In 2024, the Nashville race weekend was the 19th race of the season, and when NASCAR took on 'Music City,' it ended up being one of the most consequential races of the year.
Denny Hamlin was about half-a-lap away from taking the white flag and ensuring he would win the Cup race at Nashville, with Ross Chastain a close second. Joey Logano, who was winless so far that season, ran 14th.
But when Austin Cindric lost control while battling Noah Gragson for 21st, it triggered one of the most chaotic finishes of the year. The unbelievable sequence events that followed ultimately decided not just the race winner, but who would become the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion ... and remember, Nashville wasn't even a playoff race!
Overtime restart #1
Fuel was tight and while some cars chose to pit during the first yellow, the leaders gambled and stayed out for the two-lap dash. Kyle Larson tried to move Hamlin for the race lead, but missed and hit the apron before shooting up the track and taking out fellow Chevrolet driver Chastain. A handful of cars were collected in the ensuing chaos. Hamlin was still in control of the race while Logano now ran fourth.
Overtime restart #2
There was a bit of a stack-up at the front of the field, but a wreck was avoided as one car in the back slid through the grass. Hamlin escaped with the lead again, only for another wreck to break out mid-pack. Harrison Burton bobbled in the middle of the field and several cars went spinning and crashing at the exit of Turn 2.
Overtime restart #3
Fuel was now a real concern but no one wanted to give up the track position. As the green flag flew, Larson's car stalled out and the stack-up that followed sent Kyle Busch into the outside wall. He was running inside the top five before that and also searching for his first win of the year. The veteran driver climbed from his car and just threw his hands up in disappointment.
Overtime restart #4
Logano was now running third to the Toyotas of Martin Truex Jr. and Hamlin, but neither wanted to risk another restart while running on fumes. Both Joe Gibbs Racing drivers pitted, giving the lead to Logano. On the restart, Chase Elliott in sixth ran out of fuel, just as his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Larson did on the restart prior, Thankfully, everyone avoided him this time around. Chase Briscoe nosed ahead in the battle for the win, taking the lead from Logano for a moment before he snatched it back at the exit of Turn 4.
With the white flag flying, he was ready to finally claim vict… -- and we had another caution.Josh Berry had wrecked and was stopped in the infield.
Overtime restart #5
Nashville 2024 still stands as the most overtime restarts in NASCAR Cup Series history.
This fifth restart would (thankfully) be the last, as Logano got a great pull, with some unique names behind him, but it was Tyler Reddick (who had pitted) that was going to be the real threat. He surged up to second and was all over Logano, but the Penske driver blocked him high. This allowed Zane Smith to have clean air on the bottom and the rookie driver nearly pulled off a stunning upset as he snatched second away and nearly reached Logano's back bumper. But it was not quite enough as Logano crossed the line and won the race, finally ending the event.
The top ten when the first caution flew for Cindric was as follows: Hamlin, Chastain, Larson, Busch, Gibbs, Wallace, Truex, Reddick, Buescher, Haley.
At the checkered flag, this was the new top ten: Logano, Smith, Reddick, Preece, Buescher, Blaney, Wallace, Larson, Hemric, Gragson.
The event ran 31 laps beyond the scheduled distance.
Why this race mattered so much
Unless you watch NASCAR every week, you're likely wondering why this chaotic finish so important. Well, Logano was winless throughout the entire regular season, with the exception of this one race. Without that single victory, he wouldn't have made the playoffs at all.
And as fate would have it, Logano marched through each round of the playoffs, even getting eliminated at one point (before a post-race technical infraction for Alex Bowman put him back in), ultimately reaching the Championship 4. Once there, the veteran driver dominated the race and collected his third Cup Series championship, beating teammate Ryan Blaney. And without that simple spin from his other teammate [Cindric] in the summer of that year, none of this would have ever happened.
That right there is why winning is so important in modern NASCAR. One crazy race opened the door for Logano, who had an average finish of 17.1, and he used that opportunity to launch himself all the way to the championship.
