NASCAR at Nashville results: Ryan Blaney gets his first win of 2025 in the Cracker Barrel 400

LEBANON, Tenn. — After having to wait out a final cycle of green flag pit stops to get the lead back, Ryan Blaney successfully navigated lapped traffic to cruise to victory in the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, picking up his first win of the 2025 season. The win puts Blaney on the playoff grid just past the halfway point of the regular season, and it also gives him the 14th victory of his Cup career.

After Penske teammates Austin Cindric and Joey Logano won at Talladega and Texas respectively, Blaney entered Nashville still looking to get his first victory of the season and put a stamp on all three Team Penske drivers qualifying for the playoffs in 2025. After an early two-tire pit call to gain track position, Blaney would go on to lead a race-high 139 laps and much of the second half of the event after taking the top spot in an exciting mid-race battle with William Byron and Denny Hamlin.

NASCAR 2025 race schedule, results: Complete list of Cup Series race dates, winners, tracks, locations

Steven Taranto

Blaney’s win also allows him to wash away the frustration he has endured in the Cup Series season thus far. Despite having five top five finishes entering Nashville, Blaney’s best results were counteracted by five DNFs, including in last week’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte where he got collected in a multi-car crash.

“I never gave up hope, that’s for sure. We’ve had great speed all year, it just hasn’t really been the best year for us as far as good fortune. But the No. 12 boys are awesome, they stick with it no matter how it goes, and it was great to finish one out tonight.”

Carson Hocevar would finish second, tying his career-best finish from Atlanta earlier this season. But much like what happened in Atlanta, Hocevar didn’t get to the front without first making an enemy: The defending Cup Rookie of the Year tangled with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. mid-race, spinning Stenhouse into the turn 3 wall and ending his night.

“Not real thrilled with that exit,” Stenhouse told reporters outside the infield care center. “He had tried to divebomb me two laps before that from about 10 or 12 carlengths back, and then finally was close enough that time just to wipe us out. … I think it’s definitely overaggressive. I think that’s Carson. Maybe I should’ve just hung a right and let him go, I’m not sure. If he would’ve gotten to my inside I would’ve let him go, but just to keep divebombing me, and you can’t just give up spots just to give up spots. I felt like it was definitely overaggressive.”

Stenhouse later shared that he would speak to Hocevar, who has ruffled feathers as a talented yet highly aggressive young driver. However, it did not come after the race. “That costs too much money,” Stenhouse said, alluding to a $75,000 fine he was given last year for punching Kyle Busch in a post-race argument after North Wilkesboro.

Denny Hamlin finished third, with Joey Logano fourth and William Byron fifth to round out the top five. Bubba Wallace finished sixth to get off the schneid and snap a streak of three-straight DNFs, with Erik Jones, Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell rounding out the top 10.

Cracker Barrel 400 results

1. #12 – Ryan Blaney
2. #77 – Carson Hocevar
3. #11 – Denny Hamlin
4. #22 – Joey Logano
5. #24 – William Byron
6. #23 – Bubba Wallace
7. #43 – Erik Jones
8. #5 – Kyle Larson
9. #45 – Tyler Reddick
10. #20 – Christopher Bell
11. #1 – Ross Chastain
12. #8 – Kyle Busch
13. #38 – Zane Smith
14. #17 – Chris Buescher
15. #9 – Chase Elliott
16. #99 – Daniel Suarez
17. #19 – Chase Briscoe
18. #2 – Austin Cindric
19. #41 – Cole Custer
20. #16 – A.J. Allmendinger
21. #71 – Michael McDowell
22. #34 – Todd Gilliland
23. #6 – Brad Keselowski
24. #35 – Riley Herbst (R)
25. #88 – Shane van Gisbergen (R)
26. #10 – Ty Dillon
27. #42 – John Hunter Nemechek
28. #60 – Ryan Preece
29. #3 – Austin Dillon
30. #21 – Josh Berry
31. #54 – Ty Gibbs
32. #7 – Justin Haley
33. #51 – Cody Ware
34. #44 – J.J. Yeley
35. #66 – Chad Finchum
36. #48 – Alex Bowman
37. #67 – Corey Heim
38. #4 – Noah Gragson
39. #47 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.