LEBANON, Tennessee (AP) – Rothshastain is gearing up to get back behind the wheel of a race car after an eventful week that took him from the worst lane to Victory Lane at the Coca-Cola 600—a first in his career.
He understands the value of a humble race.
“We’ve been on a trajectory where achieving success could be challenging again, and we’ve faced a lot of high risks,” Chastain stated. He mentioned still wearing the Coca-Cola 600 winner’s ring on his right hand this past Saturday. “The car doesn’t remember what happened last week.”
Chastain has recorded three top-three finishes in his last four races and will be competing in the Cracker Barrel 400 this Sunday night, a track he knows well at the Nashville Super Speedway.
Music City is home to his Trackhouse Racing team; Chastain triumphed here in 2023. He also secured finishing positions of second and fifth last year, with a strong chance to win. This event is also part of Truck House Racing’s 300th race.
Chastain has faith in his crew chief, Phil Sugen, and Truckhouse Racing but admits he’s unsure why he’s found such success at this track. He says he doesn’t feel like he’s altering his preparation.
“We have a really, really good race car,” Chastain said about his first Chevrolet.
This race takes place a month before the last four years, and the Cracker Barrel 400 falls right in the middle of the NASCAR regular season. Chastain is one of eight drivers who have already secured wins and are locked into the playoffs.
No Repetitive Performance
Last year, I experienced this race with a record 5 overtimes, where Joey Logano emerged victorious for his first cup win in 2024.
“I don’t know if I’ll get another chance like that,” Logano reflected. “It’s a very rare opportunity to have a race unfold that way, but we were prepared and ready that day, which helped us win.”
Nashville’s Second Straight Pole
Chase Briscoe will kick off the race from the pole position for the second consecutive year at this venue. He leads the Cup Series with three poles in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing. In the recent qualifying, Briscoe clocked in at 164.395 mph, beating Arik Almirola’s 161.992 mph set for Ford in 2021.
Briscoe started from the Coca-Cola 600 pole and is aiming for his first victory following five top-five finishes, after finishing 19th at Toyota last week.
Teammate Denny Hamlin secured second place with a 164.119 mph lap for Toyota, and Hendrick Motorsports points leader William Byron (163.374 mph) is in third, followed by Tyler Reddick from 23xi Racing. Chastain will start in fifth.
Specific Challenges
Brad Keselowski, currently ranked 32nd, celebrated his first NASCAR XFINITY series win in 2008. He strolled the D-shaped track on Saturday and marveled at Nashville’s growth since he held his first race here in 2001.
“It’s aged like fine wine,” Keselowski noted. “As I walked the track, I reflected on how the surface, being 25 or 26 years old, remains in excellent condition. The facility has aged exceptionally well.”
Starting New Challenges During the Season
Nashville kicks off a new season challenge for NASCAR, featuring 32 drivers in a single-elimination format that will span over five races beginning in Atlanta on June 28th. Following Sunday’s race in Nashville, the top 32 drivers will progress to three seed races.
These races commence in Michigan on June 8th and culminate on June 22nd at Pocono. Drivers will be seeded based on their best finishes in these three events for the challenge that starts in Atlanta. The field will be narrowed down to 16 in Chicago, eight in Sonoma, four in Dover, and ultimately two at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The tournament offers a $1 million prize, part of a new media rights agreement involving TNT.
Odds and the End
According to the BetMGM Sportsbook, Denny Hamlin is the favorite at +350 to win on Sunday night. If Hamlin starts the race, he may not be there as his fiancée is expecting their third child on the same day. Hamlin mentioned there’s an eight-hour window to race and return home, but hasn’t set a fixed timeline for his final decision before qualifying. “You can’t miss it,” he remarked about his upcoming son’s arrival.
Each of the first four years at this track saw a different winner for this race. Country music star Chase Rice, a former NASCAR pit crew member, will serve as the honorary pace car driver on Sunday night. Rice has sold over 2.8 million albums and has achieved more than 2.9 billion streams, with hits including “Eye on You,” “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen,” and “If You’re There, You’re Lonely.”
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Source: apnews.com