The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Last Great Colosseum, the Bristol Motor Speedway, this weekend for the final race of the Round of 16. 500 laps will be raced under floodlights and a dark sky to determine who the 12 drivers who advance to the next round are. While it will no doubt be a grueling challenge for the men behind the wheel, it will be the same if not more for the men in the pits.
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The energy that surrounds the 0.533-mile short oval is electric during the annual night race. With over 100,000 people filling the stands and the Next Gen cars roaring at speeds more than 125 miles per hour, standing in the pits is in itself an uphill task. Furthermore, the layout of the pit road and the stalls create an additional challenge for drivers and crew members to overcome.
Team Penske tire changer Skip Flores detailed this in a recent episode of NASCAR’s Around The Track, “There aren’t a lot of openings on pit road. Pit road is really tight and it’s really tricky. I feel like with how loud this track is and everything that’s going on, you are always in fight or flight mode just because it’s so crazy. So you see a lot of mistakes and a lot of loose wheels.”
Green flag pit stops aren’t that common at Bristol but the race earlier this year featured a ton of them. This unpredictability is something that teams and drivers will need to keep in mind as they head to the race. Key players like Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski are in a tough corner to perform as they sit below the elimination line. Saturday night ought to be a thrill-filled affair courtesy of it.
Cup Series driver about the pit road in Bristol
Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain spoke to the same segment back in March and explained that it wasn’t easy to turn into the pit road from the track. The only way for him to make sure that he is in the right spot is to feel his right side tires going up and down in the banking. He also mentioned that the road’s lower level of grip when compared to the track presents an additional hurdle.
Christopher Bell said, “So, you’re trying to maximize your pit road speeds and so you’re accelerating in the corner and then you have to decelerate whenever you get back to the straightaway. The road is really tight. So, it’s hard to get a good pit stall with an opening in or opening out. And yeah, it’s easy to get blocked in and very hectic for sure.”
The night race wouldn’t be considered such a prestigious event if it weren’t for the difficulties it posed. The Bass Pro Shops Night Race will kick start exactly at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. It can be caught live on NBC Sports, USA Network, and SiriusXM.
