedway hosted the first Major League Baseball game in Tennessee history inside its infield. On Aug. 2, 2025, the Atlanta Braves played the Cincinnati Reds in an official regular season game during the MLB Speedway Classic.
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