Kurt Busch, the driver of the #41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 18, 2018, in Bristol, Tennessee. Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images

With only three races left in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, drivers came into this Bristol Motor Speedway night race with something to prove. Drivers don’t want to make the playoffs based on points; they would rather say that they made the playoffs because they won their way in. That was the case on Saturday night. Many drivers were racing aggressively throughout the whole night to try and earn their way into the playoffs.

Kyle Larson started on the point, but only a mere two laps into the race, Kyle Busch spun around. This brought out the caution flag and Busch had to come in for repairs. This also caused Busch to go a few laps down early in the race. Paul Menard was racing for the lead early on, but after the restart, he found out that he had a broken wheel. This ended his night early when just a few laps before he came to the garage, he was pushing for the lead.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was another driver going after the point position, he battled hard within the top-three positions. This early battling for the lead proved that there was a sense of urgency in the air. Ryan Blaney was the front-runner for the majority of the stage. He and Kevin Harvick battled for the stage win and it came down to the final lap to decide the stage winner. Blaney beat out Harvick by inches to claim stage one.

The second stage also contained great action like the first. Chase Elliot, Joey Logano, and Blaney battled all stage long for the race lead. Larson was also trying to get some attention as he was pushing the high line trying to gain some ground. Race fans also know not to count out Kyle Busch as he battled his way back from being two laps down, to race his way into the top-ten. Logano fended off drivers trying to get to the lead and led his way to a stage two victory.

Clint Bowyer raced in the top-ten all night long and the third stage was his time to shine. After the early battles for the lead, the race opened up and Bowyer marched his way into the lead. He led 120 laps in the final stage. With about 30 laps left it looked like the race was all but his. He had the lead during a long green flag run, but of course, a late caution comes out and Bowyer had to work a little harder if he wanted this win. On the restart, Kurt Busch started beside Bowyer and Busch had a better jump than Bowyer. The two raced each other hard into the corner and created some contact with each other. Busch got the lead, but of course, another late caution had to come out. Bowyer was looking for some payback on the second restart, but again he spun his tires and bunched up the bottom line. Kurt Busch got out to the lead, and that was all he needed. He led the remaining laps and brought home his first win of the season.

There is a lot to take away from the Saturday night race in Bristol. First, how exciting is short track racing late in the season?

Every driver had a sense of urgency to win that race and it was so fun to watch. Drivers were utilizing both the outside and inside lines to navigate to the front of the field. The battles for the lead were fun to watch and it was good, hard short track racing. Fans were into the race on social media and the race at Bristol was certainly a show to remember. A lot of fans would like to see more short track racing and it would be interesting to see another short track race implemented into the playoffs. So much can happen, and it would keep fans on the edge of their seats.

Kurt Busch still does not have a team to race for next year. Last night’s win was his first win since last year in Daytona. This win was crucial for him if he wanted to return to Stewart-Haas Racing and race for the organization next year. A lot of people do not think he will return to SHR and race, but if he wanted to continue racing for this Ford team, then that win may be all he needed to continue. He definitely fought hard as his car looked like a typical Bristol racing machine. He was caught up in the early wreck with Kyle Busch and had to battle hard all night long and it paid off. It was a sweet win for Kurt Busch as they always taste better when they are earned.

The Cup Series will have a two-week vacation as next week will be an off week. After the break, they will head down to Darlington for the Southern 500. One of the best races to take in at a unique track with the throwback paint schemes. Two races left before the playoffs and only a few spots left for drivers to race their way in.