Qualifying results set starting grid for Nashville race

Chase Briscoe’s year of improvement continued Saturday as he captured the pole for Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Generally speaking, the faster qualifiers at Nashville have finished well on race day.

Nashville Superspeedway has been on NASCAR’s Cup Series schedule since 2021. In the four previous races there, the pole sitter has gone on to win the race once (Ross Chastain in 2023), and in two other years, the pole winner finished fourth (not bad) while the race winner started fifth and sixth (also not bad).

Then came last year, when Joey Logano won the race after starting 26th. The pole winner, Denny Hamlin, finished outside the top 10, in 12th.

Which Nashville history will play out this weekend, the more recent or those earlier three years?

THRU THE GEARS Kyle Larson sinks, Ross Chastain rises, Tom Cruise kicks the tires

10 fastest speeds in Nashville qualifying

Chase Briscoe: 164.395

Denny Hamlin: 164.119

William Byron: 163.374

Tyler Reddick: 163.368

Ross Chastain: 163.357

Brad Keselowski: 162.985

Christopher Bell: 162.929

Michael McDOwell: 162.874

Joey Logano: 162.669

Chris Buescher: 162.619

NASCAR starting lineup for Cracker Barrel 400 Sunday at Nashville

1. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
4. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
5. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
6. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
7. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
8. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
9. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
10. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
11. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
12. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
14. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
15. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
16. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
17. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
18. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
19. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
20. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
21. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
22. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
23. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
24. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
25. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
26. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
27. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
28. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
29. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
30. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
31. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
32. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
33. Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota
34. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
35. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford 
36. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
37. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
38. JJ Yeley, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet
39. Chad Finchum, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford

How to watch: Time, TV channel for NASCAR races at Nashville

Saturday: Xfinity Series, Tennessee Lottery 250, 7:30 p.m. (CW).

Sunday: Cup Series, Cracker Barrel 400, 7 p.m. (Prime).