Nashville Superspeedway
History, race statistics, winners, facts, photos and race recaps.
Nashville Superspeedway NASCAR Race History
CUP Race Winning Drivers
1
Ross Chastain
1
Chase Elliott
1
Kyle Larson
1
Joey Logano| DATE | RACE | WINNER | # | MAKE | ST | TEAM | CREW CHIEF | LAPS | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06-2024 | Ally 400 | Joey Logano | 22 | Ford | 26 | Team Penske | Paul Wolfe | 331 | 04:03:54 |
| 06-2023 | Ally 400 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Chevrolet | 1 | Trackhouse Racing | Phil Surgen | 300 | 03:00:07 |
| 06-2022 | Ally 400 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Chevrolet | 4 | Hendrick Motorsports | Alan Gustafson | 300 | 03:35:15 |
| 06-2021 | Ally 400 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Chevrolet | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports | Cliff Daniels | 300 | 03:30:23 |
Cup Race Recaps
By Holly Cain - NASCAR Wire Service
Joey Logano wins at Nashville after a record five overtime restarts
It took a record five overtime restarts to settle Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, but two-time series champion Joey Logano finally emerged as the race winner, securing his first win of the season and a bid into the 2024 Playoffs in dramatic fashion.
With race leaders falling out of contention with each late race restart – 31 extra laps and 15 total cautions on the day – Logano and his Team Penske team gambled that his No. 22 Ford Mustang had enough fuel for a final push to the checkered flag. Ultimately Logano’s Mustang turned 110 laps with that final tank of fuel.
The reward was the trip to Victory Lane Sunday – the first for Ford at the 1.333-mile Nashville track – and a coveted ticket to the Playoffs for Logano and team.
Logano finished .068-seconds ahead of Spire Motorsports rookie Zane Smith – the best career showing for the former NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick was third, followed by Stewart-Haas Racing’s Ryan Preece and RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher.
The 34-year-old Logano said he wasn’t sure how much fuel was left or if he would definitely make it to the checkered, “I know into [turn] three, my fuel light came on and it stumbled across the line, so that was definitely all of it.
’We’ve got to give a lot of credit to Roush Yates, not only building horsepower but building fuel milage – that’s what won today,’’ said Logano, who still had enough fuel to do a brief victory burnout in front of the sold-out Nashville crowd that stayed to the epic end, despite a one hour, 21-minute red flag for rain only 136 laps into the 331-lap race.
“So proud of this team. It’s been a stressful few weeks trying to get in the Playoffs so being able to win here is huge for our season. Felt great to get that. It feels good for our team.
“So much pressure. Trying to make the Playoffs is not easy these days in these Next Gen cars and everyone is so evenly matched,’’ he added. “I made a lot of mistakes, even some tonight and it’s nice to be able to overcome. .. This is a much-needed win for sure.’’
His crew chief Paul Wolfe confirmed Logano’s Mustang ultimately ran out of gas.
“We just got to the point. .. we’ve gotten this far, let’s just stick with it,’’ Wolfe said of the team staying out instead of pitting for fuel. “Fortunately it was enough, but he did run out on the last lap.’’
Even before all the extra laps, the race’s scheduled ending featured an amazing duel between pole-winner Denny Hamlin racing for what would have been a series best fourth victory and the 2023 Nashville winner Ross Chastain, racing for his first win of the season. For 30 laps they raced in front of the field with Hamlin cutting into Chastain’s lead before finally overtaking him with seven laps remaining in the originally scheduled 300-lap race.
But just as Hamlin and Chastain were seemingly settling the trophy, Logano’s teammate Austin Cindric spun out with four laps remaining, forcing the first overtime.
Hamlin and Chastain restarted next to one another on the first overtime, but Chastain was hit from behind by Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, whose Chevrolet’s splitter hit the apron and unintentionally moved into Chastain’s car. The accident eliminated Chastain and Hamlin had to hold off the field in two subsequent overtimes before having to pit himself for fuel – a decision the team struggled to make, but ultimately were forced to do.
That left Logano and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe on the front row for the fourth overtime restart. Smith had moved into second place around Briscoe when the final caution came out for SHR’s Josh Berry.
Only one (Reddick) of the top-11 cars lined up for the fifth overtime restart had won a race this season, but a highly motivated Logano got a stellar jump on the field at the drop of the flag and was able to keep the challengers behind with other incidents happening as the checkered flag flew.
“The winning side of me is pissed with the second place, especially after hearing the 22 [Logano] was going to run out for the past 10 laps, I don’t know how many restarts,’’ Smith said of his runner-up showing.
“But no, I wouldn’t have done anything different. I felt like I chose the right lane and it’s crazy how much different these cars drive with cleaner air. Just proud of our strategy there.’’
Logano’s Team Penske teammate and reigning series champ Blaney finished sixth, followed by 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace, Larson, Kaulig Racing’s Daniel Hemric and SHR’s Noah Gragson.
There were nine race leaders and 20 lead changes on the day.
For much of the early day, last week’s winner Christopher Bell looked like he was positioned to earn the first back-to-back victories of his career. But pit strategy put Bell’s No. 20 JGR Toyota the farthest back in the field. He spun out alone in Turn 2, racing in 15th place on the restart with 74 laps remaining.
Bell swept the opening two stage wins to lead the series with nine stage victories on the season and was out front a race-best 131 of the first 229 laps – more than twice as many laps as any other driver in the field at that point.
‘Just put myself in a bad spot, lost my cool, got back in traffic with all those yellow flags and put myself in a really bad spot going into [turn] one,’’ Bell said.
Larson’s eighth place showing was good enough to keep the NASCAR Cup Series championship lead by 20-points over his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, who was among those who had an incident on the race’s final lap. Hamlin is 43 points back with eight races remaining to decide the regular season champion.
By Holly Cain - NASCAR Wire Service
Ross Chastain Earns Hometown Win for Trackhouse Racing at Nashville Superspeedway
Ross Chastain capped off a “perfect” race weekend, hitting all the right notes in Music City to earn the winner’s guitar trophy in Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway – his first NASCAR Cup Series race victory of the season, a day after claiming his first career pole position.
But before hoisting his new guitar, the 30-year old Chastain had a watermelon to smash – his trademark victory celebration – a nod to his family’s multi-generation watermelon farm in rural Alva, Florida. And the sold-out Nashville crowd – home to his race team owner Justin Marks – roared with enthusiasm for the long smoke-filled victory burnout he did in front of the grandstands to his enthusiastic melon drop.
“This is incredible,” a grinning Chastain said. “This is why every little kid out there, anyone in the world, when you get criticized and you’re going to if you’re a competitor, they will try to tear you down and you’ll start believing it and you can’t do that.
“Go to your people. Trust in the process. Read your books and trust in the Big Man’s plan upstairs. And just keep getting up and going to work on it.
“A lot of self-reflection through all this, but I had a group that believed in me and they didn’t let me get down,” he said of his challenges in 2023.
Chastain certainly proved that resilience and his faith in the process. He led early Sunday and then led late – thanks to incredibly fast pit stops from his Trackhouse Racing team helping position him for the race lead on the final round of stops of the night.
It’s the first race win of 2023 for Chastain, who led the championship standings for seven weeks early in the year, and the first win of the year and first pole position ever for Trackhouse Racing.
Ultimately Chastain had to hold off Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin by .789-second for the win – leading a race best 99 of the 300 laps, including the final 34.
Lapped traffic was a factor for Chastain to overcome all night. He lost his early race lead to Tyler Reddick after Noah Gragson raced Chastain hard trying not to be lapped. There is a history between Gragson and Chastain, who had a physical confrontation at Kansas Speedway in early May. Reddick went on to win Stage 1 after Chastain was unable to clear Gragson easily, but Reddick – who started the race alongside Chastain on the front row – spun out on pit road on a caution shortly thereafter and ultimately was not a factor for the win.
In the closing laps – with Truex hot on his bumper – Chastain had to navigate traffic again; and again cars held him up in an effort not to get lapped.
Fortunately for Chastain, some of that traffic made things difficult for Truex as well and the “Melon Man” as Chastain is nicknamed was able to pull away some in the final 20 laps.
It was a clean race – only two short extra caution flags beyond the two scheduled Stage breaks. Reddick took his third stage win of the season in Stage 1 and Hamlin notched his fourth in Stage 2.
“I just think we had a third place car,” Hamlin said. “I thought the 19 [Truex] was a little better and obviously the 1 [Chastain] came on really strong there at the end.
“Just didn’t have quite a fast enough car to go for the win,” he added.
With his runner-up showing Truex maintained the NASCAR Cup Series championship lead, now up by 18-points on both Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and Chastain.
“Just needed to get the lead. Once we lost it, just too loose on the long runs, just could never get off the corner good to make a move,” Truex said, adding, “Just needed a little bit. Had a lot of speed. … overall a good night.”
The 1.33-mile Nashville oval has been a good place for Chastain. He finished runner-up in 2021 and was fifth last year. And having won his first career pole position on Saturday, he went into Sunday’s race feeling optimistic.
“I trust in my people, my family back home, the agriculture industry and all the people Justin Marks has in place,” Chastain said, adding, “It’s absolutely incredible the fight that we have.”
Chase Elliott, the 2022 Nashville winner, finished fourth, followed by his Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Byron. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones, Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch and Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger – who won the Nashville NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday – rounded out the Top-10.
By Reid Spencer - NASCAR Wire Service
Chase Elliott charges to NASCAR Cup victory at Nashville Superspeedway
In a race twice delayed by lightning, Chase Elliott stole the thunder from a contingent of Toyota drivers who showed early dominance.
After a late caution slowed the action in Sunday’s Ally 400, Elliott remained on the track and led the field to a restart with four laps left at Nashville Superspeedway.
Elliott pulled away from runner-up Kurt Busch and powered his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet across the finish line with a margin of .551 seconds.
In fashioning his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season, his first at Nashville and the 15th of his career, Elliott overcame a long pit stop on Lap 120 that dropped him to 25th in the running order.
“I’m so proud of our team,” Elliott said. “We had a setback about halfway, but we were able to get the NAPA Chevy dialed back in and get back in the mix. It was a long day, a fun day… I’m so proud of our team. We’ve had a pretty rough month, month-and-a-half. It’s just nice to get back going in the right direction.
“Getting a win is always huge. To do it in a really cool city like Nashville is even better. I’m looking forward to that guitar (trophy).”
Elliott beat three Toyota drivers—pole winner Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch—who collectively led 250 of the 300 laps at the 1.33-mile concrete track.
It might be more accurate to say that the Toyota drivers beat themselves by pitting during the 10th and final caution on Lap 291, the result of a blown engine in Josh Bilicki’s Chevrolet.
While Elliott and Kurt Busch stayed out under caution, along with eight other drivers, Kyle Busch, Truex and Hamlin all came to pit road for tires. Of the three, only Hamlin advanced over the final four laps, finishing sixth behind Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain.
Kyle Busch and Truex ran afoul of heavy traffic on the final lap and came home 21st and 22nd, respectively.
Hamlin, who led a race-high 114 laps, was out front for the first 41 circuits before lightning halted the action for one hour 27 seconds. After the resumption and two more cautions, Truex passed Hamlin for the lead on lap 66 and help through the end of Stage 1.
Truex, who led six times for 82 laps, also won the second stage, but Elliott’s car came to life in the final third of the race. Elliott had a one-second lead over Kyle Busch, with Hamlin and Truex trailing in third and fourth place, when Bilicki’s engine failure caused the final caution with nine laps remaining.
Kurt Busch’s only regret about his runner-up finish was not being more aggressive on the final restart.
“I wanted to throw some fenders, but I didn’t get the job done,” said the driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota. “Everybody will be smiling, but I let them down. I should have come up with a better plan.
“We were going to stay out no matter what, and I needed to start throwing fenders to move people around. I didn’t get after it, and I made too many mistakes and didn’t stick with our strength. I’m not going to say what our strength was, but we did a lot of things good.
“We didn’t have one exceptional item. We’re second with our Toyota Camry. I want to do it over, but you don’t get those at this elite level and Chase got the job done.”
The second lightning delay, which also brought rain and necessitated track drying, lasted two hours, eight minutes. It occurred on Lap 139, just 11 laps short of halfway.
Austin Cindric, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick ran sixth through 10th, respectively. Elliott leads the series standings by 30 points over Chastain.
By Holly Cain - NASCAR Wire Service
Kyle Larson continues dominance with Nashville win
Kyle Larson continued his streak of superiority Sunday afternoon winning the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway - his third consecutive win, following three consecutive runner-up finishes. He hasn't finished worse than second place in a NASCAR Cup Series race since May 2.
It's a high performance mark the series hasn't seen in more than a decade when former Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson won four straight points-paying races in 2007. Larson's win Sunday was his third straight points-paying victory but he also won the All-Star Race $1 million-to-win exhibition last week at Texas Motor Speedway.
Larson's No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet led Ross Chastain and Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 42 Chevrolet across the Nashville finish line by 4.335-seconds. He paced the field by as much as 5 seconds in the closing 10 laps of this inaugural event. And that fourth winner's trophy is a series best on the season.
There were 14 lead changes among seven drivers, but only two other drivers led double digit laps - Chase Elliott (13) and Kyle Busch (10).
"It was a great day," Larson said, smiling at the understatement. "We never really had to run behind people, so I don't know if one of my teammates got out front again, it probably would have been hard to pass them.
"This Valvoline Chevrolet was really good. It cut the middle of the corner really well and our pit crew did an awesome job again. I just hope we can keep it going."
Larson led 264 of the 300 laps at the 1.333-mile Nashville track in the first NASCAR Cup Series race in the city since 1984. The effort marked the fourth time this season Larson's led at least 200 laps in a race and the fifth time he's led more than half the total laps in a race.
Only 17 races into the 36-race season, Larson has already eclipsed his previous season-best laps led. He's been out front 1,426 laps. His previous season-best total was 1,352 laps led in 2017.
Larson, who now has 10 career NASCAR Cup Series wins, has led 82 percent of all laps run during this current three-race winning streak. His Hendrick teammate Elliott - who was disqualified for having four loose lug nuts - won Stage 1 and Larson answered with the Stage 2 victory - his 12th of the season, which is double that of any other driver.
Larson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron looked to give the team its fifth straight 1-2 finish, rallying from the rear of the grid. He was running second until the final 10 laps when Chastain got around him. Byron finished third, followed by polesitter Aric Almirola and his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick.
The fourth-place finish was Almirola's best of the season. Harvick's fifth place run was his best in the last six races.
"We had a good car, just, my goodness, we don't have anything for those Chevrolets right now," said Almirola, who drives the No. 10 SHR Ford. "They're making grip and they're getting up off the corner. It's so hard to race with them.
"But," Almirola added, "We have made huge strides to close the gap. Our race team is doing a great job scrounging and scrapping to build better race cars and it's nice to come here and run up front, run in the Top-5 and at least be in the mix."
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Daniel Suarez, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell and Joey Logano rounded out the Top-10. It marked Stenhouse's second Top-10 of the season and the third for Suarez in the new No. 99 Trackhouse Racing team, which hosted co-owner, superstar performer Pitbull, at Nashville.
NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Denny Hamlin had to pit for fuel with two laps remaining dropping from a Top-10 result. He finished 22nd - the second time he's finished outside the Top-10 in the last six races and now holds a slim 6-point championship lead over Larson.
XFINITY Race Winning Drivers
1
Justin Allgaier
1
AJ Allmendinger
1
Kyle Busch
1
John Hunter Nemechek| DATE | RACE | WINNER | # | MAKE | ST | TEAM | CREW CHIEF | LAPS | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06-2024 | Tennessee Lottery 25… | John Hunter Nemechek | 20 | Toyota | 15th | Joe Gibbs Racing | Tyler Allen | 188 | 01:57:36 |
| 06-2023 | Tennessee Lottery 25… | AJ Allmendinger | 10 | Chevrolet | 11th | Kaulig Racing | Alex Yontz | 196 | 02:40:21 |
| 06-2022 | Tennessee Lottery 25… | Justin Allgaier | 7 | Chevrolet | 5th | JR Motorsports | Jason Burdett | 188 | 02:05:44 |
| 06-2021 | Tennessee Lottery 25… | Kyle Busch | 54 | Toyota | 1st | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chris Gayle | 189 | 02:20:48 |
Xfinity Race Recaps
By Holly Cain - NASCAR Wire Service
John Hunter Nemechek takes the checkered flag at Nashville Superspeedway
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 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 re-start from Cole Custer, who navigated a corner too high allowing Nemechek to get by.
“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 fulltime 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 – 1.234-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 in-race temperatures neared 130 degrees. Several of the drivers either didn’t wear a “cool suit” or had malfunctions with the one 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 technical issues.
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.
The Richard Childress Racing teammates Love and Hill certainly 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, A.J. Allmendinger finished seventh, followed by Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer and Sam Mayer.
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 over-drove on that restart a little bit into Turn 1,’’ said the Stewart-Haas Racing driver Custer. “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.’’
By Holly Cain - NASCAR Wire Service
AJ Allmendinger’s 17th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win proves his versatility
Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger held off an especially spirited field in double overtime to claim his first oval race victory of the season in a dramatic Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway Saturday afternoon.
The popular veteran led the final 20 laps and got an impressive final restart to launch his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet from the pack and drive off to a 1.323-second win over runner-up Riley Herbst in a race that included a record-tying 11 caution periods and 17 lead changes among 11 different drivers.
The caution-punctuated ending was perhaps suitable for a race that saw three yellow flags within the first 20 laps. Fifteen cars in the 38-car field had been involved in incidents before the Stage 2 break.
Yet ultimately it came down a veteran’s purposeful, patient afternoon-long pursuit. And the 41-year old Californian Allmendinger was up for the challenge, claiming his 17th victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and second of the season.
“I love winning on ovals because I know a lot of people doubt me on an oval,” a smiling Allmendinger said, a nod to his former open-wheel days and his reputation as one of the best road course drivers in the history of the sport.
Certainly his experience paid off on Saturday with an especially active day. Ty Gibbs, the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion and now a NASCAR Cup Series rookie, won the first Stage and showed himself among the class of the field. But on the next restart his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was hit while racing for the lead with one of this year’s championship favorites, Austin Hill, who was restarting up front on older tires. Allmendinger’s Chevy also suffered a little damage in the five-car melee near the front of the pack, but he – and Hill – were able to continue, while Gibbs’ car suffered too much damage.
Chandler Smith, Allmendinger’s Kaulig Racing teammate won the race’s second stage and kept the lead pack honest for most of the day. He and Allmendinger exchanged the lead and ran 1-2 for much of the second half of the race around the 1.333-mile oval.
After a series of final scheduled pit stops, Parker Kligerman settled in for the biggest strategic gamble of the day. While the lead cars were making their way back through the field following stops, Kligerman kept his No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet out front willing to take a chance on a fuel-saving strategy. But with 12 laps remaining, Kligerman’s team told him to drop in line behind Allmendinger to start conserving and Allmendinger passed him for the lead with 11 laps of regulation to go.
JR Motorsports driver Sam Mayer finished third with Hill fourth and JR Motorsports’ – and Tennessee native – Josh Berry rounding out the Top-5.
“That was the most up and down day I’ve ever had in racing,” Mayer said, managing a smile on pit road afterward.
John Hunter Nemechek finished sixth in the No. 20 JGR Toyota. Although he never led a lap his rally forward after a 21st starting position was good enough for him to hold onto the championship lead by nine points over Hill.
Reigning NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Zane Smith turned in an impressive seventh-place finish in the No. 28 Ford. Allmendinger’s Kaulig teammate Daniel Hemric was eighth. Herbst’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Cole Custer was ninth followed by rookie Parker Retzlaff.
“We got a little fortunate there, when the accident happened, it didn’t really do anything too bad to the quarter panels .. and the guys did a good job of fixing it there,” Allmendinger said of the early damage, noting that the rash of early cautions actually helped his team have time to restore his car competitively.
“I will be honest, I was shocked on the initial start, I went down and made it three wide and thought nothing on it, didn’t even drive my car that hard and started wrecking so that kind of raised my eyebrows, it’s a lot slicker than I expected,” Allmendinger said. “So the next couple starts, just tried to chill and get into the rhythm of the race.
“I just knew more than anything I needed a good re-start and to get in Turn 1 clean,’’ he said of the final restart and ultimate winning move.
By Reid Spencer - NASCAR Wire Service
Justin Allgaier cruises to NASCAR Xfinity victory at Nashville
On a blindingly hot day at Nashville Superspeedway, Justin Allgaier fulfilled a dream in one of the best race cars he has ever had.
Leading five times for 134 laps and sweeping the first two stages of Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250, Allgaier breezed to his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at the 1.33-mile concrete track, his second of the season and the 18th of his career.
Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet crossed the finish line 4.513 seconds ahead of runner-up Trevor Bayne, who overcame an interference penalty on pit road, assessed when two of the tires from his No. 18 Toyota rolled behind the gas man in pole winner Riley Herbst’s neighboring pit stall.
“This guitar has been on my bucket list for a long, long time,” said Allgaier, who won in his eighth start at Nashville, dating to 2009. After a 10-year pause in racing at the track, Allgaier finished second last year.
Asked whether he had ever driven a better race car, Allgaier was quick to answer.
“I don’t think ever,” he said. “What a heck of a race, man. We’ve been coming here for a long time, and I love this race track. Been trying to get a win so bad and hadn’t been able to do it.
“Today was like a dirt race. It was slick, it was hot, we were sliding around… I’ve got a guitar to take home, and we’re going to enjoy it, for sure.”
Chevrolet drivers have won the last seven Xfinity Series races, with JR Motorsports drivers winning five of those. Allgaier’s two stage wins were the 11th and 12th straight on oval tracks for JRM.
Herbst finished third, followed by Ty Gibbs and Sam Mayer, both of whom were involved in a late-race incident that turned Gibbs No. 54 Toyota sideways—setting up a masterful save.
Ryan Preece, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Austin Hill, Ryan Sieg and Brett Moffitt completed the top 10.
Sixteenth-place finisher AJ Allmendinger retained the series lead by 25 points over Gibbs in second place and 32 over Allgaier in third.
Mistakes cost Bayne a chance to race for the win.
“We drove to second twice, from the back,” he said. “The second stage, we came in with Riley (Herbst) and hit a pit crew member, not intentionally, but it can happen. Then fell back to 15th and drove back to second.
“Then we had a loose wheel and had to go to the very back and drove back and was catching Allgaier. He’s my buddy, Gator, congrats to him. Happy for him, but, man, I wanted to win that guitar and win here at Nashville.
“I feel like we did everything right on the car and feel like I did everything right behind the wheel. We have to clean up the mistakes and we’re going to win because it takes every piece of this deal.”
Herbst conceded that he wasn’t able to challenge Allgaier’s dominance.
“I don’t think the whole field had anything for the 7,” Herbst said. “I think he was on cruise control all day, but our Monster Energy Ford Mustang was really good. I’m just proud of us as a group. Way to execute.
“I messed up on pit road a few times, myself and the team, so we’ve got to clean up a little stuff there, but all in all, it was a good day. We got a pole and good points. This is what we need to keep doing—just knock on the door, and eventually it will open.”
By Holly Cain - NASCAR Wire Service
Kyle Busch wins his 100th NASCAR Xfinity Series race
Kyle Busch earned his historic 100th NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway in epic fashion – starting on the pole position, leading a race-high 123 of the 189 laps and bettering the field on three restarts in the closing 20 laps of the Tennessee Lottery 250.
For the second race in a row Busch had to hold off veteran Justin Allgaier on a series of late race restarts. The margin of victory on Saturday was a mere 1.11-second – the two dueling side-by-side in the final laps exchanging the lead seven different times in the final stage of racing. The victory makes Busch a perfect 3-for-3 in Xfinity Series starts this season and it’s the second time he has won from the pole.
Appropriately for a Father’s Day weekend race, Busch was immediately greeted in Victory Circle by his six-year old son Brexton.
“I remember growing up as a kid and watching [NASCAR Hall of Famer] Mark Martin win every week in that 60 car, just the domination he had,” said Busch, driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “And he’s number two with 49 wins.
“Wanted to give a huge shoutout to Rowdy Nation out there, we appreciate you Rowdy Nation” Busch added, pointing to the grandstands. “I saw a lot of you standing up when Allgaier took the lead then a lot of you sat back down when I took the lead. So, an awesome day for Rowdy Nation.”
Moments later, after receiving the famed guitar awarded to Nashville winners, Busch strummed the strings but he did not smash the guitar as he infamously did in 2009.
For his part, Allgaier left no doubt he was tired of being the race bridesmaid to Busch.
“Running second sucks, I’m not going to lie to you,” said Allgaier, who had both his daughters names – Harper and newborn Willow – on the car and at the track in recognition of the Father’s Day race weekend.
“When we took the lead from Kyle I thought we were good, we were able to drive away. But then all those restarts at the end, he just held me down really hard in the middle of [turns] three and four and we got loose and I think that was the difference-maker, after that we just didn’t have the speed after that.
“Again, just proud of my guys – to bring two fast race cars two weeks in a row to have a shot at it and have it come down to late in the races is a big deal. We’ll keep digging.”
The race marked the first time the series had competed at the 1.333-mile concrete Nashville track since 2011. By all accounts, this latest edition of close racing and dramatic finish was well-received by the fans.
Busch’s JGR Toyota teammate Harrison Burton finished third followed by Allgaier’s Chevy teammate Josh Berry who had a triumphant, if busy afternoon. He started 22nd but raced hard enough to earn points (eighth place) at the end of Stage 1. An unfortunately timed pit stop late in the race – a caution came out while he was on pit road – put him another lap down with just over 40 laps remaining. But the Tennessee native still rallied to a fourth place finish – his fourth top 5 in 13 races this year.
A.J. Allmendinger overcame an early race pit penalty to finish fourth in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. Brandon Jones, Jeb Burton, Noah Gragson, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Austin Hill and Riley Herbst rounded out the top 10.
The current Xfinity Series championship leader Austin Cindric finished 32nd after being collected in an accident toward the front of the field, late in the race. He led every lap in Stage 1 to earn his series best seventh stage victory. The finish is his worst of the season.
“Pretty hard hit right at the start/finish line,” said Cindric, driver of the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford. “I hate it for all the Penske guys. We had made great strides after practice, obviously. Winning the first stage was great but kind of lost handling of the car. I learned a lot today. But kinda battling back through the field… it was not our day.”
Despite the disappointing finish this week, Cindric remains the championship leader – 90 points over Allmendinger. With 11 races remaining until the Playoffs begin, Jeremy Clements holds a 48-point advantage over Brandon Brown for the 12th and final Playoff position.
TRUCKS Race Winning Drivers
2
Ryan Preece
1
Christian Eckes
1
Carson Hocevar| DATE | RACE | WINNER | # | MAKE | ST | TEAM | CREW CHIEF | LAPS | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06-2024 | Rackley Roofing 200 | Christian Eckes | 19 | Chevrolet | 3rd | McAnally Hilgemann Racing | Charles Denike | 150 | 01:57:33 |
| 06-2023 | Rackley Roofing 200 | Carson Hocevar | 42 | Chevrolet | 7th | Niece Motorsports | Phil Gould | 150 | 01:57:16 |
| 06-2022 | Rackley Roofing 200 | Ryan Preece | 17 | Ford | 1st | Team DGR | Seth Smith | 150 | 01:56:32 |
| 06-2021 | Rackley Roofing 200 | Ryan Preece | 17 | Ford | 6th | Team DGR | Chad Johnston | 150 | 01:44:25 |
Truck Race Recaps
By Holly Cain - NASCAR Wire Service
Christian Eckes dominates at Nashville Superspeedway
Christian Eckes absolutely dominated Friday night’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway, the 23-year old leading all 150 laps – the first time a driver has led every race lap in 12 years.
Eckes, driver of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet raced forward from a third place starting position to take the lead from pole winner Stewart Friesen by Turn 2 of the opening lap at the 1.333-mile oval and essentially never looked back. He led by more than three-seconds in the closing laps and ultimately crossed the finish line 2.028-seconds ahead of his teammate Daniel Dye – the runner-up showing a career best effort for the 20-year-old Floridian.
It is the third win of the season for Eckes and extends his championship lead to 40 points over TRICON Garage’s Corey Heim, who finished third after passing Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth on the final lap. McAnally-Hilgermann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum was fifth.
“Can’t say enough about these guys,’’ said Eckes, who has three wins on the season and now eight in his seven seasons in the series. It’s the second time this season (also at Martinsville, Va.) that he has swept both stage wins and claimed the winner’s trophy.
“We were really motivated to get this truck out there. Nice job for the day,’’ added Eckes who says he can’t ever remember leading every lap in any race he’s competed in.
The win also earned Eckes a $50,000 bonus check for claiming the final leg of the series’ Triple Truck Challenge – Nick Sanchez and Heim are the other winners in the incentive program.
“I saw the 11 (Heim) has four of them [wins] so got a little upset walking in [to Nashville Superspeedway], so now another one to go catch another one,’’ Eckes said.
Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Matt Mills, Ty Majeski and Jake Garcia rounded out the top 10 in the finishing order. Rhodes rally was especially impressive considering how he started.
And while Eckes spent the day up front – mastering every restart on an evening that saw seven caution flags for 42 laps – there was plenty of action behind him as the caution count would indicate.
On the other hand, Sanchez, who started his No. 2 Rev Racing Chevy from the rear of the 36-car field after hitting the wall in qualifying, rallied to finish 13th and sits third in the championship 89 points behind Eckes.
NASCAR Cup Series star and current FOX Sports NASCAR broadcaster Clint Bowyer finished 17th after his No. 7 Spire truck suffered damage when the field stacked up on the Stage 1 restart. In his typically colorful manner, Bowyer was frank about his night – the first NASCAR national series race he’s competed in since retiring from fulltime competition in 2020.
“We fought loose-in the whole time from the word go, but I know from a lot of years of experience that’s hard to overcome,’’ said Bowyer, a 10-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and the 2012 championship runner-up.
“I don’t know what happened on the [Stage 1] restart, they all checked up in front of me and I crashed,’’ Bowyer said, adding, “I will be back. I promise you there’s no way I’m ending on that.”
Three races remain to set the 10-driver Playoff field. Currently Tanner Gray, who finished 14thFriday night sits in the 10th place position, 14 points ahead of Dye.
By Holly Cain - NASCAR Wire Service
Carson Hocevar Powers to Second CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Win of the Season
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 re-start 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 .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 fifth consecutive Top-5 for Hocevar.
Ironically, 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 (Neice 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 three-race bonus money this season.
Corey Heim and Bayley Currey rounded out the top 5 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 competitors and NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduates running 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. He returned to the race many laps down and ultimately settled for a 32nd 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.
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).
By Reid Spencer - NASCAR Wire Service
Ryan Preece holds off Zane Smith to defend NASCAR Truck Series win at Nashville
His tires chattering with age over the final few laps, Ryan Preece held off charging Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar to win Friday night’s Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway.
The victory was the second straight for David Gilliland Racing, after Todd Gilliland won last Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on dirt at Knoxville Raceway in the No. 17 Ford, the same number Preece drove on Friday.
The win was an encore performance for Preece, who scored his first Truck Series victory in last year’s Nashville race. A part-time utility player in the Ford camp this season, Preece triumphed for the second time in his eighth career start.
In addition to the traditional guitar trophy, Preece also earned a $50,000 bonus for winning the second event in the NCWTS Triple Truck Challenge.
“We got a second guitar—I may have to start a band!” Preece exulted after climbing from his truck. “These guys (in the shop) work their tails off, and I know what it takes to win races. They give me phenomenal race cars. I’m just proud to be the one holding the steering wheel.”
Preece took control of the race in the second stage, passing Smith for the lead on Lap 74. After winning the stage, which ended on Lap 95, Preece forged a comfortable lead before the trucks of Grant Enfinger, Corey Heim, Matt DiBenedetto and Ty Majeski hurtled into Turn 3 four-wide.
Contact between Heim and DiBenedetto ignited a bone-jarring wreck that ended the race for Enfinger, Heim and DiBenedetto. Majeski escaped without damage and rallied to finish fourth behind Preece, Smith and Hocevar.
“It was the end of the race, and everybody went crazy, just like always in these truck races,” Enfinger said.
Preece got the jump on the subsequent restart on Lap 135 of 150, but the green-flag action was short-lived. Moments after the restart, contact from Max Gutierrez’s Chevrolet sent Hailie Deegan’s Ford sliding into the outside wall.
On the restart with 10 laps left, Preece once again forged ahead, but both Smith and Hocevar closed dramatically with three laps left, forcing Preece to play defense.
“It was a little closer than I wanted it to be,” Preece said. “Just old tires, the heat cycles. They were chattering. I had clean air, and I put as much dirty air on him (Smith) as possible. I wasn’t going to give it up.”
Stewart Friesen finished fifth, followed by Christian Eckes, Tyler Ankrum, Gutierrez, Johns Hunter Nemechek and Matt Crafton.
Smith took the series lead by 21 points over Nemechek.
By Holly Cain - NASCAR Wire Service
Ryan Preece wins at Nashville in first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start
Ryan Preece took the lead from Grant Enfinger with seven laps remaining in the Rockley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway to earn his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory Friday night in his first race in the series.
Preece, the 30-year old Connecticut native who competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, is only the fifth driver in history to win in his truck series debut.
“That was a lot of fun,” Preece said, adding, “Really I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know anything.
“I was just taking the guidance from [crew chief] Chad [Johnston] and my teammates and told them I’d be better in the race than I was in qualifying and practice. And fortunately, I lived up to that.”
Preece’s teammate Todd Gilliland – who started at the rear of the field following a pre-race inspection violation – rallied all the way to second place, passing Enfinger with four laps remaining.
“It stings not to get that last spot especially because I was under the 17 [Preece] and got too loose, but that’s racing,” said Gilliland, whose father David served as his crew chief after his normal crew chief was suspended as part of the inspection penalty.
The Preece-Gilliland work gave Ford its first one-two finish of the season. Enfinger finished third followed by Zane Smith and Stewart Friesen, whose top-5 finish was only his second top 10 in the past eight races of the season.
Veteran Matt Crafton, two-race winner Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Austin Hill and championship leader John Hunter Nemechek rounded out the top 10.
Preece, who drives the No. 37 JTG-Daugherty Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series, was one of three full-time Cup Series drivers entered Friday – all wanting to get some extra laps at the 1.333-mile Nashville track which is hosting its first Cup race Sunday. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ross Chastain finished 22nd and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron finished last in the 36-truck field, his No. 27 Chevrolet truck experiencing a motor problem shortly after the Stage 1 break.
Nineteen-year old Derek Kraus, who won his first career Camping World Truck Series pole position Friday afternoon, followed it up by leading the first 48 laps of the race and earning the Stage 1 victory – his second career stage win.
A slow pit stop during that stage break forced him to play catch-up, but he rallied back inside the top 10. His race ended early after contact with the Josh Berry truck sent Kraus’ No. 19 Toyota hard into the wall with only 40 laps remaining.
Nemechek’s 10th-place finish retained the lead in the championship standings for the second-generation driver. A four-race winner so far in 2021, he leads Rhodes by 78 points with only three races remaining to set the 10-driver Playoff field.
Chandler Smith, who finished 13th Friday, sits in the final Playoff transfer position with a slim 15-point edge on former series champion Johnny Sauter, who finished 12th at Nashville.
4847-F McCreary Road
Lebanon, TN, 37090
Nashville Facts
- Backstretch Banking: 6-degrees
- Frontstretch Banking: 9-degrees
- Surface: Concrete
- Turns 1 & 2 Banking: 14-degrees
- Turns 3 & 4 Banking: 14-degrees
Accupredict Similar
Track groupings used in my driver projections.
Compare the degree of track banking at this and other groups of tracks.
Nashville Trivia
No trivia for this track.
Nashville History
Nashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Nashville. The track was built in 2001 and is currently used for events, driving schools and GT Academy, a reality television competition. The facility is slated to host its first NASCAR Cup race, the Ally 400, after a decades long hiatus on June 20, 2021.
It is a concrete oval track 1.333 miles long. Nashville Superspeedway is owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc., which also owns Dover International Speedway. Nashville Superspeedway was the longest concrete oval in NASCAR during the time it was on the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series circuits. Current permanent seating capacity is approximately 25,000. Additional portable seats are brought in for some events, and seating capacity can be expanded to 150,000. Infrastructure is in place to expand the facility to include a short track, drag strip, and road course.
At its peak, the facility hosted four major races each year: two NASCAR Xfinity Series races and two NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races (one per year prior to 2010). The IndyCar Series Firestone Indy 200 was run at the track from its opening until 2008. Each feature event was usually accompanied by a companion event from lower-tier series such as ARCA and Indy Lights. NASCAR continually showed little interest in staging a NASCAR Cup Series race at the track.
In October 2009, Dover Motorsports decided to close Memphis Motorsports Park, and the Memphis Truck race originally scheduled for late June 2010 was moved to Nashville Superspeedway on April 2, one day prior to the annual Nationwide Series race at the track. The April Truck race was known as the "Nashville 200". Nashville Superspeedway became the only facility on the circuit to host two Truck Series races without hosting a NASCAR Cup event.
As is a Nashville metropolitan tradition, specially-designed Gibson Les Paul guitars are presented to race winners in place of conventional trophies. The track also has a reputation for producing many first-time winners.
The track is referred by the classic term of a "superspeedway" (a track of one mile (1.6 km) or longer, compared to a short track), and is named to differentiate itself from the .596 mile Fairgrounds Speedway (previously known as Nashville Speedway USA) at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds near downtown Nashville. Until 1984, Nashville Speedway USA had conducted a pair of 420-lap Cup races, but NASCAR pulled its sanctioning license from the circuit after disputes over who would manage the track took place prior to the start of the 1985 season.
On June 2, 2020, reports began to surface that Nashville Superspeedway would reopen in 2021 and would host a NASCAR Cup Series race, with a date of Sunday, June 20. The race would replace one of the two races the series runs at Dover International Speedway, which is also owned by Dover Motorsports. On June 3, NASCAR confirmed that the track will reopen to host a Cup race in 2021, replacing one of the two Dover dates. The track brought on sports management executive Erik Moses as track president in August 2020 ahead of the reopening.