Open Race Thread: NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 | Bristol Motor Speedway

Brief introduction to tonight’s Nationwide Series Food City 250 from Bristol Motor Speedway.

The world’s fastest half-mile is one of the crown jewels in the Nationwide Series schedule with drivers from all three touring series and beyond attempting to qualify for tonight’s race.

Joe Gibbs Racing superstars Kyle Busch and Joey Logano make up the front row with a slew of Nationwide Series regulars right on their heels.

The top three in the standings were separated by 18 points after the March race at Bristol.

Twenty races later, one of those drivers - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - has moved into the lead. Elliott Sadler, who was in third place, 21 points behind the leader four races ago, has moved back into second, now eight points out. Reed Sorenson, the leader after the July race at Nashville, has slumped a bit as of late but is within striking distance, nine points behind, in third.

They will start tenth, third and 18^th respectively.

The early laps of the race might prove to be the most interesting of the night with Sadler starting directly behind Busch just two nights after the two were involved in several altercations in the Truck Series event. Busch slid up into Sadler near the middle stages of that race and blamed Sadler for the contact, staying on track just long enough to crash Sadler’s no. 24 Camping World Trucks Series entry.

Busch later cited Sadler’s drawing a paycheck from Kevin Harvick Inc. as enough justification for the contact.

Busch and Harvick have been involved in a bitter feud since the conclusion of the Showtime Southern 500 on May 7.

Harvick is not entered for tonight’s race.

Qualifying just wrapped up and the results can be found on the other side, just above the comments section. See you there!