The majority of the focus during Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway is destined to be surrounding the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, and rightfully so, as four drivers will be eliminated from title contention when the checkered flag drops.
However, something unique to NASCAR is the fact that it isn’t just the postseason-eligible teams that are on the field/track. For the final 10 weeks of the season, everybody shows up to compete in NASCAR Cup Series events in hopes of picking up a victory and learning something to make a playoff run in 2026.
…and just because the Playoffs are happening, doesn’t mean that a playoff-eligible driver is guaranteed to win. However, at Bristol, a non-playoff victory has become somewhat uncommon.
Since the Bass Pro Shops Night Race moved to the Playoffs in 2020, only once before has a driver not competing for the championship gone to Victory Lane: Chris Buescher in 2022.
Things have been competitive in the NASCAR Cup Series, so there’s definitely some contenders outside of the postseason that could find themselves in Victory Lane, and prevent Kyle Larson from going three straight.
Chris Buescher
Chris Buescher, as mentioned above, is the only previous non-playoff driver to win the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, while the 500-lap gauntlet was positioned in the postseason.
The Prosper, Texas-native hasn’t been to Victory Lane since last September at Watkins Glen International, another NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs event that Buescher spoiled for the Playoff drivers.
While Buescher would have liked to actually be a part of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (especially after being in position to be, all season), there’s no doubt that the driver of the No. 17 Ford Mustang Dark Horse would take the opportunity to secure a win if it presented itself.
Kyle Busch
It’s been some tough sledding for Kyle Busch, a two-time champion of the NASCAR Cup Series, at Richard Childress Racing these last couple of seasons, nursing a winless streak that has stretched more than two seasons.
If Busch is going to be successful in turning around what has been the most dismal stint of his NASCAR career, what better place for him to do it than Bristol Motor Speedway? Busch is an eight-time winner at the half-mile oval, twice the amount as any other active driver.
A victory in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race could be exactly what the doctor ordered to get Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing back on the right track.
Brad Keselowski
It’s been a bizarre season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Two of NASCAR’s biggest names and former champions failed to advance into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2025, thus making them prime candidates for the list of postseason spoilers.
Brad Keselowski and RFK Racing have been strong in the second half of the season, almost capturing victories at a couple of other racetracks in the regular season. Plus, the Rochester Hills, Michigan-native is a three-time winner at the Bristol Motor Speedway.
There’s been some growing pains from RFK Racing expanding to three full-time NASCAR Cup Series entries, with none of their three drivers making the post-season, and the No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse diving to the bottom of the standings.
However, there’s no reason to believe that a veteran driver like Brad Keselowski won’t be able to find himself some good pace and a shot to win on Saturday.
John Hunter Nemechek
John Hunter Nemechek is already having a career season in the NASCAR Cup Series this year, collecting a pair of top-five finishes and eight top-10s driving the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.
Nemechek was unable to lock into the Playoffs via his points position, are some inconsistencies throughout the regular season, but the Mooresville, North Carolina-native has been in essentially post-season form.
The 28-year-old driver collected his first non-superspeedway top-five in the NASCAR Cup Series in the Southern 500, one of the toughest events of the season, then backed it up the following weekend at WWT Raceway with a sixth.
Nemechek has long had a knack for short track racing on his climb throughout NASCAR’s National Series, and even had a strong sixth-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Spring of 2024.
A victory in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race, given the right circumstances, could definitely be in the question.
Carson Hocevar
This Spring at Bristol Motor Speedway, Carson Hocevar had a legitimate shot to dethrone Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin and secure his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at the half-mile racetrack.
Despite having the speed to contend for the victory, an extremely slow final pit stop cost him not only a shot at the victory, but an entire lap and a top-10 result.
Since coming onto the scene in the NASCAR Cup Series, Hocevar has always been strong at Bristol Motor Speedway — dating back to his interim driver role with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, where he had a strong showing in the No. 42 Chevrolet.
There’s no reason to believe that Hocevar, much like John Hunter Nemechek, wouldn’t have the speed or experience to compete for a NASCAR Cup Series victory on Saturday.
