At Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, Chase Briscoe secured the pole position for the Cracker Barrel 400 by narrowly beating Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin by 0.049 seconds. This result marks Briscoe’s second consecutive pole, following his top qualifying time at the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend. The fierce competition highlighted Briscoe’s strong qualifying pace, although the 30-year-old driver now aims to translate this advantage into a race victory.
Meanwhile, Hamlin’s second-place qualifying position comes amid uncertainty as he awaits the birth of his baby son. The veteran driver has indicated that he may skip Sunday’s race to be with his family, which could impact his participation despite the promising qualifying effort.
Kyle Larson Faces Another Difficult Qualifying Session at Nashville
Kyle Larson endured a challenging Saturday qualifying run, finishing 28th fastest and far from the front of the pack. Following a disappointing weekend marked by two crashes in his previous drive at Charlotte, Larson has been unable to recover momentum in the Nashville qualifying session. The Hendrick Motorsports driver and his team will need to address these issues quickly to improve their position on race day.
Complete Starting Lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series at Nashville
The full qualifying results reveal a competitive field across various teams and manufacturers. The top ten starters for Sunday’s race are as follows:
- Chase Briscoe (Car No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) – 29.125 seconds
- Denny Hamlin (Car No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) – +0.049 seconds
- William Byron (Car No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) – +0.182 seconds
- Tyler Reddick (Car No. 45, 23XI Racing Toyota) – +0.183 seconds
- Ross Chastain (Car No. 1, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet) – +0.185 seconds
- Brad Keselowski (Car No. 6, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford) – +0.252 seconds
- Christopher Bell (Car No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) – +0.262 seconds
- Michael McDowell (Car No. 71, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet) – +0.272 seconds
- Joey Logano (Car No. 22, Team Penske Ford) – +0.309 seconds
- Chris Buescher (Car No. 17, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford) – +0.318 seconds
The remainder of the field includes Chase Elliott in 11th and Austin Cindric qualifying 16th among notable competitors. Larson’s 28th place spot places him deep in the lineup, necessitating a strong race strategy.
Potential Impact of Hamlin’s Possible Absence on Race Dynamics
Denny Hamlin’s reported plans to be with his family as they welcome their newborn son add an emotional note to the weekend, creating uncertainty about his participation. Should Hamlin choose to skip the race, Joe Gibbs Racing will need to activate a standby driver to fill his seat, which could upset team plans for the Cracker Barrel 400. Hamlin’s absence could also influence championship points standings and open opportunities for other leaders in the competition.
Chase Briscoe’s pole position boosts his prospects of claiming a first career Cup Series victory, especially with a key rival potentially absent. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson faces pressure to rebound after his difficulties in qualifying, making Sunday’s race crucial for his season momentum.
