BRISTOL, Tenn. — NASCAR’s three national series head to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, April 11-13, 2025, for a tripleheader featuring the Food City 500 (Cup Series), SciAps 300 (Xfinity Series), and Weather Guard Truck Race (Craftsman Truck Series). The 0.533-mile concrete oval, known for its high banks and intense racing, hosts its 126th Cup Series event on Sunday, with a $11,055,250 purse on the line. Coverage begins Friday with the Truck Series on FS1 at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by Xfinity on CW at 5 p.m. ET Saturday, and the Cup Series on FS1 at 3 p.m. ET Sunday.
The Cup Series’ Food City 500, a 266.5-mile (500-lap) race, caps the weekend. Stages end at laps 125, 250, and 500, with prerace coverage starting at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, alongside radio broadcasts on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90). Nine active Bristol pole winners, including Denny Hamlin (four poles) and Kyle Busch (two), are entered, alongside six past race winners like Busch (eight victories) and Hamlin (four). Kyle Larson, who led 462 laps in last September’s race, aims to repeat his 2024 Bristol sweep of stages and the win, a feat unmatched in track history.
Saturday’s SciAps 300 in the Xfinity Series covers 159.9 miles (300 laps), with stages at laps 85, 170, and 300. The $1,651,939 purse event airs on CW at 5 p.m. ET, following a 4:30 p.m. pre-race show. It’s the third of four Dash 4 Cash races, offering a $100,000 bonus to the top finisher among Sheldon Creed, Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill, and Brennan Poole. Allgaier, with two Bristol wins, has led the most laps in five of the last six races there, per NASCAR stats.
The Craftsman Truck Series kicks off Friday with the Weather Guard Truck Race, a 133.25-mile (250-lap) event with a $782,900 purse. Stages conclude at laps 65, 130, and 250, airing live on FS1 at 7:30 p.m. ET with radio on NRN and SiriusXM. It’s the second Triple Truck Challenge race, where Daniel Hemric, after winning at Martinsville, could earn up to $500,000 with victories at Bristol and Rockingham. Corey Heim, leading the standings, has two 2025 wins and 278 laps led.
Bristol’s weekend includes practice and qualifying sessions: Trucks on FS2 Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET, Xfinity on The CW App Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET, and Cup on Amazon Prime at 2 p.m. ET. The track’s concrete surface, reintroduced for both 2024 races after a dirt stint from 2021-2023, has favored veterans, with the last 22 winners boasting at least 200 Cup starts. Last year’s spring race set a track record with 54 lead changes, while September’s had just eight, per Racing-Reference.
Country artist Rodney Atkins performs a pre-race concert Sunday at 12:45 p.m. ET, followed by grand marshals Bob Kesling and Johnny Bench giving the start command. Steve Early waves the green flag. A free 80-page souvenir program will be available on-site and digitally, enhancing the fan experience at this historic venue, which hosted its first Cup race in 1961.
