What to Expect: Cracker Barrel 400

Last week at Charlotte, Ross Chastain punched his playoff ticket with a big win in the Coca-Cola 600. He survived late cautions and outdueled Denny Hamlin to score his first win of the season. Hamlin, frustrated after leading the most laps but falling short, called the result “a tough one to swallow.” Chastain’s win also locked Trackhouse Racing into the playoffs for the third straight year.

Ross Chastain celebrates after last weeks win at Charlotte

What to Expect This Sunday

The 2025 Nashville 400 kicks off the second half of the regular season. The 1.33-mile concrete oval tests patience and balance over 300 laps. The green flag drops at 7 p.m. ET, under the lights, where track position will matter all night. Teams will need to navigate a bumpy surface, tricky pit entry, and fuel strategy. A five-overtime thriller last year reminded everyone: no lead is safe here.

Drivers to Watch

• Chase Briscoe, on pole, makes his Nashville debut with Joe Gibbs Racing and carries momentum from his Charlotte top five.

• Ross Chastain, last year’s winner, returns confident and playoff-secured.

• Ryan Blaney has shown speed but needs a clean race after five DNFs this year.

• Bubba Wallace, a quiet underdog, has been quite consistent this year and looks to be confident weekly. He's performed well at similar tracks in the past.

  
  

Chase Briscoe poses with his trophy for winning the pole

Where to Watch

Catch the full race live on Prime Video. PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will also carry full coverage. With a 7 p.m. ET start, the race moves from warm daylight into cooler night conditions, adding a fresh challenge for teams.

What We’ve Learned So Far

Last weeks 600 on Amazon Prime was a huge win for NASCAR. Something fresh and new, with a broadcast team that felt like they cared about what was being produced, fans took a breath of fresh air.