Ranked fourth place in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings, Chase Elliott has certainly established himself best among those drivers without a win. But for the driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, that is not enough. 

He’s ranked fourth in the championship standings – two of his Hendrick teammates, William Byron and Kyle Larson, leading the rankings. Consistency has certainly been key to Elliott’s season with seven top 10 and three top five finishes through the opening 13 races. His best effort has been fourth place – at both COTA and Martinsville.

He has been particularly good at this week’s Nashville concrete 1.33-miler winning the race in 2022 and scoring a fourth-place finish there in 2023. Looking ahead to next week at Michigan, Elliott has an impressive 10 top-10 finishes – including three runner-up efforts – in 14 starts.

“I thought we had a really good car last week at Charlotte,” Elliott said. “I think it’s a product of a lot of hard work and just a collective effort of trying to make some improvement. That’s always the goal, just keep chipping away. I think the team is in a really good spot.’’

Elliott knows he’s in a good place points standings-wise, but the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and perennial Most Popular Driver isn’t satisfied with “pointing” his way into a title run. His last victory came a year ago at Texas Motor Speedway.

“Certainly better to be in that position than on the other side of the fence, no doubt,” Elliott said of his points position. “But I’d be lying if I said that was my top focus. It’s just not. I think that if you’re worried about barely getting into the playoffs, I think you have some work to do.

“It really is kind of the best way I can think about that. And just to talk about my thought process, I want to be better than that. I want to be in the group of people of how many playoff points do you have, not just barely getting in. Our expectations and goals are above that, and we hope that we can achieve all of our goals.”

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nashville has always been a special place for Michael Waltrip.

From his victory in 2004 to watching his brother race as a kid, Waltrip’s memories in Nashville extend decades.

“I was here in 1975. Fifty years ago, believe it or not, when he won,” Waltrip said. “There’s a great picture of him on the car and his wife there and the crew, and there’s this little 12-year-old boy looking up at him.”

This weekend, NASCAR is back in Music City. Instead of with cars, Waltrip is at the bars.

The racing legend is teaming up with Austin Peay State University for a special Governor’s Golden Ale beer.

“I grew up in Owensboro, Kentucky, just up the road and they’re a part of the Ohio Valley Conference, and I watched them play a lot of the basketball games when I was a kid,” Waltrip recalled.

Waltrip has always been ahead of the pack and the partnership gives Austin Peay the chance to do the same.

“For us to be, around here anyway, the first ones to have something like this, that’s what we’re known for,” said Austin Peay President Dr. Michael Licari. “We want to be out there innovating, we want to be out there in front of everybody, and we want to make sure people understand the Govs are here.”

The beer is already sold at a handful of venues in Clarksville and Nashville.

NASCAR Truck Series starting positions for Nashville Superspeedway

Tonight, they’ll drop the green flag at Nashville Superspeedway. The 1.33-mile track hosts the NASCAR Truck Series.

View the Nashville starting lineup for the NASCAR Truck Series below.

Nashville Menu
Truck: Prac/Qual | Race
Xfinity: Prac/Qual | Race
Cup: Prac/Qual | Race

Nashville TV Schedule

Nashville Superspeedway
Starting Lineup
May 30, 2025
NASCAR Truck Series

Pos | Driver

1. Corey Heim

2. Kaden Honeycutt

3. Layne Riggs

4. Grant Enfinger

5. Corey Day

6. Bayley Currey

7. Daniel Hemric

8. Tyler Ankrum

9. Jake Garcia

10. Rajah Caruth

11. Matt Mills

12. Kyle Busch

13. Stewart Friesen

14. William Sawalich

15. Ben Rhodes

16. Andres Perez

17. Gio Ruggiero

18. Matt Crafton

19. Luke Fenhaus

20. Connor Mosack

21. Tanner Gray

22. Jack Wood

23. Chandler Smith

24. Nathan Byrd

25. Spencer Boyd

26. Ty Majeski

27. Frankie Muniz

28. Tyler Tomassi

29. Dawson Sutton

30. Toni Breidinger

31. Clayton Green

32. Akinori Ogata

Nashville Superspeedway
Practice Results
May 30, 2025
NASCAR Truck Series

Pos | Driver | Best Time

1. Corey Heim
30.059

2. Ty Majeski
30.227

3. Rajah Caruth
30.234

4. Luke Fenhaus
30.247

5. Chandler Smith
30.256

6. Layne Riggs
30.272

7. Jake Garcia
30.285

8. Andres Perez
30.292

9. Gio Ruggiero
30.320

10. Daniel Hemric
30.328

11. Kyle Busch
30.361

12. Tanner Gray
30.378

13. Bayley Currey
30.454

14. Stewart Friesen
30.527

15. Connor Mosack
30.531

16. Grant Enfinger
30.538

17. Matt Crafton
30.561

18. Dawson Sutton
30.561

19. Kaden Honeycutt
30.572

20. Tyler Ankrum
30.574

21. William Sawalich
30.625

22. Ben Rhodes
30.648

23. Jack Wood
30.686

24. Corey Day
30.765

25. Matt Mills
31.048

26. Clayton Green
31.077

27. Akinori Ogata
31.374

28. Spencer Boyd
31.474

29. Nathan Byrd
31.519

30. Toni Breidinger
31.555

31. Tyler Tomassi
31.728

32. Frankie Muniz
31.766

Links

Nashville SuperSpeedway | NASCAR

After not getting to qualify, the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway certainly looked like it was going to belong to Corey Heim. However, he very quickly had a battle shape-up with Rajah Caruth and Layne Riggs. Those three proved to be the class of the field for the Truck Series this week. The way the race played out, it was a great battle up front, ultimately for the victory. Caruth held off a huge charge from Heim during the closing laps to secure his second-career win.

Rajah Caruth Holds off Corey Heim for Nashville Truck Win

The action started quickly as the Truck Series’ best took to the 1.333-mile oval. Corey Heim did what he did best to start the night, putting his No. 11 Toyota out front like he has all season. However, Spire Motorsports had both Rajah Caruth and Corey Day right up in the thick of things quickly.

We’re toe-to-toe truckin’ under the Friday night lights!

The green flag is out at @NashvilleSuperS on FS1. pic.twitter.com/NBFm0aY9AE

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) May 31, 2025

Friday Night Lights Turn Sour Quickly

The opening laps of the race once again saw something befall actor-turned-racer Frankie Muniz. It has just become a common theme for the 39-year-old who loves racing. This time, a broken oil line appears to be what knocked him out of the race quicker than ever. Officially, he only completed two laps, and it just continues to pile up stuff out of his control.

Muniz has certainly had a rough start to the 2025 season, and he seems to be down on himself. He told Jonathan Howard from On3 Sports that he has reached a point where he’s questioning whether he should even race.

” I mean, at this rate, it’s you can’t, I don’t know what to say,” Muniz said. “I mean, our last eight weeks have been an absolute disaster. And, none of it has been at the fault of the team, or me, or anything like that, even there. There are 32 trucks out there. One person hit something that cut the oil line, and it was me, you know what I mean?”

Racing in NASCAR is hard, and Muniz hasn’t seemed to have any luck at this point.

Three-Horse Race

The fight for the stage wins and ultimately the race win came down to three drivers. What was cool was that it was one from each manufacturer. Riggs was able to win the opening stage in his No. 34 Ford, with Heim and Rajah Caruth closely behind.

The second stage was more of the same between those three, as Heim captured the green and white flag ahead of Riggs and Caruth. That set up for what ended up being a great race for the win.

Pit stops and good restarts proved to be the name of the game in Nashville. After some outstanding stops by Caruth’s No. 71 team, he was able to hold the lead with 30 laps remaining.

It’s @rajahcaruth_ out front, but @CoreyHeim_ is pressing!

Less than 30 laps to go at @NashvilleSuperS! pic.twitter.com/1Rk11en7BM

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) May 31, 2025

Heim was closing in on him, but the battle for the win saw Rajah Caruth show off his guts and growth as a race-car driver. The 22-year-old held off one heck of a charge from Heim to score his second-career win. Riggs, meanwhile, wasn’t too far behind.

.@rajahcaruth_ holds on to win it! pic.twitter.com/HZbXwMEmXN

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) May 31, 2025

Outstanding Battle

Sure, it was Caruth celebrating at night’s end, but you can’t take away that it was great racing from all three of the top three finishers.

BURN IT DOWN, RAJAH! pic.twitter.com/KOZaAXXH04

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) May 31, 2025

While he was celebrating, his fellow competitors spoke so highly of what he was able to do. Runner-up finisher Corey Heim didn’t have much to be mad about, and he spoke highly of the way Rajah was able to best him.

That is certainly a good competitor, especially when he can admit defeat. Riggs shared a similar sentiment that it was a great drive by Caruth.

It was certainly a popular victory for Rajah, and he’s certainly building some momentum at the right time. Sure, his first career win at Las Vegas in 2024 was huge, but this one feels a little bit sweeter. Nashville did not disappoint, that’s for sure. Up next Truck Series makes its long-awaited return to Michigan International Speedway.

READ NEXT: Rajah Caruth Triumphs: Wins First NASCAR Race at Las Vegas

Main Photo: James Gilbert, Getty Images

Recording Date: 5/30/2025

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson has emerged as NASCAR’s merchandise sales leader halfway through the 2025 regular Cup Series season. Despite a disappointing end to The Double during Memorial Day weekend, in which he failed to finish both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, Larson’s commercial appeal continues to grow as he challenges seven-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award winner Chase Elliott.

The popularity of the 32-year-old driver coincides with his impressive on-track performance through the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. At the midway point, he has three race wins under his belt, eight top-five finishes, and nine top-10 finishes.

Despite his successes on track, Larson has also been met with criticism off of it. Following the race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, when he competed in the Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series, the driver claimed that he wanted to “embarrass” the Xfinity Series drivers. He said on the Harvick Happy Hour podcast at the time:

“In my head when I pick the races, the triple is not really the reason why I do it. In Xfinity, I do get motivated – and this is going to come across as very cocky – I want to embarrass them honestly.

“I want to embarrass NASCAR a little bit because they just don’t let Cup guys run anymore. The kids are probably thinking they are in a good spot and they don’t know where the bar is really at. So I like to go and run those Xfinity races and get 10-second leads to let them realise they have got a lot of room to improve and it’s only better for our sport too.

“When those young guys can compete with Cup guys, they are better suited for the Cup Series when they get there. I want to smash the field when I run Xfinity. That’s motivating me for sure.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of those who took issue with Larson’s comments. 

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

“The first thing he said, I didn’t like. He said he wanted to embarrass the field, and he wanted to embarrass NASCAR, and he was not happy that they limit the races the Cup guys can run. The rest of the point he made was valid,” Earnhardt Jr. said.

According to a report from Sports Business Journal, merchandise sales at the Coca-Cola 600 were the highest since 2010, and this included Larson products centred around his attempt at The Double.

NASCAR Holdings’ top merchandise sales ranking for the 2025 season

1. Kyle Larson
2. Chase Elliott
3. Kyle Busch
4. Ross Chastain
5. Ryan Blaney
6. Joey Logano
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8. Justin Allgaier
9. Dale Earnhardt Sr.
10. William Byron
11. Daniel Suarez
12. Christopher Bell
13. Denny Hamlin
14. Tyler Reddick

It is time to go racing in the Music City at Nashville Superspeedway for the Cracker Barrel 400. The 14th race for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, let’s get you ready for Sunday night’s race.

NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway Preview

The NASCAR Cup Series is racing at the Nashville Superspeedway this Sunday night, the Cracker Barrel 400. Last time we were in Nashville, a simple race turned into complete chaos. Austin Cindric spun on the back stretch, triggering five overtime restarts before the race would finish under the checkered flag. Will we see a clean race? Or will the chaos return?

Race Preview:

The Cracker Barrel 400 is a 400-mile, 300-lap race around the 1.333-mile Nashville Superspeedway. Stage cautions will be on laps 90 and 185, with the checkered flag flying on lap 300. There is a prize purse of  11,055,250 dollars available for this race. Goodyear is bringing the same right-side tires that were run at the race in 2024, but a new left side that will wear more. Teams will have 10 sets of tires for qualifying and the race.

The Track: Nashville Superspeedway

Nashville Superspeedway, located in Lebanon, Tennessee, opened in 2001 as a 1.33-mile concrete oval track. Initially hosting races for the  NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series, it became notable for its concrete surface. After closing in 2011 due to declining attendance, the track reopened in 2021 under Speedway Motorsports ownership, hosting its first NASCAR Cup Series race. Since 2021, it has hosted all three major NASCAR Series.

There have been four Cup Series races at Nashville since 2021. Kyle Larson won the first race, and there have been four different winners: Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, and Joey Logano. Kevin Harvick set the track record in 2022, with a 26.856-second lap.

Cup Series Point Standings:

These are the current point standings following the Coca-Cola 600:

1. William Byron: 499
2. Kyle Larson: 470
3. Christopher Bell: 425
4. Chase Elliott: 415
5. Tyler Reddick: 392
6. Denny Hamlin: 390
7. Ryan Blaney: 363
8. Ross Chastain: 350
9. Joey Logano: 338
10. Alex Bowman: 333

READ MORE: Ross Chastain Captures Glory with Coke 600 Victory

Drivers To Watch:

Three drivers will be joining the field for the Cracker Barrel 400. JJ Yeley will drive the #44 for NY Racing. Chad Finchum will drive the #66 for Garage 66/MBM Motorsports. Lastly, Corey Heim will make another start for 23XI Racing in the #67 Camry.

READ MORE: Corey Heim Becomes 23XI Racing’s First Development Driver

Chevrolet has the most wins at Nashville, with three of the four, and two in the Next Gen era. Kyle Larson has the best average finish with a 4.5 average. Surely Larson wants to put his disaster of an Indy 500/Coke 600 behind him, and the best way to do that is to win. But I think he will have competition from last week’s winner.

Ross Chastain has had good runs at Nashville in the past. A win in 2023 and fifth in 2022, ignoring his DNF in 2024. He has the momentum from that big win last week. I think Chastain can be a contender again in 2025.

Denny Hamlin is due for a win at this track. He was battling with Ross Chastain last year when the shenanigans started. He has an average finish of seventh at this track, and I think he is quite fuming from his lack of fuel at Charlotte last week. Look for Hamlin to lead the Toyotas

While a Ford won last year’s race, Logano was not the fastest car by far. RFK Racing by the numbers has the best finishes among its drivers. Brad Keselowski finished well last week, has run well on 1.5-mile tracks, I think he could be a contender for the Fords this week. I also look at Ryan Blaney, who has a top-five and top-ten here in the three Next Gen races. Look for the #6 and #12 Mustangs on Sunday night.

How To Watch The Cup Series at Nashville Superspeedway:

Here is the weekend schedule for the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway:

Saturday, May 31st:

• Practice:
• Qualifying: 
  • 5:10 PM Eastern
  • Coverage continues on Prime

Sunday, June 1st:

Last Word on Motorsports will have all the action from Nashville Superspeedway’s NASCAR Weekend

Main Photo: Sean Gardner, Getty Images

Recording Date: 6/30/2024