Sunday night's NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville was supposed to get underway at 7:20pm EST, but Mother Nature had other plans.
Storms moved into the area, and the race could not get started on time. Thankfully, barring any additional storms forming, there appears to be a clearing behind this system that will allow for all 400 miles and 300 laps to be completed tonight.
Last weekend's Coca-Cola 600 ended 27 laps short of the finish due to rain, and Daniel Suarez claimed a surprise victory for the No. 7 Spire Motorsports team.
Rain has already impacted the Nashville weekend, forcing the cancellation of Cup Series qualifying on Saturday. Because of that, the starting lineup was set by the metric.
Denny Hamlin will start from pole position, sharing the front row with championship leader Tyler Reddick.
Coke 600 winner Suarez will start third, Christopher Bell fourth, Kyle Larson fifth, Ty Gibbs sixth, Ryan Blaney seventh, William Byron eighth, Joey Logano ninth, and Shane van Gisbergen tenth.
6 PM CDT @NashvilleSuperS #NASCAR #weather update - 80°F, feels like 84°F, NW winds, 12 mph with occasional gusts
— RaceWeather (@RaceWeather) May 31, 2026
Light to moderate rain moving across the track, could last about 10-20 minutes. Some track drying will be needed after this shower.
Rain chances drop after 8 pm… pic.twitter.com/CBcE84Wnba
Some notable drivers will be coming from deep in the field, including two former Nashville winners with Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain starting 29th and 35th, respectively.
CLICK HERE for the complete starting lineup ahead the 2026 Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville.
NASCAR did hold pre-race ceremonies at the track amid raindrops and windy conditions. Once the track is ready, the engines will be fired and the race will get underway. Drivers have been told to stay near their cars.
Air titans were deployed around 7:45pm EST, and began drying the concrete 1.33-mile oval.
Earlier in the weekend, Layne Riggs passed Rajah Caruth on the final lap to win the Nashville Truck race, while Justin Allgaier out-dueled Brent Crews to win the Nashville O'Reilly race.
More to follow...
