A penalty at the start could not stop Denny Hamlin and Toyota from scoring their first win at Nashville Superspeedway. The rain-delayed race began with the No. 11 leading the field to green, but Hamlin accelerated before reaching the start zone. The infraction brought an early drive-through penalty, forcing him to work his way back through the field. In a race filled with cautions, Hamlin recovered in steady fashion and returned to the front in time to battle two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates for the win. He ultimately cleared them both and became the third driver this season to earn multiple victories. The win also trimmed Tyler Reddick's massive lead in the championship standings, although the No. 45 still holds an advantage of nearly 100 points after another top-10 finish.
Sunday's race also reinforced Toyota's current advantage over the other manufacturers. Toyota drivers swept the top three finishing positions and placed four cars inside the top six, a sign of strength that could pay dividends again next week. Michigan International Speedway offers a much different test, but it remains a place where Toyota should feel confident. The track's long straightaways and fast corners place a premium on horsepower, and Hamlin returns as the defending winner. Toyota engines have also won the last two races at Michigan, giving the manufacturer strong momentum heading into the race.
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A penalty at the start could not stop Denny Hamlin and Toyota from scoring their first win at Nashville Superspeedway. The rain-delayed race began with the No. 11 leading the field to green, but Hamlin accelerated before reaching the start zone. The infraction brought an early drive-through penalty, forcing him to work his way back through the field. In a race filled with cautions, Hamlin recovered in steady fashion and returned to the front in time to battle two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates for the win. He ultimately cleared them both and became the third driver this season to earn multiple victories. The win also trimmed Tyler Reddick's massive lead in the championship standings, although the No. 45 still holds an advantage of nearly 100 points after another top-10 finish.
Sunday's race also reinforced Toyota's current advantage over the other manufacturers. Toyota drivers swept the top three finishing positions and placed four cars inside the top six, a sign of strength that could pay dividends again next week. Michigan International Speedway offers a much different test, but it remains a place where Toyota should feel confident. The track's long straightaways and fast corners place a premium on horsepower, and Hamlin returns as the defending winner. Toyota engines have also won the last two races at Michigan, giving the manufacturer strong momentum heading into the race.
To keep up with all your favorite drivers and get updates throughout the season, head to RotoWire's latest NASCAR news or follow @RotoWireNASCAR on X.
NASCAR Power Rankings After Nashville
1. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45
Last Week: 1
Points leader Tyler Reddick has been the picture of consistency this season, and he extended that run of incredible form with his 111th top-10 finish of the season Sunday night in Nashville. Reddick's sixth-place finish was his fourth straight, and he added some stage points from the first segment of the race. While Denny Hamlin has been working hard to close the points gap, Reddick has been keeping pace and still maintains a 97-point advantage at the top of the standings. While Reddick does have a victory at Michigan, that win was his only top finish from seven tries. However, the No. 45 has been a whole new team in 2026 and another top-10 finish is the expectation.
2. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11
Last Week: 2
Hamlin emphatically overcame a drive-through penalty for jumping the start of Sunday night's race to claim his second points win of the season. Multiple cautions in the opening stage gave him the chance to recover, and he had already worked his way back inside the top 20 by the end of the segment. Once he returned to the front, he used the final restart to outduel his two teammates in the closing laps and secure the victory. His pursuit of Reddick for the points lead is showing no signs of slowing. Michigan should offer another strong opportunity. Hamlin is a three-time winner there and the defending race winner. He has started on the front two rows in each of the last two Michigan races and has finished inside the top 10 in his last eight starts at the track.
3. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12
Last Week: 3
Sunday night's race in Nashville was another commendable outing from Blaney and his No. 12 team. Even without the superior equipment Toyota currently has, Blaney continues to take what his Ford will give him and was the top finishing driver for the manufacturer. His effort, with 46 laps led and some stage points, helped him remain remain third in the standings. Blaney's nine top-10 finishes so far this season ranks him among the best, and with some extra juice from his No. 12 Ford, he might be able to make a bigger challenge to the Toyotas. Until that time comes, Blaney is wise to collect what he can without overdriving or forcing himself into bad situations. Right now, that is enough to remain one of the top championship contenders.
4. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9
Last Week: 5
Elliott bounced back to a top-10 with a come-from-behind finish at Nashville. The week prior, the No. 9 suffered a difficult night at Charlotte, and the cancelation of qualifying for Nashville meant Elliott started toward the back of the field. Even with that handicap, Elliott rallied his way forward and scored stage points in the first segment. Once inside the top 10, that is where he stayed for the rest of the distance, too. His productive night, coupled with a quiet night from the No. 54, meant Elliott moved up a spot in the standings to fourth. That sets the team up well for the coming week's trip to Michigan where Elliott has 10 top-10 finishes from 15 tries.
5. Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54
Last Week: 4
Speed in practice didn't produce a productive race for Gibbs. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was largely anonymous once the green flag waved to start Nashville's round of the schedule. Gibbs started inside the top 10 but was not able to maintain position, slipping outside of the top 10 by the end of the first stage. The team wasn't able to find their footing as the night went on and they finished a quiet 13th. That, coupled with a productive night from Chase Elliott, meant Gibbs slipped back one spot in the standings. The coming race at Michigan should be one he can return to the top 10, though. From four series races, Gibbs has two top-fives and three top-10s with an impressive average finish of 6.8.
6. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20
Last Week: 7
Christopher Bell's upward swing in results continued at Nashville in a Joe Gibbs Racing dominated night. The No. 20 had the benefit of a starting spot inside the top five, which the team used to land their fifth top-five finish of the season and their second consecutive runner-up finish. Bell now looks to be in race-winning form and maintaining the current level of performance is likely to earn him his first race win of the season. A true test will come next week at Michigan, though. Through seven series starts, Bell has never finished in the top 10 and his best finish is a pair of 13th-places. If there is any time for Bell to turn that around, it would be now with Toyota's advantage, though.
7. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5
Last Week: 6
Race pace was not necessarily an issue for Larson Sunday at Nashville. a late problem that ruined what could have been a top finish was, though. Larson is known for his ability to win, but his frequent crashes or incidents hamper his ability to move further up the standings. He entered the Nashville race weekend with just one top-10 finish since Kansas in April. After leading 56 laps and nearly winning the first stage, the night ended with him a lap down in 23rd despite being in touch with the leaders on the final restart. Larson remains inside the top 10 in the standings for now, but more missed chances like Sunday's will continue holding him back.
8. Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports No. 77
Last Week: 9
Hocevar stopped a two-race slide with a top-10 finish at Nashville. The Spire Motorsports driver stumbled at Watkins Glen and Charlotte, but quietly took advantage of some breaks Sunday night on Nashville's concrete to score his sixth top-10 finish of the season and retain ninth position in the championship standings. Spire has been giving their drivers machinery to compete among the leaders each week, and Hocevar has been making the most of it. That ability to field equipment their drivers can use could be an even bigger advantage next week with the high speeds at Michigan, too. Hocevar has led laps at that track in both of his Cup Series starts and he has a best finish of 10th from 2024.
9. Daniel Suarez, Spire Motorsports No. 7
Last Week: 10
Like teammate Hocevar, Daniel Suarez is making the most out of the cars Spire is fielding for him. Sunday at Nashville, Suarez started third and held position in the top 10 throughout most of the night, winning the second stage. In the end, Suarez slipped back to a 19th-place finish, but the stage points earned help cushion that blow. Grabbing stage points and consistently finishing in the top 20 will build a firm foundation the longer the No. 7 team is able to keep delivering, and that will be the foundation from which Suarez hopes to enter The Chase with. Fantasy players should expect the next stop at Michigan to be much of the same from the No. 7 with Suarez having finished in the top 10 in two of the last three races there.
10. Chris Buescher, RFK Racing No. 17
Last Week: 8
Brake failures were one of the major stories at Nashville and Buescher was not immune to the problems. With less than 20 laps remaining, Buescher's right-front brake rotor failed, sending him into the outside wall and out of the race. Failing to finish meant he lost some ground in the championship, too. The No. 17 heads to Michigan next week eighth in the standings with back-to-back finishes of 29th and 30th. That is not the kind of momentum the No. 17 needs when facing the dauting task of challenging the streaking Toyotas at the front of the order. Buescher is a former Michigan winner, though. In fact, he was second there last year, too. Another top-10 to reverse his two-race slump would be a welcome bonus for Buescher next week.
Knocking on the Door
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing No. 97
Last Week: N/A
A strong run at Charlotte and the cancellation of qualifying at Nashville helped put Shane van Gisbergen in position to start inside the top 10. That track position played a major role in helping him deliver a series-best oval finish for the No. 97 team. With three finishes of 11th or better in the last three races, SVG now sits firmly inside the top 16 in the standings and has a Chase berth well within reach. His progress on oval tracks has been impressive, and the confidence inside the No. 97 camp should only continue to grow. A first oval victory no longer feels far away, and as that breakthrough gets closer, Van Gisbergen should be even more determined to make it happen.
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19
Last Week: N/A
Briscoe overcame a 31st starting position after the cancellation of qualifying to nearly win his first race of the season, picking up his fifth top-five finish of the season. After a lengthy rough patch of results, Briscoe is just about firing on all cylinders, and Sunday's finish helped him move to 14th in the championship standings. The top-five finish was his second in the last three points races, too. The No. 19 seems to have the bulk of bad luck behind them and are rapidly closing on the top 10 in the standings. That trend should continue at Michigan, too. Last year, Briscoe started on pole and led 11 laps. He has yet to finish in the top 10 at the track, but last year's showing proves the potential is there with a trouble-free race.
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23
Last Week: N/A
Misfortune continues to shadow the No. 23 camp. At Nashville, Wallace recovered from an 18th-place starting spot and worked his way into the top 10 while collecting stage points along the way. That promising run unraveled when he was swept up in another crash, continuing a frustrating pattern that has already experienced this season. Wallace leaves Nashville with three finishes worse than 20th and a two-position drop in the standings to 15th. He and the team cannot afford many more setbacks like that and need to string together productive points days as soon as possible. Wallace finished fourth at Michigan last season, and a repeat of that kind of afternoon would go a long way toward stopping his current slide.
