NASCAR’s Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway starts May 31 at 7 p.m. ET, featuring a lineup shaped by a canceled qualifying session and multiple Kyle Busch tributes, including a familiar paint scheme from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with the race streamed vi
When the green flag drops for the Cracker Barrel 400 on Sunday, May 31, Nashville Superspeedway won’t just be buzzing with usual race-week energy. It will also be carrying the weight of sudden loss, with NASCAR returning to the city still reeling from the death of Kyle Busch.
Denny Hamlin will drive into the night as the pre-race favorite and the starter from the pole after qualifying was canceled. The race is set to begin at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local) in Lebanon, Tennessee, and there will be no traditional television broadcast. Fans instead will have to look to streaming platforms as multiple tributes—planned in the aftermath of Busch’s death—play out on track.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is among the drivers drawing special attention. Stenhouse. who only two years ago punched Busch after the 2024 NASCAR All-Star race. is slated to race in a paint scheme inspired by the NOS Energy car Busch used a decade ago on the O’Reilly Autoparts Series. The 2023 Daytona 500 champion is considered a longshot as the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series reaches its final race of May. along with Austin Hill. in his second race in Busch’s former No. 8 Chevrolet.
The grid adds more familiar names to the mix. Ryan Blaney won last year’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway. and Hamlin is also tied to the season’s competitive storyline: he is a co-owner of Reddick’s Team 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan. Hamlin trails Tyler Reddick in the 2026 driver standings. but he is listed as the pre-race favorite over Reddick for this Sunday’s race.
The race will cover 300 laps around a 1.33-mile D-shaped oval course with four turns, for a total of 399 miles. NASCAR has set three stages: Stage 1 at lap 90 (90 laps), Stage 2 at lap 185 (95 laps), and Stage 3 at lap 300 (115 laps).
There’s no broadcast of the Cracker Barrel 400 on television. Amazon Prime Video will stream the race and will also air a pre-race show at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT). The race can also be streamed on HBO Max.
Hamlin’s pole start comes after qualifying was canceled. and the lineup that follows shows how that procedural disruption reshaped the order. The stakes feel higher than usual: this is NASCAR’s return to Nashville at a time when competition. momentum in the 2026 standings. and Busch tributes are all landing on the same night.
(11) Denny Hamlin. Toyota; (45) Tyler Reddick. Toyota; (7) Daniel Suarez. Chevrolet; (20) Christopher Bell. Toyota; (5) Kyle Larson. Chevrolet; (54) Ty Gibbs. Toyota; (12) Ryan Blaney. Ford; (24) William Byron. Chevrolet; (22) Joey Logano. Ford; (97) Shane Van Gisbergen. Chevrolet; (38) Zane Smith. Ford; (6) Brad Keselowski. Ford; (43) Erik Jones. Toyota; (71) Michael McDowell. Chevrolet; (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Chevrolet; (16) AJ Allmendinger. Chevrolet; (77) Carson Hocevar. Chevrolet; (23) Bubba Wallace. Toyota; (48) Alex Bowman. Chevrolet; (41) Cole Custer. Chevrolet; (34) Todd Gilliland. Ford; (17) Chris Buescher. Ford; (35) Riley Herbst. Toyota; (67) Corey Heim. Toyota; (33) Austin Hill. Chevrolet; (34) Todd Gilliland. Ford; (17) Chris Buescher. Ford; (35) Riley Herbst. Toyota; (67) Corey Heim. Toyota; (33) Austin Hill. Chevrolet; (4) Noah Gragson. Ford; (42) John Hunter Nemechek. Toyota; (60) Ryan Preece. Ford; (9) Chase Elliott. Chevrolet; (10) Ty Dillon. Chevrolet; (19) Chase Briscoe. Toyota; (3) Austin Dillon. Chevrolet; (21) Josh Berry. Ford; (51) Cody Ware. Chevrolet; (1) Ross Chastain. Chevrolet; (2) Austin Cindric. Ford; (66) Chad Finchum. Ford; (88) Connor Zilisch. Chevrolet.
NASCAR Cracker Barrel 400 Nashville Superspeedway Kyle Busch tribute Denny Hamlin Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Tyler Reddick Team 23XI Racing May 31 Amazon Prime Video HBO Max qualifying canceled lineup