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NASCAR / NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400: Fans Respond To Ryan Blaney’s Long-Run Win At Nashville Superspeedway

NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400: Fans Respond To Ryan Blaney’s Long-Run Win At Nashville Superspeedway

Jeff Hawkins Written by Sports EditorJeff Hawkins
Updated –
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NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin ran two races Sunday night. 

His initial competition came at Nashville Superspeedway, driving among the lead pack from much of the Cracker Barrel 400. His other race was more personal. He was on baby watch as fiancee Jordan Fish was due to deliver the couple’s child. Reserve driver Ryan Truex remained on stand-by. 

Hamlin remained in the stock-car race and led with 46 laps remaining, but ended up P3, behind winner Ryan Blaney and runner-up Carson Hocevar. 

Before a sold-out crowd of more than 38,000 fans for the fourth time in five years and wild Stage 2 that featured a track-record four cautions, Blaney qualified for the playoffs by outdueling the field during the final 102 consecutive green laps. 

Last year, Team Penske teammate Joey Logano needed five overtimes to gain entry into the playoffs. He then rolled on to claim the circuit title.  

Will Blaney follow the same path? 

“I never gave up hope (about making the playoffs),” Blaney told Prime. “It was great to finish out tonight.” 

Key to Blaney’s win was a crew chief Jonathan Hassler’s two-tire pit stop near the end of the first stage. The No. 12 Ford jumped up to P7. 

“It set us up,” Blaney said. 

X (Twitter) s responded to father-to-be Hamlin becoming the 22nd driver in Cup history to start at least 700 races. His “other” race to fatherhood? That run is up to three … 

Going green at Nashville … 

Kyle Larson’s sudden slump reached three races. After crashing during the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 last Sunday, the 2021 Cup champion got squeezed by Ty Gibbs and Zane Smith and fell off the pace, back to P36. In a car without top-notch power, Larson rallied to post a P8 … 

Throughout the opening rotations Sunday night, Hamlin battled pole-sitter Chase Briscoe for track position … 

Briscoe reported problems and ended up P17 … 

Hamlin, Stage 1 victor … 

 Stage 2 chaos, pt. 1 … 

 Stage 2 chaos, pt. 2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. confirmed to Prime that he will “talk” to Hocevar about his actions leading up to what appeared to be an avoidable incident and a last-place finish.  “Oh, I will,” he said. Tonight? “No, that costs too much money” … 

 Stage 2 chaos, pt. 3 …   

Stage 2 chaos continued with Corey Heim making a rookie mistake … 

Blaney emerged from the chaos and a three-way battle with Hamlin (11) and William Byron to claim the second stage’s 10 points …

The 2023 Cup titleholder will vie for another title after turning the Stage 2 chaos into a long-run finale …

 

Jeff Hawkins Written by Sports EditorJeff Hawkins
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He ed the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  
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