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Hamlin Wins Cracker Barrel 400 by 0.115 Seconds

6/1/2026

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Summary

Hamlin Wins

Denny Hamlin won the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway Sunday night.
After starting on pole and serving a drive-through penalty, Hamlin passed Christopher Bell on the final restart and won by 0.115 seconds.
The race set a record 31 lead changes, 15 leaders and 12 cautions while Hamlin led 57 laps.
It was Hamlin’s 62nd win, with brake-rotor failures eliminating Ross Chastain and Connor Zilisch.

Summary

Hamlin Earns Pole

Denny Hamlin announced Corey Heim will join 23XI Racing as a Cup driver in 2027.
Qualifying cancelled by rain, so NASCAR set the grid with metric formula and gave Hamlin the pole.
A caution on lap 35 gave leader Tyler Reddick the lead and recorded 31 changes among 15 leaders.
Bubba Wallace, Shane van Gisbergen, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece finished 40, 28, 16 and 15 points above the cut line.

History

Historical Context

In February 1979 CBS aired the first live flag-to-flag Daytona 500, with Richard Petty winning and a snowstorm pulling a national audience of about 15 million. The in-car cameras and dramatic finish sparked growth that made all Cup races live by the late 1980s. That legacy fuels today’s competition, seen in Denny Hamlin’s 0.115-second Nashville win with 31 lead changes and 23XI Racing’s 2027 driver addition.

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Hamlin Wins

Denny Hamlin won the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway Sunday night.
After starting on pole and serving a drive-through penalty, Hamlin passed Christopher Bell on the final restart and won by 0.115 seconds.
The race set a record 31 lead changes, 15 leaders and 12 cautions while Hamlin led 57 laps.
It was Hamlin’s 62nd win, with brake-rotor failures eliminating Ross Chastain and Connor Zilisch.

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