On Sunday night, Ryan Blaney earned his first NASCAR Cup Series win of 2025 at the Cracker Barrel 400 held at Nashville Superspeedway. Driving the No. 12 Team Penske Ford, Blaney led 139 of the 300 laps, a dominant performance that clinched a critical playoff spot as the season progresses.
The 31-year-old driver, who was the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, overcame a challenging season marked by near misses and mechanical setbacks. Blaney held off a closing charge from 22-year-old Carson Hocevar of Spire Motorsports in the final 103 laps, finishing 2.830 seconds ahead to take the checkered flag.
Emotional Celebration Emphasizes the Significance of the Win
Blaney’s victory ignited exuberant celebrations as he climbed atop his car, raised his arms, and jumped off to run into the grandstands, sharing the moment with fans by handing the checkered flag to an enthusiastic young supporter. This emotional display highlighted how much the achievement meant to Blaney, who credited his team’s perseverance throughout a tough season.
“I never gave up hope that’s for sure,”
said Blaney.
“We’ve had adversity, and this hasn’t 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.”
Carson Hocevar Matches Career Best with Strong Runner-Up Finish
Hocevar’s second-place finish at Nashville tied his best career result, initially set earlier this year in February at Atlanta. Despite recent mechanical troubles that forced an early retirement at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hocevar showed resilience and competitiveness in Nashville.
“It just proves how strong this group is to go from the disappointment last week,”
Hocevar commented.
“Sticking to it and having a shot, just proud of this group. We were one spot short again, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction.”
Solid Performances from Top Contenders Hamlin, Logano, and Byron
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin secured third place, despite dealing with issues involving his helmet hose and hydration system. Hamlin led 79 laps in the race and captured the opening stage win, maintaining a strong pace even under physical strain. Meanwhile, Team Penske’s Joey Logano, the defending Nashville winner, finished fourth after leading laps but falling back late in the race. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, the current points leader in the NASCAR Cup Series, completed the top five finishers.
“Just couldn’t run with the 12 there in the super long run, after 40 laps I could maintain with him, but after that, he’d just pull away and stretch it on us,”
Hamlin shared.
“The 12 was just lights out, which gave them a huge lead, and we just weren’t able to hold onto second, the 11 [Hamlin] got by me,”
Logano said, also adding,
“Good execution and proud of Team Penske. All our cars have a win now and that’s pretty impressive to have everybody with a win. All the teams are really strong.”
Notable Efforts and Incident Highlights in the Top Ten
The top ten also featured impressive drives from Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing, Erik Jones of Legacy Motor Club, Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports, Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing, and Christopher Bell from Joe Gibbs Racing. Larson’s performance was a noteworthy comeback; after starting 28th and enduring an incident on Lap 115, he skillfully fought his way into the top ten.
The race saw 18 lead changes spread among nine drivers, with stage wins claimed by Hamlin in Stage 1 and Blaney in Stage 2. These dynamic shifts kept the competition intense throughout the event.
NASCAR In-Season Challenge Introduced Amid the Summer Race Stretch
This year, the Nashville race set the starting grid for the new NASCAR In-Season Challenge, a bracket-style tournament involving all 32 drivers participating in five TNT Sports races during the summer. This competition will begin June 28 at Atlanta and continue through Chicago, Sonoma, Dover, and Indianapolis. The tournament winner will receive a $1 million prize.
The next three races leading into the tournament—Michigan, Mexico City’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and Pocono—will determine bracket seeding based on the drivers’ best finishes in those events.
Former series champion Brad Keselowski secured the 32nd and final spot for the challenge, narrowly outperforming Trackhouse Racing’s Shane Van Gisbergen by just 21 points.
Standings Update and Upcoming Races Highlight Ongoing Championship Battle
William Byron maintains his position at the top of the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings, currently holding a 48-point advantage over teammate Kyle Larson with 12 regular-season races left to finalize the 16-driver playoff field. Chase Elliott, also from Hendrick Motorsports, sits fifth overall and is the highest-ranked driver without a victory so far this season.
The series will return next Sunday afternoon for the Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, where Tyler Reddick will defend his title at the 2-mile track. The broadcast is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on Prime Video, coupled with radio coverage on MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Official Results Stand Following Clean Post-Race Inspection
No issues were found during post-race inspections, confirming Ryan Blaney as the official winner. Additionally, no cars were sent to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina for further examination, solidifying the integrity of the race results.