The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race is set to take place at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 19. 16 drivers continue their championship fight in the third race of the Chase over 500 laps at the 0.533-mile concrete short track. It is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.
The Bristol Bass Pro Shops Night Race comes at an important point in the championship battle. Denny Hamlin still leads the standings after Gateway, but Kyle Larson’s victory moved him within nine points, with Christopher Bell another 18 points behind. With pressure increasing, teams are preparing their cars for one of the most recognizable night races on the 2026 NASCAR calendar.
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Several teams have also brought special liveries to match the occasion. Here are the five best paint schemes for the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bristol Night Race.
Top 5 paint schemes in the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol
#5 Carson Hocevar – No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (Zeigler)
The No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet uses a bold yellow-and-black combination that immediately stands out. Most of the body is yellow, while black sections cover parts of the hood, roof, sides, and lower body. The Zeigler branding also works well against the bright yellow background.
The scheme suits Carson Hocevar’s aggressive racing style. The No. 77 has also shown good speed at the track, finishing 10th in the Bristol spring race and seventh last fall. While the results have been difficult recently, he finished eighth last week at Gateway for his career-best 10th top 10 of the season. He now has another chance to continue that in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
#4 Chase Briscoe – No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Bass Pro Shops)
The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race pays tribute to veterans with the dark blue base and stars, giving it a patriotic look. The combination works particularly well for a night race and fits the race sponsor. The darker blue gives the car a sharp background, while the orange and white sections provide contrast under lights.
Few drivers endured more Gateway chaos while still repeatedly finding their way back toward the front than Chase Briscoe. The 32nd-place finish dropped him 59 points below the leader to eighth in the NASCAR Chase Standings. Bristol could steady things, as Briscoe was fifth there in April and led 127 laps in last year’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race before finishing ninth.
#3 Ross Chastain – No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (Moose)
Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet uses black as the main color, with red, white, and silver details across the body. The Moose Fraternity branding is also placed prominently on the sides and upper sections of the car. The bold design fits both Trackhouse Racing and the Bristol Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
Bristol has not been a favorable track for Ross Chastain. He has a 19.5 average finish at The Last Great Colosseum in 12 races, which improves marginally to 15.7 in the Next Gen era. He is the only non-Chase driver in the list and will look for his first win in the Bristol Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday.
#2 Chase Elliott – No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (NAPA)
Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet returns with its NAPA black body and gold detailing around the edges. The branding sits on the hood, while the Gold Filters lettering adds more yellow and gold to the car. The black body and brighter gold details will stand out under lights, and it is already a fan favourite online.
Chase Elliott‘s Gateway race turned one of his better afternoons into a 31st-place finish. He is now 93 points behind the leader and losing ground with eight Chase races left. Bristol has been difficult for the 2020 champion, who owns five top-fives and nine top-10s there but finished 22nd this spring and 38th last fall.
#1 Ty Gibbs – No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Kyle Busch M&M’s)
The JGR No. 54 stands out from the Bristol Bass Pro Shops Night Race grid for its homage to Kyle Busch. M&M’s returns to the NASCAR Cup Series with this one-off design after the death of the two-time champion earlier this year. Ty Gibbs, who grew up around Busch, will drive the tribute car in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol, one of Busch’s most successful tracks.
Gibbs has said he wants to win in this car for Kyle, and he has every chance of doing it. He won his first Cup race at Bristol earlier this year, while last fall he led 201 laps to finish 10th. His 11.1 average finish is the best in the current field. Gateway gave Gibbs a little bit of everything except a clean afternoon. But Bristol gives him a chance to make another statement in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
Edited by Anurup Chakraborty
