Rain washes out Nashville qualifying and puts Denny Hamlin on the pole for the Cracker Barrel 400

Denny Hamlin celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR All-Star auto race at Dover Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

LEBANON, Tenn. — Denny Hamlin will start on the pole Sunday night at the Cracker Barrel 400 after spotty showers cancelled qualifying Saturday at the Nashville Superspeedway.

It’s the second straight race that rain has prompted officials to cancel qualifying, and the track was put on a hold with weather severe enough to tell fans to clear the grandstands. Rain also is in the forecast for Sunday.

With qualifying cancelled, that left the starting lineup set by the NASCAR rulebook. Hamlin will start on the pole for the second time this year in the No. 11 Toyota with Joe Gibbs Racing, and he will be joined on the front row by points leader Tyler Reddick in his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota.

Reddick started on the pole last week at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway when qualifying also was canceled because of rain.

Daniel Suarez, last week’s winner, starts on the second row for Spire Motorsports with Christopher Bell, who with Ty Gibbs beside Kyle Larson gives Joe Gibbs Racing three of the top six starting slots.

Teresa M. Walker, The Associated Press