The NASCAR Cup Series Round of 16 playoff event took place on September 13 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, where tire wear once again influenced the outcome, similar to the spring race in 2024. Experienced drivers led the pack, with Christopher Bell ultimately taking the victory, while emerging contenders Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith closely pursued their first career wins on the 0.533-mile short track.
Bell Claims Victory After Intense Final Restart Battle
On the final restart with four laps remaining in the demanding 500-lap contest, the front row lineup featured Zane Smith on the inside and Carson Hocevar outside. Despite the strong positioning, neither driver secured the lead during the crucial closing laps. Smith finished third, marking his best top-five finish of the season, while Hocevar slipped to seventh after running on older tires. Hocevar’s result extended his streak of top-10 finishes, making it his eighth of the season and second in three races.
Yeah, it was a good race for us,
Smith reflected after the race.
Car was good. That was fun just managing tires and a lot going on. Especially after 30 laps, just everyone pays their penalty for trying to go hard there. But yeah, with that said, just proud of the effort. How we executed strategy and in the end there with five to go, we’re all going for it. So, track’s marbled up, slipping and sliding around and I don’t know how many laps I had on my left-side tires. But, yeah, just trying to get my first Cup win. And it didn’t work out.
—Zane Smith, NASCAR Cup driver
Smith’s Steady Run Boosts His Playoff Points Total
Starting deep in the pack at 24th position, Smith steadily advanced, running within the top 10 for most of the race. He placed fifth in the first stage and ninth in the second, while leading a total of five laps. This effort represented his strongest outing of the season and earned a season-high number of points.
Yeah, it’s big,
Smith stated.
Especially in the playoffs, there’s a lot of these guys bringing their best stuff. And if it stays green there, we’re in a really good position to get my first Cup win. This 38 team’s first Cup team and just, unfortunately, it didn’t work out. We tried to make the most out of lining up on the bottom there. Yeah, chased it, just needed a little more.
—Zane Smith, NASCAR Cup driver
It was fun. It kind of brought back, like, short track days. Just tire management, yeah, those races are fun. Just didn’t expect it to be quite this much, but this whole team, Ryan Bergenty, did a great job on strategy. Letting me know on lap times that I needed to run; yeah, it was just a good run by the whole team.
—Zane Smith, NASCAR Cup driver
Unwavering Effort Despite Final Restart Challenges
Smith expressed no regrets over his launch during the last restart, believing he had matched or surpassed the rest of the field’s start in an attempt to reach the lead.
I feel like I launched honestly as good or better than anyone I saw tonight,
he said.
Yeah, trying to get to the lead.
—Zane Smith, NASCAR Cup driver
Hocevar’s Tire Situation Limits Running Strategy
Carson Hocevar led 26 laps during the race but faced tire limitations late, with no fresh tires left in the pits. This forced him to stay out on the track and contributed to his seventh-place finish, continuing a pattern where he has led laps multiple times without yet winning a Cup race.
Yeah, I mean, there’s nothing we could’ve done,
Hocevar told Frontstretch.
The winning strategy was if that stays green. We were out of tires, so we had to try, especially from the lead. Yeah, I tried to stay side by side just to get a ‘Clear off [turn] 2′ and not, like, too far out. Just try to stack everybody up. If I could get squared up off [turn] 2. Hopefully, the 38 and 48 would hold ’em up. 20 just got inside right away. Yeah, that’s all she wrote.
—Carson Hocevar, NASCAR Cup driver
Hocevar Reflects on Tire Wear and Track Dynamics
Now in his second season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Hocevar was surprised by how significant the tire degradation became during the race. While he appreciates some level of tire wear, he prefers conditions that allow more strategic variability and racing along the top groove of the track.
Sure. I mean, I miss running the top,
Hocevar said.
It would be nice if we could get tire wear where we could, where it’s not like a lottery as much, and we could still go run the top. I enjoy running the top here, and you get to move around. It eliminates some of the bumper-tag cautions. But, yeah, it was nice not complaining about dirty air. So, there’s a bright side to everything.
—Carson Hocevar, NASCAR Cup driver
Playoff Prospects for Smith and Hocevar Remain Strong
Both Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar remain contenders as the NASCAR Cup playoffs continue, with seven more chances available for either driver to capture their elusive first Cup Series victory. Their performances at Bristol spotlight their growing competitiveness on short tracks, underscoring their potential to break through as race winners.
Mark Kristl, an experienced ARCA Menards Series editor and University of Dayton alumnus, has tracked the progress of these drivers since the start of the 2019 NASCAR season, providing detailed analysis of their development and prospects.
