Race: Cracker Barrel 400
Date: Sunday, June 1, 2025
Track: Nashville Superspeedway
Time: 7 pm ET
Channel: Prime
What Did We Learn From Last Week?
Talk about a disappointing day for one of the favorites! Kyle Larson struggled to stay off the wall and out of wrecks basically from the beginning. Although Larson started on the front row, he hit the wall on lap 38, essentially ruining his day. His car was just never the same, evidenced by him spinning out just a few short laps later. The nail in the coffin came when Daniel Suarez cut across the track and clipped Larson’s right rear, ending his disappointing day.
His 37th-place finish was enough for him to take a pause and stop short of committing to pulling a double in the Indy 500 and Coke 600 next year. Larson will need some time to think on that one. The dominating driver in the 600 was clearly William Byron, leading 283 of the 400 total laps and winning three of the four stages. He failed to lead the most important one, though. Out of seemingly nowhere, Ross Chastain cleared Byron off the corner of Turn 2 on lap 395 and won the race 0.673 seconds ahead of Byron. Call that crazy enough, but add to it that Chastain was in a backup car, making it that much more satisfying for the team!
Where Are We Headed This Weekend?
Chastain and fellow drivers and teams are headed from Charlotte to Nashville this weekend for the running of the Cracker Barrel 400. This track is a bit of an oddball, probably resembling the essence of Darlington in some aspects. It is a concrete 1.33-mile tri-oval with 14 degrees of banking in the turns, 9 degrees on the frontstretch, and 6 degrees on the backstretch. With only a few Cup Series races under its belt, Nashville is a track that offers a level of unpredictability.
Odds and Value Picks
We only have four Cup races to base any predictions on. Not surprisingly, Kyle Larson is the cream of the crop here, with an average finish of 4.5, including a win and 3 top 5 finishes. He has not finished outside of the top 10 on this track. Look for Larson to be the top competition this weekend. Here are your predicted winners heading into Nashville:
Winner: Kyle Larson (+450)
It doesn’t get more clear cut than a +450, with the closest competitors of Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin coming in at +650. Larson is just a rockstar and clearly has the best average finish, leading 264 total laps. Hamlin is just ahead with 265 laps led, but Larson is having a better year. He’s your guy to beat.
Mid-Range Pick: Ross Chastain (+1200)
Chastain understood the mission on Sunday night and took the lead when it mattered most. With a 10.3 average finish at Nashville, including a win, he is not a driver to count out, especially having the moment of a win as big as the Coke 600 under his belt.
Dark Horse: Ryan Preece (+4000)
Preece will give you a good payout if he can pull it off. With an average finish of 17.3 in just three races and one top 5 run, Preece has plenty of runway for growth. This year has shown us that this team is poised for success in the future. For Preece, the future is now. Look for him to capitalize on his successes this year and continue the battle for a win.
Top 16 After Last Week’s Race:
- William Byron
- Kyle Larson
- Christopher Bell
- Chase Elliott
- Tyler Reddick
- Denny Hamlin
- Ryan Blaney
- Ross Chastain
- Joey Logano
- Alex Bowman
- Chase Briscoe
- Bubba Wallace
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Ryan Preece
- Austin Cindric
- Josh Berry
Chevys and Toyotas are dominating the top 10 spots. Fords have some work to do! Maybe Preece can surprise us all and get a Ford into victory lane this weekend! Stay tuned for another exciting Sunday night race coming to you from Nashville Superspeedway!
