NASCAR at Bristol live race results, updates, highlights from Bass Pro Shops Night Race

The Last Colosseum fuses beauty with carnage, oscillating between beautiful oasis and hellish terrain for all drivers who wade its hallowed walls. So what better place to hold the final race of the Cup Series Round of 12, where drivers sitting on the equator will be looking to etch their names into the lights?

Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and — surprisingly enough — regular season champion Martin Truex Jr. all find themselves on the outside looking in with one race left in the round. None of the four have achieved all that much success at Bristol — all four have combined for a grand total of five top-five finishes at the course in their careers.

Debris hangs around the track like a shadow. The wrecks are plentiful, leaving chunks of metal lying about the terrain like decaying pears on a fall day.

And yet, the opportunity for glory remains. For any of these four drivers, a win would represent the greatest of comebacks. Joy to one is heartbreak to the others. The beauty of stock car racing on display. All while under the lights.

MORE: Watch the Bass Pro Shops Night Race live with Fubo (free trial)

The Sporting News is tracking live updates from Saturday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Follow below for live results and highlights from all the action at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the last race of the Cup Series Round of 12.

NASCAR at Bristol live updates, highlights from Bass Pro Shops Night Race

(All times Eastern)

7:15 p.m.: McDowell is falling fast. Bell and Hamlin are separating themselves from the pack, even making their way around the lapped cars.

7:13 p.m.: Hamlin slides beyond the No. 34. These Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas are looking rather comfortable through the opening 10 laps. Further down the track, looks like Elliott is sliding down the field. Went from eighth to 16th in the blink of an eye.

7:11 p.m.: Our long national nightmare is over! We’re green from Bristol! Michael McDowell steals the march on Hamlin in Turn 2, taking the No. 11 car’s spot in P2.

7:00 p.m.: It’s been the slightest of precipitation that has kept the race from starting. Seems some, including pole sitter Christopher Bell, 

6:57 p.m.: Rain causing some issues thus far at Bristol. We find ourselves still undergoing a slight delay as cars are headed back to pit road due to slick conditions. So many close calls thus far and yet here we are, still awaiting the green flag.

What channel is NASCAR on today?

• TV channel: USA (U.S.) | TSN4 (Canada)
• Live stream: Peacock, Fubo
• Radio: PRN

Saturday’s race will be broadcast on USA Network in the United States. Canadian viewers can find the action on TSN4.

Veteran announcer Rick Allen will lead the race’s lap-by-lap commentator. He’ll be joined by former Cup Series stars Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr., as well as former Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte.

Cord-cutters can follow the action on Peacock, as well as with Fubo, which offers a free trial.

NASCAR start time today

• Date: Saturday, September 16
• Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

The Bass Pro Shops Night Race has a listed start time of 6:30 p.m. ET., but pre-race festivities are expected to push the waving of the green flag closer to 6:37 p.m. ET.

NASCAR at Bristol starting lineup 2023

Leading the field for Sunday night’s race are playoff drivers Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin. Below is the rest of the starting lineup for the race:

Starting pos.	Driver	Car No.	Team
1	Christopher Bell (P)	20	Joe Gibbs Racing
2	Denny Hamlin (P)	11	Joe Gibbs Racing
3	William Byron (P)	24	Hendrick Motorsports
4	Michael McDowell (P)	34	Front Row Motorsports
5	Martin Truex Jr. (P)	19	Joe Gibbs Racing
6	Brad Keselowski (P)	6	Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing
7	Chase Elliott	9	Hendrick Motorsports
8	Ty Gibbs	54	Joe Gibbs Racing
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