BTT: All the king’s horses and all the king’s men showed… but the King of Bristol himself was nowhere to be found

AJ Binish, who has dominated at Bristol with most laps led and 3 wins in prior seasons and earned the nickname “The King of Bristol” for his unmatched win record, was a no-show at the very track he’s ruled in past seasons. His absence left the throne wide open—and the challengers came to de throne the king.

27 Drivers take the green flag as our pole sitter George Jewel leads the field for 175 laps at the coliseum

Lap 5: Trouble Early at the Front

Zachary Williams in the #89 tried a crossover move on Jake Johnson’s #977 off the corner, but misjudged the angle and clipped Johnson’s left rear quarter panel. The contact triggered a chain reaction that also collected Jon Carden (#17) and Troy Sande (#996), bringing out the night’s first caution.

Two racing trucks in a competitive positioning on a track, with the truck numbered 977 in orange and the truck numbered 89 in a colorful bubble gum design.

Two racing trucks in close competition on a racetrack, one orange truck labeled '977' and one white truck labeled '17', with sparks flying from the contact between them.

Under Caution: More Chaos Unfolds

While the field paced under yellow, Gerald Rose (#951) lost control while merging up from the apron, snapping loose and slamming head-on into the outside wall. Behind him, Michael Benton (#69) took evasive action to avoid the spinning truck but ended up careening into the inside wall nose-first. Benton was forced to tow, a costly blow to his night before racing had even resumed.

Lap 15: Trouble for Keeger

Just ten laps after the initial incident, Chuck Keeger lost control of his truck off the corner and slammed the inside wall. The contact was hard enough to trigger the dreaded meatball flag—a required pit stop for damage repairs—effectively derailing Keeger’s race before it could settle into a rhythm.

Lap 24: Rendo’s Wild Ride

Nicholas Rendo hammered the outside wall on Lap 24, earning himself a meatball flag. The real drama, though, came in the moments after. Stuck riding the high line with a wounded truck, Rendo couldn’t find a gap to drop safely to the apron—creating a rolling hazard for the rest of the field. At a place like Bristol, where traffic never stops, every second he remained pinned up high felt like a potential disaster.

A racing scene depicting a truck crashed against the wall at Bristol Motor Speedway, with sparks flying from the impact and other trucks visible in the background.

Two racing trucks competing closely on a dirt track, with one truck in black and the other in white and green, showcasing the excitement of a nighttime race.

Lap 35: Too Close for Comfort

As the field settled into a rhythm, the #19 of Joseph Amato and the #977 of Jake Johnson got a little too cozy. Battling side-by-side, both trucks ran out of real estate and made extended contact—with each other and the concrete wall. It was the kind of Bristol moment where determination outweighs discretion, and neither driver was willing to lift.

Lap 66: A Championship-Caliber Save

At the sharp end of the field, Jaron Valley and Joseph Vulpis locked horns in a tense battle for the lead. The racing was tight, and it nearly came undone when contact nearly sent one of them spinning. It was a close call for Vulpis—the eventual winner—and a moment that could’ve changed the entire complexion of the race had it gone the other way.

A group of racing trucks competes closely on a banked track at night, with a focus on a yellow truck leading the pack and a red truck closely following.

Lap 68: The Big One Hits Bristol

Just two laps after his close call, Joseph Vulpis tagged the outside wall again—this time with far worse consequences. His battered machine bounced down into the path of David Owens, who was forced to lift and slid loose onto the apron. That sudden shakeup caused a massive stack-up behind them.

Four trucks racing closely together on the track, with one truck visibly leading while others attempt to overtake.

A competitive scene at a NASCAR race featuring multiple trucks racing on a track, with a large crowd in the stands.

As the field tried to scramble and react, Chris Smith (#37) clipped the left rear of Thomas Fox’s #57, triggering a chain reaction that collected a swath of the field. When the smoke cleared, eight trucks were involved: Vulpis, Owens, Smith, Rose, Pfeiffer, Carden, Sande, Fox, and Zachary Williams. It was the biggest wreck of the night—and one that reshuffled the entire running order heading into the final stage.

A busy scene at Bristol Motor Speedway during a truck race, with multiple vehicles racing close together under stadium lights and a large crowd in the stands.

Lap 81: One Last Yellow—and a Twist in the Tale

David Owens pushed up the track in Turn 2 and made hard contact with Zachary Williams, sending the #89 into the outside wall and Owens down into the apron. The caution flew once again—but incredibly, it would be the final yellow of the night.

With nearly 90 laps still to run, the field was suddenly thrown into a high-stakes fuel strategy game. Could anyone stretch it to the end? Or would we see heartbreak for those who gambled wrong?

Three race trucks competing close to each other on a track during a NASCAR event, with spectators visible in the background.

Lap 150: A Scare, but No Caution

With the laps winding down and fuel tanks running dry, Jaron Valley—one of the front runners on the edge of making it to the finish—lost control and slapped the wall. Miraculously, the incident didn’t trigger a caution, despite the close call for several trucks nearby. For those gambling on strategy, it was a heart-pounding moment that could’ve flipped the race on its head.

A red and black racing truck number 01 on the track at Bristol Motor Speedway, surrounded by blurred motion and a cheering crowd in the stands.

The Final Stretch: Fuel, Focus, and Vulpis

When the final caution flew on Lap 85, Joseph Vulpis made a bold decision—he topped off his tank and committed to a fuel-saving strategy that would require near-perfect execution. By Lap 104, Vulpis began clutching through the corners, feathering the throttle and coasting into braking zones to stretch every drop of fuel.

We reviewed the onboard, and sure enough, you could hear it: no revs, no panic—just precision. Vulpis was clutching through the corners lap after lap, threading the needle between conservation and pace. While others pushed hard and came up short, Vulpis kept his composure and his tank just full enough.

A racing scene at Bristol Motor Speedway featuring a yellow and black truck number 13 and a white truck in the background, surrounded by a packed grandstand.

After 175 grueling laps at Bristol, Joseph Vulpis rolled across the line with fumes in the tank and the win in hand, just beating a hard charging George Jewel.

Joseph Vulpis celebrating in his #13 truck on the victory lane at Bristol, with a cheering crowd in the background.

Winner’s Circle: Joseph Vulpis Talks Close Calls, Fuel Strategy, and the Future

After surviving 175 grueling laps and stretching a tank of fuel nearly 90 laps, we caught up with Joseph Vulpis in Victory Lane for an exclusive post-race interview.

LWN: Hey Joseph, congrats on the win. Did you have any close calls out there that jeopardized your run?
Joseph: Yeah, Lap 66 was sketchy. Jaron Valley got loose and sandwiched me into the outside wall—gave me a minute of damage.

LWN: Were you able to get that fixed?
Joseph: I got it down to 15 seconds during my last pit stop on Lap 85. That ended up being the final caution of the race, so I ran the last 90 laps on that tank of fuel.

LWN: That’s impressive. I noticed around Lap 104 you began saving fuel. Were you just clutching it, or did you go as far as shutting the truck down?
Joseph: Just clutching. I don’t trust myself to turn it off and back on—especially at Bristol.

LWN: Smart move. Before I let you go—any shout-outs tonight?
Joseph: Yeah, big shout-out to the boys in chat: Justin, Owens, and Amato. Also, shout-out to David Buelle and the rest of the Admins in the BRL—appreciate them continuing on in memory of Dennis Puckett.

LWN: And one final question—not really a rumor, but some in the paddock noticed your name and David Owens’ on the MRL Tuesday roster starting July 15. Is this your final Big Trucking Tuesday race?
Joseph: Interesting question. Officially, I don’t really want to make a comment on that—or what I’ll be doing going forward.

Kevin: Fair enough. Thanks for the time, Joseph—and congrats again.

News so fresh, it still has the stickers on.