Denny Hamlin Steals Win Late at Nashville Superspeedway

Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Progressive team for Joe Gibbs Racing scored their third win of the NASCAR Cup Series season in the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. “What an unbelievable day,” Hamlin said. “Started first, going to last, then back to first.”

Hamlin began the race on the pole due to qualifying being canceled earlier in the weekend. At the start the veteran gained a massive jump over outside pole-sitter Tyler Reddick. After video review, NASCAR determined Hamlin jumped before the starting marks and would have to serve a pass through penalty.

“Oh I definitely jumped the start, no doubt about it.” Hamlin added. “Looking back at it, I just didn’t wait quite long enough.”

Brake Failures and Tire Strategy

The first 90 laps of the event saw numerous cars trying different strategies to gain track position. There was a common theme of brake rotor issues throughout the night, with rookie Connor Zilisch being the first victim at Lap 71. His teammate Ross Chastain was next on Lap 81.

Several of the leaders ended up going down pit road, while some others who were anxious for points would choose to stay out. One of those was AJ Allmendinger for Kaulig Racing, who captured the Stage 1 victory.

Stage 2 saw the same pattern of the field implementing different strategies for track position. The next incident for cause wouldn’t come until Lap 146 when the No. 3 of Austin Dillon spun down the frontstretch. The next brake rotor affair came after the following restart, this time Allmendinger being the culprit and his night coming to a dramatic end.

Stage 2 ended under the yellow flag after a three-car crash with three to go. The wreck involved Todd Gilliland, Cole Custer, and Corey Heim. Daniel Suárez went on to earn the stage win.

Duel For The Win

The final leg of the race held its fair share of excitement, not only with on-track collisions but with leaders like Christopher Bell and his crew chief Adam Stevens calculating how to cycle to the front during green flag pit stops. Bell and Stevens did so on Lap 246, taking the lead away from Hamlin and looking to run away with the win.

Bell regained the lead with 12 laps remaining, at which point yet another brake rotor failed going into Turn 3. This time the issue came from the No. 17 of Chris Buescher.

The final restart led to Bell, Hamlin, and Chase Briscoe fighting it out for the win with four laps remaining. Bell and Hamlin raced side-by-side until Hamlin surged ahead in Turn 1 on the final lap to earn his 62nd career win. He now sits one behind the late Kyle Busch for ninth on the Cup Series all-time wins list.

“Things worked out nicely for me.” @dennyhamlin watches the final lap of Nashville 😅 pic.twitter.com/9j8g1vKREY

— Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) June 1, 2026

Race Results