What do old vinyl records and stock cars have in common? They both sound damn good and they look great going ‘round and ‘round. NASCAR is back at the home of country music (though I think Bristol may have something to say about that…) this afternoon for the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Earlier this week, Chase Briscoe was announced as Joe Gibbs’ replacement for Martin Truex Jr. during the 2025 Cup season and beyond. Murmurs have suggested Noah Gragson may be headed to Front Row Motorsports, though nothing is set in stone yet, and Josh Berry clarified that Haas Racing has not been in touch with the 33-year-old from Hendersonville, TN. A busy week for SHR drivers, indeed. In other news, JGR officials clarified that Aric Almirola has been absent from Xfinity Series action in recent weeks due to a physical altercation with Bubba Wallace, an altercation of which Bubba did not (but kinda did) comment on. So there, there’s your weekly rundown. Now, let’s get to it. Who will be this week’s one-hit wonder? Will anyone climb the charts with a dominant performance? Or will someone pass out on stage with only eight races remaining before the playoffs? It’s the country music capitol of the world comin’ right atcha for 300 laps.
Driver to Fade:
Okay, I know he’s coming off one hell of a performance in the Xfinity Series race last evening, but the results just haven’t been there for the first-year driver at Legacy Motor Club. This week, we choose John Hunter Nemechek as a fade purely because of the high he’s riding from last night’s race. Today, he starts 35th in a field only getting hungrier for wins. Indeed, he is our one-hit wonder for the weekend.
Dark Horse:
Something is clicking with the 4 team. And man, have the results indicated as such over the past two weeks. Today, Josh Berry starts P2 after clocking in the 13th fastest at practice yesterday. He and crew chief Rodney Childers seem to be firing off on all levels, and it shows the most on short and intermediate tracks. He’s an old-school driver who appreciates the old-school mentality, a knack for which he confirmed in his Top 5 late model finish at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway earlier this week. Over the last two weeks, he finished P7 and P3, respectively. Keep an eye on him today.
Top 10:
Tired of seeing this guy’s name yet? Too bad. Kyle Larson begins the day from the 4th spot and was 6th fastest in practice yesterday. He won here in 2021, finished 4th here in ’22 and 5th here last season. He’s a threat to be reckoned with in Nashville. He apparently has a little edge to him behind the wheel, too…(see the exchange from last week between himself and spotter Tyler Monn). Count on him to hold that edge today.
Winner:
Even Kyle Larson himself acknowledged that he’s hard to compete against right now. Chase Elliott brough home the Les Paul guitar at this race two years ago and finished an inspiring 4th here last year. Don’t let this weekend’s practice times and starting spot fool you- he’s looking to pad his stats and position himself for a healthy playoff run. Today, we’re taking Chase Elliott to win the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on NBC at 3:30 PM EST.
Discover more from Birdies and Burnouts
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.