The green flag is about to drop on the third race of The Chase this weekend, and buckle up, because the NASCAR Cup Series is hitting Bristol Motor Speedway for the night race at 7:30 p.m. ET. With the postseason fully underway, every single competition from here on out carries the ultimate stakes. Denny Hamlin might be sitting pretty at the top of The Chase leaderboard right now, but let me tell you, Kyle Larson is right there, breathing down his neck.
Larson’s Surge Sets Up a Showdown
The big question everyone’s asking is whether Hamlin can hold off the field and keep his lead, or if the red-hot Kyle Larson is going to snatch another checkered flag and get into Victory Lane in back-to-back weeks. DraftKings Sportsbook has Larson as the favorite, clocking in at +400. That’s a strong vote of confidence for a guy who just broke his season-long drought. Hamlin is right behind him at +500, showing just how tight this battle is. Ryan Blaney is another one to watch at +550, followed by Ty Gibbs at +650 and Christopher Bell at +750. You’ve also got William Byron and Chase Briscoe at +1100, and Joey Logano at +1200. This is not just a race, it’s a statement about who wants The Chase lead more.
Bristol: A Track for Tradition or a Stage for the New King?
Larson’s Gateway win last weekend was huge. He hadn’t found Victory Lane all year, then he gets it when it matters most, in the postseason. That win means everything because now he’s only nine points behind Hamlin for The Chase lead. When the series hit Bristol back in the spring, Larson finished third. That’s a strong showing, and it tells you he knows how to handle that track. On the other side, Denny Hamlin has a history of running well at Bristol. He traditionally feels confident there, and he finished ninth in the spring race. So, we’ve got a proven Bristol performer in Hamlin against a surging, favorite driver in Larson who just found his groove.
This third race of The Chase is not just another stop; it’s a potential changing of the guard. Can Hamlin leverage his Bristol familiarity to fend off Larson, or will Larson’s newfound momentum propel him to back-to-back wins and tighten that points gap even further? You’re not going to want to miss the night race at Bristol.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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