See where your favorite driver will pit during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway (7 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
RELATED: Starting lineup | Key story lines, news | At-track photos
LEBANON, Tenn. — A solid effort from Daniel Suárez in NASCAR Cup Series qualifying was quickly erased Saturday when the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro spun and clipped the outside wall.
After limping the car back to pit road and assessing the damage, Suárez was justifiably upset.
“I knew I was loose,” Suárez said. “I was expecting it to be a little better, and I just trusted probably a little too much. I was free, and I just got into the corner a little bit faster than the previous time expecting it to stick, and it didn’t stick.”
RELATED: Starting lineup for Sunday | Photos from Nashville
During practice and qualifying, drivers noticed a bump in the track near Turn 4, leading to a number of spins during Saturday’s session, including Bubba Wallace as he was closing in on the Busch Light Pole.
“There is a bump, but if you are free before you get to the bump, you get to the bump, and you are already spinning out,” Suárez explained. “And I was free before the bump, and then the bump, that’s what made me spin.
“Very unfortunate,” said Suárez. “But yeah, it is what it is. We have to bounce from here.”
Suárez posted the fastest lap in Group A qualifying, preceded by a 16th-place effort in practice on Friday afternoon. The weekend was shaping up to be a solid pre-race effort for both Trackhouse Racing entries, as Ross Chastain landed the organization’s first pole.
Even after the unfortunate incident, Suárez remained optimistic about the speed shown at the team’s home track.
“Right now, the question is are we gonna be able to fix it or not?” asked Suárez rhetorically. “Hopefully, we do. If we can fix the car and the car is the same, we should be fine.”
Mid-afternoon Saturday, the No. 99 team decided to proceed with preparing a backup car for Sunday’s race. Suárez will start at the rear of the field.
LEBANON, Tenn. – Ross Chastain smiled and conceded he had no idea how having the No. 1 pit box selection would be for Sunday’s Ally 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway (7 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
“I’d never had it before,’’ he said smiling.
Chastain certainly earned it with honors on Saturday, claiming the Busch Light Pole in the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet with a blazing fast 160.687 mph lap in qualifying – a full 1 mph better than the field — earning the right to lead the field to green for the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career; the first time a Trackhouse Racing car has ever started on pole.
RELATED: Sunday’s starting lineup | At-track photos
“Definitely qualifying as a whole has not been a strong suit in my life, so a lot of work I’ve put into it and not a lot of payoff, not a lot of reward,’’ the 30-year-old Floridian Chastain said. “Even the times I have put it together in round one, I’ve never been able to put round two together in a way that I’m proud of or I feel I did right by.’’
“And no matter how good the rest of the year goes, I will always have a memory of today,’’ Chastain added with a smile.
Tyler Reddick will start alongside Chastain in the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota. Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley will start third – a career-best effort for the 24-year-old – alongside reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano of Team Penske.
RELATED: Suárez spins, hits wall during qualifying
Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. – ranked second and first in the championship standings, respectively – will start on row three. Their teammates Kyle Larson (Hendrick) and Denny Hamlin (JGR) will roll off seventh and eighth, and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and Chastain’s teammate Daniel Suarez were ninth and 10th in final qualifying. Both Wallace and Suárez spun out during the final session, with the No. 99 having to go to a backup car as a result of contact with the outside wall.
Defending race winner Chase Elliott just missed advancing to the final round and will start his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 14th.
“We’re in Nashville, this is where Trackhouse was formed,’’ Chastain said. “It was started here with [team owner] Justin [Marks] living here. We are Nashville’s team. … to have it happen here is amazing.’’
LEBANON, Tenn. — As far as looking ahead to next week’s highly-anticipated Chicago Street Race, Team Penske driver Austin Cindric was straightforward in his analysis: “It’s a long time coming.”
Cindric has been a perennial force on road courses in his NASCAR career, logging five of his 13 Xfinity Series wins on left-and-right circuits and half of his top-10 finishes in the Cup Series on them. Based on his additional experience racing in IMSA and Australian Grand Prix, among other series, he has a pretty unique perspective of the event.
“As far as an event standpoint, I’ve always loved street-course racing,” Cindric said in an interview Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway. “It’s the same reason why the LA Coliseum has been such a great addition to the schedule, it’s just bringing the party to the people.
“The atmosphere around a street-course race is pretty hard to describe. Think about wherever you live, there’s now race cars driving past where you live. It’s cool that we’re doing it.”
RELATED: Buy tickets for Chicago | More info, see music lineup
When drivers take the green flag for next Sunday’s Cup Series Grant Park 220 (5:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), as Cindric mentioned, the competition will be the latest on a list of exciting venues that have shaken up the schedule.
The 2.2-mile, 12-turn circuit constructed in the heart of the Windy City is a daunting challenge but also an opportunity for winless drivers to capitalize on a perfect playoff opportunity.
And despite the festival-type atmosphere that will be present in Downtown Chicago throughout the weekend, Cindric says fans should expect the regular week-to-week intensity on the track.
MORE: AJ Allmendinger analyzes street circuit
“I’ve driven a lot of street courses, and I really love the kind of aggression and risk involved at those types of race tracks… There’s plenty of wide sections that we can utilize and pass and still be able to have the normal racing that NASCAR fans expect us to have.”
LEBANON, Tenn. — It wasn’t a win, but it was a night to remember for Bayley Currey in Friday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.
Currey, racing a part-time schedule for Niece Motorsports, put together one of the best races of his well-documented NASCAR career, finishing fifth in the No. 41 entry and contending with teammate Carson Hocevar all night who went on to win the 150-lap event.
“I knew firing off we had to execute,” Currey said. “I feel like we got a pretty good start but lost that position to Rajah (Caruth) there but we were able to maintain and really just fighting to maintain the whole night. … We’ll take it. We come home fifth there and put on those two tires hoping to maybe shake some stuff up. But huge thanks to everybody at Niece Motorsports.”
RELATED: Results from Nashville | Best at-track photos
Currey’s last 16 starts in the Truck Series have come with the Al Niece-owned Chevrolet organization, known for success with now-Cup Series driver Ross Chastain and rising star Carson Hocevar, among others. And after the race, the team owner had high praise for Currey’s exceptional effort — and it’s clear the two have a strong bond.
“That’s awesome,” Currey said. “It just gives you the utmost confidence and it’s cool getting to work with Al. His water truck business is about 15 minutes from where I grew up there in Buda, Texas, so it’s cool to kinda have that relationship as well.”
At just 26 years old, the Texas native has already raced at every level of NASCAR, making 12 starts in the Cup Series, 111 in the Xfinity Series and now 37 in the Truck Series.
But his part-time schedule this season is arguably one of his best opportunities. And after a couple of strong showings in his limited starts this season, he’s eager for a chance to run a more consistent schedule and contend for a trip to Victory Lane.
“That’s the hope,” Currey said. “So, Conor Daly will be in [the No. 41 truck] at Mid-Ohio and it’s looking like I’ll be in it the rest of the year. Hopefully if I can keep having runs like this they’ll keep me in it. So I just gotta stay on it, keep the momentum rolling and hopefully we can win one of these things before the year’s over.”
It’s fitting that Currey came to Nashville with hopes of putting on a show to capitalize on his dreams. Friday night’s performance one was he will remember for a long time, even though the win eluded him.
And when asked if it was one of the best performances of his career, he didn’t hesitate to confirm the notion: “Absolutely. Without a doubt.”
Even in defeat, Currey was ecstatic and rather optimistic. He knows if he keeps his focus, his time in the sun will come.
“I’ve been over there with Niece, like I get an opportunity here and opportunity there and it’s just really come together this year with Worldwide Express and everybody over there and Chevrolet really helping us out too,” Currey said. “Being able to have all the resources we have right now, super thankful for that and hopefully we can build on this momentum.”
LEBANON, Tenn. — Carson Hocevar took the lead with 40 laps remaining in Friday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway and held off every challenge necessary in the closing laps — including a frantic push from his competitors on a restart with three laps remaining — to earn his second career victory.
Hocevar held off reigning series champion, Front Row Motorsports’ Zane Smith and Friday’s polesitter Nick Sanchez by a slight 0.271-second margin in a tightly contested final push toward the finish line among the trio. The win for the 20-year-old driver of the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet makes him the fourth multi-race winner of the season. And it’s an impressive fourth consecutive top five for Hocevar.
RELATED: Race results | At-track photos
Interestingly, Hocevar’s first career win came after Smith and Sanchez wrecked at the front of the field on the final lap of double overtime at Texas Motor Speedway. This time, the only drama was the Michigan native’s impressive pace out front in the closing laps.
“I’m so excited I can finally put that other to rest,” Hocevar said of the circumstances of his first win, adding, “and hopefully I can win a lot more races for them (Niece Motorsports).”
Hocevar’s effort earned him not only the one-of-a-kind Nashville winner’s guitar but also an extra $50,000 as part of the Craftsman Truck Series’ Triple Truck Challenge program. He joins Ben Rhodes and Grant Enfinger as the three recipients of the bonus money this season.
Corey Heim and Bayley Currey rounded out the top five on Friday. Heim led the most laps — 57 of the 150 on the night — and won Stage 2 in the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota. He also leads the championship by 16 points over Smith.
Although he missed out on his first trophy, it was still an impressive night for Sanchez, who earned his third pole position of the season.
In the opening laps, Sanchez and Rajah Caruth set the pace out front; the former ARCA teammates and NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduates ran nose-to-tail and door-to-door throughout the opening stage. Sanchez, 22, led the opening 35 laps in his No. 2 Rev Racing Chevrolet. And after multiple spirited duels between the two, the 21-year-old Caruth finally got around Sanchez on Lap 36 to lead his first career lap in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition — only to slow and have to pit his No. 24 GMS Chevrolet a lap later and relinquish the lead due to a fuel pressure issue. He returned to the race many laps down and ultimately settled for a 32nd-place finish.
MORE: Currey fights for fifth-place finish
The opening stage concluded in similar drama when Smith got by Sanchez in the closing laps to claim his second stage win of the season.
“At the end of the day, it was a good points night, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed,’’ Sanchez said.
Chase Purdy, Matt DiBenedetto, Tyler Ankrum, Ben Rhodes and Jake Garcia rounded out the top 10.
It was a tough day for veteran Stewart Friesen, who was involved in two incidents that brought out caution periods. He dropped from ninth to 11th in the standings with only three regular-season races remaining to set the 10-driver playoff field.
Sanchez’s effort at Nashville combined with Friesen’s tough-luck night moved the Miami rookie into that all-important 10th-place position with a six-point advantage on Friesen.
Ty Majeski, who entered Friday’s race at Nashville just one point behind Heim for the Truck Series points lead, also suffered a mechanical woe that put the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford numerous laps down, ultimately relegating Majeski to a 31st-place finish.
The series takes a week off and resumes with some road-course racing July 8 — the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Note: Post-race inspection concluded at Nashville without issue. The No. 15 Toyota was found with one lug nut loose. The Nos. 2, 16 and 38 trucks will be taken back to the NASCAR R&D Center.
LEBANON, Tenn. — The last time Kyle Larson won the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship, he went on to win his first Bill France Cup at Phoenix Raceway in 2021. But as the battle for the regular-season title winds down this time around, Larson finds himself 85 points behind the top spot in the standings and 65 down in one key area — stage points.
Despite a 16.5 average finish, weighed down heavily by five DNFs, Larson has a pair of victories and top-10 finishes in nearly half the races so far heading into Sunday’s contest at Nashville Superspeedway (7 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
RELATED: How to watch NASCAR on NBC, USA Network
But even with the numerous strong finishes, Larson has noticeably had trials throughout the early portions of races that leave him sitting well behind the top contenders in the stage points category — a big factor in the regular-season championship and bonus 15 playoff points. It’s part of the on-track performance that Larson knows can be a key opportunity in the final 10-race stretch before the NASCAR Playoffs.
“We’ve lost quite a bit here lately, we haven’t been able to get any stage points I feel like all season, since the beginning of the year,” Larson said. “If we can start running better in the whole race and not just being there at the end like we have been. I mean, we’ve been contending for wins but stage points and wins is an area that I feel like we’ve lacked in for whatever reason — I don’t know why. But if we can get to racking up more points then yeah, I think we can get up there.
“But the stages are really important and that’s just an area where we’ve lost out on some opportunities.”
Though Larson is tied for fifth (with Kevin Harvick) with 99 stage points through 16 races this season, he trails four drivers who have already broken the 100-point threshold: Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron (164), Ross Chastain (131), Denny Hamlin (122) and Martin Truex Jr. (105). Byron also leads the series with seven stage wins, followed by Chastain with five.
MORE: Story lines for Nashville weekend | Weekend schedule
The good news for Larson is that he won the inaugural Cup Series race at Nashville in 2021, leading a dominant 264 laps to score 59 points, and finished fourth last season. In both races combined, he scored an impressive 29 of a possible 40 stage points.
Whether it’s in North Carolina, Illinois or Tennessee, the Triple Truck Challenge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series gives drivers a chance to win bonus money as they take the checkered flag.
The program started May 26 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, continued at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 3 and wrapped at Nashville Superspeedway on June 23.
RELATED: Truck standings | Full schedule
The prize fund is built to give race winners a $50,000 bonus per win. If a driver wins two out of three races, he or she will be awarded a total of $150,000. If a driver brings home the ultimate goal and wins all three 200-mile races, he or she will be awarded a total of $500,000.
“The Trip” was created in 2019 and presents an opportunity for series regulars to gain attention and have extra incentive for race wins. Parker Kligerman, Ryan Preece and Corey Heim were winners of the Triple Truck Challenge races last season.
RELATED: History of Triple Truck Challenge winners
2023 Triple Truck Challenge schedule/results
Race 1: North Carolina Education Lottery 200, May 26 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
🏆 Winner: Ben Rhodes, No. 99 Thorsport Ford | Full race recap, highlights | Watch the winner interview
Race 2: Toyota 200, June 3 at World Wide Technology Raceway
🏆 Winner: Grant Enfinger, No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet | Full race recap, highlights | Watch the winner interview
Race 3: Rackley Roofing 200, June 23 at Nashville Superspeedway
🏆 Winner: Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet | Full race recap, highlights | Watch the winner interview
Tyler Reddick set the tone for the weekend by putting down the fastest lap in NASCAR Cup Series practice at Nashville Superspeedway Friday evening as the series returned from an off-week.
His quick lap of 162.250 mph bested Martin Truex Jr. (161.408 mph), Ross Chastain (160.370 mph), Erik Jones (160.990 mph) and William Byron (160.914 mph), who all put down top five single-lap times.
RELATED: Full practice results | Nashville schedule
Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, defending Nashville winner Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher and AJ Allmendinger completed the top 10 for fastest laps in the session.
Three-time 2023 winner Kyle Busch finished 21st in practice. During the session, the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet went for a spin as the car snapped loose and spun off Turn 4. Busch made no contact with the wall.
Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway
(⏰ Sunday, 7 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC, NBC Sports App | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)
Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Tennessee, the 17th points-paying race of the 2023 Cup Series campaign.
Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | Nashville 101
📍 Location: Nashville, Tennessee
📐 Track length: 1.33 miles
🎟️ Buy tickets: Ally 400 sold out | Limited upgrades available
💰 Cup Series race purse: $8,516,134
📏 Race distance: 399 miles | 300 laps
🔢 Stages: 90 | 95 | 115
—
🚪 Entry list: See Cup Series drivers entered
📋 Starting lineup: Ross Chastain on pole | Full recap
🚗 Pit stall assignments: See where drivers will pit
🏆 Most recent winner: Chase Elliott | No. 9 holds on, claims victory at Nashville
Key things to watch 🔑
Top story line
THIRD TIME IS ANOTHER WINNING CHARM? The first two renditions of this race, dating back to 2021, have favored Hendrick Motorsports. After all, two of the team’s drivers — Kyle Larson in 2021 and Elliott last year — have found Victory Lane in each of the previous two Nashville contests. The team has already collectively won five races in 2023, spearheaded by William Byron’s three tallies in addition to Larson’s two. However, the other two drivers in Elliott and Alex Bowman have yet to find their winning stride with both only mustering up a combined six top-five finishes so far this season. Of course, there are factors as to why the pair has yet to find consistent momentum. Bowman missed four races with a fractured vertebra, while Elliott missed six of his own due to a snowboarding injury and an additional one due to a suspension. Regardless, the pair, in conjunction with Larson and Byron, have collectively shown the potential and ability to leave their mark at the Tennessee track. Among all organizations, Hendrick Motorsports leads all in total top-five finishes at Nashville (four). The question heading into this weekend’s contest will be if this potential — not to mention track record — continues.
ICYMI: How Elliott can surge back into postseason picture | How Cup Series teams stack up at season midpoint compared to 2022
History tells us…
VETERANS ARE WINNING LATELY. Although parity continues to be the name of the game with the Next Gen car, more experienced racers have started to find their stride on a week-to-week basis. How so? Well, look no further than the last seven races. Dating back to the spring running at Talladega Superspeedway on April 21, five of the seven race winners have accumulated 30 or more total Cup Series wins. Leading the way is Kyle Busch, who won his 62nd and 63rd career Cup races at Talladega and World Wide Technology Raceway, respectively. Kansas Speedway winner Denny Hamlin, in addition to Martin Truex Jr. — who won at Dover Motor Speedway and most recently at Sonoma Raceway — further proves the recent trend of longtime Cup Series stalwarts getting the job done. Even William Byron and Ryan Blaney — who picked up career Cup wins No. 7 and 8 at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, respectively — can count toward the current veteran movement as both drivers have raced full-time in the Cup Series for more than five years before entering 2023. Sunday’s running at Nashville should provide an interesting indicator as to whether this trend will be extended or not. Larson and Elliott in each of the last two years at the track certainly illustrated it.
🔍 FULL ANALYSIS:
He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…
KEVIN HARVICK. Although the major headliner news this week revolved around the 47-year-old’s 2024 replacement, Harvick has a chance to add more Stewart-Haas Racing news to the fold this weekend. Among all active drivers, Harvick ranks fourth in average finish at Nashville (7.5). His fifth-place finish in 2021 and 10th-place running there last year additionally gives Harvick the honor of being one of only five active drivers to finish inside the top 10 in both races (Larson, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano being the others). In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Harvick has shown success, too — he has two career wins at Nashville, with his first coming in April 2006 and his most recent in April 2010. In other words, the track record and history are there for a driver with an already rich legacy to his name. Sunday’s running gives Harvick the opportunity to add to that legacy.
Saturday’s sessions
Warm temperatures equated to slick track conditions for the Cup Series field, especially during Saturday’s qualifying sessions. Nevertheless, Ross Chastain was the driver to come ahead and claim his first career pole in the Cup Series. The pole win was also the first for the Trackhouse Racing team. Chastain’s teammate Daniel Suárez and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace, among others, spun out in Turn 4, signifying that temperatures had indeed made for a slick superspeedway.
Chase Elliott to the playoffs? 🔍
Elliott discusses the No. 9 team’s approach in the final 10 races of the regular season, focusing on a steady push toward the playoffs.
Familiar favorites ⭐️
Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.
• Paint Scheme Preview: Bowman brings classic look to Nashville | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Will Elliott find second-half surge? | Latest driver rankings
• Fantasy Fastlane: View driver picks for this weekend | Top plays, Fantasy Live advice
• Betting odds: Favorites, long shots to win on Sunday | Top bets, underdog picks
• Stacking Pennies: LaJoie, crew break down Nashville ins, outs | Listen to the podcast
💎 NASCAR 75: Learn more about the history of the sport, from pioneers to current stars | Visit NASCAR 75 hub
Hot off the press 📰
Key stories and breaking news from the week leading up to the race.
• New No. 4 for 2024: Josh Berry to replace Kevin Harvick beginning next year | Read more
• Showing spirit: Belief carries Berry to inaugural Cup ride | Read more
• Stewart explains: Hall of Famer discusses why Berry the perfect fit | Watch the video
• Harvick talks: Current No. 4 driver discusses importance of future No. 4 driver | Watch the video
• Gragson is back: No. 42 Legacy Motor Club driver returns after one-race absence| Read more
• New deal: Hendrick Motorsports announces LLumar sponsorship extension with Chase Elliott, No. 9 | Read more
• Shuffling it up: Stewart-Haas Racing switches up crew chief lineup | Read more
• Ten to go: What we know as postseason inches closer | Read more
• Stacking Pennies: Todd Gilliland joins Corey and crew, discusses famous quote from Martinsville | Hear his words
• Project 91: Supercars star Shane van Gisbergen to make NASCAR debut at Chicago | Read more
• Untold Stories: Fonty Flock’s history with short trousers | Watch the video
Get in on the action 💰
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.
• Fantasy Live: Participate in interactive gameplay from week to week | Choose your lineup
• Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation | Learn more
• NASCAR BetCenter: Don’t miss your chance to make picks each week | Visit the BetCenter
• Going the distance: 2023 Cup Series championship odds | See them here
• The Action Network: Picks and predictions for Sunday’s race | Expert analysis
Tuning up for Nashville 🎵
A popular fixture of the NASCAR schedule for decades and recent returner, relive some of the best moments and see photos from last year’s race.
• Sweet victory: Elliott overcomes delays to win at Nashville | Full race recap
• One more lap: Watch as No. 9 prevails in 2022 | Watch here
• At-track photos: See best scenes from last year’s event | Scroll through gallery
• Relive in GIFs: Recap the 2022 race with Tennessee’s best | Take a look
• Drivers to previously prevail: Every Cup Series driver to win at Nashville | Take a look
• Rich history: Looking back at Nashville’s relationship with NASCAR | Scroll through gallery
Take some notes 📝
Five hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
• The top seven drivers in regular season points are separated by 32 points, the closest ever margin after 16 races.
• Three of the last six races of 2023 were won by drivers ending winless streaks of at least 33 races.
• Ford has only two wins this season, tied for the fewest since 2010.
• Hendrick Motorsports has won the last three Cup Series races at Nashville, both on the concrete track and on the Nashville Fairgrounds in July 1984.
• Nashville is averaging six speeding penalties per race.
🔮 Advance to Victory Lane: Racing Insights projects Sunday’s finishing order