Denny Hamlin wins NASCAR race in Nashville, celebrates with bow for Kyle Busch

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There aren't many racetracks in NASCAR’s Cup Series that Denny Hamlin hadn’t won at, but entering Sunday night the Nashville Superspeedway was one of them.Now, the 45-year-old driver can check that box.Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota took the checkered flag in the Cracker Barrel 400, giving him his second win of the season. It’s the first win for a Toyota car at Nashville since the speedway began hosting Cup Series races in 2021.“What an unbelievable day,” Hamlin said.The victory was the 62nd of Hamlin’s Cup Series career, putting him one win away from tying the late Kyle Busch for ninth all-time. Hamlin — who is now the Cup Series wins leader among active drivers following Busch’s shocking death on May 21 — grabbed the checkered flag and did the “Busch Bow” in celebration. The two drivers were teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing from 2008 to 2022.Hamlin started the day as the pole sitter, but was penalized on the first lap for jumping the start, pushing him all the way to the back of the pack.“I definitely jumped the start, no doubt about that,” Hamlin said with a laugh.Hamlin battled back though and led 57 laps. He also had the fastest lap of the night at 29.73 seconds.Chris Buescher blew a rotor with 12 laps to go and hit the wall in the third turn with his No. 17 Ford, bringing out the 11th caution of the night. Before that final yellow flag, Zane Smith had led the previous 18 laps before Christopher Bell ran him down after taking fuel and fresh tires at lap 260. Hamlin pitted just a few laps before Bell.Just four laps remained when the green flag came out for the final time with three Toyotas from JGR — Bell, Chase Briscoe and Hamlin — holding down the top three spots. Out of the restart, Hamlin shot to the front and went side-by-side with Bell. Entering the final lap, the three JGR drivers went three-wide, then Hamlin cleared Bell exiting turn two into the back straightaway and held off his two teammates for the victory. It was the third time this season that Bell finished second.Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished fourth in his No. 47 Chevrolet for Hyack Motorsports, marking his second top-five finish of the year. Stenhouse was followed by Shane van Gisbergen, Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar in 10th. For van Gisbergen — who has seven Cup Series wins on road courses — the fifth place finish marks his best on an oval.Reddick still holds a 97-point lead over Hamlin for the top spot in the point standings.Nashville’s concrete track claimed the brake rotors of four drivers in the race, ending their nights early. In addition to Buescher, rookie driver Connor Zilisch slammed his No. 88 Chevrolet into the wall after blowing a rotor on the 72nd lap and Ross Chastain had the same happen to his No. 1 Chevrolet on the 81st lap.AJ Allmendinger — who was running in third — crashed his No. 16 Chevrolet into the wall on the 173rd lap after blowing a rotor. Allmendinger won the first stage of the race after jumping ahead of Blaney and then held off Kyle Larson. It was the first stage win for Allmendinger in a Cup Series race since 2023.Other drivers that were knocked out of the competition due to wrecks included Brad Keselowski and Bubba Wallace. Neither crashes seemed to be their faults.Keselowski was turned by Austin Dillon on the 193rd lap as the field stacked up out of a restart. Keselowski's spotter TJ Majors seemed to believe Dillon wrecked the 2012 Cup Series champion intentionally after an earlier incident with him, saying on the radio, “The 3 just wrecked you on purpose. He's mad from earlier."Dillon was being blocked by Keselowski on lap 145 when he received contact from Keselowski’s teammate, Buescher, sending him spinning. Speaking to reporters after being seen in the infield care center, Keselowski seemed to agree.“It’s pretty clear (Dillon) wrecked me intentionally in that replay,” Keselowski said.Buescher was also involved in the incident that knocked Wallace out of the race too, in a chain reaction that began with Hocevar moving his No. 77 up the track, trapping Buescher in the corner and forcing him into Wallace. Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota smacked the wall, made contact with William Byron’s No. 24, then drifted down the track where his nose slammed into Alex Bowman’s right rear tire.After a strong start to the season where he finished in the top 11 in the first five races of the season, Wallace has just one finish inside the top 21 in his last five races.“Just minding our own business yet again, another week that our team doesn’t get the finish that we deserve. I’m tired, man. It’s hard to be in the same boat constantly every week,” Wallace said. “It’s really freaking hard when you're driving your best and just trying to make progress throughout the race and you get wiped out.”The race featured a record number of lead changes for a Cup Series competition at Nashville Superspeedway with 31. It was the fourth consecutive Cup Series sellout for the venue. The start of the Cracker Barrel 400 was delayed about an hour due to rain.Caution flag comes out at Nashville with 12 laps to go in Cracker Barrel 400The 11th caution flag of the Cracker Barrel 400 came out with 12 laps to go when Chris Buescher's No. 17 Ford slammed into the turn three wall after blowing a rotor.Christopher Bell had just taken the lead from Zane Smith before the yellow came out.Bell grabbed fuel and fresh tires on lap 259 and chased Smith down through lapped traffic. 15 cars are on the lead lap.Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman crash in Stage 3 at Nashville NASCAR raceBubba Wallace got knocked into the wall, lost his brakes and drifted down the track where he crashed into Alex Bowman on lap 204 of the Cracker Barrel 400 on Sunday night in Nashville.The chain reaction started when Carson Hocevar and Chris Buescher moved up the track, when Buescher's No. 17 Ford connected with Wallace's No. 23 Toyota, sending him into the wall. Wallace briefly made contact with William Byron's No. 24 Chevrolet before drifting down the track where his nose met Bowman's right rear tire.Buescher blamed the incident on Hocevar:The multi-car wreck brought out the ninth caution flag of the night. Denny Hamlin was the leader with 91 laps to go.Brad Keselowski wrecked in Stage 3 of the Cracker Barrel 400Brad Keselowski received contact from Austin Dillon on the 193rd lap, sending his No. 6 spinning into the No. 2 of Austin Cindric before Keselowski settled against the wall.Keselowski's spotter TJ Majors seemed to believe Dillon wrecked the 2012 Cup Series champion on purpose after an earlier incident with him.When the green flag waved again with 99 laps to go, Denny Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota was the leader, with Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell just behind him.Three-car wreck ends Stage 2 of Cracker Barrel 400: Daniel Suarez leadsA wreck involving three drivers — Corey Heim, Todd Gilliland and Cole Custer — brought Stage 2 of the Cracker Barrel 400 to an end under caution with Daniel Suarez as the leader in his No. 7 Chevrolet.Heim drove into the bumper of Gilliland with four laps to go in the stage, turning his No. 34 Ford. When Gilliland's nose hit the wall, he also collected Heim and Custer in the crash.Here were the leaders as Stage 2 ended:Daniel SuarezAlex BowmanRicky Stenhouse Jr.Austin CindricDenny HamlinMichael McDowellWilliam ByronChristopher BellChase BriscoeBrad KeselowskiThe stage win was the first for Suarez this season with his new team, Spire Motorsports. Suarez won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte last weekend. Three drivers have been knocked out of the race due to blown brake rotors, with AJ Allmendinger, Ross Chastain and Conor Zilisch all experiencing issues in that area of their machines.Kyle Larson has led 56 laps, Ryan Blaney has been up front for 46 and Tyler Reddick has led on 37 laps.The race has already had a record number of lead changes at Nashville Superspeedway with 23.AJ Allmendinger blows rotor, slams into wall in Stage 2 at NashvilleAJ Allmendinger blew a brake rotor on his No. 16 Chevrolet on the 173rd lap of the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville on Sunday night, sending his car into the SAFER barrier hard on the first turn.Allmendinger, who won the first stage, was running in third place when the wreck happened. His car settled in the infield and he was able to exit the car under his own power.With seven laps to go in the second stage, Chase Elliott is in the lead with Daniel Suarez running second.Austin Dillon spins out to bring out Stage 2 caution in NashvilleAustin Dillon brought out the first caution flag of Stage 2 at the Cracker Barrel 400 when he spun out lap 145 at Nashville.Dillon got caught between RFK teammates Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher. As Keselowski was blocking, Buescher hit Dillon's back bumper, sending him for a spin into the grass. Dillon was able to control his No. 3 Chevrolet and didn't hit the wall.Ryan Blaney's No. 12 Ford is the leader with 36 laps to go in Stage 2. He's followed by four Chevrolets in Chase Elliott, Michael McDowell, AJ Allmendinger and Daniel Suarez.AJ Allmendinger wins the first stage at Nashville in the Cracker Barrel 400AJ Allmendinger notched his first stage win of 2024 as his No. 16 Chevrolet was the first to cross the finish line at the end of 95 laps on Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway in the Cracker Barrel 400.Allmendinger — one of just two full-time Cup Series drivers for Kaulig Racing — jumped ahead of Ryan Blaney at the restart, then held off Kyle Larson and went low on the track to reach the finish line first. Allmendinger hasn't won a Cup Series race since 2023, when he took the checkered flag at the Charlotte Roval.Here are the leaders at the end of Stage 1:1 - AJ Allmendinger2 - Kyle Larson3 - Ryan Blaney4 - Chase Elliott5 - Tyler Reddick6 - Bubba Wallace7 - William Byron8 - Chase Briscoe9 - Riley Herbst10 - Corey HeimNotably, all four drivers for Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing were in the top 10 at the end of Stage 1.Allmendinger, who entered this race in 19th place in the point standings, will earn 10 points for winning the stage. Reddick has led 37 laps so far while Larson has led 27.Ross Chastain, Michael McDowell bring out caution flag at NashvilleRoss Chastain seemingly blew a rotor as he crashed into the wall, while Michael McDowell got loose and spun out on the 81st lap of the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville on Sunday.Chastain's No. 1 Chevrolet is the second car from Trackhouse to have rotor issues at Nashville. Conor Zilisch exploded one earlier in the race, sending his No. 88 to the garage.Ryan Blaney's No. 12 Ford is in the lead as Stage 1 is four laps away from being complete.McDowell's No. 71 remained in the race while Chastain's No. 1 was sent to the garage.Connor Zilisch slams into the wall to bring out caution flag at NashvilleConnor Zlisch had a brake rotor issue and slammed his No. 88 Chevrolet into the wall to bring out the second caution flag of the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville on lap 72. The 19-year-old Zilisch is the lone full-time rookie in the Cup Series this season.Zilisch's right front tire was on fire when his car came to a stop.Kyle Larson's No. 5 Chevrolet is the leader as Stage 1 is close to finishing up.Shane Van Gisbergen leads Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville after first cautionAfter the first caution flag in the Cracker Barrel 400 — a competition caution at lap 35 by NASCAR — Shane Van Gisbergen's No. 97 Chevrolet is in front of the pack.Joey Logano is in second, Brad Keselowski in third and Tyler Reddick is in fourth. Reddick's No. 45 Toyota has led the most laps so far at 37.Amazon Prime broadcast goes silent on lap No. 8 for Kyle BuschAmazon Prime's broadcast of NASCAR's Cracker Barrel 400 went silent for the eighth lap on Sunday in Nashville in honor of the late Kyle Busch, who shockingly died on May 21 after a battle with pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.The same thing was done during broadcasts of the O'Reilly and Truck Series races this weekend, as well as Amazon's broadcast of the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend at Charlotte.Busch had been driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing for the past four seasons. It has since been renumbered to No. 33 and is being driven by Austin Hill for the second straight weekend. Busch previously drove the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, where he won two Cup Series championships.Denny Hamlin penalized for jumping the startNASCAR made an early penalty call in the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville, flagging pole sitter Denny Hamlin for jumping the start in his No. 11 Toyota.Tyler Reddick's No. 45 Toyota has moved into first place.Engines fired in NASCAR's Cracker Barrel 400 at NashvilleAfter a delay lasting a little more than an hour due to rain, drivers were called to their cars and former NFL players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton gave the "start your engines" call for the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway at 8:26 p.m. ET.Cracker Barrel 400 delayed due to rainLight rain showers have pushed back the start of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race, the Cracker Barrel 400.Pit reporters for Amazon Prime Sports are conducting interviews with drivers while everyone waits for the signal to fire engines.NASCAR initially said the green flag would drop five minutes late, at 7:25 p.m. ET, but rain has persisted.Corey Heim making fifth Cup Series start of the season, will join 23XI full-time in 2027Corey Heim will race in his fifth Cup Series star of the season in the Cracker Barrel 400, starting Sunday's race in 24th place in the No. 67 Toyota for 23XI Racing. Next season, Heim will be running a full season with the team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.23XI announced on Saturday in Nashville that the 23-year-old will pilot the No. 35 Toyota full-time in 2027. Heim will become teammates with Bubba Wallace and current points leader Tyler Reddick.“Corey is a gifted driver who is continuing to get better and better with each race he runs,” Hamlin said in a statement. “He has a bright future in the sport and joins a team that is continuing to build a solid foundation."Since 2024, Heim has been a developmental driver for 23XI and has competed in 11 Cup Series races for Jordan’s team and Legacy Motor Club. His best finish at NASCAR’s highest level came last year at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he placed sixth.Driving the No. 11 Toyota for Tricon Garage last year, Heim won the championship in the Truck Series and set the record for most wins in a single season at that level with 12 — breaking Greg Biffle’s mark of nine victories set in 1999. In 93 races over six years, Heim has 25 wins in the Truck Series, which is fifth-best all-time.“For our company, generational drivers only come by every now and then,” Hamlin said Saturday at Nashville. “And I firmly believe that we have one here.”Austin Hill running second Cup Series race in Kyle Busch's re-numbered carAustin Hill will get behind the wheel of Kyle Busch's renumbered car for the second consecutive Cup Series race following the 41-year-old driver's shocking death. Hill's No. 33 will begin the Cracker Barrel 400 in 25th place.Speaking to a gaggle of reporters on Saturday, May 30 in Nashville, Austin Dillon – the driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet for RCR and the grandson of team owner Richard Childress – was non-committal on what the future held for the car, but expressed confidence in Hill."Look, I think that’s a decision that will be made over time," Dillon said. "But I know one thing – I’m excited for Austin Hill because I think he’s a dog. I’m ready to go to war with him and go out there, as my teammate, and battle with him. If there’s any questions about that, he’s qualified."For now, Hill will continue to pilot the RCR car previously driven by Busch. Last weekend at Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600, he finished 27th, a lap down. The 32-year-old from Winston, Georgia, has raced part-time in the Cup Series since 2022, making 18 starts. Hill's best finish at the top level of NASCAR came last year in the Chicago Street Course race, where he placed ninth.Hill finished 11th in Saturday's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race in Nashville.Rain starts to fall at Nashville before NASCAR raceAbout 30 minutes before the green flag is scheduled to drop on the Cracker Barrel 400 at 7:20 p.m. ET, rain began to sprinkle down at Nashville Superspeedway, according to multiple reports from the track.Nashville's NASCAR Cup Series race is sold out for the fourth consecutive year. Guests attending the race at the all-concrete 1.33-mile D-shaped oval have joined from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 26 countries.What time does the NASCAR race at Nashville start?The Cracker Barrel 400 starts at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local) at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee.What TV channel is the NASCAR Nashville race on?There is no television broadcast of the Cracker Barrel 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.Is there live stream of the NASCAR race at Nashville?Amazon Prime Video is streaming the Cracker Barrel 400 and will have a pre-race show at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m CT). The race can also be streamed HBO Max.Watch Cracker Barrel 400 on Prime VideoHow many laps is the NASCAR Nashville race?The Cracker Barrel 400 features 300 laps around a 1.33-mile D-shaped oval course with four turns for a total of 399 miles. The race will have three stages (laps per stage) — Stage 1: Lap 90 (90 laps); Stage 2: Lap 185 (95 laps); Stage 3: Lap 300 (115 laps).What is the lineup for the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville?(Car number in parentheses)(11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota(45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota(7) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet(20) Christopher Bell, Toyota(5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet(54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota(12) Ryan Blaney, Ford(24) William Byron, Chevrolet(22) Joey Logano, Ford(97) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet(38) Zane Smith, Ford(6) Brad Keselowski, Ford(43) Erik Jones, Toyota(71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet(47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet(16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet(77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet(23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota(48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet(41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet(34) Todd Gilliland, Ford(17) Chris Buescher, Ford(35) Riley Herbst, Toyota(67) Corey Heim, Toyota(33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet(4) Noah Gragson, Ford(42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota(60) Ryan Preece, Ford(9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet(10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet(19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota(3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet(21) Josh Berry, Ford(51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet(1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet(2) Austin Cindric, Ford(66) Chad Finchum, Ford(88) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet