The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series will be on track for roughly eight consecutive hours Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Xfinity will begin a 55-minute practice at 2 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying for a 300-lap race on the 0.533-mile oval that will open at the series’ 2025 playoffs at 7:30 p.m. Regular-season champion Connor Zilisch will bring a four-race winning streak into Bristol.
The Cup Series will begin an hourlong practice session at 4:30 p.m., followed by qualifying for a 500-lap race Saturday night. For the first time in four races at Bristol, there will be a new right-side tire with a softer compound designed to produce more wear on the track’s concrete.
Alex Bowman, who is among the four drivers below the cutline entering Saturday’s first-round finale, has won the past two pole positions at Bristol.
Bristol Friday schedule
(All Times Eastern)
Friday, Sept. 12
Garage open
- 9 a.m. — Xfinity Series
- 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. — Cup Series
Track activity
- 2 – 2:55 p.m. — Xfinity practice (CW App)
- 3:05 – 4 p.m. — Xfinity qualifying (CW App)
- 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. — Cup practice (truTV, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
- 5:40 – 6:30 p.m. — Cup qualifying (truTV, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
- 7:30 p.m. — Xfinity race (300 laps, 159.9 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 85, Stage 2 at Lap 170; CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Weather
Friday: Sunny with a high of 80 degrees, light and variable winds and a 5% chance of rain. It’s expected to be 69 degrees with a 0% chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity race.
