Posted on by Holly Cain

LEBANON, Tenn. — John Hunter Nemechek survived a steamy hot afternoon and held off a highly motivated field to win the Tennessee Lottery 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday afternoon.

It’s the second Xfinity Series win of the season for Nemechek in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota — and 11th of his career in the series. The 27-year-old North Carolinian won Stage 2 and led a race-best 76 of the 188 laps, including the final 46, after taking the lead on a restart from Cole Custer, who navigated a corner too high, allowing Nemechek to get by.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

“Feels good to be back in the 20 machine, we’ve been close to winning a lot this year in this thing,’’ said Nemechek, who will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Nashville on Sunday when he competes in his full-time ride, the No. 42 Toyota for Legacy Motor Club. “Being able to capitalize on it is huge. … It’s great to get it done here in Nashville.”

It was a Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2 with Nemechek’s teammate Chandler Smith rallying to a runner-up finish — 0.366 seconds behind Nemechek — on a day that left many in the field standing outside their cars on pit road after the checkered flag taking water and resting after in-car temperatures neared 130 degrees. Several of the drivers either didn’t wear a “cool suit” or had malfunctions with the ones they did use.

Much of the hard work came from the rear of the starting grid, where championship contenders such as Jesse Love, Austin Hill and Sheldon Creed rallied to race up front after starting from the rear for unapproved pre-race adjustments.

WATCH: Nemechek discusses Xfinity performance at Nashville

Creed’s No. 18 JGR Toyota ran among the top 10 after starting at the back of the 38-car field, only to have engine issues in the closing laps.

Richard Childress Racing teammates Love and Hill had impressive hard-earned finishes in their Chevrolets despite the weather challenges and positions on the starting grid — rallying to third- and fourth-place finishes, respectively.

NASCAR Cup Series regular and former Xfinity Series title contender Noah Gragson rounded out the top five in the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford – his second start in the car this season.

“I have no idea,’’ a smiling Love said of how he passed 69 cars on the day and finished top five when his cool suit was not working properly.

“Just proud to be part of a team that doesn’t give up,” he continued. “That was probably the hottest I’ve ever been. Just proud of my guys.”

Another driver suffering from the heat when his cool suit didn’t work was Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst, who still managed a sixth-place finish despite the circumstances. The 2023 Nashville race winner, AJ Allmendinger, finished seventh, followed by Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer and Sam Mayer.

MORE: Weekend schedule: Nashville

Custer holds on to the Xfinity Series championship lead by 15 points over Chandler Smith but was — as expected — frustrated not to come away with his first victory of the season after leading an impressive 64 laps himself. He fell all the way back to fifth, losing the lead to Nemechek on that race-deciding restart and ultimately had his work cut out to stay among the top 10.

“I think I overdrove on that restart a little bit into Turn 1,’’ said Custer, who started second in Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 00 Ford. “There’s a couple things I could have done better. Everyone’s got dirty air, and man, it was hard to make speed. I felt like we were solid when we were in the top three cars, but once we got back there, it was tough to get the car to handle.

“I can’t say enough about our guys. We’re bringing cars that compete for wins every week, it’s just heartbreaking every week not to win. We’re bringing good cars and leading laps, we’ll get it eventually. We’ll keep digging.”

Xfinity teammates Ty Gibbs and Nemechek divided the stage wins, but Gibbs dropped from victory contention in a final-stage incident. A nudge from the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Justin Allgaier sent Gibbs’ No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota spinning into the Turn 4 wall on Lap 135. Allgaier managed to recover for a top-10 result, and Gibbs continued for a 20th-place finish.

The Xfinity Series’ next race is The Loop 110, part of Chicago Street Race Weekend. The 50-lap, 110-mile event through the streets of the Windy City is scheduled Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. ET start (NBC, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Note: NASCAR Xfinity Series post-race inspection cleared at Nashville Superspeedway without issue, confirming Nemechek as the race winner.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

LEBANON, Tenn. — Christopher Bell has reached the Championship 4 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in the last two seasons.

However, no driver has made their path more difficult to reach the title round than the fifth-year veteran.

Each of the past two campaigns featured single victories for Bell during the regular season, each enough to get the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team into the postseason. What followed were a pair of marches into the Championship 4 courtesy of clutch, round-ending triumphs, propelling Bell toward an opportunity to win the Bill France Cup. Consider an NHL team having to win multiple Game 7s to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Those are the odds Bell overcame in each of the past two playoff runs.

Rousing victories from Bell at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course and Martinsville Speedway two years ago netted his first title berth at Phoenix Raceway, while a 66-minute swing last year at Homestead-Miami Speedway opened the door for the Norman, Oklahoma native to receive a November desert sequel.

Despite coming up short in both opportunities, Bell has responded in 2024 with three wins in the regular season, the first time he’s done so at the Cup level.

It’s this type of season Bell has waited for.

RELATED: Nashville schedule | Cup standings

“Oh my gosh, man, we’ve been trying to work towards this for the last three years,” Bell said. “And it feels very, very rewarding to have playoff points in the bank right now, and we’ve still got a great opportunity to get more, so this is what everybody wants in the regular season is to get out of here with a bunch of playoff points. It feels much different than what we’ve had in the past, that’s for sure.”

Through the first half of the 2024 regular season, it appeared as though Bell was primed for another single victory to carry him into the playoffs, but a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 and last week’s outclassing of the field have netted Bell 22 playoff points so far, including the seven stage wins.

With a win at Phoenix in March, a mistake-free postseason for the No. 20 crew could lead to a trilogy for Bell that ends with him hoisting that elusive championship trophy.

“It just goes to show that it can happen at any point,” Bell said. “Before Charlotte, I think I had six [playoff points], maybe. And then at Charlotte, I was able to win the race, win a couple stages, and that bumped me up into the teens. So it doesn’t take much to get a big boost in the playoff points. So, hopefully, we can keep stacking them up, and that’s what we’re here for. It feels nice to finally be running how I feel like this 20 car should be running.”

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

LEBANON, Tenn. — Eight races remain before the 16-driver field will be set for the Cup Series Playoffs beginning at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September.

While there are still many opportunities for drivers on the outside looking in to work their way into the postseason picture, the trends say it’s nearly impossible at this point in the calendar for those to work their way into the playoffs solely on points.

Since the introduction of stage racing in 2017, only three drivers have accomplished the task and only did so with a minute three-point gap or less to the elimination line.

Racing Insights chart
Provided by Racing Insights

Bubba Wallace, who sits 17th in the playoff standings 13 points back of Joey Logano for 16th, is the only active driver to make it in on points and did so just last season.

The last five weeks have been rough for the No. 23 23XI Racing team as Wallace hasn’t scored a top 10 and was involved in a multicar wreck last Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, taking him out of the provisional playoff grid. He sees Nashville as a place where he and his crew can rebound.

RELATED: Nashville Cup lineup | Cup playoff standings

“One bad race last weekend took us out thanks to ole’ [Noah] Gragson but we just got to throw that behind us, focus on (Sunday),” Wallace said. “We’ve been really good here (at Nashville). We haven’t had a green race here though. So that’s what we’re focused on. We’ve said that a lot this week, is having a green race here, showing up with speed. Didn’t get the good qualifying draw, but it is what it is. We didn’t crash. We learned a lot about the car in practice and that’s what we’re focused on.”

Someone having an even worse stretch in the early weeks of summer is two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch.

The longtime veteran can’t seem to shake off the miserable woes that have struck the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing team. Despite showing speed capable of top-10 results (minus Loudon), Busch has DNF’d in three of the last four events. In that span, Busch was in line for a top-five performance before being spun on the final lap at Sonoma by Ross Chastain.

RELATED: Inside the numbers on Busch’s slump, potential comeback

On Saturday, he stressed the challenge drivers face while trying to inch their way back into the battle for the Bill France Cup given how the midpack can change abruptly from race to race.

“Everybody in that spot, 12th place through 20th, can be so random each week that you’re battling for those points in positions and stage points, everything throughout the day, everything throughout the race going into every weekend,” Busch said. “Like it’s just those eight to 10 guys are on top of one another and it’s hard to make point advantages because one week you might be 12th, the next you might be 22nd and the other guy was 20th and now he’s 12th. So he’s net ahead. So that’s why it’s difficult.”

Kyle Busch and Bubba Wallace compete in a NASCAR race.
James Gilbert | Getty Images

On the flip side of results, Chris Buescher has been in contention to win races multiple times this season. From being on the short end of the closest finish in Cup Series history to contact for the lead and cutting a tire at Darlington, Buescher’s fate seems to be handled by everyone except for himself.

However, the 31-year-old driver has built a stable 50-point cushion to the elimination line with top fives at Sonoma (including a stage win) and New Hampshire.

MORE: Winning may be only way into postseason

But points are not on the mind of Buescher as he’s craving to return to Victory Lane for the first time since the regular-season finale at Daytona last year.

“We haven’t even thought about the point side of it honestly,” Buescher said. “It’s been figuring out how to win a race. Honestly, it just feels like that’s what it’s gonna take. With us included, there’s some fast race cars from this year that have been very close and haven’t been able to seal the deal. Knowing that, I don’t think we can sit here and think that points are going to do it for us.

“I don’t like points racing generally anyway. But I think we’re mainly on the same boat that we all agree that what it’s going to take is going to be more than a stage point or two here or there.”

There could be consolation for Buescher as his three wins in 2023 all came in the final five weeks of the regular season but he would prefer it to come before pressure mounted.

“Certainly wanted to win them earlier this year,” Buescher said. “That was our big goal was, ‘how do we fire off this season more competitive?’ and we did that. We were significantly more competitive to fire off this year than last and we came close a lot of times here so we accomplished part of that goal but the second half of that was win races early so that we’re not heading into summer stretch with the stresses of our situation.”

Still, a lot of time remains between Nashville and the checkered flag at Darlington but for those not currently in the playoff picture, an uphill climb remains and with a plethora of unique tracks waiting in the wings, those still within reach need to start producing on the right side of the results sheet.

“Fast cars cure all,” Busch said. “Being able to have confidence and to go out there and run hard and run fast and put myself in positions to win, that’ll certainly make a lot of gains and make everybody happy.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

LEBANON, Tenn. — Stewart-Haas Racing’s Josh Berry comes to Nashville after tying his best showing of the season with a third-place finish at New Hampshire last week. The Tennessee native holds high hopes for his NASCAR Cup Series race at his home-state venue and for his chances to win before the Playoffs start Sept. 8 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The four-car SHR team — as it has operated — announced it would be dissolving at the end of the year, and Berry, along with teammates Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece, are now left to find work elsewhere. Joe Gibbs Racing announced this week that in 2025, Briscoe will fill the seat of the No. 19 Toyota left by retiring driver Martin Truex Jr. The other drivers, however, are still racing for their futures.

RELATED: Sunday’s starting lineup | At-track photos

Berry, in his first full season of NASCAR Cup Series competition, believes he won’t only make the playoffs based on points but can win a race. He also enters Sunday’s Ally 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) optimistic about being able to stay in NASCAR’s premier series going forward, encouraged by his recent pace — four top-10 finishes in the last six weeks.

“I feel good about having a spot in the Cup Series next year, I think our results have been really strong the last couple months,’’ said Berry, who has two top-five finishes in three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Nashville. “I don’t really know other than winning a race at this point is all I can do. We’ve finished in the top five, we’ve led laps, we’ve shown the potential of what we can do. I think that’s been a big confidence boost for me and I really think the whole situation for myself and my team, you really find out a lot about yourself when your back is against the wall and everyone’s performing at a really high level.

“We’re fighting together. I’m at my best when my back is against the wall, and I have to perform.”

Berry matched a career-best in Saturday’s Cup Series qualifying by earning the second starting spot for Sunday’s 300-lap event.

Posted on by Dustin Albino

It’s no surprise to see Joe Gibbs Racing be lights out in qualifying. Denny Hamlin won his second pole of the season at Nashville Superspeedway — and it wasn’t even close. The No. 11 Toyota was nearly a tenth of a second faster than second-best Christopher Bell. With the new qualifying procedure by groups, Bell will line up third. Josh Berry was the fastest of the Group A cars in the final round of qualifying, tying his best career starting position of second.

RELATED: Set your Fantasy Live lineups 

Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:

Starter 1: Brad Keselowski
Starter 2: Tyler Reddick
Starter 3: Ty Gibbs
Starter 4: Chase Elliott
Starter 5: Josh Berry
Garage pick: Ross Chastain

NEXT IN LINE: Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, William Byron

RISING: With three straight finishes of 24th or worse, Hamlin has fallen to third in the Regular Season Championship standings, 40 points behind the Hendrick Motorsports teammates of Elliott and Larson. The No. 11 car was in another zip code in qualifying and Hamlin believes his car is better at Nashville than it was last year, when he led 81 laps and finished third. Looking ahead, though, Hamlin has some of his best race tracks on the circuit coming later in the regular season at Pocono, Richmond and Darlington, so I’ve got to save him here. If you have at least four starts remaining for him, I’d advise you to start him this weekend. I’m right below that threshold at three starts left.

It took nearly a third of the way into Berry’s rookie season, but it’s no longer unexpected to see the No. 4 car run toward the front of the field. Since finishing third at Darlington Raceway in mid-May, Berry has four top-10 finishes across the last six Cup events. Rodney Childers is the mastermind atop the pit box, and the veteran crew chief had a car capable of winning last year’s Nashville race with Kevin Harvick, but a tire puncture foiled the No. 4 team’s bid late in the race. Berry tied his best qualifying effort of second.

Josh Berry's No. 4 Ford speeds down the frontstretch at Nashville Superspeedway
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR Digital Media

FALLING: When NASCAR visits Nashville, the stakes become higher for Trackhouse Racing. Team owner Justin Marks is based out of Nashville and once aspired of building the team from “Music City.” Last year, Chastain had a dream weekend, scoring the team’s first career pole and dominating the race on the way to victory. Chastain should still be considered for lineups because he has yet to finish outside the top five in three starts and was second on 10-lap averages in practice. However, Daniel Suárez’s trying season continues. The No. 99 car was ranked 33rd in practice and only improved two spots for qualifying.

When Joey Logano was involved in an accident early during the final stage of last week’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, he missed out on a prime opportunity to have a monster points day while racing on the playoff bubble. Fast forward nearly a week and the No. 22 team is trending down entering Sunday’s race, as he will take the green flag from 26th position. Penske’s downfall this season has been intermediate venues, which Nashville certainly falls under. Logano, who has a pair of top 10s in the three Nashville races, has dropped from my lineup.

FEATURED MATCHUPS:

Christopher Bell vs. William Byron: The battle of two heavyweights is one where realistically either driver could win the race. Similarly to my situation with Hamlin, a lack of uses is why neither Bell nor Byron is in my lineup this weekend. I’m at an even bigger deficit with Bell, only having two starts left over the final eight races. Comparing these two, though, I’m leaning toward the No. 20 car. Bell has been on a tear with two wins and no finish worse than ninth in the last five races.

Ross Chastain vs. Martin Truex Jr.: It feels like Chastain and Truex are having similar seasons, in that both should be running better. Truex has had issues finishing races where he’s ran, while Chastain always maximizes the No. 1 car’s performance. Chastain is where I’m leaning.

Denny Hamlin vs. Chase Elliott: This is going to be one of those rare times that despite a driver being in my lineup, I’m going in the opposite direction for the matchup. In every metric, Hamlin seemed to have one of the best cars on Saturday at Nashville. Elliott is a contender, but not sure that he’s a match for the No. 11 car.

Chris Buescher vs. Tyler Reddick: Shame on me for not having any RFK Racing drivers in my lineup earlier this week. Keselowski and Buescher have been the best of the Ford bunch on intermediate tracks this season, and that continued Saturday at Nashville. Despite that, Reddick also appeared to have one of the best cars in the field, so I’m staying chalk with the No. 45 car.

Posted on by Staff Report

Bubba Wallace is keeping his mind on racing and ignoring any outside distractions.

According to a midweek report by The Athletic, Wallace and Aric Almirola had a physical altercation during a competition meeting among Toyota drivers ahead of last month’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Wallace races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for 23XI Racing, while Almirola competes on a part-time basis for Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity Series program.

The report stated Almirola was viewed as instigator of the dispute, and the 40-year-old has not competed since the incident took place as the result of a team suspension. Almirola is set to return to the team’s No. 20 entry in the July 20 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Joe Gibbs Racing did not return a request for comment on the situation. A Toyota Racing spokesperson also declined comment.

MORE: Cup standings | Nashville starting lineup

Wallace spoke briefly about the ordeal Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway but ultimately did not disclose what took place.

“They don’t want me to get into details to keep some people’s images good,” Wallace said. “I think I said enough at Charlotte last year, so all in all, life is good for me. That (expletive) happened over a month ago, and a lot of good’s come my way. And that’s what I’m focused on. I’m focused on getting our stuff turned back around. And you know, off the race track, I’m focused on my wife and baby boy that’s growing and growing. And so that’s all you can really ask for. So things are good for me off track. Not so much on track. That’s what we’re focused on right now.”

Denny Hamlin, team co-owner of 23XI Racing and full-time racer for JGR, also addressed the circumstances Saturday.

“I don’t really have a comment on it because I wasn’t there at the time,” said Hamlin, who qualified on pole for Sunday’s race at Nashville. “So I don’t know what all transpired. It’s all hearsay from my standpoint. And at 23XI, we let Joe Gibbs Racing handle it and they did what they saw fit. Again, I don’t know all the details because I didn’t want to get too much into the personal business, and I still don’t.”

As Wallace referenced, he and Almirola got into a separate altercation at Charlotte during the 2023 Coca-Cola 600. After exiting their cars during a rain delay, Almirola confronted Wallace, and the duo exchanged words, eventually escalating as Almirola shoved Wallace on the pit road. The race resumed without further issue between the two, but Almirola said he took issue with Wallace racing him “dirty.”

RELATED: Wallace, Almirola on 2023 scuffle

Wallace made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2017 by filling in for Almirola in the No. 43 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports at Pocono Raceway while Almirola was sidelined with a back injury.

Almirola stepped away from full-time Cup racing at the end of the 2023 season after 12 full seasons, his career at the top level dating back to 2007. After spending his final six seasons in Cup with Stewart-Haas Racing driving its No. 10 Ford, Almirola reunited with JGR this season for a part-time Xfinity campaign, resulting in an April win at Martinsville Speedway. Before leaping to Cup, Almirola began his Xfinity career with Gibbs in 2006.

Contributing: Cameron Richardson

Posted on by Zack Albert

Ally 400

(⏰ Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET | NBC | NBC Sports App | PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | NASCAR 101

Location: Lebanon, Tenn.
Track length: 1.33 mile
Race purse: $8,915,372
Race distance: 300 laps | 399 miles
Stages: 90 | 185 | 300
—
Starting lineup: Denny Hamlin to lead field to green Sunday
Pit stall assignments: See where drivers will pit
Defending winner: Ross Chastain, June 2023 | NASCAR’s history in Nashville

Key things to watch

Saturday sessions

Denny Hamlin sped to his second Busch Light Pole of the season with a 160.354-mph lap in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. It’s his second Nashville pole in the last three years and his 42nd in his career — good for 13th on the NASCAR Cup Series’ all-time list.

Joe Gibbs Racing cars were also fast in practice as Ty Gibbs set the pace in the 20-minute session, notching a 159.287-mph lap in the No. 54 JGR Toyota. Ryan Blaney was second-fastest, Bubba Wallace third on the speed chart and Blaney tops in the consecutive 10-lap averages category. | Practice results

Big story line

Four-car breakaway in season’s first half

The 2024 Cup Series campaign officially turned past the halfway point after last weekend’s event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and for the first time after 18 races, there are four three-time winners at the top of the heap — Christopher Bell, William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. Bell joined the group last weekend with his NHMS victory, placing him among the quartet atop the Cup Series Playoffs picture. The six drivers just below them in those standings — Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Daniel Suárez — are all one-time winners this year.

With 18 races left on the Cup Series schedule and 10 winners on the books, there’s still plenty to be decided in the eight-race span between now and the regular-season finale at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 1. Six playoff berths are still waiting to be unlocked, and Martin Truex Jr. has the highest points total without a victory. Closer to the bubble, the provisional elimination line is a volatile place. Joey Logano vaulted above it last week, supplanting Bubba Wallace, who tumbled out after a crash and now faces a 13-point deficit to climb his way back in.

Two drivers currently outside the top 16 in Cup Series points have won races this year, with Daniel Suárez (18th place) and Austin Cindric (21st) getting the inside track to the postseason hunt. Another such winner below the top side of the bubble would make the elimination squeeze that much tighter.

Further up the playoff pack, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Elliott and Larson head to Nashville tied atop the Cup Series standings. Both are former Nashville Superspeedway winners, and the path to the Regular Season Championship and its 15 playoff-point bonus goes through them — for now, at least. Hamlin lurks in third place, 40 points back, with designs on passing them both if he gets hot in the summer stretch.

TICKETS: Don’t miss the July 7 Chicago Street Race

History tells us…

So far at Nashville, it’s Chevrolet. The Cup Series history books at Nashville Superspeedway still might come in pamphlet form, but even with the smaller sample size, it’s a 3-for-3 sweep for Chevrolet drivers in Victory Lane at the 1.33-mile track. Larson was first to the winner’s commemorative guitar in 2021, followed by teammate Elliott the next year. Last season’s laurels landed on Ross Chastain, who started from the pole position and led 99 of the 300 laps, including the final 34 in Trackhouse Racing’s No. 1 Camaro.

Positive indicators for Nashville still exist for the Cup Series’ other two manufacturers. Toyota drivers have been runner-up in the two most recent Nashville events, and Ford has enjoyed a modest turnaround after going winless in the first 12 races this year, with Mustang drivers winning three of the last six events.

Nashville’s history also shows a potential trend for qualifying’s bearing on the results. All three Cup Series winners at Nashville have driven to victory from a top-five starting spot.

He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…

JOSH BERRY. Sunday’s 300-lapper will mark Berry’s first Cup Series start at Nashville, but there hasn’t been much of the typical rookie learning curve in his most recent stretch. Berry is fresh from finishes of seventh at Iowa and third last weekend at New Hampshire, results that stand in sharp contrast to his 55-1 opening odds (13-1 odds on race day).

Though the Stewart-Haas Racing operation is closing down at season’s end, Berry isn’t going out with a whimper, registering four top-10 finishes in the last six races. It’s been a promising audition for a ride next season, and Berry has even more motivation this weekend to perform in front of a hometown crowd. The 33-year-old driver hails from Hendersonville, Tennessee — just northeast of Music City. He’ll take the green flag on the front row in the second starting position Sunday. | Nashville odds

Speed reads

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Fresh face for No. 19: Chase Briscoe to join Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025 | Read article
• Against the odds: Inside Briscoe’s career arc: ‘There was a miracle in there’ | Read article
• Larson on Briscoe’s move: No. 5 driver razzes Bell, sizes up new-look JGR | Read article
• Reversing course: Inside Kyle Busch’s quest to shake recent skid | Read article
• The award goes to …: Ryan Blaney nominated for Best Driver ESPY | Read article
• Watkins Glen go-around: Tire test produces different options, eventful spins | Read article
• Streak, for starters: Chase Elliott, all top 20s so far in 2024 | Photo gallery
• NASCAR Salutes: Michael McDowell pays Fort Campbell a visit | Read article
• Nashville’s pickers: Active Cup Series drivers with wins at Nashville Superspeedway | Photo gallery
• Power Rankings: Leaning into Larson’s talent in Tennessee | Photo gallery
• Turning Point: Bell’s ascent, plus the narrowing path for playoff eligibility | Read article
• Racing Insights: A 1-2 punch for JGR? Inside our experts’ projections | Read article
• Field of 16: How the projected playoff picture shakes out with eyes on Nashville | Read article
• 36 for 36: Check out this week’s survivor pool picks | Read article
• Fantasy Update: Sit vs. start on debate Hamlin, plus Berry’s rise |Read article
• NASCAR Classics: Some Music City memories from our video archives | Read article
• Paint Scheme Preview: Fresh designs are the Tennessee type | Pick your favorite

Fast facts ⏩

Race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Pole-starter Denny Hamlin has won the last three Cup Series races on concrete-surfaced tracks — most recently at Dover (April 2024) and the last two at Bristol (March 2024 and September 2023).
• A trio of three-time winners from last season have yet to win this season: Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.
• Three drivers have been running at the finish in every race this season: Chase Elliott, Daniel Hemric and Martin Truex Jr.

Posted on by Holly Cain

LEBANON, Tenn. – Denny Hamlin claimed his second pole position of the season and 42nd of his decorated career Saturday afternoon, just bettering his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell to earn the top starting position for Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Hamlin’s No. 11 JGR Toyota turned a fast lap of 160.354 mph (29.859 seconds) around the 1.33-mile oval – only .095-second faster than Bell – to claim his second Nashville pole position in the four races the track has hosted.

RELATED: Starting lineup | Weekend schedule

“Felt pretty good about it all day,” the 43-year-old Hamlin said, “seems like we definitely have fixed some of the things we weren’t very good with last year. I definitely feel pretty good about it and we’ll certainly work on it overnight to make it a little bit better and I feel pretty confident that tomorrow we’ll be in contention.”

With a new format to set the starting grid, it puts the pole winner in position one and divides the remaining drivers through the first five rows by speed and qualifying group, so Stewart-Haas Racing’s Josh Berry – who was third-quickest – will start his No. 4 Ford on the outside of the front row Sunday. Bell will start third.

Hamlin is hoping the good starting position will translate into a solid finishing position. The three-race winner this season has finished 24th or worse in the last three races and is ready to get back on track before the summer break in competition in three weeks. Hamlin has a pair of top-10 finishes in the three-race Nashville Superspeedway history, including a best showing of third place last year.

Bell will start on the second row alongside Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, who co-leads the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings with his Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott and was fastest in the Group A first-round qualifiers.

RFK Racing owner/driver Brad Keselowski will start alongside 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick on Row 3 with Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs on the fourth row and RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric starting their Fords on Row 5. It’s the best start for Buescher in the last six weeks.

Defending race winner Ross Chastain will roll off 20th. Elliott will start 13th.

Justin Haley’s Rick Ware Racing team was penalized Saturday for an unapproved adjustment that NASCAR officials noted after the No. 51 Ford had passed inspection. NASCAR officials did not allow the team to post a qualifying time, stripped the team of pit-stall selection and ejected car chief JR Norris for the rest of the Nashville weekend.

Haley will start at the rear of the 38-car field, and he will have to make a pass through pit road at the speed limit after Sunday’s green flag.

Gibbs fastest in Cup Series practice

Ty Gibbs set the pace in Saturday afternoon’s practice session, posting a 159.287-mph lap at Nashville Superspeedway.

Gibbs went out in the first of two groups, with the 38-car field split into a pair of 20-minute sessions. His Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota was 0.163 seconds ahead of Ryan Blaney, who was second-fastest in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford at 158.428 mph.

MORE: Practice results | At-track photos: Nashville

Bubba Wallace posted the third-best lap at 158.250 mph. Defending race winner Ross Chastain was fourth with Todd Gilliland completing the top five.

Blaney was fastest in the consecutive 10-lap averages category, showing longer-run speed in his No. 12 Ford. Chastain was second-best on the 10-lap averages chart, with Wallace third in that category.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

LEBANON, Tenn. — Highs and lows are bound to happen during a long NASCAR season, and that’s been the case for Rajah Caruth in his sophomore Craftsman Truck Series campaign.

After going six races without a top-10 result, the 22-year-old driver held a pretty wheel for 150 laps around Nashville Superspeedway Friday night to finish fourth, his best since his rousing victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

“Glad to just kind of have something go our way there,” Caruth said after the race. “Not the best restarts all night. I’d be really loose on stickers and then after a heat cycle, I was just tight, especially in Turn 1. Everywhere else, I’ll be alright, so I just gave up a lot on restarts. My pit crew did amazing tonight, and I’m so proud of those guys. They’ve put in good work at practice the last month or so, and it really showed tonight. So we just got to keep improving and and put on for HendrickCars.com and Spire and everybody at Team Chevy.”

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

While Caruth remained in the top five for most of the race, it was Christian Eckes putting on one of the most dominant races in series history, leading all 150 circuits around the 1.33-mile concrete oval. He’s the first driver in the Truck Series to lead every lap in an event since Timothy Peters at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2012.

“You know they did really good with their setup,” Caruth said. “I think a lot of the field went how we went last year. The McAnally trucks, we shared a lot of stuff at GMS, and I know we went similar, and the stuff’s fast, and he did a mistake-free night, so he definitely deserved it. I’m just fighting to get back into that conversation on a weekly basis.”

Despite not having a shot at battling Eckes for the race win, Caruth will take the result as much-needed momentum with the Truck Series Playoffs just three races away.

It will also allow for the No. 71 Spire Motorsports team to celebrate and bask in the upcoming Independence Day holiday next week.

“I’m just more pumped for my guys,” Caruth said. “Everybody worked so hard. You sit for a week, and to feel good about something for the Fourth of July for them to celebrate with their families. I feel pretty good about it.”

A month off the circuit will have any driver antsy to get back on track and find success. But Caruth added that he doesn’t walk into a track thinking ‘I’m owed’ given his recent results but Nashville puts Caruth back as someone to watch ahead of the 10-driver fight for the championship, beginning at the Milwaukee Mile in August.

“We’re not back. We’re better,” Caruth said. “So hopefully, we can take that into the playoffs.”