Denny Hamlin triumphs in Nashville after a superb fight

Restarted four laps from the finish, the fourteenth round of the 2026 season NASCAR The Cup Series was decided in the very last loop, which the three Toyota Joe Gibbs' team started side-by-side! Coming from nowhere, Chase Briscoe attempted an outside pass on his teammates, Bell and Hamlin, who had been battling since the green flag dropped on the concrete oval in Nashville. With Bell and Briscoe running wide, Hamlin took advantage, surging down the inside to secure the win.

Starting from pole position, Denny Hamlin's path to victory was anything but smooth sailing, as he received a penalty right from the start! Perhaps too eager to get going under the artificial lights, he accelerated too early, before the official restart zone, and the resulting drive-through penalty dropped him to the back of the field. Proof, if any were needed, that the No. 11 Toyota was one of the cars to beat, Hamlin set the fastest lap of the race during his recovery drive, ultimately leading 57 of the 300 scheduled laps.

The Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing thus achieved a 1-2-3 finish, ahead of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Hyak Motorsports), who sported a livery for the occasion in tribute to Kyle Busch, who passed away ten days ago. In fine form throughout the evening, Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing) finished fifth, securing a rare top-five finish on an oval, while leading for twelve laps. The New Zealander became concerned at the halfway point about the condition of his Chevrolet's brakes, given that his two teammates, Connor Zilisch and Ross Chastain, had suffered a front-right brake rotor explosion. AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing) and Chris Buescher (RFK Racing) were also affected by this issue.

Having crossed the finish line side-by-side for sixth place, Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing) and Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports) collided after the finish line, sending the No. 45 Toyota head-on into the wall. The championship leader escaped uninjured after a particularly bizarre incident.

The focus now shifts to Michigan International Speedway for the NASCAR Cup Series, starting this Sunday.

NASCAR 2026 – Nashville
The classification of the race

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