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TEAM CHEVY NASCAR RACE ADVANCE: Nashville Superspeedway

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Nashville Superspeedway
May 30 – June 1, 2025

Making the trek to the outskirts of Music City, Tennessee, all three NASCAR national touring series will take the stage at Nashville Superspeedway for a trio of races under the lights.

The tripleheader weekend will mark the sport’s fifth trip to the 1.33-mile Tennessee tri-oval since finding an annual spot on each series’ schedule during the 2021 season. For the Bowtie brigade, Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 will be a shot at redemption after falling just one spot short of staying undefeated in NASCAR’s top division at the track last season.

Chevrolet at Nashville Superspeedway

Since NASCAR’s return to Nashville Superspeedway in 2021, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer that’s paid a visit to victory lane at the track in all three divisions.

When the NASCAR Cup Series hit the track for its first-ever appearance in 2021, it was Chevrolet that made the inaugural trip to victory lane with a dominating performance by Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team – a win that was accompanied by a podium sweep for the Bowtie brand with Ross Chastain (2nd) and William Byron (3rd). The victory kickstarted a Team Chevy three-peat at the Tennessee track, with Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott taking the victory in 2022 and Trackhouse Racing’s Chastain following suit in 2023. Larson and Chastain’s victories are accompanied by series-leading statistics that automatically put them at the forefront of top contenders heading into the weekend. In four Cup Series races held at Nashville Superspeedway, Larson is the only driver to finish within the top-10 in each of his starts. While a late-race incident took him out of contention last season, Chastain powered his Trackhouse Racing-prepared Chevrolet to top-five results in the series’ first three events at the track, including a runner-up finish in the inaugural race and his win in 2023.


Hitting the Halfway Mark

At the drop of the checkered flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Cup Series has officially raced its way into the second-half of its regular season schedule. With Chastain’s crown jewel triumph, Chevrolet has collected a series-high five wins this season, with the 32-year-old Alva, Florida, native joining his fellow Team Chevy teammates, William Byron and Kyle Larson, with an early ticket into the 2025 playoffs. Dating back to just the third race of the season at Circuit of The Americas, Byron took over the series’ points lead and has been a fixture among the top-two positions ever since – ultimately regaining the lead from his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Larson, following a strong points day and a runner-up finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chevrolet also holds a commanding lead in a variety of statistical categories including stage wins (14), top-10s (60), laps led (1,976) and pole wins (7).

On the Rebound

With eight different winners thus far this season, eight opportunities remain to secure a playoff position by virtue of a win. Among those looking for their first trip to victory lane of the season includes a handful of Team Chevy drivers that are hitting a stride as we enter the second-half of the regular season.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finds himself in the 13th position in the points standings after falling just short of a top-10 finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Consistency has been key for the No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet team, which has positioned the single-car organization in a provisional playoff position heading into the second-half of the regular season. In 13 points-paying races this season, Stenhouse Jr. has completed all but three laps, as well as tallied four top-12 results, including two in the top-six. The Mississippi native is well on his way to a career-best season-long average finish, heading to Nashville Superspeedway with a 16.8 average.

After a tough set of results, AJ Allmendinger rebounded with his best finish of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway – taking the checkered flag in the fourth position in the sport’s longest race. The finish was accompanied by a 49-point day – the third-highest among the field. There’s no better place to carry that momentum than yet another intermediate oval – a track configuration that has delivered the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team three of their four top-10 finishes of the season.


Intermediate Icons

Fresh off the Coca-Cola 600 victory, Chevrolet continues to prove to be a force to be reckoned with on the circuit’s intermediate ovals this season. In seven races on non-drafting intermediate ovals, the Bowtie brand has made three trips to victory lane including Chastain’s Charlotte Motor Speedway win and a pair of victories by Kyle Larson at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Qualifying has been a strong suit for the Chevrolet camp, with five of the manufacturer’s series-leading seven pole wins coming on the configuration – each earned by a different driver. In five of the six intermediate oval races thus far this season, Chevrolet has recorded at least four top-10 results in each, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Dialing-In Double-Digits

William Byron’s dream of winning at his home track became reality when he took the checkered flag in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native became the seventh different Chevrolet driver to find victory lane in the Xfinity Series this season – delivering the Bowtie brand its 11th win in just 13 races. Among those triumphs includes five full-time competitors that have also earned an early playoff berth, including both Richard Childress Racing entries, Austin Hill and Jesse Love, as well as three JR Motorsports drivers with reigning champion Justin Allgaier, ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender Connor Zilisch, and Sammy Smith.

Looking ahead to Nashville Superspeedway, the Bowtie brigade heads into the weekend with 10 wins in 25 appearances by the Xfinity Series at the Tennessee track – two of which have come since the track’s revival in 2021 (Justin Allgaier – 2022; AJ Allmendinger – 2023). With his victory in 2022, Allgaier holds the honors as the series’ only past winner that will compete in Saturday’s 250-mile race.

Honeycutt Hits Career-Best Finish

Niece Motorsports’ Kaden Honeycutt turned in his season-best finish of third at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend. The result came after an intense battle with the series’ points leader, Corey Heim, and a pair of Team Chevy Cup Series regulars, Ross Chastain and Kyle Busch. Collecting a strong 50-point day, the 21-year-old Willow Park, Texas, native, made yet another jump up in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ points standings, with the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet team heading to Music City seventh in the rankings with seven races left in the regular season.

Chevrolet will enter the weekend with five all-time Truck Series wins at Nashville Superspeedway, including an active streak of two-in-a-row courtesy of victories by Niece Motorsports (Carson Hocevar – 2023) and McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (Christian Eckes – 2024). While all of the full-time competitors are still seeking their first Nashville triumph, there is one entrant that is very familiar with victory lane at the Tennessee track – the series’ winningest driver, Kyle Busch. The 40-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada, native is a two-time winner at Nashville Superspeedway in both the Xfinity and Truck Series.

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 13 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 5

Poles: 7

Laps Led: 1,976

Top-Fives: 27

Top-10s: 60

Stage Wins: 14

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 13 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:

Wins: 11

Poles: 8

Laps Led: 1,940

Top-Fives: 44

Top-10s: 84

Stage Wins: 21

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 11 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:

Wins: 5

Poles: 2

Laps Led: 685

Top-Fives: 28

Top-10s: 55

Stage Wins: 7

BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Nashville Superspeedway:

Kyle Larson – one win (2021)

Chase Elliott – one win (2022)

Ross Chastain – one win (2023)

· Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to accomplish a tripleheader sweep across all three NASCAR national divisions this season – earned at Homestead-Miami Speedway courtesy of victories by Kyle Larson (Cup and Truck Series) and Justin Allgaier (Xfinity Series).

· Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in eight of the 13 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

· In 121 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 57 victories – a winning percentage of 47.1%.

· With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 871 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.


TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series

Cracker Barrel 400

Sunday, June 1, at 7 p.m. ET

(Amazon Prime, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Tennessee Lottery 250

Saturday, May 31, at 7:30 p.m. ET

(CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Rackley Roofing 200

Friday, May 30, 8 p.m. ET

(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)


QUOTABLE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

How much fun is it to go to the Nashville area this weekend?

“I love country music and live music, so that’s a fun time. I always stay after the race and go to Tootsies down on Broadway and that’s always a good time. Tootsies has been a longtime supporter of Trackhouse so it fun to go down there and spend time. I get to Nashville a couple of times each year, usually for sponsor things, so I’m very familiar with the area and it’s a lot fun.”

Why have you had so much success at Nashville?

“The track is very unique. It feels like it’s a mile-and-a-half but it’s not so it takes me some time to get acclimated. But I’ve had fast cars there to be honest. If my cars aren’t good, I can’t go fast. We’ll look to build off of things we’ve learned more recently about these cars and try to keep moving the needle. I’m running the Xfinity race so that’s exciting and a challenge. I’m running a JRM car with Acceptance Insurance on Saturday night and that will allow me to get some more reps in at the track.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

What are your thoughts on Nashville Superspeedway?

” Nashville is a very awesome town. The racetrack is concrete, which makes it unique from some of the other tracks we race at. It’s become a good race on our schedule. I’ve won a truck race there, so looking forward to trying to win another guitar. The track surface is one of those surfaces that really chews up a little bit of tire, so you definitely have to do a very good job at putting heat in the car.”

The No. 3 team seems to be figuring things out lately. What has changed over the past several weeks? And what do you still need to improve on?

“We’re starting to click as a team. We do a good job adjusting on our Chevy during the race, but if we can hit the setup earlier in the weekend, we can have better track position, which will help a lot during the race. We had a top 10 streak going and I really thought we were going to have another top 10 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but we unexpectedly ran out of fuel at the end of the race. Our finish doesn’t reflect how well we ran. Nashville is another track that has been good to us in the past, and I think with the way this team is performing right now, we should be able to continue our positive momentum.”

What has Kyle Busch been like as a teammate? Specifically, this year as RCR continues to restructure things and move forward. What has he brought to the organization?

“I feel like Kyle Busch gives you what you expect, which is that he’s a hard worker. He’s fiery. He wants the best for the cars. He wants to get to victory lane constantly and will push everyone to figure out how to make that happen, even himself, on the track. But as far as being in the meetings with him after practice and on Mondays in our team debriefs, he’s very helpful. He asks good questions at the right time about what your car is doing, and he provides information that you can make your car better off of. From that standpoint, you couldn’t ask for a more helpful teammate when it comes to his knowledge of the game and what he is providing from an informational standpoint.”

Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

How do you feel about Garner Trucking coming back to Nashville for Sunday’s race underneath the lights?

“Everyone at Spire Motorsports appreciates the support from Sherri and the entire team at Garner Trucking. Our trucks stand tall going up and down the road and when they pull into the race track for the weekend. We’re looking forward to representing Garner for the next two weekends. I feel like our cars keep getting better and Nashville and Michigan should be good tracks for us, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how we stack up.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

How do you think the racing has evolved at Nashville Superspeedway since we started going in 2021?

“I think the racing in Nashville has been really good. I remember years ago, a long time back in the Xfinity days, it was a one-groove racetrack around the bottom of the racetrack. It wasn’t really conducive to a whole lot of side-by-side racing and whatnot. But the last few years it’s really been good there. The track really widens out. There’s guys that are running all the way up at the top groove. So it’s been a good show. So hopefully the fans enjoy it. I hope it’s not too hot next week. Perfect weather here this weekend in Charlotte. So I look forward to Nashville.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

“Nashville Superspeedway is always a race I look forward to. The atmosphere is incredible, and the fans bring a lot of energy. We’ve been focused on getting the No. 47 NOS Energy Drink Chevrolet dialed in, and the team’s been working hard to get us where we need to be. I’m confident we can put together a strong run this weekend and give everyone something to cheer about.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Talk about earning your first top-10 of the season last week in the Coca-Cola 600.

“We have been really good at 1.5-mile tracks, I’m glad to get that top 10. We have been in position to get those finishes, but haven’t been able to get to the end. It was a long night after missing my pit box and starting Stage Two at the back. It was tough to get back to the front, but we slowly and methodically worked our way forward with some big help from out pit crew. I’m proud of our guys, our ability to execute a sold night, and getting to the end of a long race with a good finish. We have some more to work on, but I am proud of the effort from our Spire Motorsports team. We have some momentum to ride into Nashville this week.”

What are your thoughts as we head into Nashville this weekend?

“Nashville is fun. I’ve been able to race there a bunch over the years with both the ARCA Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. When I started in Cup, that was the track where we went and tested at a bunch. It’s a fun race track and it’s a challenge to get around. The race is like a hybrid of a short track and a big track, but in these cars, it’s pretty cool because you’re downshifting, up shifting, there are a lot of opportunities. I think that it’s one of my better tracks, even though we don’t have the Cup results to show for it. Speed wise, it’s been a fun track for us. We just haven’t had the finishes, whether we got tied up in wrecks or we had a transmission explode there last year. I haven’t had great luck but felt like we’ve had good speed.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

What is your outlook for Sunday’s race at Nashville?

“I think we’ll have a good car and hopefully another shot at a win, without the bad luck this time. We’ve reached a point where it doesn’t matter what type of track we go to, we are consistently up front and running some of the fastest lap times. Eventually everything balances out and we’ll start having the finishes to match those runs. Nashville is a really fast track and I think it plays into my driving style, having to keep up with the track changes and making moves when the opening is there. I feel like we’re going to have another really good race.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

After a solid performance at Charlotte, how do you feel your aggression is growing on ovals?

“I think we are showing improvement now. It has been difficult results wise, but I do feel like we are getting somewhere, getting better and better. To me, I know I have a lot to learn but I don’t feel like I’m forcing it or driving outside my limits. Every week I’m being methodical about it. I feel good about the way it’s going.”

There are three road course races over the next two months. Are you looking forward to this part of the season?

“I’m looking forward to some right handers, that’s for sure (laughs). Got some good tracks coming up, tracks I know, but obviously Mexico City is a fresh one for everyone. But these ovals have been a big learning process the last couple of months, so it will be nice to have a break and turn right.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

What are your thoughts on Trackhouse Racing’s 300th start this weekend in Nashville?

“That’s amazing. It all started as Justin’s (Marks, owner) dream and we’ve grown from a single car team to what we are now. The men and women who work at Trackhouse should be very proud. We are a very young team competing against the Gibbs, Penske, Hendrick and Childress teams of the world who have been successful for so long.”

What are your thoughts on Nashville this weekend?

“We want to celebrate Sunday night at Tootsie’s like Ross did in 2023. Maybe we will drive our Tootsie’s Chevrolet from victory lane and park it right on Broadway. Nashville is a special place for us. It’s Tootsie’s hometown, Justin’s hometown, and a really fun town. There would be no better place to win.”

Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

“I’m really excited to go to Nashville for the first time. It’s such a cool city and I’ve raced at the Fairgrounds before, but this will be my first time racing at the NASCAR track in Nashville. I have some laps on the simulator and it’s definitely a technical racetrack and is one of the few concrete tracks that we go to. I’m looking forward to figuring it out quickly and keeping the momentum up from Charlotte. We had a really good day running inside the top three in both stages and finished second. The Blues Hog team is starting to fire on all cylinders and I’m looking forward to putting races together and getting more good finishes through the summer.”


Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:

Total (1949-2024): 43

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Most recent: 2024

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Drivers Championships:

Total (1949-2024): 33

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021

Event Victories:

Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2025 STATISTICS:

Wins: 5

Poles: 7

Laps Led: 1,976

Top-Fives: 27

Top-10s: 60

Stage Wins: 14

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 871 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 760

Laps led to date: 254,687

Top-fives to date: 4,396

Top-10s to date: 9,067

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,205

       Chevrolet: 871

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 843                                                                             

       Ford: 743

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 194

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

Gotta Be Smooth When You’re in Music City

Cody Ware Looks To Strike the Right Chord at Nashville

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 28, 2025) – To make it in Music City, you’ve got to be smooth. The same is true when it comes to turning consistently fast laps at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, the 1.33-mile oval in the Nashville suburb of Lebanon.

Whether it’s strumming a six-string or wheeling a 3,400-pound racecar at 160 mph around Nashville’s concrete-clad surface, a patient and polished approach yields success. Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Arby’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing (RWR) in the NASCAR Cup Series, is familiar with both. The 29-year-old is an avid guitarist who uses music to offset the cacophony of rumbling V8 engines, each producing 670 horsepower.

“Music is almost as big a part of my life as racing,” said Ware, owner of a Dean Z custom guitar and a Gibson Les Paul Classic guitar. “It’s therapeutic. When you’re playing, it kind of takes you into your own little world. It’s a great way to unwind.”

When you compete in the longest season in all of professional sports, finding a way to unwind is important. The Cup Series is in the midst of 28 straight weeks of racing, with the lone off-weekend in the entirety of the 38-race schedule coming six weeks ago during the Easter holiday.

Nashville marks the 14th points-paying race on the Cup Series calendar, but it is actually the 16th race this year when you count the pre-season Clash Feb. 2 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race May 18 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway.

“Twenty-eight straight weeks isn’t easy, but that’s why not everyone’s out here doing it,” Ware said. “I’ve got a great family and a great support system, and all of us just love racing. We’re committed to it, so we just make it happen.”

Ware and his Cup Series counterparts are coming off the longest race on the schedule – the Coca-Cola 600 last Sunday at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. After 400 laps around the 1.5-mile oval, Ware finished 25th. Now, he visits a Nashville track that is .17 of a mile shorter than Charlotte with 100 fewer laps.

“Nashville is a little bit of a hybrid racetrack,” Ware said. “It’s not quite an intermediate-style track like Charlotte, but it’s also not like the two other concrete tracks – Bristol and Dover.”

Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway are high-banked behemoths. The .533-mile Bristol oval has corners banked between 24-28 degrees, and the 1-mile Dover oval has corners banked at 24 degrees. Nashville, on the other hand, has just 14 degrees of banking, and its added length provides much more room in the corners, allowing drivers to try different lanes to find the fastest line around the track.

“Nashville is a lot more forgiving,” Ware said. “It’s a very wide racetrack, not quite as fast as a full-blown mile-and-a-half, and it’s a little bit shorter, so the speeds aren’t quite as high. But because it’s a little bit bigger, you kind of get sucked into the feeling of it being a mile-and-a-half, so overdriving the corners is very easy.

“You think you can drive a lot deeper into the corners than you really can, so it’s almost about reeling yourself in as a driver and being patient, and remembering that it’s about getting speed off the corner versus getting speed going into the corners.

“So, you have to have the entry patience of a short track with the discipline of an intermediate track, where you have to be consistent with your inputs, both with steering and your right foot. It’s a game of patience with smoothness in your steering, your throttle inputs and your braking inputs. The driver who looks the least out of control is typically the fastest there. It’s all about smoothness and consistency at Nashville.”

It is the same kind of smoothness and consistency emanating from the guitar ballads that are heard from the time one lands at Nashville International Airport and throughout walks along Lower Broadway’s Honky Tonk Highway.

“I appreciate and respect the blood, sweat and tears that musicians put into their craft, just like we do as racers,” Ware said. “That being said, I grew up on heavy metal and rock-and-roll. Megadeth, Metallica, Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden are on my playlist.

“I’ve been playing on and off for about 15-16 years now. It’s kind of my hidden hobby. I play a lot of electric stuff, and I do a little bit of acoustic, but I’ve still got some work to do there. I don’t show off too much. I’ve probably only posted about it a few times, but it’s definitely a fun way to relax and unwind.”

With Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 in the rearview mirror – a race that took nearly four-and-a-half hours to complete – and a few new chords strummed on his guitars, Ware is refreshed and ready for Nashville.

Practice begins Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CDT/4:30 p.m. EDT, followed by qualifying at 4:40 p.m. CDT/5:40 p.m. EDT. The 300-lap race goes green on Sunday at 6 p.m. CDT/7 p.m. EDT. All of the action will be broadcast live by Prime Video and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Rick Ware Racing:

Rick Ware has been a motorsports mainstay for more than 40 years. It began at age 6 when the third-generation racer began his driving career and has since spanned four wheels and two wheels on both asphalt and dirt. Competing in the SCCA Trans Am Series and other road-racing divisions led Ware to NASCAR in the early 1980s, where he finished third in his NASCAR debut – the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 300 NASCAR Grand American race at Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway. More than a decade later, injuries would force Ware out of the driver’s seat and into full-time team ownership. In 1995, Rick Ware Racing was formed, and with his wife Lisa by his side, Ware has since built his eponymous organization into an entity that competes full-time in the elite NASCAR Cup Series while simultaneously campaigning successful teams in the Top Fuel class of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Progressive American Flat Track and FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX).

My Classic Car Lacks Modern Safety Features. Am I Liable in an Accident?

Photo by believeinme at https://depositphotos.com/

Many classic cars are undoubtedly cool and an expensive hobby for their owners. While classic car owners take extreme care to drive safely and protect their babies, accidents still happen. When one does, they often wonder if the lack of modern safety features will play a role in an insurance claim or lawsuit. Like most legal questions, the answer is that it depends. 

Many classic cars lack modern life-saving features, like airbags and crumble zones, but that does not mean they are illegal to drive. Nor does it make an owner of one automatically liable for an accident or the injuries involved. The fact that most classic cars were manufactured before modern safety features were required does not erase a careless driver’s negligence. The lack of these features would not be an issue without the other driver acting negligently and causing the accident. 

Can I Be Held at Fault for an Accident if My Classic Car Lacks Modern Safety Features? 

Not having certain safety features will undoubtedly make a classic car more unsafe, but many states make exceptions, allowing owners to take their rides on the street legally. Some states might require owners to install seatbelts and rearview mirrors at a minimum. Other states, like Texas, might allow a classic car to lack even those features if it was manufactured without them, as long as you have your vehicle inspected annually and have classic car license plates. 

Comparative Fault 

Still, that likely will not stop an insurance company from using these missing features to reduce accident victims’ compensation. After a collision, it is a good idea to work with a car accident lawyer in Arlington to ensure that you do not lose money unfairly. Nearly every state has some form of what is known as a “comparative fault” rule, allowing insurance companies to lower the amount of compensation a crash victim receives depending on their degree of negligence. 

Texas refers to its rule as “proportional responsibility.” Under this principle, individuals cannot recover damages from an accident if their percentage of fault is more than 50%. If the plaintiff is found less than 50% responsible for the collision, they can recover damages minus the percentage of responsibility they were determined to share. While driving a classic car does not necessarily make you liable, the insurance company will investigate the vehicle to see if it contributed to your injuries. 

An Example of Proportional Responsibility 

Perhaps your classic car lacked seatbelts when it should have had them, and you skipped the annual inspection. This would open the door for an insurance company to argue that your injuries would not have been as bad had you installed the safety feature and would have been compelled to do so had you submitted to state inspections. If, after reviewing the evidence, they determined that this contributed to your injuries by 40%, they will lower your settlement amount by that proportion. 

Having experienced attorneys on your side is the best way to fight these claims. They can gather inspection records, vehicle specifications, and other evidence to show that you were not violating the law. Your legal team will also get evidence, like accident reports, witness statements, and expert analyses, to show that the other driver is responsible for your damages regardless of your classic car’s lack of modern safety features. 

How Can I Make My Classic Car Safer? 

Again, a classic car without safety features that it was not manufactured with should not be a contributing factor in your legal claim. That said, there a several modifications you can make to your classic vehicle that will make it safer and close off any arguments that you contributed to your damages, such as adding seatbelts, anti-lock brakes, and modern headlights. 

Add Seatbelts 

Adding seatbelts is one of the most important modifications you can do to make your classic car safer. Cars were not required to have seatbelts until 1968, so your car likely will not have them if it was manufactured before then. If so, lacking seatbelts should not be used against you in a legal claim, but installing them could save your life. 

Install New Headlights 

Many classic cars have sealed-beam headlights installed, which lack the brightness of modern LED and halogen lights. Replacing older lights with these modern designs will greatly improve visibility, thereby reducing your chances of getting in an accident. 

Install Anti-Lock Brakes 

Anti-lock brakes were introduced in 1978 but did not become a common feature until later, so your classic car might not have them. An anti-lock braking system stops your wheels from locking up in a crash, allowing you to maintain greater control of your car. 

Upgrade the Steering 

Older classic cars will likely lack a power steering system, reducing a driver’s ability to turn their vehicle quickly and avoid an accident. Installing a power steering system will make your classic car much easier to handle. 

Add a Dashcam 

Adding a dashcam or rearview camera can capture a negligent driver’s actions and be used as evidence against them in your claim. The footage can also help show how lacking a modern safety feature did not play a significant role in how the crash occurred. 

Driving a Classic Car Should Not Be Used to Deny Your Compensation 

Insurance companies will do almost anything to save their bottom line, but driving a classic car should not be one of them to deny the compensation you are owed. Be sure to have yours inspected annually to ensure your vehicle complies with the law and any changes that might be made from year to year. If you can, upgrade your classic car with the modern safety features mentioned above to further protect yourself from injuries and possibly being held partially at fault for your damages. 

HFT Advance | Nashville

Nashville Event Info:
Date: Sunday, June 1
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Lebanon, Tennessee
Format: 300 Laps, 399 Miles, Stages: 90-185-300
TV: Prime
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 1:05 p.m. ET, Xfinity Practice (CW App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 2:10 p.m. ET, Xfinity Qualifying (CW App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 3:30 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 4:40 p.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 6:30 p.m. ET, Xfinity Qualifying (CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 7 p.m. ET, Cup Race (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • Nashville Superspeedway – the 1.33-mile tri-oval – hosts its fifth Cup race this weekend as race No. 14 in the 2025 slate.
  • This weekend marks the second of five races in the “Driving 4 a Difference presented by the Gene Haas Foundation,” a new in-season Ford tournament within the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
  • There have been four different winners in four Nashville NASCAR Cup Series races.

Cole Custer Team Info:
Crew Chief: Aaron Kramer
Partner: HaasTooling.com

Sheldon Creed Team Info:
Crew Chief: Jonathan Toney
Partner: Ollie’s

Sam Mayer Team Info:
Crew Chief: Jason Trinchere
Partner: Audibel

Custer at Nashville (Cup)
Starts: 2
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

  • Custer makes his third Cup start at Nashville this weekend, where he has a 28.0 average finish. His best finish came in 2022 when he placed 26th after starting 17th.
  • He has started inside the top-10 once, rolling off P7 in 2021 which is his best start. He boasts a 12.0 average starting position.
  • Custer also has two top-10 finishes in both his NXS starts at NSS, including a pole in 2023.

Creed at Nashville (Xfinity)
Starts: 3
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

  • Creed is set to make his fourth Xfinity start at Nashville on Saturday, where he has a best finish of 17th in 2023.
  • His best career starting position was P14 last season, and he holds an average starting position of 17.3.

Mayer at Nashville (Xfinity)
Starts: 3
Wins: —
Top-10s: 3
Poles: —

  • Mayer is in line for his fourth Xfinity start at Nashville this weekend, coming off a 10th-place finish in last season’s race after starting 24th. He has three career top-10 finishes at NSS, and has an average finish of 6.0.
  • He has never started inside the top-20, and holds an average starting position of 26.3.

Where They Stand

Cup Points Standings (41: 35th): Custer is 35th in the Cup Series points standings through 13 races this season with 139 points.

Xfinity Points Standings (41: 3rd, 00: 11th): Mayer sits second in the Xfinity points standings with 428 total points on the season, while Creed is in 11th place with 332 points heading into Nashville this Saturday.

RFK Advance | Nashville

Nashville Event Info:
Date: Sunday, June 1
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Lebanon, Tennessee
Format: 300 Laps, 399 Miles, Stages: 90-185-300
TV: Prime
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 3:30 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 4:40 p.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 7 p.m. ET, Cup Race (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

Nashville Superspeedway – the 1.33-mile tri-oval – hosts its fifth Cup race this weekend as race No. 14 in the 2025 slate.
Jack Roush won six times in the Xfinity Series at Nashville, and Brad Keselowski has a pair of wins at NSS himself in the NXS.
Brad Keselowski finished fifth at Charlotte last weekend, his first top-5 and top-10 finish of the season.
Ryan Preece made his 200th career start at CMS and earned his second consecutive top-10 finish (9th).
There have been four different winners in the four Nashville NASCAR Cup Series races.

6 Team Info:
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
Partner: Solomon Plumbing

17 Team Info:
Driver: Chris Buescher
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Kroger / OIKOS

60 Team Info:
Driver: Ryan Preece
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: Trimble

Keselowski at Nashville
Starts: 4
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

  • Keselowski makes his fifth start at Nashville this weekend, where he posted his best finish there two years ago (P11). Last season, he qualified fifth in the five-overtime thriller.
  • He has 12 additional starts otherwise at the 1.333-mile track and is a former winner in the Xfinity Series. He went to victory lane twice in Nashville – once in 2008 and again in 2010 – with seven overall top-10 finishes and an average result of 10.9.
  • Outside of the pair of wins, Keselowski also has finishes of fourth (2008), third (2009), second (2009), fifth (2010) and third (2011).

Buescher at Nashville
Starts: 4
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: —

  • Buescher makes his fifth start at NSS this weekend. He finished fifth a season ago after starting ninth, his best finish there to date.
  • He’s qualified top-17 or better in each of the four Cup races dating back to 2021, carrying a 13.3 average starting position into the weekend.

Preece at Nashville
Starts: 3
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: —

  • Preece is set to make his fourth Cup start at Nashville this Sunday, coming off a P4 finish in last season’s race.
  • Preece also made one NXS start at Nashville in 2022, finishing sixth. He went to victory lane in back-to-back seasons in the Truck Series at Nashville in 2021 and 2022.

RFK Historically at Nashville
Cup Wins: —

  • Roush Responsible for Marquee Wins at Nashville: NASCAR’s initial tenure at Nashville lasted around a decade, and Jack Roush not only opened but closed out the run the Xfinity Series had there with victories. In the very first NXS race back in 2001, Greg Biffle led 133 of the 225 laps to capture one of his five series wins that season. Carl Edwards, responsible for five NXS wins at Nashville Superspeedway, won the very last NASCAR Xfinity race there, leading 124 of the 225 laps in July of 2011.
  • Cousin Carl Dominates in Music City: Edwards dominated in his 13 starts at Nashville, finishing top-10 in all but once race, and top five in all but two. He averaged a finish of 3.5 with five overall wins, including three-straight from 2006-07, and the final two in 2011. Driving the No. 60 entry in all 13 events, Edwards led a combined 247 laps in the first three wins, then went on to lead a combined 272 laps in the 2011 races, which stands as the last time NASCAR visited the facility.
  • Tale of the Tape: Overall at Nashville SS, 15 different drivers have driven for Jack Roush at the 1.33-mile track. RFK has 29 top-10s in 54 starts, 17 of which were inside the top five.

RFK Nashville Wins

2001 Biffle

2006 Edwards

2007 Edwards

2011 Edwards

2011 Edwards

2007 Edwards

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Charlotte: Keselowski 5th, Preece 9th, & Buescher 22nd.

Points Standings (60: 16th, 17: 23rd, 6: 32nd): Preece holds onto the last playoff spot in 16th, while Buescher is in 23rd and Keselowski sits in 32nd.

Toyota GAZOO Racing Weekly Preview 05.28.25

This Week in Motorsports: May 26 – June 1, 2025

· NCS/NXS/NCTS: Nashville Superspeedway – May 30-June 1
· NHRA: New England Dragway – May 30-June 1
· FORMULA DRIFT: Orlando Speedworld – May 30-31

PLANO, Texas (May 28, 2025) – NASCAR heads to the Music City and Nashville Superspeedway where all three national series take on the concrete, 1.330-mile oval. NHRA is back in action at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire. And after a few weekends off, Formula DRIFT hits the track again in Orlando.

NASCAR National Series – NCS/NXS/NCTS

Hamlin hits 700 starts … This weekend in Nashville is a special race for Denny Hamlin, as the driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) hits his 700th career Cup Series start. Hamlin’s storied career to-date has 56 wins – with two already this season – 239 top-fives and 364 top-10s. Hamlin seeks his first win at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend, as he has two top-10s, as well as two pole positions, in the four previous Cup Series races there.

Heim back in the No. 67 … For the second time this season, Corey Heim will be behind the wheel of the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing as he continues his development plan with the team. In his first start of the 2025 season, the Toyota Development Driver managed a solid run at Kansas Speedway, coming home in the 13th position. Nashville Superspeedway is another track Heim has Cup Series experience in as he ran the race last season for 23XI Racing.

Almirola, Earnhardt back in GR Supras … At Nashville Superspeedway this weekend, Aric Almirola and Jeffrey Earnhardt return the cockpits of Toyota GR Supras with Almirola in the No. 19 for JGR and Earnhardt in the No. 24 for Sam Hunt Racing. This will be the sixth Xfinity Series start of the season for Almirola, who also makes his fifth at Nashville where he’s accrued three top-10s. For Earnhardt, this will be his second start of the season after running at Talladega in April.

Heim looking for more in the Truck Series … Along with running the Cup Series race on Sunday, Heim resumes his regular duties in the Truck Series with TRICON Garage where he’s been the man to beat this season. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro has dominated the season so far, with four wins, seven top-fives and nine top-10s, along with 752 laps led. He goes for his first career win at Nashville Superspeedway where he has two consecutive top-five finishes, including a third last season.

NHRA – Top Fuel/Funny Car

Kalitta goes for Epping repeat … As NHRA begins its summer stretch, Doug Kalitta returns to New England Dragway in search of a repeat victory as he looks to get his championship push in full gear. The 2023 Top Fuel World Champion swept the weekend in Epping last year as he earned the No. 1 qualifier and followed that with the race victory. A win on Sunday would be the 56th of Kalitta’s career, which would put him alone in fourth all-time in Top Fuel wins.

Formula DRIFT

Aasbø looks for big points weekend in Orlando … After a runner-up result at Road Atlanta a few weeks ago, Fredric Aasbø looks for a big weekend in Orlando as he pushes on for the Formula DRIFT PRO category title. The Norwegian started off 2025 with a win in Long Beach, and then followed up with the runner-up in Atlanta, currently tied atop the PRO points standings. A win or even runner-up again this weekend would be paramount as Aasbø pushes for championship number four this season.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 32 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Logano Pursuing Second Straight Nashville Cup Victory This Weekend

NASHVILLE

Friday, May 30 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 8 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, May 31 — NASCAR Xfinity Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (CW)
Sunday, June 1 — NASCAR Cup Series, 7 p.m. ET (PRIME)

For the ninth time this season, all three of NASCAR’s top touring series will be in action at the same venue with Nashville Superspeedway serving as host this weekend. Joey Logano captured Ford’s first series victory at the track, saving enough fuel over the final 110 laps and record five overtime attempts to take the checkered flag.

LOGANO EYEING CONSECUTIVE CUP WINS AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

Joey Logano went the final 110 laps without pitting and survived five overtimes to win last year’s Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, clinching a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Logano was seemingly out of it, running 16th with two laps remaining, but when the caution came out it gave everybody in the field new life. Logano continued to climb through the field as accidents created multiple restarts and cars either started to run out of fuel or were forced to pit. Crew chief Paul Wolfe gambled and kept his driver out until the very end and it worked as Logano was able to jump out on the fifth overtime restart and hold off Tyler Reddick at the finish line. Logano, who led the final nine laps, had just enough fuel as the tank emptied in the middle of his post-race burnout.

FORD DRIVING 4 A DIFFERENCE STANDINGS

Three more races remain in the Ford Driving 4 A Difference presented by the Gene Haas Foundation with Ford’s five NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers hoping to win as much as $20,000 for their charity of choice. The points each driver earns in races at Charlotte, Nashville, Mexico City, and Pocono will be added together with the winner being the one with the highest total. If a driver wins one of those events, their point total for that race is doubled.

In the debut race last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sam Mayer scored points in the first two stages en route to an 11th-place finish. That enabled him to assume the lead by six points over Ryan Sieg while Sheldon Creed is third, Harrison Burton fourth and Kyle Sieg fifth.

Sam Mayer 38
Ryan Sieg 32
Sheldon Creed 29
Harrison Burton 16
Kyle Sieg 4

RYAN PREECE: “Nashville is definitely a unique racetrack. It’s considered a mile-and-a-half and an intermediate, but it races similar to a short track – not entirely, but there are some characteristics about it that you can take from the background that I’ve been in and it just kind of fits my style. It’s definitely a place that I’ve grown to like and look forward to going to.”

CHRIS BUESCHER: “I think some of the first laps I ever made in a Cup car when I was 16 or 17 and testing for Roush was at Nashville. I’ve been there when it was eight degrees and there were icicles falling off the catchfence down the backstretch while we were testing and hitting the windshield. That will get your attention. On the flip side, it’s been one of the hottest races I’ve ever been a part of. I don’t know what we’re in for, but we’ve got a lot going on in Nashville during the week and I’m looking forward to it.”

FROM TRUCK TO CUP

Ryan Preece is still looking for his first NASCAR Cup Series win, but he knows where Victory Lane is located at Nashville Superspeedway. That’s because he won back-to-back NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races with Ford in 2021 and 2022 while driving for owner David Gilliland. He passed Grant Enfinger with seven laps to go to win in 2021, and then captured the pole and led 74-of-150 circuits one year later to beat fellow Ford driver Zane Smith.

TOP 10 STREAK ON THE LINE

Sam Mayer has made three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Nashville Superspeedway and has finished in the top 10 each time. Mayer, who is third in the point standings after an 11th-place run last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, has been fifth, third and 10th despite not starting any of those events in the top 20.

FORD WINS NASCAR DEBUT AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

The first race held at Nashville Superspeedway for one of NASCAR’s top three touring series came on April 14, 2001 when Ford’s Greg Biffle won the Pepsi 300 in what was then known as the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series, now NASCAR Xfinity Series. Ford dominated the race up front as Biffle, Jason Keller and Jeff Green combined to lead 200-of-225 laps. Biffle, who was out front for a race-high 133 circuits, beat Keller to the checkered flag by just over a half-second as Ford finished one-two.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON?

Ford driver Layne Riggs comes into this weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway sixth in the point standings, but his focus on Saturday will be getting to Victory Lane. A win would put him in the same category as his dad, Scott, who won the very first series race ever held at the 1.33-mile facility in 2001. Layne enters the race with a pair of wins, both of which came on consecutive weeks last year at Milwaukee and Bristol, while Scott posted five career NCTS victories in 60 starts.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS

AT NASHVILLE

2024 – Joey Logano

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS

AT NASHVILLE

2001 – Greg Biffle

2002 – Scott Riggs (1)

2003 – Scott Riggs (2)

2006 – Carl Edwards (2)

2007 – Carl Edwards (Sweep)

2011 – Carl Edwards (Sweep)

FORD NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT NASHVILLE

2003 – Carl Edwards

2007 – Travis Kvapil

2021 – Ryan Preece

2022 – Ryan Preece

The Ford Mustang, celebrating its 61st anniversary in 2025, is the world’s best selling sports car. It is also one of the planet’s most popular race cars. With Mustang-based race cars competing in international sports car competition (GT3 and GT4), NASCAR, NHRA, Formula Drift, in Australian Supercars, at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and in its own bespoke one-make series – Mustang Cup and Mustang Challenge – the platform has an unprecedented global reach. This weekend, 32 Mustang race cars are scheduled to race across all disciplines. Learn more at FordPerformance.com.

JR Motorsports — NXS Nashville Superspeedway Preview

JR Motorsports Xfinity Team Preview
TRACK – Nashville Superspeedway (1.33-mile tri-oval)
NXS RACE – Tennessee Lottery 250 (188 laps / 250.04 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 7:30 p.m. (ET)

Carson Kvapil

No. 1 – Bass Pro Shops / Clarience Technologies Chevrolet

Kvapil 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 13

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 3

Top 10s: 4

Laps Led: 56

Avg. Finish: 15.3

Points: 8th

  • Carson Kvapil will make his second start at Nashville Superspeedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend. In his previous start in 2024, he finished just outside the top 10 in 12th.
  • 13 of Kvapil’s 22 career starts in the NXS have come on tracks between 1-2 miles in length. Of those 13 starts, Kvapil has earned three top fives and four top 10s.
  • Kvapil’s best finish on a track between 1-2 miles in length came last season at Dover Motor Speedway when the JR Motorsports driver took the checkered flag in second.
  • The 21-year-old Mooresville native is currently ranked fourth in quality passes according to NASCAR Loop Data Statistics.

Carson Kvapil

“We plan to take everything we learned last year here to come back even better this weekend in Nashville. We have been working hard in the sim and Andrew (Overstreet, crew chief) and I have been working on our strategy, so hopefully we can be running up front in our Bass Pro Shops/Clarience Technologies Chevrolet when it counts.”

Justin Allgaier

No. 7 Hellmann’s Chevrolet

Allgaier 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 13

Wins: 2

Top 5s: 9

Top 10s: 9

Laps Led: 537

Avg. Finish: 9.9

Points: 1st

  • Justin Allgaier is a previous NXS winner inthe “Music City,” having gone to Victory Lane in this event in 2022 after leading for a race-high 134 laps.
  • Overall, in 10 career NXS starts at Nashville, Allgaier has amassed five top-fives and six top-10s to accompany the win in 2022.
  • Allgaier enters this weekend as the series leader in top-five finishes thus far in 2025, with the JRM driver having placed fifth or better in nine of the opening 13 events.
  • According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Allgaier currently ranks first in laps led (203), laps run inside the top 15 (1,860), quality passes (288) and in green flag passes (419) at Nashville.

Justin Allgaier

“Nashville has been a really good track for us since its return to the schedule. Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and everyone on this Hellmann’s team has been working hard all week to give us a car that I know will be capable of running up front and contending for the win. We just need to go out there and execute the way we know we can and I see no reason why we won’t be where we want to be come the end of the race on Saturday.”

Sammy Smith

No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet

Smith 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 13

Wins: 1

Top 5s: 3

Top 10s: 5

Laps Led: 35

Avg. Finish: 15.3

Points: 13th

  • Sammy Smith will take on Nashville for the third time in his NXS career this weekend.
  • In two previous starts at the 1.33-mile tri-oval, Smith has a best starting position of third, coming in 2023.
  • According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Smith is ranked third for most laps run in the top-15 so far this season (2,047).
  • Western Express, a Nashville, Tenn.-based company will be on the TV panel this weekend. The innovative transportation company has been serving customers for more than 30 years across the United States.

Sammy Smith

“This No. 8 Pilot team is ready for this weekend in Nashville. We have had good speed all year long on these kind of tracks and I know we will again on Saturday. This group is ready to go.”

Ross Chastain

No. 9 Acceptance Insurance Chevrolet

Chastain 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 2

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 1

Top 10s: 2

Laps Led: 23

Avg. Finish: 6

Points: N/A

  • Ross Chastain makes his second NXS start at Nashville this weekend and his third start overall this season for JRM.
  • In his first two NXS starts this season for JRM, Chastain has scored one top five and two top 10s, with a best finish of fourth coming at Darlington last month.
  • Chastain finished 27th in his lone start at Nashville in the NXS last season.
  • Chastain heads into the weekend coming off a Cup Series win at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Sunday. After piloting the No. 9 Acceptance Insurance Chevrolet in the NXS on Saturday night, he will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet in Sunday night’s Cup Series race.

Ross Chastain

“I love racing at Nashville Superspeedway and I love the Nashville area in general. I’m pumped to get back in a JRM car because they’re always so fast and I want to keep the top-10 finish streak alive. Nashville is one of the tracks that I circle every year to race at because it’s so fun. I always feel like the more laps I can get on the track is the best thing for me. Just to get those reps in is super important to me and I’m looking forward to the race Saturday night with Acceptance Insurance.”

Connor Zilisch

No. 88 Blues Hog Chevrolet

Zilisch 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 12

Wins: 1

Top 5s: 2

Top 10s: 4

Laps Led: 171

Avg. Finish: 15.6

Points: 6th

  • Connor Zilisch will make his first Nashville start in the NXS on Saturday evening. Zilisch enters the event fresh off a second-place effort one week ago at Charlotte, his second top-five and fourth top-10 finish of the season.
  • The driver of the Blues Hog Chevrolet enjoyed one of his best performances of the season at Charlotte. He qualified second and ran near the front of the pack throughout the race. His average running position was 3.10 and Zilisch was one of just two drivers to run all 205 laps inside the top 15.
  • Nashville will be Zilisch’s sixth start on a non-drafting track that is one mile or greater in length. Zilisch has scored three top 10s in his five previous starts on these tracks one mile or greater.
  • Zilisch enters Nashville with three pole positions, the most by any NXS driver, and his average starting position this season is 6.25.
  • Zilisch used his strong run at Charlotte to climb six positions in the NXS driver standings, moving up to sixth place. He also leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by six points over JRM teammate Carson Kvapil (351-345).

Connor Zilisch

“I’m really looking forward to going to Nashville for the first time. It’s such a cool city and I’ve raced at the Fairgrounds before, but this will be my first time racing at the NASCAR track in Nashville. I have some laps on the simulator and it’s definitely a technical racetrack. I’m looking forward to figuring it out quickly and keeping the momentum up from Charlotte. The Blues Hog team is firing on all cylinders and I’m looking forward to putting races together and getting more good finishes through the summer.”

JRM Team Updates

JR Motorsports at Nashville Superspeedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Nashville Superspeedway a combined 35 times in the NXS since 2006. In those starts at the 1.33-mile tri-oval, the organization has recorded two wins, 11 top-fives and 19 top-10s. The average finish is 11.6.

Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Connor Zilisch will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / HMS-Byron/Bowman souvenir rig on Saturday, May 31 from 3:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. CT.

Denny Hamlin to make 700th Cup career start at Nashville

Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Denny Hamlin is on the verge of achieving a career milestone in his 20th consecutive full-time season as a NASCAR Cup Series competiton. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Nashville Superspeedway, the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota Camry XSE entry will make his 700th career start in NASCAR’s premier series.

A native of Chesterfield, Virginia, Hamlin made his Cup Series debut at Kansas Speedway in October 2005. By then, he was competing in his first full-time season in the Xfinity Series with JGR. He was also selected as the fourth competitor overall to pilot JGR’s No. 11 Chevrolet entry and fill in for the remaining seven events of the 2005 schedule.

Starting seventh, Hamlin finished 32nd in his Cup debut at Kansas. He proceeded to record his first three top-10 career results throughout his next six starts. During the span, he recorded a season-best seventh-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in November and notched his first Cup career pole the following weekend at Phoenix Raceway, where he finished 13th despite leading 23 laps.

The following season, Hamlin was promoted to a full-time Cup Series ride in JGR’s No. 11 Chevrolet entry. By claiming his first career pole at Phoenix during the previous season, he also earned an automatic berth to the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway in February. During the Shootout, Hamlin led three times for 16 of 72 laps and fended off the field during a two-lap restart to become the first rookie competitor to win the Shootout.

He commenced his first full-time Cup season with a 30th-place finish during the 48th running of the Daytona 500 before recording five top-10 results throughout his next 12 starts. Then at Pocono Raceway in June, the Virginia native, who led 83 of 200 laps, rallied from a Lap 50 spin due to blowing a left-rear tire to score his first Cup career victory.

Another six races later, he doubled down at Pocono in July by claiming his second career win after he led 151 of 200 laps. During both Pocono victories, he started on the pole. Finishing in the top 10 throughout the remaining five of six regular-season events, Hamlin clinched a berth into the Playoffs.

He became the first Cup Series rookie candidate to make NASCAR’s postseason battle for the championship. Hamlin finished in the top 10 seven times throughout the remaining 10 Playoff events. After accumulating a total of 20 top-10 results, he settled in third place in the final standings. Despite missing the title by 63 points, he sealed up the Rookie-of-the-Year title.

Throughout Hamlin’s sophomore Cup Series season in 2007, he achieved a single victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June. He made his second career Playoffs, before settling in 12th place in the final standings. During his junior season in 2008, when JGR switched manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota, Hamlin notched a single victory of the year at Martinsville Speedway in March.

He proceeded to make his third consecutive Playoffs before finishing in eighth place in the final standings. During both seasons, he recorded a pole and finished both in the top five 12 times and in the top 10 18 times apiece. By then, he surpassed 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

Hamlin’s next two Cup seasons were competitive. The driver of the No. 11 JGR Toyota going winless through the first 20-scheduled events of the 2009 season before he notched his first victory at Pocono. Five races later, he capped off the regular-season stretch by scoring a dominant victory at Richmond Raceway, his home track. Despite finishing outside the top 20 four times throughout the Playoffs that derailed his championship hopes of the 2009 season, he claimed victories at Martinsville and the season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway to conclude the season in fifth place in the final standings.

Hamlin then doubled down on his win column by notching a career-high eight victories in 2010, where he swept both Martinsville and Texas Motor Speedway events. He also claimed his first crown jewel victory by winning the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and would also win at Pocono, Michigan International Speedway and the regular-season finale at Richmond. Amid the victories that drew him into championship contention and had him leading the championship standings with two-scheduled events remaining, Hamlin capped off the season with two consecutive finishes in the top 14, which relegated him back to a career-best second place in the 2010 final standings as he fell 39 points shy of winning his first Cup title to Jimmie Johnson.

Compared to the 2010 season, Hamlin managed to achieve only one victory in 2011, which occurred at Michigan in June. Despite making the Playoffs for a sixth consecutive season and surpassing 200 Cup career starts, he dropped back to ninth place in the final standings. He rebounded during the 2012 season by notching five victories, which included first-time trips to Victory Lane at Phoenix Raceway, Kansas Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His fifth victory of the season occurred at New Hampshire in September during the Playoffs. Throughout the Playoffs, however, Hamlin finished outside the top 10 six times, which kept him out of the championship battle as he settled in sixth place in the final standings.

The 2013 Cup season generated Hamlin’s most difficult season to date. It began with the Virginia native recording a single top-three finish during the season’s first three scheduled events. He finished 23rd at Bristol in March. Then after enduring a run-in with ex-teammate Joey Logano, Hamlin was involved in a vicious head-on accident on the final lap amid contact with Logano while battling for the victory during the following event at Auto Club Speedway.

The incident left Hamlin with a severe L1 compression fracture and out of competition over the next four events. Despite returning by early May, Hamlin recorded only two top-four results and three top-10 results throughout the remaining 17 events on the regular-season schedule as he missed the Playoffs for the first time in his career. Despite accumulating three additional top-10 results through nine Playoff events, he capped off the season on a positive note by winning the finale at Homestead and maintaining his winning streak to eight consecutive seasons.

Poised for redemption, Hamlin commenced the 2014 Cup season with early momentum by winning the non-points Sprint Unlimited and the first Budweiser Duel at Daytona before finishing in second place during the 56th running of the Daytona 500.

Despite being absent from competing at Auto Club Speedway in March due to a sinus infection within the first nine-scheduled events, Hamlin claimed his first victory of the season at Talladega in April, which marked his first points-paying superspeedway victory and occurred in his 300th Cup career start.

After finishing in the top 10 eight times throughout the remaining 16 regular-season events, he recorded six top-10 results throughout the Playoffs, which enabled him to transfer all the way from the Round of 16 to the Championship 4 round. Amid a late pit strategy to remain on the track with the lead on old tires, Hamlin fell back to seventh place during the finale at Homestead as he settled in third place in the final standings.

Between the 2015 and 2017 seasons, Hamlin notched a total of seven Cup victories. During the 2015 season, he won at Martinsville in March before winning the 2015 Playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway after rallying from an opening lap spin.

The team also utilized a late pit strategy to remain on the track on old tires. During the 2015 season, he also won the All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was the first victory in the event for both Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota. Hamlin, however, was eliminated from the Playoffs following the Round of 12 and settled in ninth place in the final standings.

He commenced the 2016 season on a high note by winning the 58th running of the Daytona 500 after edging Martin Truex Jr. by 0.010 seconds for his first Great American Race victory. After winning at Watkins Glen International and the regular-season finale at Richmond, Hamlin would make the 2016 Playoffs and end up in sixth place in the final standings after being eliminated from title contention at the conclusion of the Round of 8. Like the 2016 season, Hamlin, who won at New Hampshire and the Southern 500 for a second time, settled in sixth place in the 2017 final standings after he was eliminated from title contention following the Round of 8. By then, he surpassed 400 Cup career starts.

The 2018 Cup season featured Hamlin’s first winless season despite the Virginia veteran making the Playoffs for the 12th time in his career. Throughout the season, he finished as high as second twice at Dover Motor Speedway and at Martinsville during the Playoffs. After he was eliminated from title contention following the Round of 16, he settled in 11th place in the final standings.

Hamlin then rallied at the start of the 2019 season, winning the 61st running of the Daytona 500 and notching his second victory in the Great American Race. He claimed regular-season victories at Texas, Pocono and the Bristol Night Race before the Playoffs commenced.

After utilizing consistency throughout the Round of 16 to transfer into the Round of 12, Hamlin notched a victory at Kansas during the Round of 12 and another one at Phoenix during the Round of 8, which enabled him to transfer into the Championship 4 round for a second time in his career.

Initially poised to claim his first Cup title, Hamlin was mired with late overheating issues, where a nose tape was covering his front grille, that forced him to make an extra pit stop. As a result, he ended up in 10th place during the finale at Homestead and in fourth place in the final standings. By then, he notched the third-most victories in a Cup season at six, a career-high 19 top-five results, an average-finishing result of 9.5 and surpassed 500 Cup career starts.

Coming off a strong 2019 season, Hamlin remained competitive over his next two Cup seasons. It started by edging Ryan Blaney by a nose to win the 62nd running of the Daytona 500. It was Hamlin’s third time winning the Great American Race. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he notched a rain-shortened victory at Darlington in May before claiming additional regular-season victories at Homestead, Pocono, Kansas and Dover.

Despite recording three top-10 results, including his seventh victory of the 2020 season at Talladega, through nine Playoff events, Hamlin managed to transfer all the way from the Round of 16 to the Championship 4 round, where he ended up in fourth place in the final standings. In 2021, Hamlin notched only two victories, which occurred in the Southern 500 and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the Playoffs.

Nonetheless, he made the Championship 4 round for a fourth time in his career and went on to finish in third place in the final standings. Through both seasons, he notched a combined 37 top-five results, 46 top-10 results, 2,585 laps led and average-finishing results of 9.3 in 2020 and a career-best 8.4 in 2021. Within the span, he recorded a career-high 19 top-five results, 25 top-10 results and led a career-best 1,502 laps throughout the 2021 season.

Throughout the 2022 and 2023 Cup seasons, Hamlin added an additional five victories to his resume, which started by winning at Richmond for a fourth time in April 2022 before he won the crown-jewel Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte for the first time in his career. The following season, his first victory of the year occurred at Kansas amid a final-lap battle with Kyle Larson. He then rallied from another late run-in with Larson to win at Pocono before he won the Bristol Night Race for a third time in his career. Despite making the Playoffs, Hamlin ended up falling one points position shy of transferring to the Championship 4 round during both seasons, with the Virginia native finishing in fifth place in the final standings during both seasons. By then, he surpassed 600 Cup career starts.

This past season, Hamlin achieved three victories, which occurred at Bristol, Richmond and Dover, respectively, throughout the first half of the regular-season stretch. He also won the third and final Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Despite notching six top-10 finishes through nine Playoff events, Hamlin’s Playoff hopes came to an end following the Round of 8 for a third consecutive season. With an 11th-place run during the 2024 finale at Phoenix, he settled in eighth place in the final standings.

Through 699 previous starts in the Cup Series division, Hamlin has achieved 56 victories, 43 poles, 239 top-five results, 364 top-10 results, 15,666 laps led and an average-finishing result of 13.2. He is currently ranked in sixth place in the 2025 driver’s standings on the strengths of two victories (Martinsville in March and Darlington in April). He also has recorded xix top-10 results through 13-scheduled starts.

For this upcoming weekend at Nashville, Hamlin is scheduled to become the 22nd competitor overall to reach 700 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series. In addition to being four victories away from becoming the 11th competitor overall to reach 60 victories in the Cup division, he also continues his pursuit for his first championship.

Denny Hamlin will make his 700th Cup Series career start at Nashville Superspeedway for the Cracker Barrel 400 on Sunday, June 1, and air at 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video.

The Evolution of Sports Championship Rings: Then & Now

Few symbols in the world of professional athletics carry as much prestige, sentiment, and history as sports championship rings. From humble beginnings to intricate modern masterpieces, these rings have transformed alongside the evolution of sports themselves, growing in symbolism, design complexity, and cultural significance.

Origins: The Humble Beginnings

The tradition of awarding sports championship rings dates back to the early 20th century, though the practice gained prominence in the 1920s with Major League Baseball. The 1922 New York Giants were among the first teams to be awarded rings instead of the customary World Series pocket watches, signaling a shift toward more personalized and wearable memorabilia.

Back then, the rings were relatively simple. Made of gold with a single gemstone—usually a diamond—they bore the team’s logo and the year of the championship. The goal was to create a tasteful keepsake that could discreetly reflect one’s athletic achievements.

Mid-Century Refinements

From the 1950s to the 1980s, sports championship rings steadily became more ornate. Corporate sponsorships and television exposure grew in influence, raising the profile of athletes and their accolades. This period saw the rise of multi-gemstone designs, larger face sizes, and more personalized engravings.

NFL teams embraced this shift, especially after the Super Bowl era began in 1967. Super Bowl rings started featuring team logos, championship scores, and multiple diamonds, which often symbolized the number of titles a team had won. College sports followed suit, using rings to recognize conference and national championships, instilling pride among student-athletes.

The Explosion of Bling in the 1990s and 2000s

The 1990s marked a turning point, both in terms of cultural importance and the physical opulence of sports championship rings. Fueled by the rise of celebrity athletes like Michael Jordan and the increasing glamour around sports, rings evolved into bold status symbols.

NBA and NFL championship rings, in particular, became dramatically larger and heavier. The Chicago Bulls’ six championships in the ’90s gave rise to six distinct ring designs, each grander than the last. The incorporation of team mottos, player names, and even personal statistics became common.

The trend wasn’t just about flash—it reflected a changing sports culture. Rings became more than awards; they were legacy markers, elements of storytelling, and visual representations of blood, sweat, and victory.

Today’s Rings: Engineering Marvels and Cultural Icons

In the modern era, sports championship rings are feats of design and engineering. They often feature hundreds of diamonds and other gemstones, intricately arranged in 3D designs that tell stories unique to each team and season.

Take the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA Championship ring as an example. It featured over 400 diamonds, a removable top that revealed a QR code linking to a championship highlight reel, and other rich details. Similarly, the Los Angeles Rams’ 2022 Super Bowl ring had 20 carats of white diamonds and hidden compartments that honored their home stadium and key moments from their title run.

These modern rings are designed by top jewelers using CAD (computer-aided design) software, 3D printing, and hand-set stones. Teams often collaborate with jewelry companies like Jostens or Baron to ensure every design element is meaningful.

What Rings Mean Beyond the Game

Beyond their lavish appearance, sports championship rings hold deep emotional significance. For players, they represent career-defining moments. For franchises, they serve as milestones of success. For fans, they’re relics of seasons filled with unforgettable highs and lows.

Many players prize their rings above all other accolades. Hall of Fame speeches often include anecdotes about the grind it took to earn a ring. Some players, like Tom Brady or Bill Russell, own multiple rings, turning them into symbols of dynastic excellence.

Rings also serve as heirlooms, passed down through generations. When players auction them—often to raise money for charity or personal reasons—they can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars, emphasizing their cultural and financial value.

Customization and Personalization

Modern sports championship rings are now tailored for each recipient. While the overall design is standardized, each player, coach, and sometimes even staff member receives a customized version. Player-specific elements might include their jersey number, name, or game highlights, such as a critical touchdown, three-point shot, or defensive play.

Even fans can get replicas. Teams often produce fan editions of their rings, which are sold or given away during commemorative nights. While these versions use more affordable materials, they still reflect the artistry and spirit of the original design.

The Role of Technology

Technology has revolutionized how sports championship rings are designed and produced. Jewelers use 3D modeling and simulation software to visualize complex ideas and test configurations. Laser engraving allows for precise detail, and augmented reality (AR) previews let teams see how the ring will look before it’s made.

This tech-forward approach has opened the door to storytelling elements, like removable tops, secret messages, and interactive features such as QR codes. These innovations have transformed rings into multimedia experiences that extend far beyond metal and stone.

Rings in Non-Professional Sports

While professional leagues continue to set the standard, championship rings are now common in high school, college, and even amateur sports. Winning a state title or conference championship can come with a custom-designed ring that instills pride and commemorates the achievement.

Youth leagues, eSports tournaments, and international competitions have also adopted the tradition. This democratization of sports championship rings reflects their widespread appeal and symbolic power across all levels of competition.

Controversies and Debates

Despite their splendor, these rings are not without criticism. Detractors argue that the escalating costs—often exceeding $30,000 per ring—are excessive, especially when publicly funded teams are involved. Some question whether teams should allocate resources toward such extravagance instead of community programs or player bonuses.

Additionally, debates persist about ring worthiness. Should bench players or injured athletes receive rings? What about staff, cheerleaders, or equipment managers? Most teams take an inclusive approach, awarding rings to everyone who contributed to the campaign, reinforcing the “team-first” ethos.

The Future of Championship Rings

Looking ahead, the future of sports championship rings is poised to be even more innovative and inclusive. We can expect increased integration of smart technology, augmented reality, and sustainable materials. As environmental concerns rise, some jewelers are turning to lab-grown diamonds and recycled metals, without compromising brilliance or craftsmanship.

Culturally, rings will continue to evolve as storytelling tools. Designs may feature dynamic elements, like rotating parts or embedded videos, offering immersive ways to relive iconic moments.

Final Thoughts

The journey of sports championship rings from modest gold bands to technologically advanced, gem-encrusted masterpieces mirrors the evolution of sports themselves—from pastime to powerhouse industry. They are more than jewelry; they are symbols of perseverance, teamwork, excellence, and legacy.

Whether tucked away in a velvet-lined case or proudly worn to reunions and parades, these rings speak volumes. They whisper tales of hard-fought victories, season-long grinds, locker-room camaraderie, and the ultimate pursuit of glory. As sports continue to innovate and inspire, so too will the rings that crown their champions.