Christopher Bell — Winner: “I felt quite anxious when making my choice between positions. I was torn between the bottom and the top, and when Brad went for the top, I had no choice but to take the bottom. Throughout the night, I struggled with worn tires pushing up in the corners, but I was hopeful the others with old tires would do the same. They did, and that helped me overtake Bowman. The finish wasn’t pretty, but we secured the win. This week has been particularly tough for us, and I want to dedicate this victory to Charlie. Life can be unpredictable, and it hasn’t been our week for a while. But tonight at Bristol, we made it happen!”
Brad Keselowski — Second: “This season has been a rollercoaster. It felt like a 50/50 chance during the restart, and I ended up with a lane that couldn’t get going, which was frustrating. We had a strong car and smart strategy, putting us in a solid position to potentially win. Unfortunately, the last restart didn’t go well. Regardless, I enjoy the challenge, and today was no exception.”
Zane Smith — Third: “Huge thanks to everyone at FRM. Since it was kind of a home race for our team owner, Bob Jenkins, it felt great to see a couple of Fords competing at the front. I could almost taste victory, but things got chaotic on old tires, which affected my performance. I felt I managed the restart well, but lost grip and got loose at crucial moments.”
Ryan Blaney — Fourth: “We thought we understood how the tires would behave, but they surprised us. It made for an exciting race, trying to adapt our strategy on the spot. I found parts of the race a bit dull due to caution laps, but we were strong overall. I’m proud of our stage win and fourth-place finish as we look ahead to Loudon next week.”
Tyler Reddick — Fifteenth: “It was a night full of ‘what could have been.’ We had a solid performance early but burned through our tires too quickly at the beginning. After falling a lap down, it was a struggle to get back on track. Our team did a good job, but caution cycles set us back throughout the night.”
Chase Elliott — Thirty-eighth: “I tried to preserve my tires while getting back in line after a position loss. I don’t know if another driver hit me, or if it was just a traffic issue, but that changed everything. We’re in a tricky situation now, and I’m hoping for some luck moving forward.”
Josh Berry — Thirty-ninth: “I noticed smoke before we pitted and tried to hold out, but it got worse. It’s disappointing because we had a strong car and were headed for a good race. The fire seemed to stay in the fender, which is a relief, but it was still frustrating. We’ve had decent performances lately, but haven’t been able to convert them into results.”
