{"id":52500,"date":"2025-06-01T22:55:19","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T03:55:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=52500"},"modified":"2025-06-02T10:10:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T15:10:09","slug":"ryan-blaney-commands-cracker-barrel-400-at-nashville-superspeedway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/01\/ryan-blaney-commands-cracker-barrel-400-at-nashville-superspeedway\/","title":{"rendered":"Ryan Blaney commands Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards\/Cardell Cabinetry Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 01, 2025 in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service <\/em><\/p>\n

Ryan Blaney claimed his first victory of the 2025 season Sunday night in the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion led a commanding, race-best 139 of the 300 laps to finally secure that all-important Playoff position.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards\/Cardell Cabinetry Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 01, 2025 in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Blaney has come so close this season to hoisting a trophy only to have random racing bad luck break his heart and challenge his resolve. But Sunday, the sport\u2019s popular 31-year-old, third-generation racer ultimately drove his No. 12 Team Penske Ford to a 2.830-second win over 22-year-old Spire Motorsports\u2019 Carson Hocevar in a 103-lap green flag run that closed out the race.<\/p>\n

Blaney was so thrilled to take the win, he climbed on top of his Ford, raised his arms in triumph and then jumped off the car and ran up and into the track\u2019s front grandstands to claim the checkered flag before handing it off to an excited young fan. <\/p>\n

\u201cI never gave up hope that\u2019s for sure,\u2019\u2019 said Blaney, whose victory puts all three drivers of the reigning champion Penske team into the 2025 Playoffs.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards\/Cardell Cabinetry Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 01, 2025 in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had adversity, and this hasn\u2019t really been a good year for us in terms of good fortune, but the 12-boys are awesome. They stick with it no matter how it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hocevar\u2019s runner-up finish ties a career-best effort turned in at Atlanta in February.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just proves how strong this group is to go from the disappointment last week,” said Hocevar, who looked strong and led laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Sunday only to retire early with mechanical problems. \u201cSticking to it and having a shot, just proud of this group. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe were one spot short again, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction,\u2019\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards\/Cardell Cabinetry Ford, leads the field during the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 01, 2025 in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Joe Gibbs Racing\u2019s Denny Hamlin, who won the opening stage and led 79 laps, finished third despite his helmet hose and hydration system issues. Blaney\u2019s Penske teammate Joey Logano finished fourth with current NASCAR Cup Series championship leader, Hendrick Motorsports\u2019 William Byron rounding out the top-five.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust couldn\u2019t run with the 12 there in the super long run, after 40 laps I could maintain with him, but after that he\u2019d just pull away and stretch it on us,\u2019\u2019 said Hamlin, whose fianc\u00e9 Jordan is expecting to deliver the couple\u2019s third child at any time.<\/p>\n

Logano, the defending race winner also led laps but ultimately wasn\u2019t able to challenge at the end giving up positions to Hocevar and Hamlin.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, William Byron, driver of the #24 Raptor High Heat Chevrolet, and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards\/Cardell Cabinetry Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 01, 2025 in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe 12 was just lights out which gave them a huge lead and we just weren\u2019t able to hold onto second, the 11 [Hamlin] got by me,\u2019\u2019 Logano said, adding, \u201cGood execution and proud of Team Penske. All our cars have a win now and that\u2019s pretty impressive to have everybody with a win. All the teams are really strong.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

23XI Racing\u2019s Bubba Wallace, Legacy Motor Club\u2019s Erik Jones, Hendrick Motorsports\u2019 Kyle Larson, 23XI Racing\u2019s Tyler Reddick and JGR\u2019s Christopher Bell rounded out the top-10. The effort marked a particularly significant comeback for Larson, who started 28th on the grid and was involved in an incident on lap 115.<\/p>\n

There were 18 lead changes in all among nine drivers with Hamlin (stage one) and Blaney (stage two) claiming the stage wins.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, and Erik Jones, driver of the #43 Dollar Tree Toyota, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 01, 2025 in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

New this year, the Nashville race sets the 32-car field for the inaugural NASCAR In-Season Challenge \u2013 a bracket-style tournament taking place during the TNT broadcast\u2019s five-race stretch this summer. The tournament starts June 28 at Atlanta followed by the races at Chicago, Sonoma, Dover, and Indianapolis with the winner receiving a $1 million prize.<\/p>\n

Now, the next three races \u2013 Michigan, Mexico City\u2019s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez and Pocono – will determine the bracket seeding based on a driver\u2019s best finish out of those races.<\/p>\n

Former series champion Brad Keselowski claimed the 32nd position for the competition by only 21 points over Trackhouse Racing\u2019s Shane Van Gisbergen.<\/p>\n

Byron continues to lead the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings, now 48 points up on Hendrick Motorsports teammate Larson with 12 regular season races remaining to set the 16-driver Playoff field. Their teammate Chase Elliott, who finished 15th Sunday, is the highest-ranked driver (fifth) without a win. <\/p>\n

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action next Sunday afternoon in the Firekeeper\u2019s Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway (2 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Reddick is the defending winner at the two-mile speedway \u2013 traditionally one of the drivers\u2019 favorite venues on the schedule.<\/p>\n

 Interviews:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Race Winning Driver Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford) – <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Race Winning Crew Chief Jonathan Hassler and President of NASCAR Operations Michael Nelson (No. 12 Team Penske Ford) –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/HasslerandNelsonNashville.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

NASCAR Cup Series Race – Cracker Barrel 400<\/b><\/p>\n

Nashville Superspeedway<\/b><\/p>\n

Nashville, Tennessee<\/b><\/p>\n

Sunday, June 1, 2025<\/b><\/p>\n

                1. (15)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 300.<\/p>\n

                2. (26)  Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                3. (2)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 300.<\/p>\n

                4. (9)  Joey Logano, Ford, 300.<\/p>\n

                5. (3)  William Byron, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                6. (12)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 300.<\/p>\n

                7. (14)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 300.<\/p>\n

                8. (28)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                9. (4)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 300.<\/p>\n

                10. (7)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, 300.<\/p>\n

                11. (5)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                12. (25)  Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                13. (27)  Zane Smith, Ford, 300.<\/p>\n

                14. (10)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 300.<\/p>\n

                15. (11)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                16. (32)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                17. (1)  Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 300.<\/p>\n

                18. (16)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 300.<\/p>\n

                19. (29)  Cole Custer, Ford, 300.<\/p>\n

                20. (17)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                21. (8)  Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                22. (35)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, 300.<\/p>\n

                23. (6)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 300.<\/p>\n

                24. (37)  Riley Herbst #, Toyota, 300.<\/p>\n

                25. (23)  Shane Van Gisbergen #, Chevrolet, 300.<\/p>\n

                26. (31)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 299.<\/p>\n

                27. (36)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 299.<\/p>\n

                28. (19)  Ryan Preece, Ford, 299.<\/p>\n

                29. (21)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 299.<\/p>\n

                30. (20)  Josh Berry, Ford, 299.<\/p>\n

                31. (22)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 299.<\/p>\n

                32. (18)  Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 299.<\/p>\n

                33. (34)  Cody Ware, Ford, 297.<\/p>\n

                34. (38)  JJ Yeley(i), Chevrolet, 297.<\/p>\n

                35. (39)  Chad Finchum, Ford, 288.<\/p>\n

                36. (24)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 188.<\/p>\n

                37. (33)  Corey Heim(i), Toyota, Accident, 130.<\/p>\n

                38. (30)  Noah Gragson, Ford, Accident, 112.<\/p>\n

                39. (13)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 110.<\/p>\n

Average Speed of Race Winner:  129.068 mph.<\/p>\n

Time of Race:  3 Hrs, 5 Mins, 29 Secs. Margin of Victory:  2.830 Seconds.<\/p>\n

Caution Flags:  7 for 35 laps.<\/p>\n

Lead Changes:  18 among 9 drivers.<\/p>\n

Lap Leaders:   C. Briscoe 1-39;D. Hamlin 40;T. Reddick 41-46;R. Blaney 47-70;C. Briscoe 71-82;D. Hamlin 83-92;T. Reddick 93;R. Blaney 94-107;D. Hamlin 108-166;W. Byron 167;D. Hamlin 168;R. Blaney 169-188;J. Logano 189-198;R. Blaney 199-247;D. Hamlin 248-255;A. Cindric 256-257;A. Dillon 258-265;B. Keselowski 266-268;R. Blaney 269-300.<\/p>\n

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Ryan Blaney 5 times for 139 laps; Denny Hamlin 5 times for 79 laps; Chase Briscoe 2 times for 51 laps; Joey Logano 1 time for 10 laps; Austin Dillon 1 time for 8 laps; Tyler Reddick 2 times for 7 laps; Brad Keselowski 1 time for 3 laps; Austin Cindric 1 time for 2 laps; William Byron 1 time for 1 lap.<\/p>\n

Stage #1 Top Ten: 11,45,19,24,20,9,12,71,22,1<\/p>\n

Stage #2 Top Ten: 12,24,11,22,43,2,77,38,21,20<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service  Ryan Blaney claimed his first victory of the 2025 season Sunday night in the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion led a commanding, race-best 139 of the 300 laps to finally secure that all-important Playoff position. Blaney has come so close this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":52505,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[16,1097,435],"class_list":["post-52500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","tag-nascar","tag-nashville-superspeedway","tag-ryan-blaney"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2218167850-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-dEM","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52500"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52519,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52500\/revisions\/52519"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}