Pembalap NASCAR Bersiap Hadapi Balapan di Nashville Superspeedway

Para pembalap NASCAR bersiap untuk berkompetisi di Nashville Superspeedway pada akhir pekan ke-16 musim 2026 dalam suasana duka setelah kehilangan pembalap legendaris Kyle Busch secara mendadak.

Dilansir dari motorsportswire.usatoday.com, kompetisi NASCAR O'Reilly Series akan menggelar balapan Sports Illustrated Resorts 250 yang menjadi balapan poin lintasan beton kedua bagi seri tersebut dalam tiga pekan terakhir.

Sejauh musim ini, JR Motorsports telah mendominasi dengan memenangkan sembilan dari 15 balapan pertama di O'Reilly Series.

Pada balapan tahun lalu di Nashville, Justin Allgaier keluar sebagai pemenang diikuti oleh Connor Zilisch dan Brandon Jones di posisi tiga besar.

Sementara itu, dilansir dari nytimes.com, seri utama NASCAR Cup Series juga akan menggelar balapan Cracker Barrel 400 di lintasan sepanjang 1,33 mil tersebut pada hari Minggu malam melalui siaran Prime Video dan HBO Max.

Pembalap Daniel Suárez yang memenangkan balapan Coca-Cola 600 pekan lalu mempersembahkan kemenangannya untuk mendiang Kyle Busch yang menjadi sorotan utama komunitas balap minggu ini.

Pakar NASCAR Jeff Gluck memberikan pandangan mengenai sosok mendiang Kyle Busch bagi dunia olahraga luar sirkuit.

"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.

Jeff Gluck kemudian menambahkan analisis mengenai karakteristik lintasan beton Nashville Superspeedway yang dinilai mirip dengan lintasan menengah lainnya.

"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.

Terkait persaingan klasemen, Jeff Gluck menyoroti performa Chase Briscoe dan potensi keterlibatan Joey Logano di babak playoff.

"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’s will 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.

Mengenai peluang juara bertahan tahun lalu Ryan Blaney untuk menang kembali, Jeff Gluck menyatakan keraguannya terhadap performa tim Ford musim 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.

Untuk prediksi pemenang balapan kali ini, Jeff Gluck menyebut satu nama pembalap yang berpotensi memberikan kejutan besar.

"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, pakar NASCAR Jordan Bianchi turut menyampaikan kesedihan mendalam atas kepergian mendadak Kyle Busch yang meninggalkan kekosongan besar.

"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." kata Jordan Bianchi.

Jordan Bianchi juga menilai bahwa jalannya balapan akan sangat dipengaruhi oleh kesiapan tim pabrikan, khususnya Toyota.

"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." kata Jordan Bianchi.

Lebih lanjut, Jordan Bianchi memberikan analisisnya mengenai perjuangan para pembalap di luar posisi 16 besar untuk masuk ke babak Chase.

"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’s 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." kata Jordan Bianchi.

Jordan Bianchi juga melihat adanya kelemahan besar dari Team Penske yang dapat menyulitkan Ryan Blaney di balapan 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." kata Jordan Bianchi.

Balapan Cracker Barrel 400 dijadwalkan berlangsung pada hari Minggu pukul 19.00 waktu setempat.