Para pembalap NASCAR bersiap menghadapi tantangan di lintasan oval beton terpanjang dalam rangkaian balapan Sports Illustrated Resorts 250 dan Cracker Barrel 400 di Nashville Superspeedway pada akhir pekan ke-16 musim 2026.
Dilansir dari USA Today dan The New York Times pada Sabtu, 30 Mei 2026, ajang balap ini menjadi kompetisi penting di tengah suasana duka komunitas NASCAR setelah kehilangan pembalap legendaris Kyle Busch yang meninggal dunia secara mendadak.
Peristiwa duka tersebut membayangi persiapan para pembalap, termasuk Daniel Suarez yang mendedikasikan kemenangan sebelumnya di Coca-Cola 600 untuk mendiang Kyle Busch.
Pakar NASCAR, Jeff Gluck memberikan pandangannya mengenai arti penting dan warisan yang ditinggalkan oleh mendiang pembalap legendaris tersebut bagi dunia olahraga balap.
"Busch was one of NASCAR’s most prominent figures over the last two decades, and one of the few whose name was recognizable beyond the stock car racing bubble. That he’s been on the cover of People Magazine this week and covered extensively by every conceivable news outlet is proof of his reach. NASCAR simply doesn’t have a lot of drivers like that, especially these days. Given Busch’s story was unfinished, as was his post-career future — mentoring son Brexton and possibly joining the TV booth as an analyst — it’s an incalculable loss to the sport. In terms of the legacy he leaves behind? As NASCAR’s biggest overall winner, for one thing; if Brexton ends up choosing to follow in his dad’s footsteps, that could be part of Busch’s legacy as well." kata Jeff Gluck.
Pengamat olahraga balap lainnya, Jordan Bianchi turut memaparkan kedalaman rasa kehilangan yang dirasakan oleh seluruh pihak di ekosistem NASCAR atas kepergian sang bintang.
"He was a transcendent superstar in a sport that doesn’t have many of those. He was NASCAR’s most prolific winner and a superbly gifted driver, one of NASCAR’s most talented of all time. He was also a husband and a father to two young children. His loss leaves an incredibly big void that will likely never be completely filled." ujar Jordan Bianchi.
Tantangan teknis kini menanti di Nashville Superspeedway yang memiliki panjang lintasan beton sejauh 1,33 mil dan diprediksi memengaruhi strategi tim balap.
Mengenai karakter lintasan yang unik ini, Jeff Gluck menilai lintasan beton cenderung memberikan situasi yang berbeda bagi para pengemudi di sirkuit.
"Concrete tracks are always sort of weird in NASCAR, and there’s probably a reason only three (Bristol, Dover and Nashville) are on the schedule. That said, I’m not sure there’s a pattern with today’s drivers like there was back when “Concrete Carl” Edwards seemed to own these types of places. This track should favor drivers who are typically good on 1.5-mile intermediate tracks — Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney. Essentially, the usual suspects, for the most part." kata Jeff Gluck.
Sementara itu, Jordan Bianchi menambahkan analisisnya mengenai kesamaan karakteristik sirkuit Nashville dengan lintasan menengah serta performa dari pabrikan mobil tertentu.
"Although a concrete track, Nashville races similarly to an intermediate, and that means how Sunday night’s race unfolds should be in line with what we’ve seen on such tracks. And if last week’s race at Charlotte — another intermediate — was any indication, then expect the Toyotas to be fast." ujar Jordan Bianchi.
Persaingan di klasemen Cup Series juga menjadi sorotan, terutama bagi para pembalap yang berada di luar posisi aman 16 besar untuk menembus babak The Chase.
Melihat situasi klasemen yang ketat di pertengahan musim reguler ini, Jeff Gluck menyoroti performa Chase Briscoe dan potensi Joey Logano untuk memicu reaksi para penggemar.
"It’s halfway through the regular season and we’re still waiting on Chase Briscoe to get hot. Just when you thought Briscoe was starting to shake off early-season bad luck with five straight top-15 finishes (including back-to-back top-fives), he’s now finished outside of the top 20 in three of the last four races. It’s not impossible for Briscoe to string some results together and go from 15th in points to a top-six seed, but he’ll need to start right now. As for a driver not currently in the Chase, I think it’s good for NASCAR to have Joey Logano in the field (he’s 18th right now) because he irritates the crap out of many fans with his postseason success and gives people someone to root against when he defies the odds." kata Jeff Gluck.
Menanggapi peluang para pembalap di luar zona playoff, Jordan Bianchi memberikan catatan mengenai konsistensi serta rekam jejak juara yang dimiliki Logano.
"All those outside the Chase have warts that give you pause as to whether they can put together the long stretch of consistency necessary to climb above the cutoff. After all, there is a reason they’re in the position they’re in. But because of Logano’s pedigree — he’ss a three-time Cup Series champion — and the organization he’s with, he deserves the benefit of the doubt that he’ll rally to jump back into a playoff spot." ujar Jordan Bianchi.
Sorotan balapan juga tertuju pada juara bertahan tahun lalu, Ryan Blaney, yang diprediksi menghadapi persaingan berat dari Tyler Reddick dan Denny Hamlin.
Terkait peluang Ryan Blaney untuk mempertahankan kemenangan di Nashville, Jeff Gluck meragukan performa tim Ford pada musim balap kali ini.
"Eh, I’d lean toward no. The Fords just seem off this year, and he’s going to have to go through Hendrick cars, Gibbs cars and Reddick. He’s been strong at Nashville with three top-10s in four races (crashed in the other one) and could certainly get a top-five finish, but I’m not necessarily seeing a win this week." kata Jeff Gluck.
Faktor performa tim di lintasan menengah juga menjadi dasar bagi Jordan Bianchi untuk menilai peluang kemenangan tipis bagi Blaney akhir pekan ini.
"While Blaney has a strong record here, Team Penske’s biggest weakness is intermediate-sized tracks, and this puts Blaney at a decided disadvantage. It’s a lot to overcome, especially with the Toyotas running as well as they are." ujar Jordan Bianchi.
Ketika diminta memberikan prediksi mengenai siapa pemenang dalam balapan Cracker Barrel 400 mendatang, Jeff Gluck memunculkan nama baru yang berpotensi mengejutkan.
"This could be Carson Hocevar’s week. He finished second in this race last year and has won a Truck Series race at Nashville before. Spire cars look fast right now, and Hocevar still has some boosted confidence after his Talladega win last month. Sure, it could be one of the familiar faces in Victory Lane. But at +2000, Hocevar could be a sneaky" kata Jeff Gluck.
Di sisi lain, JR Motorsports tercatat mendominasi paruh pertama musim O'Reilly Series dengan memenangkan sembilan dari 15 balapan awal sebelum menuju sirkuit Nashville.
Balapan utama untuk kategori Cracker Barrel 400 dijadwalkan berlangsung pada hari Minggu pukul 19.00 waktu setempat dan disiarkan melalui Prime Video serta HBO Max.
