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Denny Hamlin Wins Wild Late-Race Thriller at Nashville Superspeedway

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Denny Hamlin wins the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville in a dramatic late-race finish, earning his first victory at the track.
Tristan Pharis

From last to first, Denny Hamlin hoisted the Guiatar Trophy of the Crackerbarrel 400 after delivering a clutch, late-race performance Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway, edging out his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe.

It was anything but smooth early for Hamlin, though.

Stage 1: Leader Penalty and Brake Rotor Issues

Starting from the pole after Saturday’s qualifying was cancelled due to rain, Hamlin was hit with a drive-through penalty for jumping the initial start. That briefly opened the door for Tyler Reddick, driver of the 45 car that Hamlin owns with 23XI Racing, who inherited the lead early and led the first 35 laps of the race.

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As the yellow waved with the Lap 35 competition caution, multiple drivers made the strategy call to take just two tires and gain some positions, including Shane Van Gisbergen, who assumed the lead.

Van Gisbergen, whose performance improvement on ovals is certainly putting people on notice, led the race for 12 laps, ultimately being passed in a battle with Kyle Larson.

The stage included two more cautions. The first being Trackhouse Racing rookie Connor Zilisch, who hit the turn 1 wall after a brake rotor exploded on lap 72, shortly followed by his teammate Ross Chastain on lap 81. The debris from these incidents put a hole in Ryan Preece’s radiator, ending his race.

During those rounds of pit stops, many cars made two tire calls. AJ Allmendinger and Riley Herbst really rolled the dice, staying out.

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Following Chastain’s caution, the stage was just a one-lap shootout. Allmendinger earned his first oval stage win at the Cup level, narrowly beating Larson, followed by Blaney, Elliott, Reddick, Wallace, Byron, Briscoe, Herbst, and Suarez.

Stage 2: Cautions and Cautions

Hamlin finally worked his way back into the top ten, as Larson dominated the first part of Stage 2.

During green-flag pit stops, a caution was called on Lap 145 for a spinning Austin Dillon after he had to check up, and Chris Buescher got into the back of him.

The caution flying during green-flag pit stops completely changed the running order and cost some of the fastest cars in the race, like Larson and Chase Briscoe, a lot of track position. Instead of being among the leaders following the caution, they were at the back of the top 10 as the race restarted.

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This put Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott at the front of the pack, with AJ Allmendinger having his best run in some time in third. However, that was short-lived as his race ended with a blown brake rotor.

As the race restarted from that caution, Todd Gilliland spun due to contact from Corey Heim, which also collected Cole Custer.

Following his Coke 600 win last week, Daniel Suarez won the stage under caution, followed by Bowman, Stenhouse, Cindric, Hamlin, McDowell, Byron, Briscoe, and Keselowski.

Final Stage: JGR Trio

To start the final stage, it was a new race for Hamlin, who had reassumed the lead. Yet, the chaos continued.

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As cars stacked up on Lap 193, Brad Keselowski had to lift, and Austin Dillon hit him from behind, sending Keselowski into the outside wall of the frontstretch and also collecting Austin Cindric.

Keselowski’s team voiced their opinion on the radio that Dillon wrecked them on purpose, calling for NASCAR to take action.

Just 11 laps later, the caution flag flew as Bubba Wallace was sent to the outside groove and collided with Chris Buescher, collecting two Hendrick cars, William Byron, putting him in the outside wall, as well as Alex Bowman on his way back down the track.

At this point, some drivers, including Ryan Blaney, made the decision to gamble on being able to make it to the finish, being just outside the pit window. At the front, it was the trio of JGR cars, with Hamlin defending his lead from Bell and Briscoe.

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With 55 laps to go and a pit stop still ahead, Bell made a move and took the lead from Hamlin, using some lap traffic to his advantage. With some strategy still in play, Bell looked like he was the car to beat, and he would reassume the lead after the pit cycle, which he did with 12 laps to go, but a caution flew for Chris Buescher on the same lap.

The race went back green with four laps to go, as the JGR trio was 1-2-3, pushing each other to the edge. As they came to the white flag, Bell had the advantage, but was door-to-door with Hamlin, with Briscoe making it three-wide into Turn 1.

Bell overdrove the corner, and Hamlin cleared him off of turn 2 and drove off with his 62nd career win, his first at Nashville despite being the best-rated driver at the track.

As the cars behind him came to the checkered flag, Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott crashed hard after crossing the finish line, starting with a push from Blaney into Elliott. All drivers were okay, and Blaney profusely apologized.

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Kyle Larson also spun onto pit lane amidst the excitement after cutting a tire on the final restart, finishing 23rd and spoiling a potential top 10 finish.

“Man, what an unbelievable day — starting first, going to last, and back to first,” Hamlin said after his win.

Hamlin noted that his experience helped him in this one.

“I just keep learning. It’s been a while since I won a shoot-out like this where I wasn’t leading. I don’t know when the last one was, but it’s been a while,” he said.

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“I’ve definitely lost way more in these same situations where I’m Christopher Bell, and I do the same thing, I overdrive corners, and I just lose it. But I just wanted to be patient this time and just try something different, and it worked out.”

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No. 14 Kentucky Women’s Basketball Dominates Morehead State in Home Opener

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Photo via Tyler Ruth | UK Athletics

On Monday, Nov. 2, the No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats (1-0) dominated Morehead State (0-1) in the team’s home opener, getting win number one by a final score of 85-42!

College Basketball is finally back, and fans all across Lexington packed into Historic Memorial Coliseum, excited to see their Wildcats back in action.

In the first quarter, the Cats were unstoppable, going on a 13-point scoring run and forcing four turnovers early on the Eagles. Kentucky did not allow a single point until four minutes remained in the quarter.

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Additionally, superstar senior center Clara Strack tallied six points, four rebounds and two assists all during the first 10 minutes. She would finish the game with 17 points, nine rebounds and six blocks in just 21 minutes of play.

In the second quarter, Kentucky took a focus to paint dominance, scoring 24 points inside. Kenny Brooks had his team playing with elite consistency on both sides of the ball, showing fans in attendance the huge potential of this team this season.

The Wildcats’ defensive pressure forced 20 turnovers, scoring 21 points off of them.

In the second half, freshman guard Maddyn Greenway showed off her lockdown defense and skill without the ball in her hand, going for three rebounds and a steal. Ending the game with 12 points and four assists, the five-star recruit used a boost in the last 20 minutes to get flashy for the Wildcats with her fast-paced play.

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After the game, Brooks stated that he, “was proud of the way we made adjustments” when asked about their overall performance. Looking into the future, he later commented on his freshman trio, saying they “came out and gave us a lot of energy.”

Emily McDonald, Savvy Swords and Greenway ultimately combined for 28 points in all of their first games as Wildcats. Swords had eight offensive rebounds, creating a consistent presence around the rim all night for Kentucky.

The Wildcats play again on Thursday, Nov. 5, hosting Northern Kentucky for the team’s second home game. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

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Know the Name: Asia Boone Ready to Make an Impact For Kentucky

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Photo by Tyler Ruth | UK Athletics

As Kentucky Women’s Basketball prepares to tip off for the 2026-27 regular season, senior guard Asia Boone is a name Wildcat fans should keep an eye on.

Boone was recently named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List, recognizing her as one of the top shooting guards in the nation.

Boone got her start with Liberty, where she averaged approximately 10 points per game across 67 appearances, knocking down 125 three-point shots and earning Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors. After transferring from the Flames, she quickly established herself as a key contributor for the Wildcats.

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In her first season playing in the SEC, Boone averaged 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. She appeared in all 36 games, making 19 starts after working her way into the starting lineup midway through the season.

However, her biggest strength came from beyond arc.

Boone finished the season with 96 made shots from deep, ranking second in the SEC and 11th nationally. Her impressive shooting performance also placed her second in Kentucky program history, trailing only former teammate Amelia Hassett, who finished the season with 99.

While her shooting ability has been a major part of her success, she has also demonstrated her versatility on the court. Serving as a backup point guard to former Wildcat Tonie Morgan, Boone recorded at least three assists in 19 games last season.

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With Morgan now gone, Boone’s experience and ability to contribute in multiple areas could become even more important for Kentucky’s backcourt this season.

Heading into her senior year, she has the opportunity to build upon an already impressive season and establish herself as one of the conferences top guards. With the Wildcats set to open their regular season against Morehead State on Monday, Nov. 2, Boone will look to carry her momentum from last season into another successful year in Lexington.

While her shooting will continue to make her a major offensive threat, her leadership and experience could prove to be just as valuable, as she is one of three returning players from last season alongside Clara Strack and Gabby Brooks.

“There’s a lot more responsibility on my shoulders this year, Boone told Larry Vaught. “I wouldn’t say pressure, but pressure is also a privilege. That responsibility does get me uncomfortable, but I need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

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The time is almost here, with the Big Blue Nation ready to yell “BOOOONE” every single time a shot from deep goes up.

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No. 7 Kentucky Volleyball Sweeps Missouri, Ends Losing Streak

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Photo via Marissa Gilchrist | UK Athletics

On Friday, Oct. 30, No. 7 Kentucky Volleyball (16-5, 8-3 SEC) faced off with the unranked Missouri Tigers (13-9, 6-4 SEC) at home, eventually sweeping the visitors 3-0 and ending a two-match losing streak.

The Wildcats lost to No. 9 Tennessee and No. 19 Texas A&M last week, two matches that were very winnable.

There were two key talking points of the night – costumes and kills. The Big Blue Nation was feeling the Halloween spirit, so Historic Memorial Coliseum was full of different costumes!

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Wildcat and Scratch even dressed up as Pete Mitchell from Top Gun and Spiderman, with many cheerleaders and band members were dressed up as well. One family of fans wore coordinating Toy Story costumes, with the baby as Buzz Lightyear.

Spirit was working in Kentucky’s favor, because on the court, everything came easy.

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Hit percentage was also very important for the Wildcats. For the entire match, Kentucky had a hit percentage of .327 compared to Missouri’s .168. The statistics look to all be in favor of the blue and white, but it did get slightly rocky in the second set.

Missouri hung with the Wildcats, leading most of the set. There were 15 ties and seven lead changes in the second set alone, but Kentucky prevailed to win 29-27.

The third set would come with ease, with the home team allowing two subtle ties and winning the set by eight. Get out the brooms for the Cats! Game Statistics

Kentucky will play again on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET, hosting the Alabama Crimson Tide (9-10, 1-9 SEC), who have lost five straight. The game will be streamed live on SEC Network+.

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