NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: YellaWood 500 The Place: Talladega Superspeedway The Date: Sunday, October 2 The Time: 2 p.m. ET The Purse: $8,338,881 TV: NBC, 1 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance: 500 miles (188 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 188) NASCAR Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway to stir-up an already unpredictable Playoffs Four NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races into the 2022 championship run and none of the Playoff drivers have won any of the postseason races this season, leaving all 12 still looking to clinch their spot in the Round of 8 with two races left in the Round of 12 – Talladega Superspeedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. This weekend the competitors will have to face one of the biggest hurdles in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, as Talladega Superspeedway opens the gates and unleashes its 2.66-miles of asphalt with 33 degrees of banking in the turns for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90). As the pinnacle ‘Wild Card’ event, expect the unexpected at Talladega as it is literally anyone’s to win. The 2022 season marks the sixth consecutive year Talladega Superspeedway will host the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2017-2022) – Race No. 31 of the season. Talladega is the third different track to host the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs; joining Charlotte Motor Speedway (2004 – 2014) and Kansas Speedway (2015 - 2016). The 2.66-mile track is the largest paved oval the series competes on with 33 degrees of banking in the turns. Talladega Superspeedway has participated in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs since its inception into the series in 2004 and has occupied five different spots on the postseason schedule. Talladega has hosted the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2004 – 2005); the fourth race (2006 – 2008 and 2012); the fifth race (2017-2022); the sixth race (2011, 2013 – 2016); and the seventh race (2009 – 2010). A total of 14 different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races at Talladega Superspeedway, six of the 14 are active this weekend and three of the six are Playoff contenders this year – Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano. Brad Keselowski (2017, 2014), Clint Bowyer (2010-2011), Jamie McMurray (2009, 2013) and Joey Logano (2015-2016) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Playoff wins at Talladega Superspeedway with two postseason victories each. Talladega Superspeedway Playoff Race Winners | Track | Race Winner | Date | Talladega | Bubba Wallace | Monday, October 4, 2021 | Talladega | Denny Hamlin | Sunday, October 4, 2020 | Talladega | Ryan Blaney | Sunday, October 13, 2019 | Talladega | Aric Almirola | Sunday, October 14, 2018 | Talladega | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, October 15, 2017 | Talladega | Joey Logano | Sunday, October 23, 2016 | Talladega | Joey Logano | Sunday, October 25, 2015 | Talladega | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, October 19, 2014 | Talladega | Jamie McMurray | Sunday, October 20, 2013 | Talladega | Matt Kenseth | Sunday, October 7, 2012 | Talladega | Clint Bowyer | Sunday, October 23, 2011 | Talladega | Clint Bowyer | Sunday, October 31, 2010 | Talladega | Jamie McMurray | Sunday, November 1, 2009 | Talladega | Tony Stewart | Sunday, October 5, 2008 | Talladega | Jeff Gordon | Sunday, October 7, 2007 | Talladega | Brian Vickers | Sunday, October 8, 2006 | Talladega | Dale Jarrett | Sunday, October 2, 2005 | Talladega | Dale Earnhardt Jr | Sunday, October 3, 2004 |
During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Era (2004-Present), the winner of the Talladega Superspeedway Playoff race has never gone on to win the title in the same season. But twice the Talladega Playoff race winner has finished runner-up in the championship standings at the end of the season: Jeff Gordon (2007) and Joey Logano (2016). A total of 14 different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series fifth race in the Playoffs; seven of the 14 are active this weekend. Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins during the fifth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with three victories (2004, 2005, 2009 – all at Charlotte Motor Speedway). NASCAR Cup Playoff Race No. 5 Winners | Track | Race Winner | Date | Talladega | Bubba Wallace | Monday, October 4, 2021 | Talladega | Denny Hamlin | Sunday, October 4, 2020 | Talladega | Ryan Blaney | Sunday, October 13, 2019 | Talladega | Aric Almirola | Sunday, October 14, 2018 | Talladega | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, October 15, 2017 | Kansas | Kevin Harvick | Sunday, October 16, 2016 | Kansas | Joey Logano | Sunday, October 18, 2015 | Charlotte | Kevin Harvick | Saturday, October 11, 2014 | Charlotte | Brad Keselowski | Saturday, October 12, 2013 | Charlotte | Clint Bowyer | Saturday, October 13, 2012 | Charlotte | Matt Kenseth | Saturday, October 15, 2011 | Charlotte | Jamie McMurray | Saturday, October 16, 2010 | Charlotte | Jimmie Johnson | Saturday, October 17, 2009 | Charlotte | Jeff Burton | Saturday, October 11, 2008 | Charlotte | Jeff Gordon | Saturday, October 13, 2007 | Charlotte | Kasey Kahne | Saturday, October 14, 2006 | Charlotte | Jimmie Johnson | Saturday, October 15, 2005 | Charlotte | Jimmie Johnson | Saturday, October 16, 2004 |
Twice the winner of the fifth race in the Playoffs has gone on to win the title later that season; both happening at Charlotte Motor Speedway (2004-2014). In 2009, Jimmie Johnson won the fifth race of the Playoffs from the pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway and then went on to win his fourth consecutive NASCAR Cup Series title – it was his third of four wins in the 2009 postseason. Then in 2014, Kevin Harvick won the fifth race of the Playoffs from the seventh starting position at Charlotte Motor Speedway and went on to win his first career NASCAR Cup Series title – it was his first of three wins during the 2014 postseason. The worst finish in a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway by a driver that went on to win the title that same season was 37th by Kyle Larson in 2021. Six times a non-Playoff driver has won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway: - In 2005, Dale Jarrett won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 14th in points.
- In 2006, Brian Vickers won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 16th in points.
- In 2009, Jamie McMurray won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 22nd in points.
- In 2011, Clint Bowyer won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 13th in points.
- In 2013, Jamie McMurray won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 14th in points.
- In 2021, Bubba Wallace won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 21st in points.
Three times a non-Playoff driver has won the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs: - In 2010, Jamie McMurray won the fifth race in the Playoffs at Charlotte; he was 14th in points.
- In 2013, Brad Keselowski won the fifth race in Playoffs at Charlotte; he was 16th in points.
- In 2021, Bubba Wallace won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 21st in points.
Sweet Home Alabama: NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Since it opened it has been deemed one of the most daunting tracks on the schedule and this weekend’s YellaWood 500 (Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Talladega Superspeedway looks to be another fantastic opportunity for some close side-by-side competition the fans have come to love. In total there have been 106 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, one Cup event in 1969, and two races per year since 1970. Among the 106 Cup events, the track has hosted 18 Playoff races in the NASCAR Cup Series. Overall, 45 different drivers have qualified on the pole at Talladega Superspeedway, 23 of the 45 have done it multiple times and six of the 45 NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at Talladega are active this weekend. Active Talladega Pole Winners | Poles | Seasons | Chase Elliott | 2 | 2019, '16 | Kevin Harvick | 2 | 2018, '05 | Christopher Bell | 1 | 2022 | Austin Dillon | 1 | 2019 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 1 | 2017 | Martin Truex Jr | 1 | 2016 |
NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Talladega Superspeedway with eight poles (1985 sweep, 1986 sweep, 1987 sweep, spring 1990 and fall 1993). Kevin Harvick (2005, 2018) and Chase Elliott (2016, 2019) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Talladega with two each. The 106 Cup races at Talladega have also produced 51 different NASCAR Cup Series race winners at the 2.66-mile track. NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in wins at Talladega with 10 victories (1983, 1984, 1990 sweep, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1999 sweep and 2000). Eleven of the 51 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Talladega Superspeedway are active this weekend, led by Brad Keselowski with six wins at Talladega Superspeedway (2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021); followed by Joey Logano with three victories (2015, 2016, 2018). Active Talladega Race Winners | Wins | Seasons | Brad Keselowski | 6 | 2021, '17, '16, '14, '12, '09 | Joey Logano | 3 | 2018, '16, '15 | Denny Hamlin | 2 | 2020, '14 | Ryan Blaney | 2 | 2020, '19 | Ross Chastain | 1 | 2022 | Bubba Wallace | 1 | 2021 | Chase Elliott | 1 | 2019 | Aric Almirola | 1 | 2018 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 1 | 2017 | Kevin Harvick | 1 | 2010 | Kyle Busch | 1 | 2008 |
This weekend’s YellaWood 500 will be broken up into three stages the first two stages will be 60 laps each and final stage will be 68 laps. On-track activity for the NASCAR Cup Series begins with Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday, October 1 at 10:30 a.m. ET and will be streamed live on the NBC Sports App. Clinch Scenarios: Wide open Round of 12 heads to Talladega Just two races left for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff challengers in the Round of 12 to secure their spot in the Round of 8, and with a non-Playoff driver taking the win last weekend at Texas (Tyler Reddick), all eight spots are still up for grabs as the series heads to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for the YellaWood 500 (Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) the fifth race of the 2022 postseason. Already Clinched No drivers have clinched a spot in the eight-driver field of the next round. Can Clinch Via Points If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 8th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suárez or Chase Elliott. - Joey Logano: Could only clinch with help
- Ross Chastain: Could only clinch with help
- Kyle Larson: Could only clinch with help
- Ryan Blaney: Could only clinch with help
- Denny Hamlin: Could only clinch with help
- Daniel Suarez: Could only clinch with help
- Chase Elliott: Could only clinch with help
If there is a new winner from Chase Briscoe or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 7th winless driver in the standings. - Joey Logano: Could only clinch with help
- Ross Chastain: Could only clinch with help
- Kyle Larson: Could only clinch with help
- Ryan Blaney: Could only clinch with help
- Denny Hamlin: Could only clinch with help
- Daniel Suárez: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suárez, Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman Playoff Bubble: Round of 12 provides plenty of unpredictability While the unpredictability of the close quarters racing at Talladega Superspeedway, or the twists and turns of the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL are enough to keep the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff teams up at night, they should find some solace in knowing it could be those same track attributes that help get them to Victory Lane over these next two weekends. Since the inception of the ‘elimination-style’ format in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2014, the driver that wins at Talladega Superspeedway in the postseason has clinched a needed spot in the next round in six of the eight races held (2014-2021). Joey Logano in 2015 is the lone winner at Talladega since 2014 that had already clinched his spot in the next round prior to competing at the 2.66-mile track – Logano swept the Round of 12 in 2015 winning all three races that season (Charlotte, Kansas, Talladega). Then last season, for the first-time a non-Playoff driver (Bubba Wallace) won the Talladega Superspeedway NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race since the ‘elimination-style’ format was introduced in 2014. Talladega Superspeedway Playoff Race Winners Since 2014 | Track | Race Winner | Clinch Status Heading Into 'Dega | Date | Talladega | Bubba Wallace | 22nd in Points | Monday, October 4, 2021 | Talladega | Denny Hamlin | 2nd in Points | Sunday, October 4, 2020 | Talladega | Ryan Blaney | 12th in Points | Sunday, October 13, 2019 | Talladega | Aric Almirola | 9th in Points | Sunday, October 14, 2018 | Talladega | Brad Keselowski | 10th in Points | Sunday, October 15, 2017 | Talladega | Joey Logano | 8th in Points | Sunday, October 23, 2016 | Talladega | Joey Logano | Clinched On Wins | Sunday, October 25, 2015 | Talladega | Brad Keselowski | 10th in Points | Sunday, October 19, 2014 |
This weekend, rookie Austin Cindric (ninth), William Byron (10th), Christopher Bell (11th) and Alex Bowman (12th) find themselves south of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 cutline as they head into the Playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR Cup Series Driver Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 30 at Texas Motor Speedway | Rank | Driver | Points | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | +/- Cutoff | 1 | Joey Logano (P) | 3,071 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 37 | 2 | Ross Chastain (P) | 3,059 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 3 | Kyle Larson (P) | 3,057 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 23 | 4 | Ryan Blaney (P) | 3,056 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 22 | 5 | Denny Hamlin (P) | 3,049 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 15 | 6 | Daniel Suarez (P) | 3,045 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 7 | Chase Elliott (P) | 3,045 | 4 | 5 | 40 | 11 | 8 | Chase Briscoe (P) | 3,041 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 9 | Austin Cindric # (P) | 3,034 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -7 | 10 | William Byron (P) | 3,033 | 2 | 4 | 15 | -8 | 11 | Christopher Bell (P) | 3,016 | 1 | 4 | 13 | -25 | 12 | Alex Bowman (P) | 3,015 | 1 | 2 | 7 | -26 | 13 | Tyler Reddick | 2,107 | 3 | 2 | 17 | Eliminated from the Playoffs | 14 | Austin Dillon | 2,083 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 15 | Kyle Busch | 2,068 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 16 | Kevin Harvick | 2,063 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
Team Penske’s Austin Cindric (3,034 points) is ninth in the Playoff outlook standings – the first position outside the Round of 8 cutoff - seven points back from Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe in eighth. Cindric’s lone NASCAR Cup Series career win, came in the season-opening Daytona 500, so the rookie has found success on superspeedways. But has a few head winds to work through as this is his first appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and just his second career Cup start at Talladega. He made his series track debut at the 2.66-mile track earlier this season; he started 18th and finished 21st.
Hendrick Motorsport’s driver William Byron (3,033 points) was issued a penalty of 25 driver points for his contact with the No. 11 car driven by Denny Hamlin under caution at Texas last weekend. Now the North Carolina native sits 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook standings eight points back from the Round of 8 cutoff. Byron is looking to advance out of the Round of 12 for the first-time in his career. In nine starts at Talladega, he has put up two top fives and an average finish of 19.0. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell (3,016 points) is ranked 11th in the Playoff outlook standings, 29 points back from the Round of 8 cutoff after finishing 34th at Texas Motor Speedway. After a strong start to the Playoffs with three top fives in the first three races, Bell skidded out in Texas and now is trying to advance out of the Round of 12 for the first time in his career. The Oklahoma native has made five starts at Talladega posting one top-five finish. Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman (3,015 points) finds himself in the 12th and final position in the Round of 12 Playoff outlook standings following a 29th-place finish at Texas last weekend. Now the Arizona native is 30 points back from the Playoffs’ Round of 8 cutline. Bowman has yet to win at Talladega, but has posted a best finish of runner-up in (April) 2019. And in 14 Cup Series starts he has posted one top five and four top 10s. Bowman is looking to advance out of the Round of 12 for the second-time in his career (2020). Cup Series’ Playoff Dozen at ‘Dega This weekend, five of the 12-driver Playoff field are former NASCAR Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway winners (race winners bolded in chart below). With none of the 12 postseason contenders locked into the Round 8, below is a look at the Playoff dozen and their NASCAR Cup Series statistics at Talladega Superspeedway. Rank | Driver | Races | Poles | Wins | Top Fives | Top 10s | DNFs | Average Finish | Driver Rating | | | | | | 1 | Joey Logano | 27 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 17.5 | 90.4 | | | 2 | Ross Chastain | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19.6 | 58.0 | | | 3 | Kyle Larson | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 23.1 | 76.0 | | | 4 | Ryan Blaney | 16 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 16.9 | 91.1 | | | 5 | Denny Hamlin | 33 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 14 | 5 | 16.9 | 83.5 | | | 6 | Daniel Suárez | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 22.1 | 66.2 | | | 7 | Chase Elliott | 13 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 15.2 | 89.3 | | | 8 | Chase Briscoe | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20.7 | 57.3 | | | 9 | Austin Cindric | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.0 | 57.9 | | | 10 | William Byron | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 19.0 | 85.4 | | | 11 | Christopher Bell | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22.4 | 73.7 | | | 12 | Alex Bowman | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 24.4 | 74.2 | | |
NASCAR Cup Series, Etc. Alabama Native Bubba Wallace and NASCAR to Host “Bubba’s Block Party” at Railroad Park in Downtown Birmingham Friday, Sept. 30 - NASCAR announced this week plans for a community block party hosted by 23XI Racing driver and Alabama native Bubba Wallace at Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham this Friday, September 30. The event will precede two days of NASCAR Playoffs racing action at Talladega Superspeedway, culminating Sunday, Oct. 2, with the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500, which Wallace is the defending champion. Bubba’s Block Party is a community-focused NASCAR initiative that aims to drive awareness, access and engagement to the sport among the Black community while generating excitement around the race weekend. The family-friendly event will take place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. "We're excited to bring Bubba's Block Party, a community event, to the heart of Birmingham" said Brandon Thompson, NASCAR Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. “Events like this allow us to bridge the rich history and culture of Birmingham to a NASCAR staple like Talladega.” The free event will host guests for hours of live music, games and activities, as well as an assortment of food offerings. Wallace, from Mobile, who made history in last year’s YellaWood 500 when he became the first Black driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race since 1963, will engage the audience as part of a fireside chat which will focus on his career journey and NASCAR’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion across the sport. “Our sport has made real gains in expanding and diversifying our fan base,” said Bubba Wallace. “It’s my hope that Bubba’s Block Party will resonate with the Birmingham community and allow people to see all that NASCAR has to offer. I want everyone to feel welcomed, to experience the thrill of the sport and have a good time.” NASCAR Cup Series Featured Matchups: YellaWood 500 – Below is a close look at the featured matchups fans can bet on heading into this weekend’s event. Tyler Reddick vs. Austin Dillon (Fan Vote) - Who can forget Austin Dillon’s win at Daytona to secure his spot in the Playoffs this season? Tyler Reddick helped push Austin Dillon to victory, ensuring that both Richard Childress Racing cars got into the postseason. Unfortunately, both Reddick and Dillon are no longer in the Playoffs, even though Reddick got his third win of the season last week at Texas in the opening race of the Round of 12. Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick have had RCR’s best year in quite some time, combining for four wins for the first-time since 2013. Even though they are not in the Playoffs, Reddick and Dillon both want to finish the season strong amongst uncertainties about what next season will look like. Denny Hamlin vs. William Byron - Denny Hamlin may have added another name to his list of enemies last weekend at Texas. Him and William Byron got tangled up coming out of a turn causing Hamlin to get into Byron from the inside. Byron went up and made contact with the wall before conceding the position, but tempers flared when Byron appeared to spin Hamlin under caution, resulting in Hamlin dropping from third to 22nd. Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gabehart voiced their displeasure with the move, and Hamlin said that he would get Byron back down the road. For two Playoff drivers fighting for a championship, it will be interesting to see how they race each other at Talladega, where working together is crucial. Alex Bowman vs. Christopher Bell - It wasn’t the race they were looking for to start off the Round of 12. Both Alex Bowman and Christopher Bell had trouble and failed to finish on the lead lap last weekend at Texas. They certainly have their work cut out for them if they want to reach the Round of 8. Bell sits 25 points below the cutline while Bowman sits 26 points behind. That means that Talladega will likely be a points race for both of these drivers. Bell and Bowman will most likely try to get to the front and stay in the front most of the race. Racking up stage points and trying to finish well will be paramount for Bowman and Bell as they look to make up for a poor week at Texas. Bubba Wallace vs. Chris Buescher - This was a Featured Matchup for the regular season finale at Daytona where both drivers had a chance to win their way into the Playoffs. Although it didn’t work out for Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher making it into the Playoffs, they’ve made the most of their season. Both Wallace and Buescher have won a race in the Playoffs, although they aren’t in the Playoff field. Wallace won three weeks ago at Kansas, while Buescher won two weeks ago at Bristol. They’ve also had good runs at superspeedways; Buescher won one of the Daytona Duel’s before the Daytona 500, while Wallace won at Talladega last year and finished runner-up in this year’s Daytona 500. Both drivers have the talent to win their second race of the year this Sunday, so it will all be about having a little luck and making the perfect move at the right time if they want to continue the streak of non-Playoff drivers winning Playoff races. Auburn Head Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl to Serve as Honorary Starter for YellaWood 500 - Auburn head basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who has guided the Tigers to over 150 wins in eight seasons, as well as the team’s first-ever appearance in the Final Four, will serve as the Honorary Starter for Sunday’s (Oct. 2) YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race at Talladega Superspeedway. “I am super excited to wave the green flag to start the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway,” said Pearl, a Boston, Mass. native. “I can’t wait to see the speed of the cars plus see how the race teams will strategize to get to get a ‘W.’ I am thankful to the YellaWood team for giving me this opportunity.” |
NASCAR Xfinity Series Next Race: Sparks 300 The Place: Talladega Superspeedway The Date: Saturday, October 1 The Time: 4 p.m. ET The Purse: $1,653,281 TV: USA, 3:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance: 300.58 miles (113 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 25), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 50), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 113) NASCAR Xfinity Series Setting the stage for Talladega Superspeedway The NASCAR Xfinity Series will be heading to Alabama next for what is sure to produce some of the craziest racing this season. The second race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 12 will take place on Saturday, Oct. 1 with the Sparks 300 at 4 p.m. ET on the USA Network, the NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR radio. The Sparks 300 this weekend will be the 34th NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The previous 33 races have produced 27 different race winners and 22 different pole winners. Only three races have been won from the pole (or first starting position). The last time it happened was in 2020 when Justin Haley won from the pole. Haley is also the youngest winner in series history at Talladega at 21 years, one month and 23 days old. Joe Nemechek is a known name at the track, currently sitting with the most races (22), poles (five), top 10s (nine), lead lap finishes (14), laps completed (2,153) and laps led (202). He is also tied with Joey Logano with most top fives (seven). The only record he does not hold is for most wins, which lies in the hands of Martin Truex Jr (three). The most recent race at Talladega was earlier this season. Noah Gragson took the victory over Jeffrey Earnhardt after starting from the 19th position by a margin of victory of .131 seconds. Playoff drivers AJ Allmendinger and Ryan Sieg finished in the third and fourth place positions while Landon Cassill rounded out the top five. If Gragson once again makes the trip to Victory Lane this Saturday for the Sparks 300, he will become the third driver in the track’s Xfinity Series history to post back-to-back wins, joining Martin Truex Jr. (2004, 2005, 2006) and Justin Haley (2020 sweep). Plus, he will be going for a NASCAR Xfinity Series unprecedented five consecutive victories, as he tied Sam Ard’s 1983 record of four straight wins with his victory last weekend at Texas. But Gragson is not the only former Talladega winner entered this weekend, the Las Vegas native is also joined by Jeb Burton and Brandon Brown. The series will kick off their second Playoff race of the season with qualifying on Friday, Oct. 1 at 5:30 p.m. ET on the USA Network and streamed on the NBC Sports App. Clinch Scenarios: Xfinity Series Playoff run continues The NASCAR Xfinity Series will be taking on Talladega Superspeedway this weekend after eight of the 12 Playoff drivers finished in the top 10 at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend but it was only Noah Gragson, who grabbed the win and secured his spot in the Round of 8, leaving seven spots still up for grabs this weekend. As they continue in their battle for the championship, let’s take a look at clinch scenarios heading into this weekend: Already Clinched The following driver has clinched a spot in the eight-driver field of the next round: Noah Gragson. Can clinch via points If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 7th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among AJ Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, Austin Hill, Josh Berry, Justin Allgaier or Sam Mayer. - AJ Allmendinger: Could only clinch with help
- Ty Gibbs: Could only clinch with help
- Austin Hill: Could only clinch with help
- Josh Berry: Could only clinch with help
- Justin Allgaier: Could only clinch with help
- Sam Mayer: Could only clinch with help
If there is a new winner from Ryan Sieg or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 6th winless driver in the standings. - AJ Allmendinger: Could only clinch with help
- Ty Gibbs: Could only clinch with help
- Austin Hill: Could only clinch with help
- Josh Berry: Could only clinch with help
- Justin Allgaier: Could only clinch with help
Can clinch via win The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: AJ Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, Austin Hill, Josh Berry, Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Ryan Sieg, Riley Herbst, Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones, Jeremy Clements Scouting the Playoff field at ‘Dega In true superspeedway fashion, Talladega has produced some of the wildest, most unexpected racing and this weekend’s Xfinity Playoff race should be no different. The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff drivers range in experience at Talladega Superspeedway, from vets to rookies, so let’s take a look at how they’ve handled the 2.66-mile track: Noah Gragson: Already clinched into the Round of 8, he heads to Talladega with seven starts, one win (2022), three top fives and five top 10s. AJ Allmendinger: Currently sitting in second in the Playoff standings, he has five starts, two top fives and three top 10s at the Alabama superspeedway. His most recent finish at the track is third. Ty Gibbs: He heads to Talladega third in the Playoff rankings. He has one start at Talladega where he started in the third position but was caught in an incident on Lap 76 and finished in 35th. Austin Hill: Heading into Talladega fourth in the Playoff rankings, Hill will be looking to redeem himself on the 2.66-mile track as both of his starts have resulted in crashes. Hill did win the season-opener at Daytona, though. Josh Berry: Sitting in fifth in the Playoff standings, he goes into Talladega with three starts and one top 10 finish. Justin Allgaier: Currently sixth in the Playoff rankings, he heads into Talladega with 14 starts, four top fives and seven top 10s under his belt. Sam Mayer: Heads to Talladega sitting in seventh in the Playoff standings with two starts at the track (2021, 2022). Both races resulted in incidents that left him in 38th and 28th, respectively. Ryan Sieg: Sits in eighth in Playoff points heading into this weekend, he has 11 starts at Talladega with three top fives and four top 10s. His most recent finish at the track is fourth. Riley Herbst: Coming in at ninth in the Playoff rankings, he has five starts at the Alabama superspeedway with one top five and two top 10s. Daniel Hemric: Last year’s Xfinity Series champ currently holds the 10th Playoff position and has six starts, two top fives and two top 10s at Talladega. Brandon Jones: Currently in the 11th position, Jones heads to Talladega with nine starts, three top fives and three top 10s. Jeremy Clements: In the final Playoff position (12th), Clements goes into this race weekend with 14 starts, one top five and two top 10s. Fabulous Five: Gragson goes for unprecedented fifth straight Xfinity win JR Motorsports’ superstar Noah Gragson not only claimed his seventh victory of the season last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, but also his fourth victory in a row tying Sam Ard’s 1983 NASCAR Xfinity Series record. Now, the Las Vegas native has the opportunity to go for an unprecedented fifth straight win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Prior to the race at Texas Motor Speedway, Sam Ard was the only Xfinity Series driver to win four consecutive races, a feat he accomplished in 1983. The following season in 1984, he went on to once again manage wins in three back-to-back races. Other drivers to score three consecutive wins in the Xfinity Series are Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Harry Grant, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman and Larry Pearson. NASCAR Xfinity Series Consecutive Wins - Three or More (1982-2022) | Rank | Drivers | Consecutive Wins | From | To | 1 | Sam Ard | 4 | Saturday, September 17, 1983 | Saturday, October 8, 1983 | | | Noah Gragson | 4 | Saturday, September 3, 2022 | Saturday, September 24, 2022 | 3 | Sam Ard | 3 | Saturday, May 5, 1984 | Saturday, May 19, 1984 | | | Larry Pearson | 3 | Saturday, August 15, 1987 | Sunday, August 30, 1987 | | Harry Gant | 3 | Friday, September 6, 1991 | Saturday, October 5, 1991 | | | Mark Martin | 3 | Saturday, February 22, 1997 | Saturday, March 8, 1997 | | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 3 | Saturday, June 5, 1999 | Sunday, June 27, 1999 | | | Ryan Newman | 3 | Saturday, August 13, 2005 | Friday, August 26, 2005 | | Kyle Busch | 3 | Saturday, April 5, 2008 | Sunday, April 20, 2008 | | | Kyle Busch | 3 | Saturday, March 16, 2013 | Friday, April 12, 2013 | | Kyle Busch | 3 | Saturday, February 27, 2016 | Saturday, March 12, 2016 | | | Kyle Busch | 3 | Friday, July 8, 2016 | Saturday, July 23, 2016 | | Christopher Bell | 3 | Friday, July 13, 2018 | Saturday, July 28, 2018 | | | Austin Cindric | 3 | Thursday, July 9, 2020 | Saturday, July 18, 2020 |
Now that Gragson has tied the record for most consecutive wins at four, he will head to Talladega Superspeedway in hopes of surpassing Ard and holding the record himself. A win at Talladega is in Gragson’s reach considering he took the checkered flag when the Xfinity Series ran at the Alabama track earlier this season. In his seven starts, he has posted one win, three top fives and five top 10s. NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc. Talladega: A place of firsts – A driver’s first win is always exciting but to win at an iconic track like Talladega is even more special. Only five drivers can claim that their first trip to Victory Lane was at Talladega Superspeedway – Greg Sacks (1996), David Ragan (2009), Justin Haley (2020), Jeb Burton (2021) and Brandon Brown (2021). Some cannot claim a first win at the track, but they can flaunt a first pole – Bill Elliott (1993), Johnny Sauter (2002), Clint Bowyer (2004), Brad Coleman (2007), Travis Pastrana (2013), Matt Tifft (2016), Blake Koch (2017), Michael Annett (2019), and Jeffrey Earnhardt (2022). |
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Next Race: Chevy Silverado 250 The Place: Talladega Superspeedway The Date: Saturday, October 1 The Time: 12:30 p.m. ET The Purse: $806,669 TV: FS1, 12 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance: 250.04 miles (94 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 94) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Camping World Truck Series Playoffs prepare for a wild Talladega race After a week to regroup and go over strategy, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is kicking off a triple header weekend at none other than Talladega Superspeedway with the Chevy Silverado 250 on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 12:30 p.m. on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR radio. Talladega Superspeedway has participated in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs since its inception into the series in 2016. The 2022 season marks the second time Talladega has hosted the fifth race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs (2021, 2022) and becomes the third different track to occupy the spot, joining Texas Motor Speedway (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020) and Martinsville Speedway (2019). This is the third different spot on the ANSCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff Schedule Talladega Superspeedway has resided; from 2016 – 2018 and in 2020, the track played host to the third Playoff race (the elimination of the first round) then in 2019, Talladega hosted the fourth race on the postseason schedule. This season, it’s hosting the fifth. The 2.66-mile superspeedway has hosted 16 Camping World Truck Series races, producing 11 different race winners and 14 different pole winners. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last raced at Talladega in the 2021 postseason where fans saw Tate Fogleman make the trip to Victory Lane. On par with the craziness that comes with racing on superspeedways, all six previous Playoff races at Talladega Superspeedway have been won by non-playoff drivers – Tate Fogleman (2021), Raphael Lessard (2020), Spencer Boyd (2019), Timothy Peters (2018), Parker Kligerman (2017) and Grant Enfinger (2016). The drivers will kick off their fifth Playoff weekend with qualifying at 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 30. Qualifying for the Truck Series will not be broadcast this weekend. ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski is sitting pretty in ‘Dega Not only did ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski score his first NASCAR national series victory two weeks ago at Bristol Motor Speedway, but he also claimed the first berth in the Championship 4 Round set to take place at Phoenix Raceway with the championship season finale on November 4. Now, the Wisconsin native heads to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend will get to breathe easy as he is the only postseason competitor locked into the next round. The Talladega Superspeedway race on October 1 will be the first-time Majeski takes on the 2.66-mile track in the Camping World Truck Series. Although this will be a new track for him, he has proven he knows his way around a superspeedway. In the February season opener, he won the pole at Daytona and ultimately finished in the seventh position. Clinch Scenarios: Three spots up for grabs at the ‘Wild Card’ Talladega Superspeedway Ty Majeski made the trip to Victory Lane in the first race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Round of 8, so now drivers have just two opportunities – Talladega and Homestead-Miami – to claim their spot in the Championship 4 Round and join him. Plus, don’t forget at least one driver will make the Championship 4 Round on points making each finish in the final two races the much more imperative. Already Clinched The following driver has clinched a spot in the four-driver field of the next round: Ty Majeski. Can Clinch Via Points If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the third winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Chandler Smith or Zane Smith. - Chandler Smith: Could only clinch with help
- Zane Smith: Could only clinch with help
If there is a new winner from Stewart Friesen or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the second winless driver in the standings. - Chandler Smith: Could only clinch with help
Can clinch via win The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Chandler Smith, Zane Smith, Stewart Friesen, John Hunter Nemechek, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes. Playoff Bubble: Nemechek, Eckes, Enfinger, Rhodes outside Champ 4 cutline Looking at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff standings following the Round of 8 opener at Bristol Motor Speedway, the postseason competitors are tasked with trying to make the Championship 4 Round with just two races to go. ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski won at Bristol two weeks ago and has clinched his spot in the next round leaving three spots still up for grabs. Halmar Friesen Racing’s Stewart Friesen is currently ranked in the fourth and final transfer spot on points to the Championship 4 Round, up nine points on Kyle Busch Motorsport’s driver John H. Nemechek in fifth – the first spot outside the cutoff. Behind Nemechek is ThorSport Racing’s Christian Eckes in sixth (-13 points), then GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger in seventh (-15 points) and ThorSport Racing’s driver and 2021 series champion Ben Rhodes in eighth (-18 points). Examining the Camping World Truck Playoffs field for Talladega When the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, expect some hard racing as a lot will be on the line. Below is a look at how the Round of 8 drivers have performed at Talladega Superspeedway: Ty Majeski: He currently ranks first and has racked up 3,053 points heading into the Truck Series’ next race at Talladega Superspeedway. This will be his first start at the Alabama track. Chandler Smith: He sits second in the standings with 3,076 points. He has two starts at Talladega with one top five and one top 10 finish. Zane Smith: He is currently in third with 3,073 points. He has given the 2.066-mile superspeedway a go twice and finished 33rd in both races. Stewart Friesen: He comes in the next race in fourth with 3,061 points. He has five starts at the track with one top five and two top 10 finishes. John Hunter Nemechek: He sits fifth in the standings and has accumulated 3,052 points. In his six starts at Talladega, he has posted one top five and two top 10s. Christian Eckes: He is sixth in the rankings and is going into the next Playoff race with 3,048 points. He has had one stint at Talladega Superspeedway, and he finished in the 18th position. Grant Enfinger: He currently ranks seventh and has 3,046 points. He has eight starts at the Alabama track with one win (2016), two top fives and three top 10s. Ben Rhodes: He takes up the final Playoff spot with 3,043 points. He has six starts at Talladega with one top five and one top 10 finish. For their full and updated Playoff driver bios, click here. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Etc. Who is next? Six different winners in as many races at Talladega – Heading into this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is riding a streak of different winners at the 2.66-mile track that dates back to 2016 with six different winners in the last six races. So, who is next? Five former Talladega Truck Series winners are entered this weekend – Parker Kligerman (two wins), Johnny Sauter, Grant Enfinger, Tate Fogleman and Spencer Boyd (each have one win). Natalie Decker to run at Talladega – Natalie Decker, the highest finishing female in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a fifth-place finish at Daytona in 2020, is set to get behind the wheel of the No. 43 for Reaume Brothers Racing at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct 1. “We have been working with Natalie for a while now, and we are all really excited to have her drive our #43 truck at Talladega. She brings a lot of great energy to the track and shop, which is very contagious, and we are looking forward to giving her a great opportunity when she returns to the Truck Series come October,” said team owner Josh Reaume. “I am very confident in Natalie that she will do an awesome job at Talladega.” Decker has made 32 career Truck Series starts posting one top-five and one top-10 finish. She made her series track debut at Talladega in 2019; she started 19th and finished 16th. Parker Retzlaff will make Camping World Truck Series career debut at Talladega – Young’s Motorsports has tapped driver Parker Retzlaff to pilot their No. 20 Chevrolet this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. With crew chief Andrew Abbott on the box, Retzlaff will attempt to make his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career start. Retzlaff will look to become the 16th different driver to make his series career debut at Talladega and the first in the series at the 2.66-mile track since Vinnie Miller in 2017. |
Weekend Preview: Talladega Superspeedway September 29, 2022 By Holly Cain NASCAR Wire Service Talladega offers lots of opportunity for the Playoff contenders DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, site of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race, is traditionally regarded as one of the most action-packed, thrilling venues on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar. And after a dramatic Playoff race a week ago at Texas Motor Speedway, expectations are super high for the YellaWood 500 (2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Counting Tyler Reddick’s victory at Texas last Sunday, the first four 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races have now been won by non-Playoff contenders - an amazing and unprecedented streak. The result has been a tightly bunched field of championship chasers trying to point their way into the Round of 8, if not fortunate to earn a trophy this round which features races at Talladega this week and the Charlotte ROVAL next week. Texas had a great effect on the title contenders. Race runner-up Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, now leads the championship standings for the third time this season (also one-week tenures following the Phoenix and Darlington-2 races). He’s 12-points ahead of Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, 14 up on reigning series champion, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson and 15-points ahead of his Penske teammate Ryan Blaney. Logano and 12th place driver Alex Bowman are separated by only 56 points. Logano and eighth place Chase Briscoe (in the final transfer position) are separated by only 30 points. Hendrick Motorsports’ driver Chase Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and this season's series-best four-race winner who led the standings for 23 weeks, has dropped to seventh place in the championship run. After a DNF at Texas, he’s now only 11 points up on the cutoff line. Another major shift in the standings has affected Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron. The two-race winner was issued a $50,000 fine and 25-point driver and owner penalties for rough driving – officially, “vehicle contact during a caution period” - at Texas following an incident with fellow Playoff competitor, Denny Hamlin, of Joe Gibbs Racing. The points penalty drops Byron from third place in the standings to 10th – eight points below Briscoe in that final Playoff advancement position. The Hendrick Motorsports team said Tuesday it would appeal Byron’s penalty. The good news for both Elliott and Byron, however, is that they are among the favorites for Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. Bubba Wallace, who is driving the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, is the defending winner of this Playoff race – earning his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory at the big track last Fall. Playoff driver Chastain won at Talladega this May – leading only the final lap to take his second career series win. Byron led a race best 38 laps in that race, but finished 15th. He was runner-up in the 2021 Spring race. Elliott, who is favored by oddsmakers to win this weekend, earned his only NASCAR Cup Series victory at Talladega in 2019 but has six top-10 finishes in 13 starts. Blaney, who is also a favorite, won back-to-back races at Talladega – the 2019 Playoff race and 2020 Spring event - and is the only driver to win consecutive races at the track since NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon swept the 2007 season. In addition to Chastain, Elliott and Blaney, the only other drivers among the 12 Playoff eligible with wins at Talladega are Logano, who has three victories (2015, ’16 and ’18) and Hamlin, who has a pair of wins (2014, 2020). RFK Racing driver/owner Brad Keselowski leads all current drivers with six victories on the Talladega high banks. With no absolute consensus favorite yet established for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series championship run, Talladega takes on increased importance even as it’s considered one of the most unpredictable venues on the circuit. “It’s really tough because you can’t predict when a wreck is going to happen," Hamlin said, of Talladega strategy. “As a driver, you start to feel the intensity of the pack picking up and you start to see people making aggressive moves. You just have to make a judgement call on whether you want to be part of it at that time.” Qualifying (one-lap and two rounds) is set for Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. ET and will be aired on the NBC Sports App, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Gragson looks to sweep Talladega and score record fifth straight Xfinity Series win There is arguably even more drama than normal for drivers in Saturday’s Sparks 300 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (4 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). And that’s saying a lot at NASCAR’s largest oval track. A Playoff driver can punch an automatic ticket into the next round of championship competition and current championship leader Noah Gragson could well make NASCAR history. Gragson already earned his automatic berth into the Playoffs' Round of 8 competition with a celebrated victory in the Round of 12-opener at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday. His work in the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet marked his fourth consecutive win – tying a 39-year-old high-mark set by Sam Ard in 1983. If Gragson can take the checkered flag again this weekend, he would become the only driver in Xfinity Series history to earn five straight race wins. And Gragson goes into the race fresh off a victory there this Spring – the only driver among the Playoff 12 with a win at the famed big track. Beyond Gragson in the points standings, Regular Season Champion A.J. Allmendinger in second holds a slim 1-point advantage over Ty Gibbs in third with Austin Hill in fourth, 43 points back from Gragson with races at Talladega and then the Charlotte ROVAL to set the eight-driver group that advances in the Playoffs. Although he didn’t win, Hill led a race best 67 laps before crashing out of the Spring race at Talladega. Gibbs was also eliminated in an accident and finished 35th in his series debut at the 2.66-mile track. Brandon Brown is the defending winner of this Fall Talladega race, claiming his first career race trophy at Talladega last October. Current Playoff drivers Brandon Jones, Justin Allgaier - who will be making his 400th career series start on Saturday - and reigning series champion Daniel Hemric rounded out the top-four in that race last year. Gragson, a series-best seven race winner on the season, brings as much confidence as motivation to Talladega. He’s had three top-five and five top-10 finishes in seven Talladega starts – and obviously the win earlier this season. And Chevrolet, which he drives, has won eight of the last nine Xfinity Series races at Talladega. “This season has just been incredible," Gragson said. Adding of his team, "They have been amazing all year and it’s all coming together at the right time. It was a pretty wild finish last time at Talladega and it will probably be that way again this weekend. “We’re already in the Round of 8 and that takes some of the pressure off this weekend." Joining the championship favorites and fulltime drivers this week are racer/NBC Sports broadcaster Parker Kligerman and 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne, along with Timmy Hill and Jeffrey Earnhardt, who finished a career-best runner-up to Gragson in April. Qualifying for the race begins at 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday and will be aired on USA Network. Camping World Truck Series Playoffs return at Talladega The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series resumes its 2022 Playoff schedule this week opening the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway racing double-header Saturday afternoon with the Chevy Silverado 250 (12:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski is the only driver who has already clinched a position in the Championship 4 Round thanks to his career first win at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway two weeks ago. Knowing he’s already secured that championship opportunity will be a big relief as the 27-year-old Majeski races in the series at the 2.66-mile Talladega for the first time in his career. He won the pole position and finished top-10 in the Daytona season-opener, the only other superspeedway he has competed on. This weekend is a big opportunity for another Playoff driver to earn his championship position. The top of the points standings are tightly grouped with Chandler Smith holding a three-point edge on two-time champion runner-up Zane Smith. Stewart Friesen is currently fourth in the standings, 15 points behind Chandler Smith. John Hunter Nemechek is 24 points off Chandler Smith and nine points from Friesen for that fourth and final championship round position. Talladega has been a “mixed bag” for these contenders. Chandler Smith has one top five in two starts. Zane Smith has finished 33rd in both his starts at the track. Friesen has one top five in five races and Nemechek, has one top-five finish in six Talladega starts – that coming last year. The other Playoff drivers, Christian Eckes (-13 from Friesen), Grant Enfinger (-15 from Friesen) and defending series champion Ben Rhodes (-18 from Friesen) remain very much in this tightly contested title run. Enfinger is the only former Talladega winner among the championship eight and his two top-five and three top-10 finishes in eight starts there are most among those title-eligible drivers as well. Certainly, last year’s Camping World Truck Series Playoff race included one of the biggest upsets in series history with Tate Fogleman leading only the last lap to claim his first truck win by .052-seconds over Tyler Hill. Only one current Playoff driver (Nemechek) finished among the top-10 in that race. A one-lap, two-round qualifying session for the race will be held Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET. NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: YellaWood 500 The Place: Talladega Superspeedway The Date: Sunday, October 2 The Time: 2 p.m. ET The Purse: $8,338,881 TV: NBC, 1 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance: 500 miles (188 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 188) NASCAR Xfinity Series Next Race: Sparks 300 The Place: Talladega Superspeedway The Date: Saturday, October 1 The Time: 4 p.m. ET The Purse: $1,653,281 TV: USA, 3:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance: 300.58 miles (113 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 25), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 50), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 113) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Next Race: Chevy Silverado 250 The Place: Talladega Superspeedway The Date: Saturday, October 1 The Time: 12:30 p.m. ET The Purse: $806,669 TV: FS1, 12 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance: 250.04 miles (94 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 94)
Statistical Advance: Analyzing the YellaWood 500 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 27, 2022) – Below is a look at the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contenders’ statistical performances at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, going into the YellaWood 500 on October 2 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90). For additional information visit NASCARMedia.com for the digital track bio page: Talladega Superspeedway 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Schedule | Tracks | Dates | Darlington Raceway | Sunday, September 4, 2022 | Kansas Speedway | Sunday, September 11, 2022 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Saturday, September 17, 2022 | Texas Motor Speedway | Sunday, September 25, 2022 | Talladega Superspeedway | Sunday, October 2, 2022 | Charlotte ROVAL | Sunday, October 9, 2022 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Sunday, October 16, 2022 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | Sunday, October 23, 2022 | Martinsville Speedway | Sunday, October 30, 2022 | Phoenix Raceway | Sunday, November 6, 2022 |
NASCAR Cup Series Driver Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 30 at Texas Motor Speedway | Rank | Driver | Points | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | +/- Cutoff | 1 | Joey Logano (P) | 3,071 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 30 | 2 | Ross Chastain (P) | 3,059 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 18 | 3 | William Byron (P) | 3,058 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 17 | 4 | Kyle Larson (P) | 3,057 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 16 | 5 | Ryan Blaney (P) | 3,056 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 6 | Denny Hamlin (P) | 3,049 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 7 | Daniel Suarez (P) | 3,045 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 8 | Chase Elliott (P) | 3,045 | 4 | 5 | 40 | 4 | 9 | Chase Briscoe (P) | 3,041 | 1 | 4 | 9 | -4 | 10 | Austin Cindric # (P) | 3,034 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -11 | 11 | Christopher Bell (P) | 3,016 | 1 | 4 | 13 | -29 | 12 | Alex Bowman (P) | 3,015 | 1 | 2 | 7 | -30 | 13 | Tyler Reddick | 2,107 | 3 | 2 | 17 | Eliminated from the Playoffs | 14 | Austin Dillon | 2,083 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 15 | Kyle Busch | 2,068 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 16 | Kevin Harvick | 2,063 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
TALLADEGA-SPECIFIC STATISTICS (Following statistics are Loop Data from 2005 – Present) NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Fast Facts - Race No. 5 (Talladega Superspeedway) · The 2022 season marks the sixth consecutive year Talladega Superspeedway will host the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2017-2022) – Race No. 31 of the season. · Talladega is the third different track to host the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, joining: Charlotte Motor Speedway (2004 – 2014) and Kansas Speedway (2015 - 2016). · Talladega Superspeedway has participated in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs since its inception into the series in 2004 and has occupied five different spots on the postseason schedule. · Talladega Superspeedway has hosted the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2004 – 2005); the fourth race (2006 – 2008 and 2012); the fifth race (2017-2022); the sixth race (2011, 2013 – 2016); and the seventh race (2009 – 2010). · A total of 14 different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races at Talladega Superspeedway; six of the 14 are active this weekend and three of the six re Playoff contenders – Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano. Talladega Superspeedway Playoff Race Winners | Track | Race Winner | Date | Talladega | Bubba Wallace | Monday, October 4, 2021 | Talladega | Denny Hamlin | Sunday, October 4, 2020 | Talladega | Ryan Blaney | Sunday, October 13, 2019 | Talladega | Aric Almirola | Sunday, October 14, 2018 | Talladega | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, October 15, 2017 | Talladega | Joey Logano | Sunday, October 23, 2016 | Talladega | Joey Logano | Sunday, October 25, 2015 | Talladega | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, October 19, 2014 | Talladega | Jamie McMurray | Sunday, October 20, 2013 | Talladega | Matt Kenseth | Sunday, October 7, 2012 | Talladega | Clint Bowyer | Sunday, October 23, 2011 | Talladega | Clint Bowyer | Sunday, October 31, 2010 | Talladega | Jamie McMurray | Sunday, November 1, 2009 | Talladega | Tony Stewart | Sunday, October 5, 2008 | Talladega | Jeff Gordon | Sunday, October 7, 2007 | Talladega | Brian Vickers | Sunday, October 8, 2006 | Talladega | Dale Jarrett | Sunday, October 2, 2005 | Talladega | Dale Earnhardt Jr | Sunday, October 3, 2004 |
· Brad Keselowski (2017, 2014), Clint Bowyer (2010-2011), Jamie McMurray (2009, 2013) and Joey Logano (2015-2016) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Playoff wins at Talladega Superspeedway with two victories each. · During the Playoffs Era (2004-Present), the winner of the Talladega Superspeedway Playoff race has never gone on to win the title in the same season. But twice the Talladega Playoff race winner has finished runner-up in the championship standings at the end of the season: Jeff Gordon (2007) and Joey Logano (2016). Last season’s Talladega Playoff race winner – Bubba Wallace finished the season 21st in the final standings. · A total of 14 different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series fifth race in the Playoffs; seven of the 14 are active this weekend. · Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins in the fifth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with three victories (2004, 2005, 2009 – all at Charlotte Motor Speedway). NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Fast Facts - Race No. 5: Talladega Superspeedway NASCAR Cup Playoff Race No. 5 Winners | Track | Race Winner | Date | Talladega | Bubba Wallace | Monday, October 4, 2021 | Talladega | Denny Hamlin | Sunday, October 4, 2020 | Talladega | Ryan Blaney | Sunday, October 13, 2019 | Talladega | Aric Almirola | Sunday, October 14, 2018 | Talladega | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, October 15, 2017 | Kansas | Kevin Harvick | Sunday, October 16, 2016 | Kansas | Joey Logano | Sunday, October 18, 2015 | Charlotte | Kevin Harvick | Saturday, October 11, 2014 | Charlotte | Brad Keselowski | Saturday, October 12, 2013 | Charlotte | Clint Bowyer | Saturday, October 13, 2012 | Charlotte | Matt Kenseth | Saturday, October 15, 2011 | Charlotte | Jamie McMurray | Saturday, October 16, 2010 | Charlotte | Jimmie Johnson | Saturday, October 17, 2009 | Charlotte | Jeff Burton | Saturday, October 11, 2008 | Charlotte | Jeff Gordon | Saturday, October 13, 2007 | Charlotte | Kasey Kahne | Saturday, October 14, 2006 | Charlotte | Jimmie Johnson | Saturday, October 15, 2005 | Charlotte | Jimmie Johnson | Saturday, October 16, 2004 |
· Twice the winner of the fifth race in the Playoffs has gone on to win the title later that season; both happening at Charlotte Motor Speedway (2004-2014): o In 2009, Jimmie Johnson won the fifth race in the Playoffs from the pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway and then went on to win his fourth consecutive NASCAR Cup Series title – it was his third of four wins in the 2009 postseason. o In 2014, Kevin Harvick won the fifth race in the Playoffs from the seventh starting position at Charlotte Motor Speedway and went on to win his first career NASCAR Cup Series title – it was his first of three wins during the 2014 postseason. · The worst finish in a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway by a driver that went on to win the title that same season was 37th by Kyle Larson in 2021. · Six times a non-Playoff driver has won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway: o In 2005, Dale Jarrett won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 14th in points. o In 2006, Brian Vickers won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 16th in points. o In 2009, Jamie McMurray won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 22nd in points. o In 2011, Clint Bowyer won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 13th in points. o In 2013, Jamie McMurray won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 14th in points. o In 2021, Bubba Wallace won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 21st in points · Three times a non-Playoff driver has won the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs: o In 2010, Jamie McMurray won the fifth race in the Playoffs at Charlotte; he was 14th in points. o In 2013, Brad Keselowski won the fifth race in Playoffs at Charlotte; he was 16th in points. o In 2021, Bubba Wallace won the Playoff race at Talladega; he was 21st in points NASCAR Cup Series 2022 Top 12 in the Playoff Standings at Talladega Rank | Driver | Races | Poles | Wins | Top Fives | Top 10s | DNFs | Average Finish | Driver Rating | | | | 1 | Joey Logano | 27 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 17.5 | 90.4 | | 2 | Ross Chastain | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19.6 | 58.0 | | 3 | William Byron | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 19.0 | 85.4 | | 4 | Kyle Larson | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 23.1 | 76.0 | | 5 | Ryan Blaney | 16 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 16.9 | 91.1 | | 6 | Denny Hamlin | 33 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 14 | 5 | 16.9 | 83.5 | | 7 | Daniel Suárez | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 22.1 | 66.2 | | 8 | Chase Elliott | 13 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 15.2 | 89.3 | | 9 | Chase Briscoe | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20.7 | 57.3 | | 10 | Austin Cindric | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.0 | 57.9 | | 11 | Christopher Bell | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22.4 | 73.7 | | 12 | Alex Bowman | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 24.4 | 74.2 | |
* – Based on last 35 races at Talladega Superspeedway (2005 – 2022). Talladega Superspeedway: Season Race #: 31 of 36 (10-04-22) The Purse: $8,338,881 Track Size: 2.66-miles Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 33 degrees Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 33 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 16.5 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees Frontstretch Length: 4,300 feet Backstretch Length: 4,000 feet Race Length: 188 laps / 500 miles Stage 1 & 2 Length: 60 laps (each) Final Stage Length: 68 laps TALLADEGA QUALIFYING & RACE DATA Track Qualifying Record: Bill Elliott, Melling Racing Ford, 212.809 mph, 44.998 secs., April 30, 1987 2021 Playoff Pole Winner: Starting Lineups were determined by Metric Qualifying, Denny Hamlin (Toyota) started in the first position Track Race Record: Mark Martin, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford, 188.354 mph, (02:39:18), May 10, 1997 2021 Playoff Race Winner: Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota, 130.218 mph, (02:23:24), October 4, 2021 HISTORY · Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968. · The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was held on September 14, 1969; the event was won by Richard Brickhouse (Dodge). · The first NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was held on July 25, 1992; the event was won by Ernie Irvan (Chevrolet). · The first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was held on October 7, 2006; the event was won by Mark Martin (Ford). · The name of the track changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989. · The track completed its fourth repaving on September 19, 2006. · In 2019, the track underwent a $50 million renovation, updating the tunnels and infield amenities. · There have been 106 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, one Cup event in 1969, and two races per year since 1970. Among the 106 events, the track has hosted 18 Playoff races in the NASCAR Cup Series. STARTS · A total of 485 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway; 339 have competed in more than one. · Dave Marcis and Terry Labonte lead the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Talladega with 61 starts each. · Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in starts at Talladega with 43. · A total of 72 drivers have made their first NASCAR Cup Series start at Talladega; the three most recent were Harrison Burton (April 25, 2021), Justin Haley (April 28, 2019) and Timothy Peters (April 29, 2018). · Bobby Isaac (eight starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Talladega with a 3.625. · Chase Elliott (13 starts) leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Talladega with a 7.462. Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active) Rank | All-Time Drivers | Avg Start | Races | Rank | Active Drivers | Avg Start | Races | 1 | Bobby Isaac | 3.625 | 8 | 1 | Chase Elliott | 7.462 | 13 | 2 | Davey Allison | 5.267 | 15 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | 11.852 | 27 | 3 | Pete Hamilton | 5.400 | 5 | 3 | Ryan Blaney | 12.000 | 16 | 4 | Sam Sommers | 6.333 | 3 | 4 | William Byron | 12.778 | 9 | 5 | David Pearson | 6.400 | 25 | 5 | Daniel Suarez | 13.833 | 6 | 6 | Chase Elliott | 7.462 | 13 | 6 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 15.167 | 19 | 7 | Gordon Johncock | 7.500 | 2 | 7 | Christopher Bell | 15.200 | 5 | 8 | Cale Yarborough | 8.088 | 34 | 8 | Austin Dillon | 15.222 | 18 | 9 | Rob Moroso | 9.500 | 2 | 9 | Denny Hamlin | 15.636 | 33 | 10 | Dale Earnhardt | 10.182 | 44 | 10 | Alex Bowman | 16.000 | 14 |
POLES · A total of 45 different drivers have qualified on the pole at Talladega Superspeedway, 23 of the 45 have multiple poles at Talladega. · Six of the 45 NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at Talladega Superspeedway are active this weekend. Active Talladega Pole Winners | Poles | Seasons | Chase Elliott | 2 | 2019, '16 | Kevin Harvick | 2 | 2018, '05 | Christopher Bell | 1 | 2022 | Austin Dillon | 1 | 2019 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 1 | 2017 | Martin Truex Jr | 1 | 2016 |
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Talladega Superspeedway with eight poles (1985 sweep, 1986 sweep, 1987 sweep, spring 1990 and fall 1993). · Kevin Harvick (2005, 2018) and Chase Elliott (2016, 2019) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Talladega Superspeedway with two each. · Bobby Isaac won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series pole at Talladega Superspeedway in 1969 with a speed of 199.466 mph. In fact, Isaac won the first three poles at the 2.66-mile superspeedway (1969 and 1970 sweep). · A total of 11 different drivers have won consecutive poles at Talladega in the NASCAR Cup Series; none of the 11 are currently active – most recent driver to accomplish the feat was Jeff Gordon in 2015 (sweep). · Bill Elliott holds the record for most consecutive Cup poles at Talladega with six-straight from 1985 - 1987. · Six drivers have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series pole at Talladega: o Brian Scott (May 4, 2014) o Juan Pablo Montoya (April 26, 2009) o Travis Kvapil (October 5, 2008) o David Gilliland (October 8, 2006) o Stacy Compton (April 22, 2001) o Jeremy Mayfield (September 28, 1996) · Youngest series Talladega pole winner: Chase Elliott (May 1, 2016 – 20 years, 5 months, 3 days). · Oldest series Talladega pole winner: Mark Martin (October 23, 2011 – 52 years, 9 months, 14 days). · Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in poles at Talladega Superspeedway with 13 among eight different drivers – Darrell Waltrip (1988), Terry Labonte (1995), Jimmie Johnson (2002), Jeff Gordon (2007, 2011, 2012, 2015 sweep), Mark Martin (2011), Kasey Kahne (2012), Chase Elliott (2016, 2019) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2017). · Eight different manufacturers have won at least one pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway; led by Chevrolet with 37 and followed by Ford (29), Dodge (12), Mercury (five), Oldsmobile (five), Toyota (four) Pontiac (three), and Buick (two). WINS · A total of 51 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Talladega Superspeedway; 25 of the 51 NASCAR Cup Series winners at Talladega have won multiple times at the 2.66-mile track. · Eleven of the 51 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Talladega Superspeedway are active this weekend. Active Talladega Race Winners | Wins | Seasons | Brad Keselowski | 6 | 2021, '17, '16, '14, '12, '09 | Joey Logano | 3 | 2018, '16, '15 | Denny Hamlin | 2 | 2020, '14 | Ryan Blaney | 2 | 2020, '19 | Ross Chastain | 1 | 2022 | Bubba Wallace | 1 | 2021 | Chase Elliott | 1 | 2019 | Aric Almirola | 1 | 2018 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 1 | 2017 | Kevin Harvick | 1 | 2010 | Kyle Busch | 1 | 2008 |
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Talladega Superspeedway with 10 victories (1983, 1984, 1990 sweep, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1999 sweep and 2000). · Brad Keselowski leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in wins at Talladega Superspeedway with six victories (2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021); followed by Joey Logano with three wins (2015, 2016, 2018). · Nine different drivers have won consecutive series races at Talladega; led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. with four-straight victories from 2001-2003. Ryan Blaney is the most recent driver to win consecutive races at Talladega (2019-2020). · Youngest series Talladega winner is Bobby Hillin Jr. (July 27, 1986) at the age of 22 years, 1 month, 22 days. · Oldest series Talladega winner is Harry Gant (May 6, 1991) at the age of 51 years, 3 months, 26 days. · A total of 25 different starting positions have produced race winners in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway. · 15 of the 106 NASCAR Cup Series races (14.2%) at Talladega Superspeedway have been won from the pole or first starting position – the most recent driver to accomplish the feat was Denny Hamlin on October 4, 2020. · The outside front row (second starting position) is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. The most recent driver to win from the second starting position was Jimmie Johnson in 2011. NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Talladega Superspeedway Starting Position | Wins | Winning % | Starting Position | Wins | Winning % | 1 | 15 | 14.15% | 14 | 1 | 0.94% | 2 | 20 | 18.87% | 15 | 2 | 1.89% | 3 | 7 | 6.60% | 16 | 3 | 2.83% | 4 | 9 | 8.49% | 17 | 1 | 0.94% | 5 | 5 | 4.72% | 18 | 2 | 1.89% | 6 | 4 | 3.77% | 19 | 3 | 2.83% | 7 | 3 | 2.83% | 20 | 1 | 0.94% | 8 | 1 | 0.94% | 22 | 2 | 1.89% | 9 | 6 | 5.66% | 24 | 1 | 0.94% | 10 | 4 | 3.77% | 27 | 1 | 0.94% | 11 | 4 | 3.77% | 34 | 3 | 2.83% | 12 | 3 | 2.83% | 36 | 1 | 0.94% | 13 | 4 | 3.77% | | | | Stats | Winning % | Wins | Winning from the First Starting Position: | 14.15% | 15 | Winning from the Front Row: | 33.02% | 35 | Winning from a top-five Starting Position: | 52.83% | 56 | Winning from a top-10 Starting Position: | 69.81% | 74 | Winning After Starting Outside the top 20: | 8.49% | 9 |
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Talladega is 36th, by Jeff Gordon in the 2000 spring race. · The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Talladega is 34th, by Denny Hamlin in the 2014 spring race. · A total of 12 drivers have won their first NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway: First-Time Race Winners | Date | Bubba Wallace | Monday, October 4, 2021 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | Sunday, May 7, 2017 | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, April 26, 2009 | Brian Vickers | Sunday, October 8, 2006 | Ken Schrader | Sunday, July 31, 1988 | Phil Parsons | Sunday, May 1, 1988 | Davey Allison | Sunday, May 3, 1987 | Bobby Hillin Jr | Sunday, July 27, 1986 | Ron Bouchard | Sunday, August 2, 1981 | Lennie Pond | Sunday, August 6, 1978 | Dick Brooks | Sunday, August 12, 1973 | Richard Brickhouse | Sunday, September 14, 1969 |
· Martin Truex Jr. leads the NASCAR Cup Series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway without visiting Victory Lane at 35; followed by Michael McDowell with 23 and Landon Cassill at 19. · A total of 31 different organizations have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway, nine of the 31 are active this weekend: Active Winning Organizations at Talladega | Wins | Hendrick Motorsports | 13 | Richard Childress Racing | 12 | Team Penske | 10 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 5 | Wood Brothers Racing | 5 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing | 5 | Stewart-Haas Racing | 1 | 23XI Racing | 1 | Trackhouse Racing | 1 |
· Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Talladega Superspeedway with 13 victories among seven different drivers - Ken Schrader (1988), Jeff Gordon (1996, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007 sweep), Terry Labonte (1997), Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2011), Brian Vickers (2006), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2015) and Chase Elliott (2019). · Nine different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega; led by Chevrolet with 42 victories; followed by Ford (31), Mercury (seven), Buick (six), Oldsmobile (six), Toyota (five), Dodge (four), Plymouth (three) and Pontiac (two). ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS Runner-Up Finishes: · A total of 53 different drivers have finished runner-up at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. · Buddy Baker and Tony Stewart lead the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes at Talladega Superspeedway with six second-place finishes each. · Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with three runners-up finishes at Talladega Superspeedway. Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active) Rank | All-Time Drivers | Runner-Ups | Rank | Active Drivers | Runner-Ups | 1 | Buddy Baker | 6 | 1 | Kevin Harvick | 3 | 2 | Tony Stewart | 6 | 2 | Kyle Busch | 2 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 5 | 3 | Alex Bowman | 1 | 4 | Dale Jarrett | 5 | | Austin Dillon | 1 | 5 | Darrell Waltrip | 5 | | Brad Keselowski | 1 | | | | | | Erik Jones | 1 | | | | | | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 1 | | | | | | William Byron | 1 |
Top-Five Finishes: · A total of 123 different drivers have finished in the top-five at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. · NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top fives with 23 top-five finishes. · Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top fives at Talladega with nine each. Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active) Rank | All-Time Drivers | Top Fives | Rank | Active Drivers | Top Fives | 1 | Dale Earnhardt | 23 | 1 | Brad Keselowski | 9 | 2 | Jeff Gordon | 16 | | Denny Hamlin | 9 | 3 | Buddy Baker | 15 | | Joey Logano | 9 | 4 | Cale Yarborough | 14 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | 8 | | | Darrell Waltrip | 14 | 5 | Kyle Busch | 7 | | Terry Labonte | 14 | | | |
Top-10 Finishes: · A total of 207 different drivers have finished in the top-10 at Talladega in the NASCAR Cup Series. · NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top 10s with 27 top-10 finishes. · Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top 10s at Talladega with 19. Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active) Rank | All-Time Drivers | Top 10s | Rank | Active Drivers | Top 10s | 1 | Dale Earnhardt | 27 | 1 | Kevin Harvick | 19 | 2 | Mark Martin | 24 | 2 | Denny Hamlin | 14 | 3 | Terry Labonte | 23 | 3 | Brad Keselowski | 13 | 4 | Bill Elliott | 22 | 4 | Joey Logano | 11 | 5 | Kurt Busch | 21 | 5 | Aric Almirola | 9 | | | | | | Kyle Busch | 9 | | | | | | Martin Truex Jr | 9 | | | | | | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 9 |
Average Finish: · Pete Hamilton (five starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Talladega with a 5.6. · Ty Dillon (nine starts) leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Talladega with a 14.333. Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active) Rank | All-Time Drivers | Avg Finish | Races | Rank | Active Drivers | Avg Finish | Races | 1 | Pete Hamilton | 5.600 | 5 | 1 | Ty Dillon | 14.333 | 9 | 2 | John H. Nemechek | 8.000 | 2 | 2 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 15.000 | 18 | 3 | Bruce Jacobi | 10.000 | 2 | 3 | Chase Elliott | 15.231 | 13 | 4 | Anthony Alfredo | 11.000 | 2 | 4 | Brad Keselowski | 15.370 | 27 | 5 | Bobby Isaac | 12.375 | 8 | 5 | Kevin Harvick | 15.442 | 43 | 6 | Dale Earnhardt | 12.409 | 44 | 6 | Aric Almirola | 16.040 | 25 | 7 | David Ray Boggs | 12.500 | 2 | 7 | Ryan Blaney | 16.875 | 16 | 8 | Davey Allison | 12.667 | 15 | 8 | Denny Hamlin | 16.909 | 33 | 9 | Billy Hagan | 13.500 | 2 | 9 | Joey Logano | 17.519 | 27 | 10 | Ty Dillon | 14.333 | 9 | 10 | Austin Dillon | 18.000 | 18 |
LAP LEADERS · A total of 206 different drivers in series history have led at least one lap at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. · NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in laps led at Talladega with 1,377 in 44 starts. · Joey Logano leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led at Talladega with 417 in 27 starts. Top 10 Lap Leaders at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active) Rank | All-Time Drivers | Led | Completed | % Led | Rank | Active Drivers | Led | Completed | % Led | 1 | Dale Earnhardt | 1,377 | 7,199 | 19% | 1 | Joey Logano | 417 | 4,712 | 9% | 2 | Buddy Baker | 1,137 | 6,161 | 18% | 2 | Brad Keselowski | 313 | 4,922 | 6% | 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 967 | 6,134 | 16% | 3 | Kevin Harvick | 292 | 7,661 | 4% | 4 | Jeff Gordon | 902 | 7,963 | 11% | 4 | Kyle Busch | 263 | 5,963 | 4% | 5 | Bobby Allison | 703 | 5,267 | 13% | 5 | Ryan Blaney | 197 | 2,819 | 7% | 6 | Darrell Waltrip | 666 | 8,071 | 8% | 6 | Chase Elliott | 173 | 2,317 | 7% | 7 | Cale Yarborough | 593 | 4,731 | 13% | 7 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 104 | 3,047 | 3% | 8 | Bill Elliott | 526 | 9,594 | 5% | 8 | William Byron | 94 | 1,593 | 6% | 9 | Matt Kenseth | 524 | 6,836 | 8% | 9 | Martin Truex Jr | 75 | 6,019 | 1% | 10 | Jimmie Johnson | 474 | 6,777 | 7% | 10 | Aric Almirola | 71 | 4,473 | 2% |
· The most laps led in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway by the race winner was 153 of the scheduled 188 laps (81.4%) by Pete Hamilton on August 23, 1970 – he started the race in the fourth position. · The most laps led in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway by a driver that did not win the race was 142 of the scheduled 192 laps (73.9%) by Matt Kenseth on May 5, 2013 – he started the race in the sixth position and finished eighth. · Three times the winner of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway has led only one lap – the final lap: o Jeff Gordon in 2007, started 34th and led just the final lap to win the race beating his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson to the line by 0.66-second. o Brad Keselowski in 2009, started ninth and led just the final lap to win the race beating
Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the line by 0.175-second. o Aric Almirola in 2018, started fourth and led just the final lap to win the race beating his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Clint Bowyer by 0.105-second. o Brad Keselowski earlier this season, started 10th and led just the final lap to win the race beating
William Byron to the line by 0.102-second. TRACK / EVENT SPECIFIC STATS · There have been 17 NASCAR Cup Series races resulting in NASCAR Overtime at Talladega (the most of any track): Date | Scheduled | Actual | Overtime | Race Winners | Sunday, April 25, 2021 | 188 | 191 | 3 | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, October 4, 2020 | 188 | 200 | 12 | Denny Hamlin | Monday, June 22, 2020 | 188 | 191 | 3 | Ryan Blaney | Sunday, October 14, 2018 | 188 | 193 | 5 | Aric Almirola | Sunday, May 7, 2017 | 188 | 191 | 3 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Sunday, October 23, 2016 | 188 | 192 | 4 | Joey Logano | Sunday, October 25, 2015 | 188 | 196 | 8 | Joey Logano | Sunday, October 19, 2014 | 188 | 194 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, May 5, 2013 | 188 | 192 | 4 | David Ragan | Sunday, October 7, 2012 | 188 | 189 | 1 | Matt Kenseth | Sunday, May 6, 2012 | 188 | 194 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, April 25, 2010 | 188 | 200 | 12 | Kevin Harvick | Sunday, November 1, 2009 | 188 | 191 | 3 | Jamie McMurray | Sunday, October 5, 2008 | 188 | 190 | 2 | Tony Stewart | Sunday, April 29, 2007 | 188 | 192 | 4 | Jeff Gordon | Sunday, October 2, 2005 | 188 | 190 | 2 | Dale Jarrett | Sunday, May 1, 2005 | 188 | 194 | 6 | Jeff Gordon |
· Three of the 106 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway have been shortened due to weather conditions: Date | Scheduled | Actual | Fewer | Race Winners | Sunday, July 28, 1996 | 188 | 129 | -59 | Jeff Gordon | Thursday, April 30, 1987 | 188 | 178 | -10 | Davey Allison | Monday, October 4, 2021 | 188 | 117 | -71 | Bubba Wallace |
· Qualifying has been cancelled in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway eight times: 2002 (Fall), 2009 (Fall), 2010 (Spring), 2013 (Spring & Fall), 2020 (Playoffs – Metric Qualifying), 2021 (April - Metric Qualifying) and 2021 (Playoffs – Metric Qualifying). · Three times the NASCAR Cup Series race held at Talladega Superspeedway was not run on its originally scheduled date: o The April 27, 1997 race was postponed due to inclement weather to May 10, 1997 – Mark Martin won the event. o The April 26, 2020 race was postponed to June 22, 2020 due to the stoppage in sports as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – Ryan Blaney won the event. o The October 3, 2021 race was postponed to Oct. 4, 2021 (Monday) due to weather. · Since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993, the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway is the April 17, 2011 race won by Jimmie Johnson over second-place Clint Bowyer with a Margin of Victory of 0.002 second – the MOV is tied with the 2003 Darlington race as the closest finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series using electronic scoring. Top Five NASCAR Cup Series Margins of Victory at Talladega Superspeedway Rank | Race Winner | Runner-Up | Margin of Victory | Date | 1 | Jimmie Johnson | Clint Bowyer | 0.002 | Sunday, April 17, 2011 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt | Ernie Irvan | 0.005 | Sunday, July 25, 1993 | 3 | Ryan Blaney | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 0.007 | Monday, June 22, 2020 | 4 | Ryan Blaney | Ryan Newman | 0.007 | Sunday, October 13, 2019 | 5 | Kevin Harvick | Jamie McMurray | 0.011 | Sunday, April 25, 2010 |
FEMALE COMPETITOR STATS · Three female drivers have competed at Talladega in the NASCAR Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Patty Moise and Danica Patrick. Driver | Starting Position | Finishing Position | Date | Danica Patrick | 13 | 21 | Sunday, October 15, 2017 | Danica Patrick | 31 | 38 | Sunday, May 7, 2017 | Danica Patrick | 30 | 20 | Sunday, October 23, 2016 | Danica Patrick | 37 | 24 | Sunday, May 1, 2016 | Danica Patrick | 20 | 27 | Sunday, October 25, 2015 | Danica Patrick | 25 | 21 | Sunday, May 3, 2015 | Danica Patrick | 27 | 19 | Sunday, October 19, 2014 | Danica Patrick | 7 | 22 | Sunday, May 4, 2014 | Danica Patrick | 23 | 33 | Sunday, October 20, 2013 | Danica Patrick | 23 | 33 | Sunday, May 5, 2013 | | | | | | Driver | Starting Position | Finishing Position | Date | Patty Moise | 36 | 33 | Sunday, July 30, 1989 | | | | | | Driver | Starting Position | Finishing Position | Date | Janet Guthrie | 12 | 29 | Sunday, August 6, 1978 | Janet Guthrie | 9 | 34 | Sunday, August 7, 1977 | Janet Guthrie | 13 | 32 | Sunday, May 1, 1977 |
NASCAR IN ALABAMA · There have been 174 NASCAR national series races held in the state of Alabama among seven different tracks: Track Name | City | Cup | Xfinity | Truck | Combined | First Year | Talladega Superspeedway | Talladega | 106 | 33 | 16 | 155 | 1969 | Birmingham International Raceway | Birmingham | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1958 | Chisholm Speedway | Montgomery | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1956 | Dixie Speedway | Birmingham | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1960 | Huntsville Speedway | Huntsville | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1962 | Lakeview Speedway | Mobile | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1951 | Montgomery Motor Speedway | Montgomery | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1955 | Totals | | 125 | 33 | 16 | 174 | |
· The very first NASCAR national series race held in the state of Alabama was a NASCAR Cup Series event held at Lakeview Speedway (Mobile) in 1951 – the race was won by Tim Flock (Oldsmobile). · The first race held at Talladega Superspeedway was in 1969 – the event was won by Richard Brickhouse (Dodge). ALABAMA DRIVERS IN NASCAR · A total of 76 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Alabama. · 11 drivers from Alabama have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; six have won in the NASCAR Cup Series. · NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison (Hueytown) is the winningest driver from Alabama posting the fourth most NASCAR Cup Series wins all-time at 84. Driver | Cup | Xfinity | Truck | Combined | Bobby Allison | 84 | 2 | 0 | 86 | Tim Flock | 39 | 0 | 0 | 39 | Davey Allison | 19 | 0 | 0 | 19 | Neil Bonnett | 18 | 1 | 0 | 19 | Donnie Allison | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | Red Byron | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Bubba Wallace | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8 | Steve Grissom | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 | Grant Enfinger | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | Rick Crawford | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | Cale Gale | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Totals | 174 | 14 | 19 | 207 |
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  cup series |  xxfinity series |
2022 NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE Date | Race / Track | Sunday, February 6 | Clash (L.A. Memorial Coliseum) | Thursday, February 17 | Duel at Daytona | Sunday, February 20 | DAYTONA 500 | Sunday, February 27 | Auto Club | Sunday, March 6 | Las Vegas | Sunday, March 13 | Phoenix | Sunday, March 20 | Atlanta | Sunday, March 27 | COTA | Sunday, April 3 | Richmond | Saturday, April 9 | Martinsville | Sunday, April 17 | Bristol Dirt | Sunday, April 24 | Talladega | Sunday, May 1 | Dover | Sunday, May 8 | Darlington | Sunday, May 15 | Kansas | Sunday, May 22 | All-Star (Texas) | Sunday, May 29 | Charlotte | Sunday, June 5 | World Wide Technology Raceway | Sunday, June 12 | Sonoma | Sunday, June 26 | Nashville Superspeedway | Sunday, July 3 | Road America | Sunday, July 10 | Atlanta | Sunday, July 17 | New Hampshire | Sunday, July 24 | Pocono | Sunday, July 31 | Indianapolis Road Course | Sunday, August 7 | Michigan | Sunday, August 14 | Richmond | Sunday, August 21 | Watkins Glen | Saturday, August 27 | Daytona | Sunday, September 4 | Darlington | Sunday, September 11 | Kansas | Saturday, September 17 | Bristol | Sunday, September 25 | Texas | Sunday, October 2 | Talladega | Sunday, October 9 | Charlotte Roval | Sunday, October 16 | Las Vegas | Sunday, October 23 | Homestead-Miami | Sunday, October 30 | Martinsville | Sunday, November 6 | Phoenix |
| 2022 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES SCHEDULE Date | Race / Track | Saturday, February 19 | Daytona | Saturday, February 26 | Auto Club | Saturday, March 5 | Las Vegas | Saturday, March 12 | Phoenix | Saturday, March 19 | Atlanta | Saturday, March 26 | COTA | Saturday, April 2 | Richmond | Friday, April 8 | Martinsville | Saturday, April 23 | Talladega | Saturday, April 30 | Dover | Saturday, May 7 | Darlington | Saturday, May 21 | Texas | Saturday, May 28 | Charlotte | Saturday, June 4 | Portland International Raceway | Saturday, June 25 | Nashville Superspeedway | Saturday, July 2 | Road America | Saturday, July 9 | Atlanta | Saturday, July 16 | New Hampshire | Saturday, July 23 | Pocono | Saturday, July 30 | Indianapolis Road Course | Saturday, August 6 | Michigan | Saturday, August 20 | Watkins Glen | Friday, August 26 | Daytona | Saturday, September 3 | Darlington | Saturday, September 10 | Kansas | Friday, September 16 | Bristol | Saturday, September 24 | Texas | Saturday, October 1 | Talladega | Saturday, October 8 | Charlotte Roval | Saturday, October 15 | Las Vegas | Saturday, October 22 | Homestead-Miami | Saturday, October 29 | Martinsville | Saturday, November 5 | Phoenix |
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 CAMPING WORLD truck series | |
2022 NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE Date | Race / Track | Friday, February 18 | Daytona | Friday, March 4 | Las Vegas | Saturday, March 19 | Atlanta | Saturday, March 26 | COTA | Thursday, April 7 | Martinsville | Saturday, April 16 | Bristol Dirt | Friday, May 6 | Darlington | Saturday, May 14 | Kansas | Friday, May 20 | Texas | Friday, May 27 | Charlotte | Saturday, June 4 | World Wide Technology Raceway | Saturday, June 11 | Sonoma | Saturday, June 18 | Knoxville | Friday, June 24 | Nashville Superspeedway | Saturday, July 9 | Mid-Ohio | Saturday, July 23 | Pocono | Friday, July 29 | Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis | Saturday, August 13 | Richmond | Friday, September 9 | Kansas | Thursday, September 15 | Bristol | Saturday, October 1 | Talladega | Saturday, October 22 | Homestead-Miami | Friday, November 4 | Phoenix |
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| cup series | xxfinity series | CAMPING WORLD truck series |
2023 NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE |
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