Starting Lineup Set for Cracker Barrel 400

NASCAR set the starting lineup for the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway after qualifying for the May 31 Cup Series race was canceled because of weather. Denny Hamlin was placed on the pole for Joe Gibbs Racing, with Tyler Reddick joining him on the front row under NASCAR’s metric-based lineup formula. Daniel Suarez and Christopher Bell were slotted into Row 2, putting three Toyota teams and one Trackhouse Chevrolet at the front of the field. The lineup drew added attention in the Charlotte-Concord racing corridor because several teams based there opened from the first few rows. Reddick drives for 23XI Racing, which is based in Huntersville, while Bell and Hamlin race for Joe Gibbs Racing in Huntersville. Suarez drives for Trackhouse Racing, which operates out of Concord. ### Why was Denny Hamlin on pole without a qualifying lap? NASCAR canceled qualifying on Saturday, May 30, because of weather at Nashville Superspeedway. The sanctioning body then used its performance metric to set the field, putting Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota first for Sunday night’s race. Sporting News and other race-weekend lineup reports listed Hamlin on pole and Reddick second once the session was scrubbed. NASCAR’s own race page later reflected the same front row when live race coverage began. ### Who made up the first few rows at Nashville? Tyler Reddick started second in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing. Daniel Suarez started third in the No. 99 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, and Christopher Bell started fourth in the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Shane van Gisbergen lined up fifth for Trackhouse Racing, and Kyle Larson started sixth for Hendrick Motorsports. Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top 10 on the official starting grid published in race-weekend lineup reports. ### Which Concord-area and Charlotte teams were near the front? Joe Gibbs Racing put Hamlin and Bell in the first two rows, giving the Huntersville organization two of the top four starting spots. 23XI Racing, also based in Huntersville, placed Reddick on the outside of Row 1. Trackhouse Racing, based in Concord, opened with Suarez in third and van Gisbergen in fifth. Hendrick Motorsports, based in Concord, had Larson sixth and Byron eighth, while Team Penske, based in Mooresville, put Blaney seventh and Logano ninth. RFK Racing, based in Concord, started Brad Keselowski 10th and Chris Buescher 23rd. Front Row Motorsports, based in Mooresville, had Todd Gilliland 22nd and Noah Gragson 27th in the posted lineup. ### How far back were some other notable drivers? Ross Chastain started 36th in the No. 1 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing. Austin Cindric lined up 37th for Team Penske, and Connor Zilisch started 38th for Trackhouse Racing. Chase Elliott started 30th for Hendrick Motorsports, while Chase Briscoe was 32nd for Joe Gibbs Racing. Bubba Wallace, another 23XI Racing driver, started 19th. ### Where can fans find the official race and next event details? NASCAR’s live results page for the Cracker Barrel 400 carried the race weekend updates, including starting positions and in-race scoring. NASCAR’s 2026 Cup Series schedule lists Nashville as the May 31 event and shows the next race as the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. The FireKeepers Casino 400 is scheduled for Sunday, June 7, at 3 p.m. ET in Brooklyn, Michigan, according to NASCAR’s season schedule.