All three national NASCAR series are back in action at Nashville Superspeedway on June 23-25. Based on the track’s history, there could be some first-time winners.
The Xfinity Series serves as a fitting example. Of the first 14 races at the 1.33-mile track, seven featured drivers capturing their first career wins. Greg Biffle was the first as he won for Roush in 2001. Scott Riggs and Jack Sprague joined him in 2002 while Jason Leffler scored his first win in 2004.
Reed Sorenson and Clint Bowyer were the next to join this list as they both scored their first career Xfinity Series wins during the 2005 season. Brad Keselowski rounds out the list of first-time winners as he took JR Motorsports to Victory Lane at Nashville Superspeedway in 2008.
First-time winners have not been a thing at the Tennessee track since it returned to the Xfinity Series schedule. Kyle Busch won the 2021 race for Joe Gibbs Racing and then perennial championship contender Justin Allgaier won the 2022 race for JR Motorsports.
The Craftsman Truck Series Has Its Own First-Time Winners
GettyRyan Preece poses after winning at Nashville Superspeedway.
The Xfinity Series is not the only one that has seen first-time winners celebrating at Nashville Superspeedway. The Craftsman Truck Series has a similar history, albeit on a smaller scale.
The Truck Series has competed at Nashville Superspeedway 15 total times. The track was a mainstay on the schedule from 2001 until 2011 and then it returned in 2021 and 2022.
Two drivers have used the track to capture their first career win. David Reutimann was the first as he captured the 2005 Truck Series race. This was his lone win in the third-tier series.
Ryan Preece was the other to do so. He won the 2021 Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway while driving for David Gilliland Racing — now Tricon Garage. He then won his second career Truck Series race at the track in 2022.
Several Drivers Remain Solid Options
GettyXfinity Series drivers race at Nashville Superspeedway.
Many drivers in the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series have scored their first career wins at Nashville Superspeedway, a stat that could continue with the tripleheader on June 23-25.
The Cup Series seeing a first-time winner is less likely considering that Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports have led the most laps in the first two races at Nashville Superspeedway. HMS drivers have also swept the races.
Similarly, the Truck Series drivers that have performed the best at Nashville Superspeedway in 2021 and 2022 are those that have multiple wins on their resumes. This includes Stewart Friesen, Grant Enfinger, Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes, and Matt Crafton.
The Xfinity Series race is the most likely option considering that several winless drivers have strong performances at the Tennessee track.
Riley Herbst is a prominent example. He has two starts at Nashville Superspeedway, and he has two top-10 finishes. He crossed the finish line 10th in 2021 and then third in 2022 after he started from pole position.
Sam Mayer is another standout option. The Wisconsin native only has one Xfinity Series start at the track, but he finished fifth overall. Mayer has also been on the cusp of a win since moving to a full-time schedule.
One other name to watch is Sheldon Creed. The Richard Childress Racing driver crashed during his first career start at Nashville Superspeedway, but he has 19 top-10 finishes and six top-fives since moving up to the Xfinity Series on a full-time basis.
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Nashville History Sets Up First-Time Winner