By Reggie Gatlin-Holt

NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: YellaWood 500

The Place: Talladega Superspeedway

Track Length: 2.66 Mile Asphalt Superspeedway

The Date: Sunday, October 6

The Time: 2 p.m. ET

The Purse: $9,222,964

TV: NBC, 1:30 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: United Rentals 250

The Place: Talladega Superspeedway

Track Length: 2.66 Mile Asphalt Superspeedway

The Date: Saturday, October 5

The Time: 4 p.m. ET

The Purse: $1,337,574

TV: CW, 3:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 250.04 miles (94 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 25),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 50), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 94)

 

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: Love’s RV Stop 225

The Place: Talladega Superspeedway

Track Length: 2.66 Mile Asphalt Superspeedway

The Date: Friday, October 4

The Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

The Purse: $880,113

TV: FS1, 4:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 226.1 miles (85 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 85)

 

NASCAR Cup Series

Playoffs’ Round of 12 serves up the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway

With non-Playoff driver Ross Chastain snatching the win at Kansas Speedway to open the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 12, all 12 postseason challengers find themselves searching for a way to clinch their spot in the Round of 8. But this weekend, the competitors will have to face one of the biggest hurdles in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – Talladega Superspeedway – and its 2.66-miles of asphalt with 33 degrees of banking in the turns in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) – the sixth and final drafting style race of the season.

Hendrick Motorsport’s Willam Byron finished runner-up to Chastain at Kansas last week and in doing so jumped to the top of the Playoff standings, up +34 points on the Round of 8 cutline. Following Byron above the next round’s cutline in the points are Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney (+28), Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell (+28), Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson (+18), Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin (+11), Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman (+8), Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott (+4) and Team Penske’s Joey Logano (+4). A formidable group of four former series champions.

 

Sitting on the other side of the Round of 8’s cutoff are 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick (-4), Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez (-14), Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe (-25) and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric (-29).

 

2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings Outlook
Following Kansas Speedway – September 29, 2024
Round of 12 – Race No. 4 of 10
Rank	Driver	Vehicle	Points	Race Wins	Stage Wins	Playoff Pts	+/- Cutoff
1	William Byron	24	3,074	3	2	23	34
2	Ryan Blaney	12	3,068	2	4	19	28
3	Christopher Bell	20	3,068	3	10	32	28
4	Kyle Larson	5	3,058	5	12	47	18
5	Denny Hamlin	11	3,051	3	6	15	11
6	Alex Bowman	48	3,048	1	1	6	8
7	Chase Elliott	9	3,044	1	1	14	4
8	Joey Logano	22	3,044	2	2	12	4
9	Tyler Reddick	45	3,040	2	3	28	-4
10	Daniel Suarez	99	3,030	1	1	6	-14
11	Chase Briscoe	14	3,019	1	0	5	-25
12	Austin Cindric	2	3,015	1	3	8	-29

 

Playoff Clinch Scenarios: Talladega Superspeedway

Just two races left for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff competitors in the Round of 12 to secure their spot in the Round of 8, and plenty of opportunity awaits the postseason contenders as all eight spots are still up for grabs at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend in the YellaWood 500 (Sunday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) the fifth race of the 2024 postseason. Below are this weekend’s clinch scenarios.

Already Clinched

No drivers have clinched a spot in the 8-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 William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Alex Bowman or Chase Elliott.

• William Byron: Could only clinch with help
• Ryan Blaney: Could only clinch with help
• Christopher Bell: Could only clinch with help
• Kyle Larson: Could only clinch with help
• Denny Hamlin: Could only clinch with help
• Alex Bowman: Could only clinch with help
• Chase Elliott: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Joey Logano 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.

• William Byron: Could only clinch with help
• Ryan Blaney: Could only clinch with help
• Christopher Bell: Could only clinch with help
• Kyle Larson: Could only clinch with help
• Denny Hamlin: Could only clinch with help
• Alex Bowman: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

• William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Suarez, Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric

 

Playoffs’ Ultimate Wildcard: Talladega Superspeedway

The 2024 season marks the eighth consecutive year Talladega Superspeedway will host the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2017-2024) – race No. 31 of the 36-race season.

 

Talladega is the third different track to host the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs; alongside 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 is one of four tracks that has participated in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs since its inception into the series in 2004, along with Martinsville Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Phoenix Raceway.

 

Talladega has occupied five different spots on the postseason schedule. The Alabama superspeedway has hosted the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2004 – 2005); the fourth race (2006 – 2008 and 2012); the fifth race (2017-2024); the sixth race (2011, 2013 – 2016); and the seventh race (2009 – 2010).

 

A total of 15 different drivers have won the 20 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races at Talladega Superspeedway (2004-2024), and six of the 15 are active this weekend.

 

Five drivers lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Playoff race wins at Talladega Superspeedway with two victories each: Ryan Blaney (2019, 2023), Brad Keselowski (2014, 2017), Clint Bowyer (2010, 2011), Jamie McMurray (2009, 2013) and Joey Logano (2015, 2016).

 

Four of the six active Talladega Playoff race winners are postseason contenders this year – Chase Elliott (2022), Denny Hamlin (2020), Ryan Blaney (2019, 2023) and Joey Logano (2015, 2016). *Current Playoff contenders are bolded in chart below.

 

Talladega Superspeedway Playoff Race Winners
Track	Race Winner	Date	Race Number
Talladega	Dale Earnhardt Jr	Sunday, October 3, 2004	29
Talladega	Dale Jarrett	Sunday, October 2, 2005	29
Talladega	Brian Vickers	Sunday, October 8, 2006	30
Talladega	Jeff Gordon	Sunday, October 7, 2007	30
Talladega	Tony Stewart	Sunday, October 5, 2008	30
Talladega	Jamie McMurray	Sunday, November 1, 2009	33
Talladega	Clint Bowyer	Sunday, October 31, 2010	33
Talladega	Clint Bowyer	Sunday, October 23, 2011	32
Talladega	Matt Kenseth	Sunday, October 7, 2012	30
Talladega	Jamie McMurray	Sunday, October 20, 2013	32
Talladega	Brad Keselowski	Sunday, October 19, 2014	32
Talladega	Joey Logano	Sunday, October 25, 2015	32
Talladega	Joey Logano	Sunday, October 23, 2016	32
Talladega	Brad Keselowski	Sunday, October 15, 2017	31
Talladega	Aric Almirola	Sunday, October 14, 2018	31
Talladega	Ryan Blaney	Sunday, October 13, 2019	31
Talladega	Denny Hamlin	Sunday, October 4, 2020	31
Talladega	Bubba Wallace	Monday, October 4, 2021	31
Talladega	Chase Elliott	Sunday, October 2, 2022	31
Talladega	Ryan Blaney	Sunday, October 1, 2023	31

 

During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Era (2004-Present), only once has the winner of the Talladega Superspeedway Playoff race gone on to win the title in the same season – Ryan Blaney (2023).

 

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: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2021.

 

• 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.

Playoff Race No. 5: Diving into the Cup Playoffs’ midway point

The NASCAR Cup Series is reaching the midway point of the postseason, and the fifth race of the Playoffs can be a crucial moment in a competitor’s championship run.

Heading into this weekend, a total of 15 different drivers have won the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

 

At Talladega on Sunday, six of the 15 drivers that have won the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are entered in the Cup race.

 

Four of the six active drivers that have won the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are currently competing in the Playoffs this weekend – Chase Elliott (2022 Talladega), Denny Hamlin (2021 Talladega), Ryan Blaney (2019 and 2023 Talladega) and Joey Logano (2015 Kansas).

 

NASCAR Hall of Famer 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).

 

RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski (2013 Charlotte and 2017 Talladega) and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney (2019 and 2023 at Talladega) lead all active drivers in wins in the fifth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with two victories each. *Current Playoff contenders are bolded in chart below.

 

Playoff Race No. 5 – Race Winners (Season Race No. 31 of 36)
Track	Race Winner	Date	Race Number
Charlotte	Jimmie Johnson	Saturday, October 16, 2004	31
Charlotte	Jimmie Johnson	Saturday, October 15, 2005	31
Charlotte	Kasey Kahne	Saturday, October 14, 2006	31
Charlotte	Jeff Gordon	Saturday, October 13, 2007	31
Charlotte	Jeff Burton	Saturday, October 11, 2008	31
Charlotte	Jimmie Johnson	Saturday, October 17, 2009	31
Charlotte	Jamie McMurray	Saturday, October 16, 2010	31
Charlotte	Matt Kenseth	Saturday, October 15, 2011	31
Charlotte	Clint Bowyer	Saturday, October 13, 2012	31
Charlotte	Brad Keselowski	Saturday, October 12, 2013	31
Charlotte	Kevin Harvick	Saturday, October 11, 2014	31
Kansas	Joey Logano	Sunday, October 18, 2015	31
Kansas	Kevin Harvick	Sunday, October 16, 2016	31
Talladega	Brad Keselowski	Sunday, October 15, 2017	31
Talladega	Aric Almirola	Sunday, October 14, 2018	31
Talladega	Ryan Blaney	Sunday, October 13, 2019	31
Talladega	Denny Hamlin	Sunday, October 4, 2020	31
Talladega	Bubba Wallace	Monday, October 4, 2021	31
Talladega	Chase Elliott	Sunday, October 2, 2022	31
Talladega	Ryan Blaney	Sunday, October 1, 2023	31

Three times the winner of the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2004-2023) has gone on to win the championship later that same season: 2009, 2014 and 2023.

  

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.

 

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.

 

In 2023, Ryan Blaney won the fifth race in the Playoffs from the 10th starting spot at Talladega Superspeedway and then went on to win his first NASCAR Cup Series title – it was his first of two wins in the 2023 postseason.

 

Three times a non-Playoff driver has won the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs: 2010, 2013 and 2021.

 

• 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 Superspeedway

Since opening the gates at Talladega Superspeedway, it has been deemed one of the most daunting tracks on the schedule and this weekend’s YellaWood 500 (Sunday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) looks to be another fantastic opportunity for some close side-by-side drafting competition.

In total there have been 110 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, one Cup event in 1969, and two races per year since 1970. Among the 110 Cup events, the track has hosted 20 Playoff races in the NASCAR Cup Series (2004-2023).

Overall, 48 different drivers have qualified on the pole at Talladega Superspeedway, 24 of the 48 have done it multiple times, and seven of the 48 NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at Talladega are active this weekend. Three of the seven active Talladega Cup pole winners are Playoff contenders – Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin.

 

Active Talladega Pole Winners	Poles	Seasons
Christopher Bell	2	2022 sweep
Chase Elliott	2	2019, ’16
Michael McDowell	1	2024
Denny Hamlin	1	2023
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). Chase Elliott (2016, 2019) and Christopher Bell (2022 sweep) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Talladega with two each.

 

The 110 Cup races at Talladega have also produced 52 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).

 

This weekend, 10 of the 52 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Talladega Superspeedway are active, led by Brad Keselowski with six wins at the 2.66-mile track (2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021). Of the 10 active Talladega winners entered this weekend, five are current Playoff drivers – Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick. Reddick is the most recent winner taking the checkered flag earlier this season and Blaney is the defending winner of the Talladega Playoff race last season.

 

Active Talladega Race Winners	Wins	Seasons
Brad Keselowski	6	2021, ’17, ’16, ’14, ’12, ’09
Ryan Blaney	3	2023, ’20, ’19
Joey Logano	3	2018, ’16, ’15
Kyle Busch	2	2023, ’08
Chase Elliott	2	2022, ’19
Denny Hamlin	2	2020, ’14
Tyler Reddick	1	2024
Ross Chastain	1	2022
Bubba Wallace	1	2021
Ricky Stenhouse Jr	1	2017

 

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. Interestingly, 21 different drivers have won a stage this season, the most since stage racing was introduced in 2017. 

 

No practice this weekend. On-track activity for the NASCAR Cup Series begins with Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday, October 5 at 1:30 p.m. ET and will broadcast on the USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Playoff Bubble: Round of 12 provides plenty of volatility

While the unpredictability of the close quarters racing at Talladega Superspeedway, or the multiple twists and turns of the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL are enough to keep the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff teams up at night, but 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 eight of the 10 postseason races held (2014-2023).

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 in 2021, for the first-time since the ‘elimination-style’ format was introduced in 2014, a non-Playoff driver (Bubba Wallace) won the Talladega Superspeedway NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race.

Since 2014, six of the 10 Talladega Playoff races have been won by drivers below the Round of 8 cutline heading into the weekend – 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Talladega Superspeedway Playoff Race Winners Since 2014
Track	Race Winner	Clinch Status Heading Into ‘Dega	Date
Talladega	Ryan Blaney	11th in Points	Sunday, October 1, 2023
Talladega	Chase Elliott	7th in Points	Sunday, October 2, 2022
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, Tyler Reddick (ninth), Daniel Suarez (10th), Chase Briscoe (11th) and Austin Cindric (12th) find themselves south of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 cutline as they head into the Playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Drivers below the Round of 8 cutline at Talladega Superspeedway:

Tyler Reddick (No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota)

• One win, one top five, three top 10s
• Average Finish of 19.000, 20th-best
• Average Running Position of 18.931, 23rd-best
• Driver Rating of 67.7, 26th-best
• 701 Laps in the Top 15 (42.6%), 20th-most
• Most recent winner at Talladega, but it’s his only top-15 finish in the Next Gen car at the track

 

Daniel Suárez (No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet)

• Four top 10s
• Average Finish of 19.867, 25th-best
• Average Running Position of 19.721, 27th-best
• Driver Rating of 67.3, 27th-best
• 1,088 Laps in the Top 15 (39.1%), 23rd-most
• Has finished in the top-10 in three of his five starts in the Next Gen car at Talladega

Chase Briscoe (No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford)

• One top five, two top 10s
• Average Finish of 14.571, fourth-best
• Average Running Position of 23.684, 37th-best
• Driver Rating of 66.0, 30th-best
• 343 Laps in the Top 15 (27.3%), 33rd-most
• Has finished inside the top-15 in six of his seven Talladega starts, has more top 15s at Talladega than any other track

 

Austin Cindric (No. 2 Team Penske Ford)

• One top five, two top 10s
• Average Finish of 17.000, 15th-best
• Average Running Position of 16.512, eighth-best
• Driver Rating of 78.2, 12th-best
• 467 Laps in the Top 15 (49.3%), 10th-most
• Leads all drivers in points earned and laps led on drafting tracks in 2024, finished fifth in this race last season

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.

NASCAR Studios and Words + Pictures Announce Partnership – NASCAR Studios and Words + Pictures, the team behind the critically acclaimed Netflix docuseries FULL SPEED, announced this week the formation of FULL SPEED ENTERTAINMENT, a production partnership that will develop and produce a wide swath of premium racing content, ranging from documentaries, series and special events to studio shows, podcasts, and more.

Among the venture’s projects will be the much-anticipated second season of FULL SPEED, which will premiere on Netflix in 2025.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be expanding our partnership with NASCAR with Full Speed Entertainment,” said Connor Schell, the CEO and founder of Words + Pictures. “The first season of Full Speed was a really rewarding project for our company, and it was a thrill to work side-by-side with NASCAR Studios every step of the way. The opportunity to bring audiences more great racing content and collaborate with NASCAR opens a wealth of possibilities we can’t wait to get working on.”

The partnership will allow Words + Pictures to significantly expand their development focus in the racing space and work closely with NASCAR Studios on content all across the storytelling spectrum.

“Early into the Full Speed process, I knew we wanted to find more ways to collaborate and capitalize on new opportunities for NASCAR as cultural demand for compelling sports stories continues to grow,” said Tim Clark, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief brand officer. “Words + Pictures is the premier storyteller in the sports content space, and Connor’s team excels in not just generating big ideas and visions, but executing them in ways that captivate big audiences.”

“It’s such a natural partnership for NASCAR Studios and for me personally,” said John Dahl, whom NASCAR hired in the spring as the company’s new senior vice president of content. “I have so much respect and appreciation for Connor. We’ve had a great working relationship and friendship going back to the creation of ESPN Films and 30 for 30, and I’m excited about all the possibilities we can explore in this new chapter.”

Full Speed Entertainment is in development on a range of projects, with more announcements expected soon. Emmy-winner Tally Hair, who’s an executive producer on Full Speed, will serve as general manager for the new partnership.

 

Kyle Busch’s winless streak reaches 51 races, longest of his career – Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch continues to search for Victory Lane this season in the NASCAR Cup Series, and now is haunted by a 51-race winless streak, the longest winless streak of his career (his previous longest was 36 races), that dates back to World Wide Technology Raceway on June 6, 2023. Busch led 26 laps last weekend and looked poised to possibly get the win but didn’t due to damaging his car after contact with the wall while trying to pass Chase Briscoe. Now the veteran, Busch, heads to Talladega Superspeedway a track he won at last season.

Busch is also starring down a career-long streak of winning at least one race per season the last 19 consecutive seasons – a series record. But the Las Vegas native only has six races left in the season to find his way to Victory Lane once more.

Busch has made 38 series starts at Talladega posting two wins, eight top five and 10 top 10s.

Crew Member Spotlight: Talladega Superspeedway – This weekend at Talladega Superspeedway we wanted to highlight several of the team’s crew members that are from the surrounding areas of the track in Alabama.

ALABAMA
CREW MEMBER	ORGANIZATION	TEAM	ROLE	HOMETOWN
RJ Barnette	Hendrick Motorsports	5	Tire Carrier	Pinson, AL
Adam Crawford	23XI Racing	23	Interior Specialist	Semmes, AL
Josh Appleby	Trackhouse Racing	99	Jackman	Athens, AL

 

Milestone Watch: Talladega Superspeedway – Below are the possible milestones that can be achieved this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway or in coming weeks in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Starts

• Bubba Wallace will make his 250th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend becoming the 117th different driver to make 250 or more starts in the series.

 

In Wallace’s previous 249 starts, he has put up two wins (Talladega, Kansas), 22 top fives, 43 top 10s and three poles.

Five drivers have won one their 250th career start in the series – Dale Earnhardt (Darlington, 3/29/1987), Joe Nemechek (Rockingham, 11/4/2001), Joey Logano (Kansas, 10/18/2015), Brad Keselowski (Daytona, 7/2/2016) and Chris Buescher (Bristol, 9/17/2022).

• Christopher Bell will make his 175th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend becoming the 166th different driver to make 175 starts or more in the series.

 

In Bell’s previous 174 starts, he has posted nine wins, 42 top fives, 80 top 10s and 12 poles.

Three drivers have won one their 175th career start in the series – Junior Johnson (Soth Boston, 8/27/1961), Jeff Gordon (Indianapolis, 8/1/1998) and Ryan Blaney (Talladega, 6/22/2020).

• Joey Logano is expected to make his 575th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

• William Byron is expected to make his 250th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

• Michael McDowell is expected to make his 500th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Martinsville Speedway.

 

Poles

 

• Kyle Busch currently has 34 NASCAR Cup Series poles, if he were to win another pole, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett for 21st on the all-time pole winners list with 35 poles each.

• Joey Logano currently has 31 NASCAR Cup Series poles (tied with Kevin Harvick), if he were to win another pole, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famers Fireball Roberts and Fred Lorenzen for 24th on the all-time pole winners list with 32 poles each.

• Martin Truex Jr. currently has 23 NASCAR Cup Series poles (tied with Ken Schrader and Jack Smith), if he were to win another pole, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki for 33rd on the all-time pole winners list with 24 poles each.

 

Wins

• Denny Hamlin currently has 54 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace for 11th on the all-time wins list with 55 victories each.

• Brad Keselowski currently has 36 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie Bobby Isaac for 23rd on the all-time wins list with 37 victories each.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

 

Playoff Wildcard Talladega Superspeedway is on the horizon

The NASCAR Xfinity Series kicked off the 2024 Playoffs last weekend at Kansas Speedway and is now setting its eyes on Talladega Superspeedway for the United Rentals 250 on Saturday, October 5 at 4 p.m. ET on the CW Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) – for the second race of the Round of 12.

There have been 36 Xfinity Series races at Talladega, producing 29 different race winners and 23 different pole winners. Only three races have been won from the pole or first starting position – Justin Haley (2020), Tony Stewart (2008) and Joe Nemechek (1998).

Nemechek holds quite a few records at the track – most poles (five), top 10s (nine), lead lap finishes (14), laps completed (2,153), laps led (202), and is tied with Joey Logano for most top fives with seven. Martin Truex Jr. sits as the track’s winningest driver with three victories (2004, 2005, 2006).

This will be the fourth time that Talladega Superspeedway serves as the second race in the Round of 12 (2024, 2022, 2021, 2020), The 2.66-mile track did not serve as a Playoff track in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2023.

Xfinity Series drivers will skip practice this weekend and head straight for qualifying on Saturday, October 5 at 11:30 a.m. ET on the USA Network and streamed on the NBC Sports App.

Playoff Clinch Scenarios: ‘Dega Style

With a win by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Aric Almirola in the Round of 12 opener at Kansas last weekend, not one of the 12 Playoff drivers have clinched their spot in the Round of 8, and now get to line-up at Talladega Superspeedway hoping to get a good finish at the unpredictable track. Here are the clinch scenarios heading into this weekend’s United Rentals 250.

Already Clinched

No drivers have clinched a spot in the 8-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 Cole Custer, Chandler Smith, Austin Hill, Sam Mayer, Sheldon Creed, Shane Van Gisbergen or Jesse Love.

• Cole Custer: Could only clinch with help
• Chandler Smith: Could only clinch with help
• Austin Hill: Could only clinch with help
• Sam Mayer: Could only clinch with help
• Sheldon Creed: Could only clinch with help
• Shane Van Gisbergen: Could only clinch with help
• Jesse Love: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Riley Herbst 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.

• Cole Custer: Could only clinch with help
• Chandler Smith: Could only clinch with help
• Austin Hill: Could only clinch with help
• Sam Mayer: Could only clinch with help
• Sheldon Creed: Could only clinch with help
• Shane Van Gisbergen: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

• Cole Custer, Chandler Smith, Austin Hill, Sam Mayer, Sheldon Creed, Shane Van Gisbergen, Jesse Love, Riley Herbst, Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Parker Kligerman, Sammy Smith

NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Playoff Projection Following Kansas Speedway – 9/28/24
Rank	Driver	Vehicle	Points	Race Wins	Stage Wins	Playoff Pts	+/- Cutoff
1	Cole Custer (P)	00	2,079	2	3	28	41
2	Chandler Smith (P)	81	2,074	2	6	24	36
3	Austin Hill (P)	21	2,064	3	3	25	26
4	Sam Mayer (P)	1	2,051	2	2	12	13
5	Sheldon Creed (P)	18	2,048	0	1	7	10
6	Shane van Gisbergen # (P)	97	2,046	3	2	17	8
7	Jesse Love # (P)	2	2,041	1	4	13	3
8	Riley Herbst (P)	98	2,039	1	2	10	1
9	Justin Allgaier (P)	7	2,038	2	14	34	-1
10	AJ Allmendinger (P)	16	2,026	0	1	6	-13
11	Parker Kligerman (P)	48	2,024	0	1	-2	-15
12	Sammy Smith (P)	8	2,016	0	0	1	-23

Scouting the Xfinity Series Playoff field at Talladega

With only two opportunities left to advance to the Round of 8, drivers will be sure to put on their best show at a track that always leaves fans expecting the unexpected.

Let’s take a look at how the Playoff field has done at the Talladega, Alabama 2.66-mile track (in standings order):

1. Cole Custer has made five starts posting one top five, three top 10s, and has led four laps.
2. Chandler Smith has made three starts posting a best finish of 25th in 2023 and 2024 and has led four laps.
3. Austin Hill has made five starts posting three poles, a best finish of 14th in 2022 and 2024, and has led 182 laps.
4. Sam Mayer has made five starts, with a best finish of runner-up in 2022 and has led five laps.
5. Sheldon Creed has made four starts posting one top five, two top 10s and has led 14 laps.
6. Shane van Gisbergen made his debut at the track earlier this season where he finished 22nd.
7. Jesse Love also made his debut earlier this season and won his first Xfinity Series race.
8. Riley Herbst has made eight starts posting two top fives, three top 10s, and has led 39 laps.
9. Justin Allgaier has made 17 starts posting four top fives, seven top 10s, and has led 112 laps.
10. A.J. Allmendinger has made seven starts posting one win (2022), three top fives, four top 10s, and has led 36 laps.
11. Parker Kligerman has made five starts posting one top five, three top 10s, and has led 14 laps.
12. Sammy Smith has made two starts, with a best finish of 21st earlier this season.

 

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

 

JR Motorsports announces new driver for 2025 Xfinity Series lineup – JR Motorsports announced that Carson Kvapil will be joining the team behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet starting in 2025.

In 2021, Kvapil received a call from Dale Earnhardt Jr. with an offer to race the JR Motorsports Late Model Stock in a CARS Tour event at South Carolina’s Florence Motor Speedway while Josh Berry was busy competing in the Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway.

Kvapil led more than 100 laps that day and finished fourth, but more importantly, his performance was enough to earn him a full season of racing in the JR Motorsports Late Model Stock in 2022.

This season, Kvapil got called up to make eight Xfinity Series starts this season with JR Motorsports, posting three top fives and four top 10s.

“I’m just super fortunate to be able to run this JR Motorsports car the last three years,” Kvapil said. “From where I was before I got this ride to where I am now, I just never thought I would be in this position. I just can’t thank Kelley, Dale Jr. and L.W. and all the people at JR Motorsports enough. Without them giving me the opportunity at Florence (in 2021), none of this would be happening.”

The current driver of the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Sam Mayer, has announced he will move to the newly formed Haas Factory Team to drive the No. 41 Ford in the Xfinity Series starting in 2025.

Dylan Lupton to join AM Racing – Dylan Lupton will be getting behind the wheel of the No. 15 Ford with AM Racing to run in the remaining six races in the Xfinity Series season.

Lupton has made 41 Xfinity Series starts from 2015 to 2023 but this weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway will be his first start of the 2024 season.

“I’m excited to join AM Racing for the remainder of the 2024 season,” Lupton said. “We have been talking about the opportunity of working together since last year, and I’m happy to jump in the No. 15 Ford Mustang and get to work for the remaining six races this season.”

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

 

CRAFTSMAN Truck Series prepares for wild Talladega race

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is headed to the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway to kick off the Playoffs’ Round of 8 with the Love’s RV Stop 225 this Friday, October 4 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio – the fourth of the seven-race postseason.

The 2.66-mile superspeedway has hosted 18 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races since its inaugural CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event on October 7, 2006 – a race won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin driving the No. 6 Roush Racing (now known as RFK Racing) Ford.

Notably, there have been 13 different race winners and 16 different pole winners in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at Talladega Superspeedway.

Timothy Peters leads the series with three wins at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. Peters also holds the series-most top-five finishes with five and is tied with veteran Matt Crafton for the most top-10 finishes with six each.

But this weekend could be anybody’s race, the last eight Truck Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, since 2016, have produced a streak of eight different winners – Grant Enfinger (2016), Parker Kligerman (2017), Timothy Peters (2018), Spencer Boyd (2019), Raphael Lessard (2020), Tate Fogleman (2021), Matt DiBenedetto (2022) and Brett Moffitt (2023).

On-track activity for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at Talladega Superspeedway kicks off with Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 1 p.m. EST on FS2, Friday, October 4.

Talladega is a staple in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Playoffs

Talladega Superspeedway has participated in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs since its inception in 2016, hosting a total of eight Playoff races in the series.

Since 2016, Talladega Superspeedway has occupied three spots on the Truck Series Playoffs’ schedule. The 2024 season marks the second-time the superspeedway will host the fourth race in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs (2019, 2024) – the Round of 8 opener.

Also, from 2016-2018 and 2020 the 2.66-mile track hosted the third race in the Playoffs – the Round of 12 elimination race. And from 2021-2023, Talladega hosted the fifth race in the Truck Series Playoffs – the second race of the Rolund of 8.

All eight previous CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff races at Talladega have been won by non-Playoff drivers.

NCTS Playoff Race Winners at Talladega (2016-2023)
Date	Race Winner	Season	Race No.
Saturday, October 22, 2016	Grant Enfinger	2016	19
Saturday October 14, 2017	Parker Kligerman	2017	19
Saturday October 13, 2018	Timothy Peters	2018	19
Saturday, October 12, 2019	Spencer Boyd	2019	20
Saturday, October 3, 2020	Raphael Lessard	2020	19
Saturday, October 2, 2021	Tate Fogleman	2021	20
Saturday, October 1, 2022	Matt DiBenedetto	2022	21
Saturday, September 30, 2023	Brett Moffitt	2023	21

Approaching ‘Dega: Playoffs Contender’s Career Performances

As Talladega Superspeedway looms closer, the pressure to survive and advance to the coveted Championship 4 Round increases. A win at Talladega this weekend by a Playoff contender would guarantee their spot.

Here’s a look at how the eight Truck Series Playoff drivers have performed at Talladega previously.

Rank		Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish
1		Corey Heim (P)	2	0	0	1	1	1	15.5
2		Christian Eckes (P)	3	0	0	1	1	1	14.0
3		Ty Majeski (P)	2	0	0	0	0	1	22.0
4		Nick Sanchez (P)	1	0	0	0	1	0	7.0
5		Rajah Caruth (P)	1	0	0	0	0	0	12.0
6		Tyler Ankrum (P)	5	0	0	0	2	2	18.8
7		Grant Enfinger (P)	10	0	1	2	3	2	14.4
8		Taylor Gray (P)	1	0	0	0	0	0	18.8

Of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series field, Grant Enfinger is the only previous winner entered this weekend (2016).

Truck Clinch Scenarios: Talladega Superspeedway

The math gets simple when it comes to clinch scenarios in the first race of a Playoff round – win.

Here are this week’s Playoff clinch scenarios:

Already Clinched

No drivers have clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round.

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

• Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, Nicholas Sanchez, Rajah Caruth, Grant Enfinger, Tyler Ankrum, Taylor Gray

Playoff Bubble: Caruth, Ankrum, Enfinger, and Gray outside Championship 4 cutline

Following the Round of 10 elimination race and two drivers being eliminated from the postseason, the competitors are certainly starting to feel the heat, with only three races left to earn a spot in the Championship 4 Round. As the series heads to Talladega, the drivers sitting below the cutline are Rajah Caruth (-8), Tyler Ankrum (-11), Grant Enfinger (-11), and Taylor Gray (-15).

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Outlook Following Kansas Speedway (September 27, 2024)

Rank	Driver	Points	Starts	Race Wins	Stage Wins	Playoff Pts	+/- Cutoff
1	Corey Heim (P)	3,048	19	6	8	48	38
2	Christian Eckes (P)	3,039	19	3	9	39	29
3	Ty Majeski (P)	3,024	19	2	6	24	14
4	Nick Sanchez (P)	3,018	19	2	1	18	8
5	Rajah Caruth (P)	3,010	19	1	1	10	-8
6	Tyler Ankrum (P)	3,007	19	0	2	7	-11
7	Grant Enfinger (P)	3,007	19	0	1	7	-11
8	Taylor Gray (P)	3,003	19	0	0	3	-15

Spire Motorsport’s Rajah Caruth finished seventh at Kansas Speedway and left the 1.5-mile paved oval eight points back from the Championship 4 cutline.

Another driver in his first Playoff appearance who is below the cutline is McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum. The 23-year-old has found a way to race his way into the top 10 – he’s recorded 10 top-10 finishes so far this season, tied for the most in his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series career. The driver of the No. 18 McAnally-Hilgemann Chevrolet had an okay day at Kansas Speedway, finishing 14th, but is 11 points back from the Championship 4 cutline and final transfer position.

Grant Enfinger outdueled two-time series champion Ben Rhodes for the final transfer spot into the Round of 8. Like Ankrum, the 39-year-old also sits 11 points back from the cutline. The driver of the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet gets to enter the Round of 8 for a second consecutive season as he continues to chase his first championship after last year’s heartbreak at Phoenix.

TRICON Garage’s Taylor Gray heads to Talladega ranked eighth in the Playoff standings – 15 points back from the fourth and final spot in the championship round. The 19-year-old’s Playoff experience hasn’t been extremely consistent – finishing fifth at Milwaukee, 12th at Bristol, and 18th at Kansas.

Currently, Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez is in the fourth and final position to transfer to the Championship 4 Round. Just ahead of Sanchez in third is ThorSport Racing driver Ty Majeski, up 14 points on the Championship 4 cutline.

 

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

 

Kaden Honeycutt promoted to full-time with Niece Motorsports in 2025 – Kaden Honeycutt has been promoted to a full-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season in 2025 with Niece Motorsports. Honeycutt will pilot the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST.

 

The 21-year-old has competed in a part-time role this season, notching five top-10 results in 10 starts. Honeycutt’s results were instrumental to qualifying the No. 45 Niece Motorsports team into the Owner’s Playoffs this season.

The addition of Honeycutt marks the second domino to fall into place for Niece Motorsports’ 2025 season plans. Last week, the team announced a one-year contract extension for Matt Mills to remain as the driver of its No. 42 entry.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how much this opportunity means to me,” said Honeycutt. “Before I got connected with Al (Niece) and Cody (Efaw), last year, I thought my career was over. Both of them took a big chance on me leading into this year and it’s kept me hungry to make them proud. My group of guys on the No. 45 team have become brothers to me, and we’ve been able to share such a good relationship.”

“We’ve had some good runs this year, and I know what our team is capable of,” he continued. “Heading into 2025, I really think we’ll have a great shot at competing at a high level on a weekly basis. I can’t say thank you enough to Al, Cody, and everyone at Chevrolet for this. It’s going to be a great year together.”

Ryan Reed returns to CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at Talladega – Ryan Reed will make his first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start of the 2024 season this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway behind the wheel of the No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet.

This weekend will be the Bakersfield, California native’s first start in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2021.

In five career series starts, Reed has a best finish of ninth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The 31-year-old is no stranger to superspeedways at the national series level having collected a pair of NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at Daytona International Speedway (2015 and 2017).

 

COURTESY NASCAR COMMUNICATIONS