Bass Pro Shops

Bristol, Tenn. – September 11, 2026 -- Brad Pitt will serve as Grand Marshal for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Bristol Motor Speedway, appearing alongside Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris six days before Pitt's new film opens in theaters.

The Academy Award-winning actor and producer will take part in Bristol's pre-race ceremonies and help give the command to fire engines before the NASCAR Cup Series race begins under the lights at 7:30 p.m. ET. It marks the third race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase, a 500-lap event on Bristol's 0.533-mile concrete oval.

Clayton, N.Y. – September 03, 2026 -- Georgia pro Caleb Hudson has won the 2026 Pro-Guide Batteries Elite Series Rookie of the Year title, finishing the season with 621 points and a $10,000 bonus.

The 24-year-old edged Alabama's Fisher Anaya by just two points, with Pake South of Texas finishing third at 569 points. Hudson took the points lead after the circuit's second stop and held it through the rest of the season, but the race stayed tight until the final day on the St. Lawrence River.