What’s Happening?

NASCAR heads to Thunder Valley for a NASCAR National Seirestriple-header race weekend on the high concrete banks of Bristol Motor Speedway.

• Bristol Motor Speedway opened in 1961; throughout its history, the massive 0.533-mile short track has hosted football, both college and Professional, alongside every type of stock car racing imaginable. Later this year, the track will even host MLB’s Speedway Classic between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves.
• The NASCAR Cup Series first raced at Bristol in 1961 and hosted its usual race dates since and an all-star race in 2020. The NASCAR Xfinity Series followed in 1982, and the Craftsman Truck Series joined in racing at BMS in 1995 before leaving in 2000 and returning in 2003.
• The Bristol Spring race was one of the track’s two events, serving the role of a daytime Cup Series race for the track. However, after poor attendance, the race turned to dirt from 2021 to 2023 before returning to concrete in 2024. This year also marks the first Xfinity Series spring race at BMS since 2020.

Weekend TV Schedule (All Times EST)

Friday, April 11: Truck Series Practice and Qualifying – TRUCK SERIES RACE

• 3:35 PM — 4:30 PM — Truck Series Practice on FS2
• 4:40 PM — 5:30 PM — Truck Series Qualifying on FS2
• 7:30 PM — Truck Series Weather Guard Truck Race on FS1 [TV] & NASCAR Radio Network [Radio]

Saturday, April 12: Xfinity Series Practice and Qualifying | Cup Series Practice and Qualifying | Xfinity Series Practice and Qualifying | XFINITY SERIES RACE

• 11:30 AM — 12:25 PM — Xfinity Series Practice on the CW App
• 12:35 PM — 1:30 PM — Xfinity Series Qualifying on the CW App
• 2:00 PM — 2:55 PM — Cup Series Practice on Prime Video
• 3:05 PM — 4:00 PM — Cup Series Qualifying on Prime Video
• 5:00 PM — Xfinity Series SciAps 300 on the CW [TV] & PRN [Radio]

Sunday, April 13: CUP SERIES RACE

• 3:00 PM — Food City 500 on FS1 [TV] & PRN [Radio]

2025 Guide to Watching the NASCAR Xfinity Series on the CW: Practice, Qualifying, Races, and In-Car Cameras

2025 Guide to Watching the NASCAR Xfinity Series on the CW: Practice, Qualifying, Races, and In-Car Cameras

What’s Happening? The NASCAR Xfinity Series will be exclusively on the CW in 2025. This deal brings the Xfinity Series to…

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Race Facts

Track Facts: Bristol Motor Speedway

• Year Opened: 1961
• Length: 0.533-mile
• Banking: Turns 1 & 2: 24 to 28 Degrees – Turns 3 & 4: 24 to 28 Degrees
• Surface: Concrete
• Rain Tires: Yes
• Lights: Yes

Weather Guard Truck Race on the FS1:

• Race Length: 250 Laps (133.25 Miles)
• Stages: 65 Lap Stage 1, 65 Lap Stage 2, 120 Lap Final Stage
• Most Recent Race Winner: Christian Eckes

SciAps 300 on the CW:

• Race Length: 300 Laps (159.9 Miles)
• Stages: 85 Lap Stage 1, 85 Lap Stage 2, 130 Lap Final Stage
• Most Recent Race Winner: Noah Gragson (2020)

Food City 500 on FS1:

• Race Length: 500 Laps (266.5 Miles)
• Stages: 125 Lap Stage 1, 125 Lap Stage 2, 250 Lap Final Stage

2024 Food City 500 Results:

• First: Denny Hamlin — No. 11
• Second: Martin Truex Jr. — No. 19
• Third: Brad Keselowski — No. 6
• Fourth: Alex Bowman — No. 48
• Fifth: Kyle Larson — No. 5

Top Storylines of the Weekend

• Bristol Motor Speedway is the third short track the NASCAR Xfinity Series will visit in 2025. While Phoenix was rather uneventful until the very end, Martinsville was deemed a “dumpster fire “ by the media, drivers, and fans. Xfinity Series drivers cleaned up their act at Darlington Raceway last weekend; however, many are wondering if the close confines of Bristol will bring out this aggression again.
• Bristol Motor Speedway plays a major role in the NASCAR National Series Playoffs. as three series have a playoff race in the fall at the track. For the Craftsman Truck Series, Bristol is the second race of the Round of 10, and in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the first race of the Round of 12. Most importantly, for the Cup Series, it is the cut-off race for the Round of 16. Teams will be gathering as much information as possible this weekend to ensure a successful run this fall with everything on the line.
• Last year, tires were the major storyline of the spring Bristol race at the NASCAR Cup Series level. This race, which took place earlier than usual, saw unprecedented tire wear for the Cup Series, creating one of the best short-track races in the Next GEN era (since 2022). Unfortunately, NASCAR brought this tire back for the playoff race and achieved the exact opposite result. Fans are interested in seeing how the tire will act this weekend, as NASCAR is using the same compound they used in 2024.

Entry Lists

Cup Series

Notable Drivers:

• #01 – Corey LaJoie
• #33 – Jesse Love – Debut
• #66 – Josh Bilicki

Xfinity Series

Notable Drivers:

• 07 – Nick Leitz
• 17 – Kyle Larson
• 19 – Justin Bonsignore
• 24 – Corey Heim
• 35 – Greg Van Alst
• 45 – Mason Massey
• 53 – Mason Maggio
• 66 – Tyler Tomassi
• 70 – Thomas Annunziata
• 74 – Dawson Cram
• 91 – CJ McLaughlin

Craftsman Truck Series

Notable Drivers:

• #07 – Kyle Larson
• #1 – Brandon Jones
• #2 – Stephen Mallozzi
• #6 – Norm Benning
• #7 – Corey Day
• #22 – Josh Reaume
• #66 – Luke Fenhaus
• #75 – Parker Kligerman
• #84 – Patrick Staropoli
• #90 – Justin Carroll

Note: This article will be updated as more information about the weekend comes out.