The Cracker Barrel 400 brings the NASCAR Cup Series back to Music City on Sunday, June 1, marking race 14 of 36 in 2025 and the only Cup stop on Tennessee concrete this season. Nashville Superspeedway’s 1.33-mile oval features wide exit lanes and a slick concrete surface that punishes ill-timed throttle inputs, rewarding those with car control and tire discipline. Fresh off a hard-fought Coca-Cola 600 won by Ross Chastain, every lap in Nashville will help steer the summer title chase.
2025 Cracker Barrel 400 Preview
Nashville wrote four different stories in four Cup visits. Kyle Larson dominated the inaugural event in 2021, Chase Elliott converted Hendrick horsepower into a win in 2022, Ross Chastain muscled past traffic for 2023 glory, and Joey Logano got the best of a late restart last June. The concrete still favors momentum cars, but repaved seams added after 2024 have shaved roughly 1 mph off qualifying trim and widened the entry zone into Turn 3, giving drivers more ing lanes.
This season’s form chart is led by William Byron. Stage-sweeps and a runner-up last weekend vaulted him to 499 points and first place in the standings, 29 clear of teammate Kyle Larson. Christopher Bell keeps piling up playoff points with four stage wins, while Chastain’s victory at Charlotte locked Trackhouse into the postseason. The list of drivers that have already banked playoff berths is up to 10, leaving aggressive strategies likely in Stage 2 as bubble teams try to flip the race in their favor.
Driver averages hint at familiar frontrunners going into this race. Larson owns a 4.5 average finish in four Nashville starts and has led 264 laps, the most of any active driver. Chastain’s 10.3 average is backed by a stellar 148 laps led and last year’s win. Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano boast sub-10 averages with top-tier pit crews that can help them leapfrog positions under caution. Byron’s average of 15.8 masks steady improvement, as he logged his first Nashville top-five in 2024 and practiced long-run pace this spring at the tire test.
Betting Insights
Early outright boards from DraftKings Sportsbook show just eight drivers inside of +2000 to win the Cracker Barrel 400.
- Kyle Larson +450
- Denny Hamlin +550
- Christopher Bell +600
- William Byron +650
- Ryan Blaney +850
- Tyler Reddick +1000
- Ross Chastain +1200
- Chase Elliott +1400
Head-to-head odds are highlighted by value on Byron (−115) over Hamlin (−105) given tire wear projections. A concrete surface traditionally tilts long-run metrics in Byron’s direction, and his No. 24 team ranks second in pit-road average time at 11.1 seconds, reducing risk in green-flag cycles. In the top Toyota market, Bell (−140) over Tyler Reddick (even) carries value. Bell’s average green-flag speed at concrete tracks is 177.4 mph, 1.2 mph faster than Reddick’s over the past season. Top Chevrolet markets make Alex Bowman (+260) a live long shot; his 333 points keep him 10th in standings, and crew chief Blake Harris rolled a similar setup to a top-five at Dover’s concrete in April.
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Cracker Barrel 400 Prediction
Weather forecasts call for mid-80s temperatures and a high UV index, amplifying track temp swings as shadows lengthen into the evening start. Expect two distinct grooves, with the high lane gaining grip during Stage 2 and evening out restarts.
Larson’s blazing short-run speed makes him the rightful favorite, but Byron’s balance over 30-lap averages and his recent points lead create the best combination of ceiling and floor. Look for the No. 24 Chevrolet to outperform Larson after the Stage 2 stop, control the race through the last pit window, and withstand a late restart to claim his first checkered flag in Nashville. Bettors taking Byron at +600 and backing him in top-three (+180) and head-to-head markets should find solid return on investment.
