Denny Hamlin wins Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville

Denny Hamlin won the Cracker Barrel 400 NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway, executing a dramatic last-lap pass to claim victory after overcoming an early penalty. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver held off teammate Christopher Bell by 0.115 seconds in a thrilling finish that also involved a three-wide battle with fellow teammate Chase Briscoe.

Hamlin started from the pole position after rain canceled qualifying on Saturday, but his race immediately faced a setback. Officials penalized him for jumping the start on the opening lap, sending him to the rear of the field. From there, Hamlin methodically worked his way forward over the 300-lap event on the 1.33-mile concrete oval, aided by strategic pit calls from his team.

The race featured a record 31 lead changes among 15 drivers and was delayed 80 minutes at the start due to rain. Multiple cautions, including several for rotor failures on various cars, punctuated the event. With 12 laps remaining, Bell took the lead and appeared poised for victory. On the final restart, Bell received a push from Hamlin but then faced pressure from both Hamlin and Briscoe. The three drivers battled side-by-side before Hamlin...