Denny Hamlin cuts Tyler Reddick's points lead to 15

Denny Hamlin cut into Tyler Reddick’s NASCAR Cup Series points lead with a win at the Cracker Barrel 400 in Nashville on Sunday. Hamlin took the checkered flag at Nashville Superspeedway, while Reddick held on for sixth despite a late crash that shuffled the field. The race tightened the championship race, with Hamlin trimming the gap in the standings. Why it matters: Every point counts in the long NASCAR season, and a single win can shift momentum heading toward the playoffs.

Reddick still leads the points by 15 over second-place William Byron, but Hamlin’s victory gave him a boost. The win was Hamlin’s first of the season and marked his return to victory lane after a winless 2023. Meanwhile, Chase Briscoe made a strong move up the standings with a third-place finish, capitalizing on misfortune for rivals. Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace, and Ryan Preece all dropped out before the finish, helping Briscoe gain ground as the playoffs approach.

The Nashville race was chaotic from start to finish. Reddick’s sixth-place run looked solid until a late-race crash shuffled the results. Hamlin, meanwhile, stayed out of trouble and held off a hard-charging Martin Truex Jr. to take the win. The result keeps the points race tight and sets up an unpredictable stretch before the regular-season finale.

For teams outside the top spots, every race is a chance to climb the standings. Briscoe’s surge proves that consistency—and a little luck—can still shake up the playoff picture. With the cutoff for the postseason just a few races away, races like this one show how quickly fortunes can change in NASCAR.