Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Rain Cancels Nashville Qualifying for Second Straight Week; Hamlin Leads Metrics-Set Grid
Saturday storms at Nashville Superspeedway forced NASCAR to cancel Cup Series qualifying for the second consecutive weekend, following a similar washout at Charlotte the previous week. With no session held, the starting grid for the Cracker Barrel 400 was set using NASCAR’s performance metric formula. Denny Hamlin, who sits second in points, will lead the 38-car field from pole position with championship leader Tyler Reddick alongside him on the front row. Daniel Suárez, winner of the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 last weekend, starts third. Former Nashville race winners Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain face long climbs from 29th and 35th, respectively.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Christopher Bell Paces Nashville Practice Session Before Rain Cancels Qualifying
Christopher Bell paced Saturday’s Cup Series practice session at Nashville Superspeedway before rain arrived and wiped out qualifying entirely. Bell’s fast time positioned Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota as a contender for Sunday night’s 300-lap Cracker Barrel 400. Despite topping the charts, Bell starts fourth on the grid after the metric formula replaced qualifying results. Bell sits eighth in the 2026 championship standings with 361 points. The Cracker Barrel 400 is the 14th race of the season and the opening event of the second half of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, with Amazon Prime Video carrying the broadcast at 7 p.m. ET.
Sources: NASCAR.com
Cracker Barrel 400 Opens Second Half of 2026 Regular Season at Nashville
Sunday night’s Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway opens the second half of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, with 13 races complete and 23 remaining before the Chase field is set. Championship leader Tyler Reddick holds a 122-point edge over second-place Denny Hamlin entering the race, but the playoff picture behind them remains crowded. Ryan Preece clings to the 16th and final Chase spot, 15 points above Austin Cindric. Nashville’s 1.33-mile concrete oval demands tire management and track position, with night-race conditions adding variable surface temperatures. Amazon Prime Video carries the race beginning at 7 p.m. ET from Lebanon, Tennessee.
Sources: NASCAR.com
Ryan Preece Loses Texas Penalty Appeal, Sits Directly on Chase Bubble
Ryan Preece has lost his appeal of the 25-point penalty imposed by NASCAR following the Texas Motor Speedway race, where officials determined he had intentionally wrecked Ty Gibbs. The ruling was upheld by an appeals panel. The penalty leaves Preece at 303 points in 16th place, directly on the final Chase cutline with 13 races remaining in the regular season. He holds a 15-point advantage over 17th-place Austin Cindric and a 29-point margin over Joey Logano. When asked for his reaction, Preece said: “It doesn’t matter what I think.” The Hyak Motorsports driver must now defend his playoff position beginning tonight at Nashville.
Sources: NASCAR.com
23XI Racing Signs Corey Heim to Full-Time Cup Seat Starting in 2027
Corey Heim will join 23XI Racing as a full-time Cup Series driver in 2027, the team announced Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway. Heim will take over the No. 35 currently driven by Riley Herbst, who is expected to move to Legacy Motor Club. Co-owner Denny Hamlin said he has believed in Heim since 2023, citing the driver’s ability to escape tight positions and make difficult passes look effortless. “For our company, generational drivers only come by every now and then, and I firmly believe that we have one here,” Hamlin said. Heim credited trust in Toyota and 23XI as driving his decision, saying: “I feel at home.”
Sources: Motorsport.com
Toyota Leads NASCAR Manufacturer Standings but Seeks Nashville Win to End Month-Long Drought
Toyota leads the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer standings with 582 points and seven wins through 13 races, 32 points ahead of Chevrolet’s 550. Ford sits third with 439 points and one victory. However, Toyota has not won a Cup race since Tyler Reddick’s triumph at Kansas Speedway in late April, a drought now spanning more than five weeks. Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway — where Toyota has never recorded a Cup Series win at the 1.33-mile concrete oval — offers the next opportunity. Reddick and Denny Hamlin lead the Toyota charge from the front row of Sunday’s 38-car field.
Sources: NASCAR.com, NASCAR Reference
Shane van Gisbergen Encouraged After Best Oval Run of NASCAR Cup Career
Shane van Gisbergen said his 11th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 was his best oval performance since joining the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in 2024. The New Zealand driver averaged a seventh-place running position in the rain-shortened race and led 11 laps before losing track position late. “I was just frustrated because our finishing position was not as good as we deserved,” van Gisbergen said Saturday at Nashville. Teammate Ross Chastain said progression was inevitable given SVG’s instincts as a racer. Van Gisbergen added that concrete ovals like Nashville remain his biggest weakness, noting Bristol and Dover as tracks where he finds it hardest to manage grip.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Live Fast Motorsports Sits Out Nashville After Legge’s Historic Memorial Day Double Attempt
Live Fast Motorsports will not enter Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. The team’s No. 78 Chevrolet ran at Charlotte the previous weekend with Katherine Legge, who became the first female driver, first British driver, and oldest competitor — at age 45 — to attempt the Memorial Day Double, starting both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Legge finished the rain-shortened 600 in 31st place, completing the race — a feat no Memorial Day Double driver had managed since Robby Gordon in 2004. Live Fast plans to return at Pocono Raceway in mid-June with Daniel Dye behind the wheel.
Sources: Beyond the Flag
Cup Series Standings (Top 16)
1. Tyler Reddick — 620 pts
2. Denny Hamlin — 498 pts
3. Ryan Blaney — 446 pts
4. Ty Gibbs — 425 pts
5. Chase Elliott — 423 pts
6. Kyle Larson — 386 pts
7. Chris Buescher — 385 pts
8. Christopher Bell — 361 pts
9. Carson Hocevar — 356 pts
10. Daniel Suárez — 350 pts
11. Brad Keselowski — 343 pts
12. William Byron — 337 pts
13. Bubba Wallace — 328 pts
14. Shane van Gisbergen — 316 pts
15. Chase Briscoe — 304 pts
16. Ryan Preece — 303 pts ▼ Cutline
Manufacturer Standings
1. Toyota — 582 pts
2. Chevrolet — 550 pts
3. Ford — 439 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.