“Criminally low score”: Fans react as NASCAR supporters deliver their verdict on Bristol

NASCAR fans voiced their frustration over reporter Jeff Gluck's poll results on whether last weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway was good. Although 80.6% voted 'Yes,' many argued the percentage should have been higher.

The Bristol night race saw tire wear play a major role, pushing teams to experiment with different strategies that produced several dramatic moments over 500 laps. In the end, Christopher Bell captured the win to secure his spot in the Round of 12, with Brad Keselowski finishing second, followed by Zane Smith, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano.

On X, Jeff Gluck shared the poll results from the race, which showed that 80.6% of fans voted that it was a good race.

“Was Bristol a good race? 80.6% of you said Yes. [1] Ranks No. 9 of 18 Bristol concrete races. Spring race got 20.1% [2] Ranks No. 7 of 14 Christopher Bell wins (including exhibitions) [3] The other heavy tire wear race at Bristol (spring 2024) got 87.3%,” he wrote.

In response, NASCAR fans weren't satisfied with the poll results, with one saying:

“Criminally low score.” “If you voted no, why?” another X user asked. “Way too low. What are we doing?” one fan asked. “Make up your minds, people. This race should’ve easily been a 90% plus,” a fan argued.

Some NASCAR fans suggested that the “No” votes may have come from those unhappy about a Toyota with Joe Gibbs Racing taking the win. One of them wrote:

“If a Chevy or Ford won, this would be north of 88%. People's disdain for JGR and Toyota is why it was so low.” “People are just mad that a Toyota won and Chase Elliott ran out of talent,” another X user said.

In addition to the race product, the event saw four drivers eliminated from the playoffs, namely Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, Alex Bowman, and Josh Berry. Advancing to the Round of 12 are Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, and Tyler Reddick.

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“I was hoping guys on old tires would push up”: Christopher Bell on tire wear at NASCAR's Bristol night race

Christopher Bell credited Bristol’s high tire wear as a key factor in his Saturday night victory. He anticipated that NASCAR drivers on older tires would slide up the track mid-corner, and when they did, he seized the opening to take the lead and secure the win.

With four laps remaining, Bell was running in fourth when Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith in the front row on the restart pushed up off turn two. He squeezed his #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to the bottom to put himself at the front of the field.

In a post-race interview, the 30-year-old Oklahoma native said (via NASCAR):

“All night long, I don’t know, old tires just really, really pushed up in the middle of the corners so I was hoping that those guys on old tires would push up and they did. I was able to get by or get underneath (Alex) Bowman. It wasn’t pretty there at the end, but we got her done.”

Next on the calendar is the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It will mark the start of the NASCAR Cup Series' Round of 12 playoff.

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Edited by Zarec Sanchez