GIBBS CHASING BRISTOL SWEEP IN EMOTIONAL KYLE BUSCH TRIBUTEBRISTOL, TENNESSEE...
Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota return to Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night with victory on their minds — and a special tribute on the car. Crew chief Tyler Allen helped Gibbs secure his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Bristol earlier this season, and the team now has the opportunity to sweep both races at the Tennessee short track.
But this weekend's Bass Pro Shops Night Race carries extra meaning. The No. 54 Toyota will run in the iconic M&M’s colors made famous by Kyle Busch, paying tribute to the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. Busch raced the famous yellow, red, blue, and green scheme for Joe Gibbs Racing from 2008 through 2022, winning 56 of his 63 Cup Series races with JGR and claiming the 2015 and 2019 championships.
For Allen, who began his Cup career working on Busch's car in 2017 and was part of Busch's 2019 championship-winning team, seeing the scheme return was an emotional moment. “It’s pretty surreal,” Allen told NASCAR.com. “It’s an honor to have that paint scheme on our car.”
GIBBS EYES ANOTHER WIN
Gibbs and the No. 54 team enter the third race of the Chase tied for sixth in the championship, 51 points behind teammate Denny Hamlin. With the championship points becoming increasingly compressed following victories by Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson, another win could provide a major boost to Gibbs' title campaign.
Allen says the key will be giving Gibbs a car that performs consistently through the corners. The car needs to turn well in the center of the corner while giving Gibbs confidence on corner exit — a difficult balance at Bristol.
BUESCHER NEEDS A BIG RESULT
Chris Buescher and the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford arrive at Bristol looking to recover from a difficult opening two Chase races. Buescher finished 20th at Darlington before suffering a late brake-rotor failure at Gateway with just two laps remaining. The result has left the No. 17 team 13th among the 16 Chase drivers, 111 points behind Hamlin.
Crew chief Scott Graves says the team needs a significant turnaround. “We need something big,” Graves said. Unlike previous seasons, Bristol is no longer an elimination race under the reintroduced Chase format, meaning the championship will be decided across the full 10-race postseason.
TIRES AND TRACK POSITION COULD DECIDE BRISTOL
Saturday night's strategy could ultimately come down to tire wear and how the racing groove develops. Recent Bristol races have produced vastly different tire behavior depending on track and weather conditions. Cooler temperatures have previously resulted in heavy tire wear and frequent pit stops, while warmer conditions have produced longer green-flag runs. Allen expects Saturday night's conditions to favor longer runs with limited tire fall-off. Teams will also be closely watching whether the high line develops or the bottom lane remains dominant. For Gibbs and the No. 54 team, however, the goal is straightforward: repeat the spring victory and keep the championship campaign moving forward. The Bass Pro Shops Night Race gets underway Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
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