With one of the best restarts you’ll see all year, Denny Hamlin held off two of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates to win the 2026 Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Denny’s win would be the second of the 2026 season, the 16th of the Next Gen Era, and the 62nd of his career.
The chaotic race at Nashville started off with a thud for Denny as he jumped the start of the race over Toyota teammate Tyler Reddick. With a pass-through penalty, Denny was relegated to last place, a few seconds behind the next car ahead until the Competition Caution. Denny would power back into the Top 15 by the end of Stage 1 and earn 6 Stage Points in Stage 2.
By the end, Denny was racing hard for the win with his JGR teammates Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe, but the final restart proved to be just what Denny needed. 3-wide and one lap to go, Denny would outdrive the 20 and 19 to score his 16th win of the NEXT GEN Era. He ended his victory celebration in front of the fans with a bow to honor the late Kyle Busch. Denny and Kyle spent 15 years as teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, the longest run for teammates in NASCAR history.
Denny’s win also puts him in a tie for the all-time record of the new era with Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, which started in 2022 with the introduction of NASCAR’s Gen 7 car, dubbed the “NEXT GEN” car. The pair account for 32 wins. 16 apeace.
| win | denny | kyle |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022 Richmond 1 | 2022 Fontana |
| 2 | 2022 Charlotte | 2022 Watkins Glen |
| 3 | 2023 Kansas 1 | 2022 Homestead-Miami |
| 4 | 2023 Pocono | 2023 Richmond 1 |
| 5 | 2023 Bristol 2 | 2023 Martinsville 1 |
| 6 | 2024 Bristol 1 | 2023 Darlington 2 |
| 7 | 2024 Richmond | 2023 Las Vegas 2 |
| 8 | 2024 Dover | 2024 Las Vegas 1 |
| 9 | 2025 Martinsville 1 | 2024 Kansas 1 |
| 10 | 2025 Darlington 1 | 2024 Sonoma |
| 11 | 2025 Michigan | 2024 Indianapolis |
| 12 | 2025 Dover | 2024 Bristol 2 |
| 13 | 2025 Gateway | 2024 ROVAL |
| 14 | 2025 Las Vegas 2 | 2025 Homestead-Miami |
| 15 | 2026 Las Vegas 1 | 2025 Bristol 1 |
| 16 | 2026 Nashville | 2025 Kansas 1 |
Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
