One of the biggest races of the season – the Coke 600 – has come and gone. Now, the Cup Series travels to Nashville, Tenn., for the Cracker Barrel 400.
The race is 300 laps. The stages end on laps 90 and 95. Stage three is 115 laps. Denny Hamlin took pole position last year, but Joey Logano won the race after five overtimes.
The Nashville Superspeedway is a D-shaped, 1.33-mile track. It is entirely concrete and will tear through rubber faster than most tracks, especially during long green-flag runs. The Cup Series has been racing there since 2021.
Ross Chastain
The Coca-Cola 600 winner will look to stay hot in Nashville this Sunday. He has the third-best driver rating at Nashville (109). He is also in the top five in average running position (9.06), average finish (10.25), and laps in the top 15 (972).
Chastain won the Cup Series race in Nashville in 2023 from pole position. He also finished in second in 2021.
Kyle Larson
While Chastain had a great weekend in Charlotte, Larson will look to bounce back in the Music City after a disappointing attempt at the double.
Larson is tied with Chastain for the most top-five finishes at Nashville with three. He has the best average start (4.75) and average finish (4.50) at the intermediate track.
Chase Elliott
Elliott has one win, two top fives, and two top 10s at Nashville. His average running position of nine is second best in the Cup Series. He has spent 90.3 percent of laps in the top 15 at Nashville.
The No. 9 team has been scrappy all year and always finds a way into the top 10s at the end of races. Elliott could get his first win of the season this Sunday.
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin boasts the best average running position (5.38) at Nashville. He took pole position in 2022 and 2024.
He also leads the Cup Series in laps in the top 15 with 1,146 and driver rating (114.4). Hamlin has the second-best odds to win the Cracker Barrel 400.
AJ Allmendinger
The No. 16 car is the first driver below the playoff cutline. He has an average finish of 13.3 at Nashville and could propel himself into a playoff spot this weekend. Allmendinger has one top 10 in three races in Nashville.
Allmendinger finished 11th in last year’s race in Nashville. The No. 16 car could surprise fans this weekend with a good run.
Ty Gibbs
Gibbs finished 23rd in last year’s race, but he led the field in quality passes (number of times passing a car in the top 15) with 85. While NASCAR Fantasy does not award points for quality passes, Gibbs got unlucky with five overtimes last year and should end up much better than 23rd this time.
Ross Chastain vs Chase Elliott
This is the toughest matchup of the weekend. Chastain is coming off a win, while no driver has been more consistent than Elliott. The No. 9 team has better odds, take Elliott.
Ryan Blaney vs Chris Buescher
Buescher finished 5th in last year’s race, while Blaney finished 6th. RFK has been better lately, but the No. 12 should have the upper hand this weekend.
Ryan Preece vs Zane Smith
Zane Smith was the runner-up last year. If not for the overtimes, he would have ended up toward the back of the pack. Preece finished fourth and was better overall, so go with the No. 60.
Joey Logano vs Tyler Reddick
Logano won last year (primarily due to overtimes), while Reddick finished third and had the second-best average running position at 6.14. Take Reddick and the No. 45 team.
The 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener at Daytona drew nearly 1.4 million viewers on FS1, beating the 2025 opening race number by 37%, and becoming the most-viewed Truck Series event since 2016.
NASCAR’s secondary series is facing a huge brand change, leaving the title name “Xfinity Series” to become the brand-new O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. What is not changing, however, is its broadcast partner. The CW is headed for its 2nd season with the series, and has been investing heavily in it. Year after year, we put up the rating numbers and rank them accordingly in comparison to the previous season. Here’s how it works:
All Races (1 Total in 2026)
It wouldn’t be Daytona without some weird, wacky, and headline-grabbing fallout. From viral Victory Lane moments to renewed debates about driver approval, NASCAR’s biggest race once again delivered more than just on-track drama. And with Michael Jordan celebrating a Daytona 500 win, the spotlight burned brighter than it has in years.
Jordan’s presence mattered. When the most iconic athlete of a generation shows genuine emotion upon winning the Daytona 500, it reminds the wider sports world that this race still matters. That kind of authentic publicity cannot be manufactured. It resonated far beyond the garage. Meanwhile, the O’Reilly Series race added fuel to another ongoing debate. The massive Decker crash, Cleetus McFarland’s Truck debut incident, and past approval inconsistencies have once again raised tough questions. Consistency, transparency, and accountability are now front and center. Add in Austin Hill’s dominance and Ryan Ellis’ career-best sixth-place run to open the season, and Daytona gave fans plenty to talk about on and off the track.
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