The Round of 16 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs concluded Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Brad Keselowski won the pole by a metric qualifying system. His teammate Joey Logano qualified second. The “Choose Cone Rule” was in effect for this race. Six drivers were starting the race at the tail end of the field they were Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones, and Kyle Busch (inspection failures). Corey LaJoie, Bubba Wallace (unapproved adjustments), and JJ Yeley (driver change).
16 #NASCARPlayoffs drivers enter. 12 advance. THE NIGHT RACE is underway at @BMSupdates on NBCSN and streaming at https://t.co/BHXvTwrLoC! pic.twitter.com/sINoVJ5WQx — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 19, 2020
Eighteen laps into the race, Brad Keselowski got loose at turn four as Kevin Harvick took the lead. Jimmie Johnson was attempting to pass a lapped down car on the backstretch when he moved down only to hit Ricky Stenhouse Jr., sending him to the inside wall to bring out the first caution of the night. The damage to his car ended Ricky’s night.
Definitely not how you want to start a night at @BMSupdates. 📺: NBCSN | 📲: https://t.co/BHXvTwrLoC pic.twitter.com/lpOBxQbLkD — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 19, 2020
During the caution, all of the leaders went to pit road, either taking two tires or four. Ryan Newman was caught speeding and had to restart at the back of the field. Matt DiBenedetto chose the outside lane while Tyler Reddick went inside for the restart on lap 41. DiBenedetto would lose the lead to Keselowski a couple of laps later. Keselowski led 64 laps before slowing down to avoid hitting Ryan Newman. Elliott capitalized on the opportunity from the inside at turn three to take the lead on lap 107. Elliott led the last 19 laps to win stage one. Corey LaJoie got the free pass.
NEW LEADER: @chaseelliott tracks down @keselowski for the top spot! Stage One is winding down on NBCSN and at https://t.co/BHXvTwrLoC! pic.twitter.com/DoHk7j7iI3 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2020
During the caution, all of the leaders went to pit road for four tires and fuel. Kyle Busch won the race off of pit road, followed by Alex Bowman. Busch chose the outside lane, and Bowman went inside to start stage two on lap 137. On lap 185, playoff contender Matt DiBenedetto had to make an unscheduled pit stop for a vibration caused by a loose wheel.
On lap 205, Cole Custer, another championship contender, went a lap down to Kyle Busch. Denny Hamlin got into the back of his teammate Martin Truex Jr. at the backstretch on lap 220 and suffered damage to the nose of the car.
… and they were TEAMMATES. 😱@dennyhamlin gets into the back of @MartinTruex_Jr off the corner! 📺: NBCSN | 📲: https://t.co/BHXvTwrLoC pic.twitter.com/ItSw6IIrhl — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2020
Kyle Busch continued to lap the field with Brad Keselowski being the latest driver to go a lap down. Joey Gase’s car checked up in front of Christopher Bell, causing William Byron, who was running tenth, to run into the back of Bell’s car to bring out the caution for the third time. Byron had damaged the radiator eliminating him from the playoffs. During the caution, all of the leaders pitted with Kyle Busch coming out of pit road first, followed by Joey Logano.
Hopes of advancing in the #NASCARPlayoffs come to an end for @WilliamByron at @BMSupdates. He heads to the garage with significant damage to his No. 24. pic.twitter.com/lCZo5tsWZi — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2020
Kyle Busch chose the outside lane while Logano went inside for the restart on lap 242. Logano would lose the second spot to Kevin Harvick a couple of laps later. Both Kyle Busch and Harvick pulled away from the field. Ryan Newman spun around at turn four to bring out the caution and end-stage two that went to Kyle Busch. During the caution, eleven cars, including Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, and Denny Hamlin, pitted while everyone else stayed out. Kyle Busch chose the outside lane while Harvick went inside to start the final stage on lap 261.
Twenty laps into the final stage, Kevin Harvick took the lead away from Kyle Busch on the high line. On lap 407, Kevin Harvick was slowing down to enter pit road with Austin Dillon right behind him when the caution came out. Dillon tried to avoid Harvick, who came back onto the track but got into James Davison, sending him into the outside wall. Reed Sorenson had nowhere to go and hit Davison as the caution was out for the fifth time.
.@KevinHarvick: slows down to pit └ @austindillon3: nowhere to go └ ⚠️ trouble ensues ⚠️ 📺: NBCSN | 📲: https://t.co/BHXvTwJmNc pic.twitter.com/qnlvOpgvx4 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2020
During the caution, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Tyler Reddick, Aric Almirola, and Erik Jones were the only lead lap cars to pit. Harvick chose the outside lane while Clint Bowyer went inside for the restart on lap 419. Forty laps in, Kyle Busch, used lapped cars to pass Harvick for the lead. Ten laps later, Harvick would return the favor as Busch got caught up behind Logano, and Harvick would retake the lead on lap 469.
Rowdy pounces as @KevinHarvick gets held up in traffic! 😱@KyleBusch goes to the race lead at @BMSupdates! pic.twitter.com/FLe0IpQ2UT — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2020
… and just like that, @KevinHarvick retakes the top spot! (and @joeylogano had a front-row seat for it all 👀) 📺: NBCSN | 📲: https://t.co/BHXvTwrLoC pic.twitter.com/Y7O8zzzz5n — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2020
Harvick would lead the last 32 laps to win his ninth race of the season by .310 seconds over Kyle Busch. The last driver to win nine races in a season was Carl Edwards back in 2008. Harvick needs only one more win to tie Jimmie Johnson. Matt DiBenedetto, Ryan Blaney, and Cole Custer were eliminated from the playoffs.
Are you not entertained? 😎 Another @BMSupdates race came down to the final laps as @KevinHarvick and @KyleBusch dueled for the victory. pic.twitter.com/NVcommaJ4V — NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2020
The rest of the top ten finishers were Erik Jones third, Tyler Reddick fourth, Aric Almirola fifth, Clint Bowyer sixth, Chase Elliott seventh, Chris Buescher eighth, Ryan Preece ninth, and Michael McDowell tenth. There were five cautions for fifty laps and fourteen lead changes.
Moving on to the Round of 12 playoffs are Kevin Harvick first (+3,067 points), Denny Hamlin second (+3,048 points), Brad Keselowski third (+3,035), Joey Logano fourth (+3,022), Chase Elliott fifth (+3,021 points), Martin Truex Jr. sixth (+3,016 points), Alex Bowman seventh (+3,009 points), Austin Dillon eighth (+3,005 points), Aric Almirola ninth (+3,005 points), Kyle Busch tenth (+3,004 points), Clint Bowyer eleventh (+3,004 points), and Kurt Busch twelfth (+3,001 points).
The Round of 12 playoffs start next Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the South Point 400 at 7 pm on NBCSN.
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