This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Cracker Barrel 400
Location: Lebanon, Tenn.
Course: Nashville Superspeedway
Format: 1.33-mile D-shaped oval
Laps: 300
NASCAR Cracker Barrel 400 Race Preview
Ross Chastain clawed his way to the front late last week to win his first race of the season, claiming one of the all-important playoff positions that comes along with a victory. Chastain will be feeling good moving on to Nashville Superspeedway this week, too. The Trackhouse Racing driver won this race in 2023 from pole position, and will hope to repeat that again this week. If last year's race is anything to go by, he'll have to be awfully careful to do so, though. Joey Logano came out on top at the track last season after cycling forward through six restarts before the race finally finished 31 laps past the scheduled distance. Those extra laps cost several drivers at the front of the field too much fuel, and Logano was there to pick up the spots and take the checkered flag as the path cleared ahead of him. Nashville's concrete surface certainly threw twists and turns at the field last season, which is a good lesson to everyone about how unpredictable motorsports can be. That said, Chevrolet drivers have won three of the four NASCAR Cup Series races at the track and all victors except Logano started inside the top five.
Key Stats at Nashville Superspeedway
- Number of races: 4
- Winners from pole: 1
- Winners from top-5 starters: 3
- Winners from top-10 starters: 3
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 1
- Fastest race: 132.914 mph
Previous Nashville Winners
2024 - Joey Logano
2023 - Ross Chastain
2022 - Chase Elliott
2021 - Kyle Larson
Nashville Superspeedway is a 1.3-mile D-shaped oval, but its most distinguishing characteristic is its concrete surface. As the surface takes on rubber, the grip levels can change dramatically. Concrete can also be sensitive to temperature, which also heavily influences how quickly tires will last. While Nashville offers a wide groove for drivers to choose faster lines, all will be focused on tire wear and mechanical grip. Getting the best handling and maximum speed out of cars will be a compromise between tire durability and grip. Teams that push the envelope too far will experience too much wear (and potential tire failures), but a well-balanced car will make tires last longer while maintaining speed throughout a fuel run.
Traffic can also influence that balance. Dirty air will require drivers to use more tire to stay in contention, or move forward, while those out front can manage the situation more to their own preference. Three of the four series races run at Nashville have been won by a driver starting inside the top five and all four races had a driver that started in the top five lead at least 99 laps. While last year proved crazy things can happen in this race, the trends all suggest the fastest qualifiers will be the main contenders for Sunday's win.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Cracker Barrel 400 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Larson - $11,000
William Byron - $10,800
Denny Hamlin - $10,700
Christopher Bell - $10,500
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ross Chastain - $10,000
Tyler Reddick - $9,800
Chase Elliott - $9,500
Joey Logano - $9,200
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Chase Briscoe - $8,900
Chris Buescher - $8,600
Brad Keselowski - $8,300
Kyle Busch - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Alex Bowman - $7,800
Ryan Preece - $7,300
Bubba Wallace - $7,000
AJ Allmendinger - $6,600
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Cracker Barrel 400
Denny Hamlin - $10,700
Ryan Blaney - $10,200
Kyle Busch - $8,000
Ryan Preece - $7,300
Bubba Wallace - $7,000
AJ Allmendinger - $6,600
Were it not for the onslaught of cautions late in this race last year, Denny Hamlin (DK $10,700, FD $13,500) might have had another win. He was in position to drive away to the checkered flag but needed to stop for fuel to finish after the race extended itself multiple times. Add to that the fact that he was one of the only drivers that could challenge William Byron's dominance a week ago at Charlotte, and you have a top choice in Hamlin this week. Making his selection even more appealing are his 265 total laps led in the last three races at this track.
Even though Ford hasn't had the advantage at Nashville, Joey Logano found a way to win last year and teammate Ryan Blaney (DK $10,200, FD $12,000) needs to make something happen this year. The Team Penske driver is still winless in 2025, but he is 11th in points and had back-to-back third-place finishes in the two races before the All-Star Race. Blaney has been competitive at Nashville, too. He led 26 laps last year and finished sixth, but his best finish at the track was a third-place run in 2022.
Kyle Busch (DK $8,000, FD $8,500) may be in store for an outperformance this week. He is doing double duty in the trucks this week, and when he races earlier in the weekend, he often has a better outing on Sunday. His best Cup finishes at this track were 11th and ninth in 2021 and 2023. However, Busch led laps in all three Nashville races before last season's record-setting caution spree.
RFK Racing and Ryan Preece (DK $7,300, FD $7,000) have been known to shine on tracks that are more harsh on tires, like Darlington and Dover. Evidence of that is Preece's fourth-place finish at Nashville last season, albeit with many late cautions. Even before 2024, Preece still delivered a 16th-place finish at the track in 2023. Getting the 16th-place driver in the current standings for this price, at a track he should have the equipment to contend for another top-10 at, makes a tempting selection. Preece also enters this weekend with three straight finishes of 11th or better including the All-Star Open.
Bubba Wallace (DK $7,000, FD $6,500) also makes an interesting case for selection this week given his seventh-place finish in this race last season. In all, Wallace has three top-15 Nashville results from four tries, too. His biggest drawback this week is the fact that he hasn't finished in the top 10 at an intermediate track since his third-place finish at Homestead, but he still sits 14th in points and is determined to turn that slump around.
AJ Allmendinger (DK $6,600, FD $5,800) should also not be overlooked. The road course ace finished fourth a week ago at Charlotte and sits 17th in the standings, just 13 points out of the playoff positions. Nashville has been good to Allmendinger, too. He finished 10th and 11th in the last two Nashville Cup races and won the Xfinity Series race in 2023.
NASCAR Best Bets for the Cracker Barrel 400
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 12:30 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Denny Hamlin +600
Top-Five Finish - AJ Allmendinger +550
Top-10 Finish - AJ Allmendinger +170
Group Winner - Kyle Busch +240, Ty Gibbs +250, Josh Berry +250, Alex Bowman +285
Denny Hamlin was in the mix for the win last week at Charlotte and was also close to winning at Nashville last season. His recent competitiveness and history of top Nashville prowess make him a good option for wagerers this week with better odds than we typically get for a favorite. With 265 laps led across four Nashville races, Hamlin is typically at the front at this track and should be there again this weekend. If all goes well, he might just capture the victory that ran away from him last year.
Other options with attractive odds include AJ Allmendinger for a top-five or top-10 and Kyle Busch as group winner against Ty Gibbs, Josh Berry, and Alex Bowman. First, Allmendinger has been quite successful at Nashville. He has never finished in the top-five there in the Cup Series, but he did finish 10th and 11th the last two times and won the Xfinity race at the track in 2023. His fourth-place last week at Charlotte should translate well to this week's race. If he and the team can put the pieces together, a top-five finish should be within reach. Those less convinced of his top-five potential can opt for the top-10 option, albeit for a lower payout.
In the group options, Kyle Busch stands out. Going up against Gibbs, Berry, and Bowman should favor the veteran. Busch has dealt with his fair share of problems, but he dominated from pole both CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races he has run at the track, is running that series again this weekend, and has an impressive Xfinity series record at the track that includes two other victories. Busch knows this track well, is getting additional seat time this weekend, and is entirely capable of coming out on top of that grouping if he can simply avoid major issues Sunday.
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