NASCAR has been trying its level best to attract as many viewers as possible, be it by revisiting the old tracks, like North Wilkesboro, or exploring some new ones, like Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, in Mexico City, to entice the international audience as well. NASCAR pulled a similar move in 2021 as well, when they included the Nashville Superspeedway in their schedule once again.
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Nashville Superspeedway first opened in 2001, hosting the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series for a decade before falling off the schedule. The 1.33-mile D-shaped oval sat idle until NASCAR revived it in 2021, this time adding the Cup Series to the lineup. Kyle Larson claimed the win in the track’s first Cup race.
The track sits in the heart of country music, consisting of four turns, and features a concrete surface with 14 degrees of banking in the turns, nine degrees in the front straightaway, and six degrees in the back straightaway.
The venue has the capacity to seat 25,000 spectators, expandable to 40,000, and offers one of NASCAR’s most distinctive trophies, a Gibson Les Paul guitar, paying tribute to the region’s rich musical heritage.
Since its return, Nashville has hosted four NASCAR Cup Series races. However, in total, the track has held 25 Xfinity Series events, 17 Craftsman Truck Series races, and nine IndyCar contests.
Alright @chasebriscoe and @NASCAR fans, it’s Night Race Week @NashvilleSuperS ! A 1.33mi concrete oval in the heart of country music hosting the 2nd of 5 races on @SportsonPrime , setting the brackets for the mid season tournament starting after this 5 race stretch. Let’s party! pic.twitter.com/idyQIOXfk1
— J (@CB19JGR) May 27, 2025
In 2021, Aric Almirola won the pole position for the Cup race in his Gen-6 Ford Mustang, completing the lap at the speed of 161.992 mph in 29.557 seconds. Yet, the fastest race pace during the race came from Ross Chastain’s Chevrolet, which hit 132.914 mph en route to a second-place finish.
Chastain, who could only finish P5 in 2022, bagged the win in 2023 after earning pole position with a Next Gen Chevy, driving the car at 160.687 mph in 29.797 seconds. Last year’s fastest qualifying lap came from Denny Hamlin’s Toyota, clocking 160.354 mph in 29.859 seconds.
While Toyota commanded qualifying at Nashville in 2024, Chevrolet has maintained its supremacy since the track’s Cup debut, winning three of the four Cup races to date. They also lead multiple statistical categories this season, boasting five Cup wins, 14 stage victories, and 1,976 laps led. With this record, the Bowtie brigade enters Nashville as the clear favorite to dominate yet again.
