After a well-deserved week off, the Cup Series moves to the second half of this season, with the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday! Not only does this race mark the beginning of the push for the playoffs, but also a switch in broadcasting. We say goodbye to Fox for the year and welcome in NBC, as they host this week and the majority of races from now until the Cup Championship.
At Nashville Superspeedway, the Ally 400 has been a coveted event for the past two seasons. Last year it was the #9 of Chase Elliott taking home the checkered flag at the 1.33-mile long track. In 2021, it was his teammate #5 Kyle Larson in his championship season continuing his reign of dominance. This is a fairly new race, but it’s had some entertaining ones in its young history.
As usual, I’ll give you all five drivers to watch this weekend in Nashville. Either because they have a legitimate shot to win it, or they make for an interesting team to keep an eye on for the weekend. So without further delay, here’s who I’m looking at for this year’s Ally 400!
#1 Ross Chastain
Embed from Getty ImagesThere are only two drivers in the Cup Series that have finished inside the top five at both Ally 400 races. Ross Chastain is one of them. He finished fifth here last year, and second in 2021. On paper, everything says he should be right in that mix again, but he’s slipped as of late. In the last four races, he’s only posted one top-10 finish. Maybe the time off has given Chastain and the #1 team a chance to work out whatever they’re struggling with. Nashville should be a good chance for him to rebound, but all eyes will be on him this weekend.
#5 Kyle Larson
Embed from Getty ImagesThe other driver with top-five finishes in both races? You’re looking at him. Larson has had a dominant season thus far. Very similar to his 2021 campaign, except some bad breaks have come his way. He’s been consistently one of the best cars when he isn’t getting into wrecks he didn’t cause or getting ran into a wall by the aforementioned Chastain. The #5 team has three wins on the books, including the all-star race in which he dominated. It’s been a wild ride for Larson, but he’s a contender week in and week out, and it very much helps that he’s got the inaugural win of 2021 and another top five on this concrete course.
#9 Chase Elliott
Embed from Getty ImagesGetting last year’s win, Chase Elliott gets a nod on this piece. It’s been a weird year for the #9 team. He missed six weeks due to a broken leg, and he served a one-race suspension for intentional contact with the #11 car of Denny Hamlin. But when he’s on the course, he’s been nothing short of terrific. He’s got four top-five finishes and several others inside the top-15. There’s no question that he’s got more than a chance to win, as he did last year, and has been generally successful on concrete tracks. It’s just keeping his head on straight and pushing onward. The #9 team will more than likely be a favorite to win and wouldn’t be a bad bet for the Ally 400.
#12 Ryan Blaney
Embed from Getty Images EmbedRyan Blaney I think is a solid pick for this weekend. He’s been great all season long and finally got his first win in a long time a couple of weeks ago at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. He’s got an average finish in the top-12 and finished top three in the first concrete course this season in Dover. The #12 team has been really good basically from the jump and has the biggest weight off their shoulders already. Blaney has free reign and low stress and can just focus on competing now instead of the “win or bust” mentality. He should be good to go in Nashville and should be watched closely.
#23 Bubba Wallace
Embed from Getty ImagesBubba Wallace is another driver that’s had highs and lows this season. He has four top-five finishes with an additional top-10 finish. But he also has some really insane lows. Wrecking his car or just falling behind late. It’s been tough. Last year at the Ally 400 was no different as he was quite fast in practice and qualifying, waxing his competition. A weather delay would change everything and hold him back on race day, as his teammate Tyler Reddick in the #45 would go on to finish top three. Wallace is due for a good weekend, and last year he displayed the ability to be one of the fastest in the lineup. He’s a bit of a sleeper but it shouldn’t shock anybody if he turns it up in Nashville.
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