Winners and losers from the NASCAR Cup race at Nashville

Ryan Blaney has finally returned to Victory Lane while Carson Hocevar remains on the cusp of his first career victory, but he may have to deal with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. before he ever collects that checkered flag. 300 laps of NASCAR Cup Series action at Nashville showcased how difficult it was to pass and that Team Penske is back to their usual form after a dismal weekend in the Coke 600.

It was also a lesson in perseverance as drivers like Christopher Bell and Bubba Wallace rebounded from their early troubles that could have easily derailed their entire day. Here’s a complete look at the biggest winners and losers from the Cup race in Music City.

WINNER: Ryan Blaney for finally sealing the deal

Heading into Nashville, Blaney’s season had featured just as many top fives as it had DNFs (five), but he won’t have to worry about points racing for the rest of the regular season. The 2023 NASCAR Cup champion put together a complete race on Sunday, avoiding any drama and securing a dominant victory. The No. 12 team utilized an alternate strategy in the first stage to gain track position from his 15th-place starting position, running long and then converting that into a shorter stop at the stage break. From that point onward, he was a constant presence at the front. 

LOSER: Hocevar as his strong showing is overshadowed by another run-in

Watch: Kyle Petty analyzes ‘feather-ruffler’ Carson Hocevar

Hocevar earned yet another runner-up finish as he continues to impress in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Unfortunately, that was all overshadowed by yet another run-in with a fellow competitor. Early in Stage 2, he was battling for 17th when he ran into the back of Stenhouse, sending him into the outside wall and ending his day. Stenhouse was frustrated, but not surprised as Hocevar has been gaining a reputation for his hyper-aggressive driving style. However, when given the chance to talk about it in post-race interview, Hocevar offered no apologies, which will serve to only anger Stenhouse more. And now the conversation is around this new feud, rather than his remarkable drive on Sunday.

WINNER: Bubba Wallace for fighting back from an early error

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images

Wallace sped on pit road during the first round of green-flag pit stops, falling a lap down in a costly mistake. After three straight races with finishes of 33rd or worse, he did not need another bad day. Well, Wallace put his head down and slowly began to claw back what he had lost, despite how difficult it was to pass at Nashville. Wallace made his way back up to sixth in the final running order, nearly snatching a top five finish in the end.

LOSER: Chase Briscoe for failing to convert pole position to a strong result

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images

Briscoe is still getting acclimated to his new ride at Joe Gibbs Racing, previously saying that he has been under-driving the equipment. He certainly doesn’t have that problem in qualifying, earning three pole positions including back-to-back poles in the last two races. While he managed to secure a podium finish at Charlotte, he actually faded at Nashville, only finishing 17th in the end. And this is not necessarily a knock on Briscoe, as it is reminiscent of the No. 19 team at the end of Martin Truex Jr.’s career. They have the speed, but more often than not, the final result doesn’t reflect that.

WINNER: Christopher Bell for not letting mid-race wreck derail his day

Some thought Bell’s race was over when he backed into the wall in a Lap 120 restart. But despite some damage to the rear of the car, he drove the wounded No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota back through the field, passing Ross Chastain in the closing laps to snag a top ten finish.

LOSER: Rising star Corey Heim makes an unforced error

Nearly everyone can agree that the Truck Series regular is ready for the Cup Series. Driving a fourth entry for 23XI Racing at Kansas, he finished 13th and beat all three of his teammates to finish 13th. He was having a similar run at Nashville, but impatience got the better of him on Lap 130 as he tried to clear himself up in front of Brad Keselowski. His spotter told him Keselowski was there, but the No. 67 drifted up anyway, causing him to spin and crash into the wall. Heim’s day was over, finishing 37th. There’s no doubt that Heim is a natural talent as he continues to dominate in the Truck Series, but that moment reminded the garage that he’s still a rookie in the Cup Series.