Previewing NASCAR at Nashville: Gragson’s return, Elliott’s chances, how to watch

After a week off, the NASCAR Cup Series is back.

The Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway begins at 7 p.m. Sunday, and fans can catch the race on NBC — the first race broadcast of the season for the network — and on PRN or SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know before Sunday’s Cup race.

1. Noah Gragson is making his return from injury. The driver of the 42 car for Legacy Motor Club missed the run at Sonoma earlier this month after suffering from concussion-like symptoms. The 24-year-old driver was cleared to race on Wednesday, per his race team, and NASCAR has granted Gragson a playoff waiver.

2. Stewart-Haas Racing has found its driver of the future. This news won’t impact Sunday’s race, but it’ll certainly affect the future of the Cup Series: SHR announced that Josh Berry will run in the No. 4 Ford next year, replacing the legendary Kevin Harvick in 2024 and beyond. This news is a good reminder to take stock of SHR’s performance thus far this year: Harvick is fifth in the points standings — and has come crushingly close to a win — but the rest of the SHR stable is nowhere near the 16-driver playoff cut-line. Ryan Preece is at 25th. Aric Almirola sits 26th. And Chase Briscoe, after a devastating penalty after the Coke 600, languishes in 31st. A big race for the Ford race team would be huge.

3. Joe Gibbs Racing strikes a major deal. Josh Harris, the future owner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, made a substantial financial investment in Joe Gibbs Racing, per reports from earlier this week. Harris is doing so via an ownership group called Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment — led by billionaires Harris and David Blitzer. In addition, owner of JGR and former Washington NFL coach, Joe Gibbs, will become a limited partner in HBSE, pending approval by the NBA and NHL. In short: One of the biggest race teams in NASCAR just found a new revenue stream — and that spells possibility.

4. Can Chase Elliott steal a win? The Cup playoffs are still months away, but it’s worth taking a glance at the playoff picture: 10 drivers have notched wins and thus cemented their spots in the postseason. That leaves six slots open for drivers to get in on points at the moment. But who else can steal a win and shake up the standings before the regular season ends in late August? The one guy who almost certainly will is Elliott — and he might even do so this week.

The driver of the No. 9 car hasn’t yet found his groove in 2023, mostly thanks to a freak injury in February and a one-race suspension served earlier this month. But Elliott loves Nashville Superspeedway. At least he did last year — winning the race and kickstarting a remarkable run through the summer en route to a regular season points championship.

Elliott opened at 8-1 odds to win at Nashville, per reporting from CBS. Those in front of him included teammate Kyle Larson (5-1), Martin Truex Jr. (7-1), Kyle Busch (15-2) and Denny Hamlin (15-2). Ross Chastain will start on the pole — and he, like Elliott, is another one of those drivers who will likely notch a win by the year’s end considering how consistently he’s run thus far.

How to watch NASCAR race at Nashville

• Race: Ally 400
• Place: Nashville Superspeedway
• Date: Sunday, June 25
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Purse: $8,516,134
• TV: NBC, 7 p.m.
• Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 399 miles (300 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 90), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 185), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 300)

Starting lineup at Nashville Superspedway

Alex Zietlow

The Charlotte Observer

Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription