Bollman Fights at the Front as Bristol Sets Up Championship Finale

Jake Bollman and Nitro Motorsports continued their championship push Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, bringing home a sixth-place finish in the Bush’s Best 200.

The No. 20 Nitro Motorsports Toyota was competitive from the drop of the green. After qualifying fourth, Bollman quickly established himself among the leaders and moved into second, where he spent much of the opening portion of the 200-lap event. The speed was there for Bollman to challenge at the front as the championship battle entered its penultimate race.

As the race progressed and temperatures cooled at Bristol, however, the handling of the No. 20 began to change. The team was unable to adjust enough to compensate for the changing track conditions, and Bollman gradually lost the speed that had allowed him to run near the front earlier in the night.

Despite losing some of his early-race pace, Bollman continued to fight for position and brought the car home sixth. It was another top-ten finish in a season that has seen the No. 20 consistently remain near the front of the ARCA Menards Series standings.

More importantly, Bollman was able to gain ground in the championship. Bollman was able to add three points to his advantage and increase his championship lead to 16 points heading into the season finale.

After a night that saw the No. 20 show the speed to run at the front but lose some of that performance as the track changed, Bollman leaves Bristol with the championship lead intact and a 16-point cushion heading into the final race of the season.

One race remains, with the championship on the line at Kansas.