The NASCAR Cup Series continues the Chase into Bristol for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Sept. 19.
Denny Hamlin has a nine-point lead over Kyle Larson in points heading into the weekend. Larson ended a lengthy winless streak with a victory last week at Gateway.
It's already getting late to factor into the championship for several Chase drivers, including Bubba Wallace (-90 behind Hamlin), Chase Elliott (-93) and William Byron (-114).
Here are The Tennessean's expert picks for Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol:
NASCAR predictions for Bristol Cup Series race: Here's who wins the Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Mike Organ's pick: Denny Hamlin, No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Hamlin hasn’t been as steady at the start of the Chase as he was for most of the regular season. It’s time for him to clean things up before he starts to slip in the standings.
Nick Gray's pick: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Larson has had a noticeable uptick in performance
over the last three races, and he led a race-high 284 laps in the spring. Back-to-back victories after a year-and-a-half winless drought sounds like a Kyle Larson special.
Tom Kreager's pick: Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Elliott has never won at Bristol, but does have a couple second-place finishes. He does have nine top-10 finishes at the short track.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Bristol predictions 2026, expert picks for Bass Pro Shops Night Race
