By Mordecai Peterson-Stevens
NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Jack Link’s 500
The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
Track Length: 2.66 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Sunday, April 27
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
The Purse: $11,055,250
TV: FOX & FOX Deportes, 2 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 500.08 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 Storylines and Insights:
· This weekend marks the 112th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
· Talladega Superspeedway has produced nine different race winners in the last nine NASCAR Cup Series races at the 2.66-mile track, the longest streak of races there without a repeat winner.
· The last seven drafting track races in the NASCAR Cup Series were won by different organizations.
· The pass for the win came in the final two laps in 12 of the 20 drafting track races in the Next Gen car.
· Nine of the last 16 Cup Series races at Talladega have ended with a last lap pass.
· There were 66 or more lead changes in each of the last three NASCAR Cup Series Talladega races.
· William Byron won three of the last 12 drafting track races, the only repeat winner in the last 12.
· Chase Elliott and William Byron lead all drivers with 240 points earned at Talladega in the Next Gen car, Kyle Larson ranks third with 190 points.
· Christopher Bell’s win at Atlanta earlier this year was Joe Gibbs Racing’s first win on a drafting track in the Next Gen car.
· The Talladega pole winner finished 17th or worse in each of the six races there in the Next Gen car.
· The race winner started 10th or worse in nine of the last 10 races at Talladega (since 2020).
· A total of 48 different drivers have won the pole at Talladega in the Cup Series, six are active this season – Christopher Bell (two), Chase Elliott (two), Michael McDowell (two), Austin Dillon (one), Denny Hamlin (one) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (one).
· Michael McDowell won the pole for five of the last seven races on drafting tracks including both poles at Talladega last year
· Bill Elliott leads the Cup Series in poles at Talladega with eight and holds the record for most consecutive Cup poles at Talladega with six-straight from 1985 – 1987.
· Ten of the 52 NASCAR Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway race winners are active this season, led by Brad Keselowski with six Talladega victories and followed by Ryan Blaney (three), Joey Logano (three), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (two), Kyle Busch (two), Chase Elliott (two), Denny Hamlin (two), Tyler Reddick (one), Ross Chastain (one) and Bubba Wallace (one).
· Three active drivers earned their first career Cup win at Talladega – Brad Keselowski (2009), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2017) and Bubba Wallace (2021).
· Dale Earnhardt leads the Cup Series in victories at Talladega with 10. Earned his first victory at the track in 1983.
· Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the Cup Series in consecutive wins at Talladega with four straight from 2001-2003.
· Ford led 72% of the laps on drafting tracks in 2025, but has one top-five finish and no wins.
· Ford won the last three Cup poles at Talladega, the last time they won four consecutive here was 1996-97.
· Josh Berry accounts for two of Ford’s seven top-five finishes in 2025 including the only win.
· Ford’s seven top-fives and 21 top-10s are their fewest since 2016 (7 and 15 respectively).
· Each of the last three races at Talladega ranks in the top-11 for most lead changes all-time in Cup.
· Two of Kyle Larson’s three top-five finishes on drafting tracks came in the last three races.
· 14 drivers earned their final Cup Series win at Talladega, the most among all tracks.
· Stage 2 was caution free in each of the last five Talladega Cup races.
· Ten drivers ended winless streaks of 50+ races at Talladega, more than any other track in Cup Series history.
· The driver leading the most laps failed to win each of the last nine Talladega races.
· Anthony Alfredo’s average finish of 13th at Talladega is the fifth best all-time among drivers with at least four starts (he has four starts there), it also ranks best among active drivers.
· Joey Logano is one of only two defending champions without a top-five finish through the season’s first nine races (Bill Elliott – 1989).
· 2024 NASCAR Cup Champion Joey Logano’s 260 laps led in 2025 are the most for a driver through the first nine races without a top-five finish since 2016 (Matt Kenseth – 308).
· Brad Keselowski finished runner-up in both Cup Series Talladega races in 2024.
· William Byron currently has the longest active streak of top-10 finishes at Talladega with four straight.
· Joey Logano leads all active drivers in laps led at Talladega with 509 laps led, has led in 24 of his 32 starts.
· Two full-time teams don’t have a DNF yet in 2025: HYAK Motorsports and Legacy Motor Club.
· Three races ended with a last lap pass in 2025, tied for the most ever through nine races with 2014.
· Two full-time drivers have yet to score stage points in 2025: Riley Herbst and Cody Ware.
· Zane Smith’s average finish through nine races in 2025 is nine positions better than it was through nine races in 2024.
· Denny Hamlin is the only driver to finish on the lead lap in all nine races in 2025.
· Bubba Wallace’s 78 stage points through nine races in 2025 are his most ever at this point in a season by 26 points.
· Ryan Blaney ranks first in 2025 in stage points earned (92), 33% of his total points this season came from stages.
· Since the start of 2023, Ford has claimed 77.1% of the top-five qualifying spots at drafting tracks, including five full sweeps of the top five—most recently at Atlanta earlier this year.
· Ryan Preece is 14th in points, his career-best through nine races (previously 21st in 2021).
· Over the last three races, Ty Gibbs moved from 34th to 20th in points.
· Hendrick Motorsports have won the last four stages – the longest streak in series history is five.
· Hendrick Motorsports have now won at least three races in every season since 1994, extending their record streak.
· The largest point deficit overcome to point into the Playoffs without a win after nine races is 53 points by Tyler Reddick in 2021.
· T. Dillon, E. Jones, B. Keselowski, N. Gragson, R. Herbst, S. van Gisbergen, C. Custer, C. Ware are more than 53 points out entering Talladega.
· Joe Gibbs Racing (five) and Hendrick Motorsports (three) have combined to win eight of the first nine Cup races of 2025.
· William Byron leads the Cup Series point standings by 30 points over second place Denny Hamlin following Bristol.
· Kyle Larson swept both stages at Bristol and in doing so has tied Martin Truex Jr. for the most stage wins in the Cup Series with 66 each. Larson hasn’t won a stage at Talladega.
· Austin Dillon’s birthday will be this Sunday (race day), he turns 35. Three drivers have won in the Cup Series on their birthdays – Cale Yarborough (twice: N. Wilkesboro in 1977 and Atlanta in 1983), Kyle Busch (twice: Richmond in 2013 and Kansas in 2021) and Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas in 2013).
· The Cup Series starts a 28 straight week (189 days) stretch of races to end the season starting at Talladega (includes the All-Star race), the longest stretch of consecutive weeks raced in series history.
OTHER NASCAR NEWS
Latest Track Storylines:
· Talladega Superspeedway announced that country music star Justin Moore will headline the Saturday Night Concert this Spring. The multi-platinum artist and ACM Award winner is sure to bring all the country vibes to Talladega ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link’s 500.
· Justin Moore has earned multiple ACM, ACA, People’s Choice, and ACC Awards nominations including an ACM award for New Artist of the Year. In his established career, Moore has released eight studio albums and charted 18 times on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. He’s had numerous number one singles including “Small Town USA,” “You Look Like I Need a Drink,” “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away,” “Til My Last Day,” among many more.
· Talladega Superspeedway announced that NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano will be inducted into the Talladega Walk of Fame at Davey Allison Memorial Park. The three-time Cup Series winner at the famed superspeedway is set to join a prestigious list of NASCAR legends on Friday, April 25 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
· Former Talladega City Council President James E. Spratlin will also be honored for assisting in the establishment of the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame and Davey Allison Memorial Park. Festivities will include the induction ceremony, food trucks, vendors and live music. Sponsors include the City of Talladega, Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega Bottling Works, RK Allen Oil, First Bank of Alabama, the Talladega Lincoln Munford Chamber of Commerce and TOP Trails.
· Talladega Superspeedway announced that the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison will be honored during a special parade lap as part of pre-race ceremonies for the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link’s 500. Allison’s famed 1969 Mercury Cyclone will be driven around the track by his grandson Robbie Allison following the National Anthem.
· Allison’s list of accomplishments can only be described as extraordinary. He accumulated 85 career NASCAR Cup Series wins along with being crowned NASCAR Cup Series champion in 1983. Allison was also a member of the legendary Alabama Gang – originally comprised of Bobby, his brother Donnie, and their best friend Red Farmer. All three are enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
· This past weekend’s season opener at Bowman Gray Stadium is the most-watched Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series FloRacing broadcast in track history.
· The ARCA East at Rockingham also set viewership records on both the NASCAR Channel and FloRacing.
All-Star Race Format at North Wilkesboro:
· NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports this week announced details for the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race to be held on Sunday, May 18, for the third consecutive year at iconic North Wilkesboro Speedway.
· This season’s format will again feature two heat races to set the All-Star Race starting lineup and a 100-lap All-Star Open, plus an extended 250-lap main event.
· In addition to a longer All-Star Race, several new aspects will debut including a Manufacturer Showdown, a Promoter’s Caution, modifications to Open qualifying, and Pit Crew Challenge eligibility.
· The signature new element in this season’s format shines a spotlight on the manufacturers, as drivers take on the Manufacturer Showdown. Manufacturer teams (Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota) will be equally represented. The members per team will be determined by the least represented manufacturer and an equal number of drivers from the other two manufacturers will be selected based on their final All-Star grid starting positions. Teams will be scored against each other and not by their overall All-Star finish. The lowest combined total of finishing positions will be the winning manufacturer. In the event of a tie, the single best overall finishing position will determine the winner.
· The NASCAR All-Star Race will be 250 laps with a competition break at or near lap100 and an optional Promoter’s Caution that must be executed prior to lap 220. If the Promoter’s Caution has not yet occurred and a natural caution flag falls after lap 200, the optional caution will no longer be in play. This new twist adds an element of unpredictability and excitement as teams try to prepare for when – or even if – the Promoter’s Caution may occur.
· Saturday’s All-Star Open will give drivers who are not guaranteed a spot in the main event a chance to lock into the All-Star Race.
· The 100-lap All-Star Open will have a competition break at or near lap 40 and will not only determine which drivers advance to the main event but could also change the number of drivers eligible from each manufacturer for the Manufacturer Showdown.
· The three Open drivers who will advance to the All-Star Race are the top two race finishers and the Fan Vote Winner. NASCAR All-Star Race fan voting is now open on NASCAR.com/fanvote.
· All-Star weekend festivities will begin on All-Star Friday presented by Raymer Oil with a combined All-Star/Open qualifying and Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear. New this season, Open and All-Star qualifying will be combined, and pit crews of all teams entered (All-Star and Open) are eligible for the pit crew challenge.
· Open cars will go first, and results will determine the lineup for the Open.
· All-Star cars will follow to set the starting lineups for the heat races.
· This format will again bring together traditional qualifying with the Pit Crew Challenge. Drivers will take the green flag, run one full lap at speed, and on the second lap proceed to one of two NASCAR-designated pit stalls for a four-tire stop (no fuel). When the pit stop is complete, the cars will exit pit road and race back to the checkered flag.
· Qualifying time will be the total elapsed time from green flag to checkered flag, and the pole sitter will start on the pole for Heat Race 1 and the All-Star.
· The pit crew with the fastest stop during the All-Star qualifying attempt (no penalties) is the winner of the Pit Crew Challenge. Timing lines are established one box behind and one box ahead of the NASCAR designated pit stop boxes. Pit Crew Challenge results will determine pit-picking order.
· Saturday night will feature two 60-lap heat races that will determine the starting lineup for the All-Star Race among drivers already locked into the field.
· The results of Heat 1 will establish the inside row, and the results of Heat 2 will establish the outside row. The action-packed weekend will conclude Sunday night with the All-Star Open and All-Star Race.
· Drivers eligible for the NASCAR All-Star Race include those who’ve won a points event in either 2024 or 2025, drivers who’ve won a NASCAR All-Star Race and compete fulltime, and drivers who’ve won a NASCAR Cup Series championship and compete fulltime.
· Drivers already locked in the All-Star Race include: William Byron, Daniel Suárez, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Harrison Burton, Chase Briscoe, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Josh Berry, and Kyle Busch.
· The NASCAR All-Star Race will air live on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, with coverage beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 18.
COURTESY NASCAR COMMUNICATIONS
