Overview

• Severe right‑side cording emerged about 25 laps into the night, forcing teams into tire‑saving strategies as Goodyear added a set for each car, bringing the weekend allotment to 12.
• The event featured 14 cautions and 36 lead changes, a stark contrast to the spring race and a direct byproduct of shifting tire life and strategy windows.
• Bell seized control on a late restart on fresher rubber and withstood Brad Keselowski’s bumper tap, highlighting how the Next Gen car blunts the classic bump‑and‑run.
• Pit‑road miscues reshaped the playoff picture, with Austin Dillon’s early speeding penalty contributing to his elimination and Denny Hamlin absorbing three penalties including a loose wheel that is expected to trigger crew suspensions pending NASCAR’s report.
• Opinions diverged after the race, as Hendrick’s Rudy Fugle questioned the tire plan and Bristol’s target style of racing while insiders such as Jeff Gluck defended heavy tire wear as a valid competitive variable.