The NASCAR Cup Series returns this week after the Father's Day weekend bye week to Nashville Superspeedway in Nashville, Tennessee.
Daniel Suarez pulled away from Chris Buescher in the closing laps on the road course in California to earn his first career victory in the series two weeks ago.
Suarez became the 12th different winner through 16 races, enhancing the possibility with 10 regular season races remaining that not all race winners will automatically qualify for the 16-driver playoffs.
Five of the top 12 drivers in the points standings have yet to win a race this year. Chase Elliott leads the standings by 16 over Ross Chastain, 23 over Kyle Busch and 25 over non-winner Ryan Blaney. Denny Hamlin, one of four two-time winners, remains the lowest winner in the standings; he’s 21st, 211 points behind Elliott.
Kyle Larson won after starting fifth last year.
Practice is tonight at 6:30 pm local time. Qualifying is at 1 pm on Saturday and the green flag drops at 5 pm on Sunday.
A.J. Allmendinger led only six of 75 laps but beat Myatt Snider by 2.879 seconds for his second victory of the season — both on road courses — in the series’ debut at Portland International Raceway two weeks ago in the XFinity Series.
Allmendinger’s victory came after he started last because of pre-race changes to his car, and after he went a lap down. Allmendinger’s points lead increased to 43 over Ty Gibbs and 44 over Noah Gragson.
The top eight drivers in points have accounted for 12 victories through 14 races. Only 21 of 38 cars finished on the lead lap on the 1.97-mile circuit in the Portland debut.
The XFinity Series returns this week in Nashville. Kyle Busch won from the pole position last year.
Practice is tonight at 5:30. Qualifying is at noon Saturday and the green flag drops at 3:30 pm.
Todd Gilliland passed John Hunter Nemechek on the 140th of 150 laps and pulled away after a restart on Lap 147 to win on the dirt in Iowa, winning his first start of the season and for the third time in his career last week as the Camping World Truck Series was the only series to run on during the Father's Day weekend.
Gilliland became the sixth non-regular in the series to win through 13 races. Nemechek regained the point leads, vaulting from fourth. He leads Zane Smith by five, defending series champion Ben Rhodes by 10 and Chandler Smith by 14. Zane Smith (3) and part-timer Corey Heim (2) are the only multiple winners thus far this season.
Ryan Preece won after starting sixth last year as the series shifts to Nashville this week.
Practice and qualifying is at 4 pm this afternoon. Race time is 8 pm tonight.
