In the years after the track was reconfigured in 2007, many a lament of a NASCAR traditionalist came to pit "Old Bristol" against "New Bristol" after a number of races lacking the high contact, highly-strung racing that made the half-mile Tennessee oval famous. If Saturday night is any indication, the old and new Bristol Motor Speedway are one and the same, as the 2021 edition of the Bristol Night Race is one that won't soon be forgotten.
After a late-race dustup between Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick while racing for the lead, Kyle Larson was able to take the top spot from Harvick in the final laps and hold on to win the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. Larson was able to use momentum from the high side to put a slidejob on Harvick, and then held onto his car after receiving the bump and run before navigating lapped traffic in a way that kept Harvick from getting to his bumper on the final lap.
"That was an awesome race. It was so cool to be able to race there for the win," Larson told NBC Sports. "Obviously Harvick and Chase got together and Chase was upset and kind of held him up, and it got Harvick having to move around and use his tires up off the bottom.
"I started to get some diamonds working off (turns) 1 and 2, and just got a big run and decided to pull the trigger and slide him and squeeze him a little bit. And then he had me jacked up down the front stretch, and it was wild. Had my hands full."
Unofficial Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race Top 10:
1. #5 - Kyle Larson
2. #4 - Kevin Harvick
3. #24 - William Byron
4. #12 - Ryan Blaney
5. #48 - Alex Bowman
6. #2 - Brad Keselowski
7. #19 - Martin Truex Jr.
8. #43 - Erik Jones
9. #11 - Denny Hamlin
10. #21 - Matt DiBenedetto
The finish was set up by contact between Harvick and Elliott, as Harvick doored Elliott while racing for the lead in the closing laps, cutting a left front tire down on Elliott's car. After rejoining the race, Elliott sideswiped Harvick's car down the back stretch, and then stayed in Harvick's line, impeding his pace and allowing Larson to close in to make the race-winning move.
Elliott and Harvick ended up having multiple animated conversations on pit road after the race, with the two being separated before continuing their conversation in the privacy of Elliott's hauler.
"I just told him it was a kind of chicken shit move that he did there at the end," fumed Harvick. "We're racing for the freaking win at Bristol, we're three-wide in the middle, and he throws a temper tantrum. I was just trying to get the lead and race him hard. Then he pulls up in front of me and just sits there until I lose the whole lead ... I watched him let the No. 24 go by, and then anytime you run into him, it's a problem.
"... I lost so much there, and then when I got behind the car I kept getting tight off the corner and I couldn't run my line ... [Damn,] I'm ready to rip somebody's freaking head off."
"It's something he does all the time. He runs into your left side constantly at other tracks, and then sometimes it does cut down your left side, other times it doesn't," Elliott said. "He did it to me in Darlington a few weeks ago because he was tired of racing with me, and whether he did it on purpose, it doesn't matter. At some point you've got to draw the line.
"I don't care who he is or how long he's been doing it. I'm gonna stand up for myself and my team, and we'll go on down the road."
While all that occurred, the final race of the round of 16 saw four drivers eliminated from playoff contention: Aric Almirola and Tyler Reddick were both eliminated despite valiant efforts, which saw the two recover from a faulty oil line and losing a lap respectively to be in the mix to advance in the final laps. Kurt Busch was eliminated after struggling with the handling of his car throughout the night, and Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell was eliminated after an unremarkable night.
With a third place finish, William Byron was able to recover from a major points deficit entering the night to advance to the round of 12. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell were able to hang onto spots in the round of 12 despite both suffering cut tires in the closing laps.
NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Standings:
1. #5 - Kyle Larson - 3,059 points
2. #19 - Martin Truex Jr. - 3,029
3. #12 - Ryan Blaney - 3,024
4. #11 - Denny Hamlin - 3,024
5. #18 - Kyle Busch - 3,022
6. #9 - Chase Elliott - 3,021
7. #48 - Alex Bowman - 3,015
8. #24 - William Byron - 3,014
9. #22 - Joey Logano - 3,013
10. #2 - Brad Keselowski - 3,008
11. #20 - Christopher Bell - 3,005
12. #4 - Kevin Harvick - 3,002
Eliminated from NASCAR Playoffs:
#1 - Kurt Busch
#8 - Tyler Reddick
#10 - Aric Almirola
#34 - Michael McDowell
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September 19, 2021 at 10:18AM
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NASCAR playoffs at Bristol: Kyle Larson wins as tempers flare between Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick - CBSSports.com
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