The NASCAR Cup Series is back after a one-week hiatus. What better way to kick off the unofficial second half of the season then with a trip to the home of country music?
Racing goes bluegrass for this week’s Ally 400 at the much-adored Nashville Superspeedway. It’s a pilgrimage many in the stock car racing world look forward to; country music and NASCAR go together like Ross Chastain and aggressive driving. Just check out your average race promo.
Chase Elliott nabbed a win at the track last year. How he could use a repeat of fortune this time around.
The melody of the Music City should make its way into the concourses of this racing site. If so, fans could be in for another classic
MORE: Watch the Ally 400 with Fubo (free trial)
The Sporting News is tracking live updates from Sunday’s race at Nashville. Follow along to see all the action as it unfolds in this year’s Ally 400.
NASCAR at Nashville live updates, highlights from 2023 race
(All times Eastern)
9:00 p.m.: Hamlin takes the stage. Fourth stage win of the season for the JGR star.
8:56 p.m.: Six laps to go and Hamlin holds the slight lead over Truex. Chastain not too far behind, either.
8:46 p.m.: And it’s Hamlin who takes the high line, nabbing himself first place in the process. Entertaining stuff from JGR.
8:44 p.m.: Joe Gibbs Racing teammates at the front. It’s Truex and Hamlin working for first. 31 laps to go. Some serious distance between Truex, Hamlin and the rest of the pack. Good contest here by the longtime teammates.
8:35 p.m.: CAUTION! It’s Blaney, who makes contact with the inside wall after a hectic restart. The front of his car is folded like an accordion. Oof.
A hard hit for Ryan Blaney on the restart.
Take a look at what happened. #NASCAR
📺 : @nbc pic.twitter.com/tP7UZvTJPS
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 26, 2023
8:33 p.m.: The nature of the caution is quite helpful for the likes of Bubba Wallace, who faded quickly after a decent start. He’ll be in P4 on the race restart, caught behind Truex and Hamlin. Keselowski in the mix as well.
8:24 p.m.: CAUTION! Reddick’s right rear tire flies off its moorings, rollicking through pit road like a tumbleweed. Shouldn’t be too much damage for the No. 45 car, although that will be frustrating for Reddick, who put himself in position to compete for much of the day.
.@TylerReddick spins at the entrance of pit road!
📺: NBC | 📲: https://t.co/r61CT6k3hq pic.twitter.com/AjPvJZ2rEm
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 26, 2023
8:15 p.m.: Truex cruising out in front 35 laps into Stage 2. The Joe Gibbs Racing star has been a man possessed this year, accruing the most regular-season points thus far. One look at his display and you can see why.
8:03 p.m.: Three wide at the front of the pack as the green flag is waved to signal the start of Stage 2. Chastain, Byron and Truex all are competing for that top spot. Looks like Truex is going to take the prime spot, getting into the apron to take advantage of the tightness of Byron and Chastain.
7:54 p.m.: Reddick takes Stage 1! Strong showing by the 23XI Racing star so far. Michael Jordan would be proud.
7:52 p.m.: Lap traffic should pose some challenges for Reddick and Chastain, especially as William Byron (P3) and Martin Truex Jr. (P4) close the gap.
7:48 p.m.: A.J. Allmendinger took the checkered flag in last night’s Xfinity Race. Looks like he’s using that knowledge to his advantage thus far: he’s gained nine spots on his starting position and sits inside the Top-10.
7:37 p.m.: Reddick splits through the pack after Chastain gets caught up with Gragson, who was attempting to stay on the lead lap. The No. 45 car is out to the front. Let’s see how he handles the clean air.
7:29 p.m.: Michael McDowell with a pass-through penalty after making contact with the orange chalk heading into pit road. Not ideal.
7:28 p.m.: The wave of pit stops starts as we hit the midway point of Stage 1. Alex Bowman to the front of the pack.
7:17 p.m.: Kyle Busch the first driver into pit road. Looks like his right rear tire was slightly flattened. Better to shake off the cobwebs early rather than later, though.
7:11 p.m.: Good contest between Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin in P8. Clean, hard-racing as the two jostle for position. Looks like Hamlin has the advantage on the short end.
7:09 p.m.: Justin Haley showed off impressive speed during qualifiers. However, looks like he’s having some trouble through the first few laps. He’s already down three spots on his starting position.
7:05 p.m.: And we’re off! Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick lead the pack to start.
6:40 p.m.: And here’s another star doing their thing in Music City. Gotta wonder who is more popular between these two: Chase Elliott or Olivia Dunne?
Thanks for stopping by @livvydunne pic.twitter.com/fTmMRT6Xdi
— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) June 25, 2023
6:35 p.m.: Never seen this person in my life. Don’t think I fit their demographic. Either way, Noah Gragson looks delighted.
SURPRISE 🤩 guest for @NoahGragson
Thanks for coming, @HardyMusic! pic.twitter.com/zpEuTJ7aHW
— LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (@LegacyMotorclub) June 25, 2023
6:30 p.m.: Radar looking good for the start of Sunday’s race. Good news indeed.
Radar looks good for start of race tonight. pic.twitter.com/44w7K1nPOT
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 25, 2023
What channel is the NASCAR race on today?
- TV channel: NBC (U.S.) | TSN5 (Canada)
- Live stream: Peacock, Fubo
The Ally 400 will be broadcast on NBC in the United States. Canadian viewers can follow the action on TSN5.
Sunday’s race represents the first to be aired away from Fox’s family of networks this season. NBC will handle the coverage for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.
MORE: What to know about TV channel change for second half of season
Veteran broadcaster Rick Allen will lead NBC’s coverage, serving as the race’s lap-by-lap announcer. He’ll be joined in the booth by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte.
Fans can watch online via Peacock or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
MORE: Date, time, TV channels for every NASCAR Cup Series race in 2023
NASCAR at Nashville starting lineup 2023
Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
2 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
3 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
4 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
5 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
6 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
7 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
8 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
9 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
10 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
11 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
12 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing |
13 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
14 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
15 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
16 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
17 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
18 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
19 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
20 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
21 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
22 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
23 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
24 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
25 | Ryan Preece | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
26 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
27 | Todd Gilliland | 38 | Rick Ware Racing |
28 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
29 | J.J. Yeley | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
30 | Noah Gragson | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
31 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
32 | Brennan Poole | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
33 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
34 | Ty Dillon | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
35 | Josh Bilicki | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
36 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |