By Roy J. Akers-www.skyviewsports.net
The Talladega race is the biggest wildcard race in the Cup playoffs and many drivers that are on many shortlists to win every week are not favorites this week. Kyle Larson, Joey Logano and x are not on the short list to win, but all have put together a race here or there. Playoff drivers Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Chase Elliott have success at the track. So does recently eliminated driver Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin. The bottom line is drivers, teams, and fans know this race could ruin your playoff chances.
Here is news from each of the manufacturers
Bell, Hamlin remain above the cutline … With two races remaining in the Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 12, Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin find themselves above the cutline going to Talladega this weekend. Bell is tied for second in the points standings, 28 points above, while Hamlin is fifth, and 11 points to the good. The other Toyota Camry XSE in the Playoffs and regular season NCS champion, Tyler Reddick, comes into the weekend four points under the cutline.
Reddick aims for Talladega sweep … Reddick and his No. 45 23XI Racing team return to Talladega Superspeedway in search of a season sweep after his dramatic win in April. The victory was Reddick’s first top-10 or better finish at Talladega since 2021 and the first of his two wins so far this season. Another triumph for the California native would lock him into the next round of the Playoffs as he looks to make the Round of 8 for the second consecutive year.
Bell aims to continue strong runs … After coming home seventh at Kansas last weekend, Bell now has seven top-10 finishes in the last nine races coming to Talladega. The strong results have kept the Oklahoma native toward the top of the points standings throughout the Playoffs so far, currently sitting tied for second. Another such finish this weekend would be his third career top-10 at Talladega and first since the spring of 2023.
Chevy Racing
| Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega: Talladega Superspeedway is yet another track where Chevrolet paces its competitors in NASCAR Cup Series victories, with the manufacturer heading to the 2.66-mile Alabama venue with 44 all-time wins. Chevrolet’s first trip to victory lane at Talladega Superspeedway came with Darrell Waltrip behind the wheel of the No. 88 DiGard Racing Chevrolet in May 1977. The Bowtie brand later went on a historic run that saw the manufacturer reel-off 17 wins in 18 races – starting with Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s victory in the famed No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in April 1999. That run included a streak of 13-straight victories (April 1999 to May 2005) – a series record that still stands today. Upon the start of the Next Gen era, Chevrolet found success right out of the gate – making three consecutive trips to victory lane at the Alabama superspeedway. Three drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations have earned wins in the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 including Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain (April 2022), Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott (Oct. 2022) and, most recently, Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch (April 2023). |
 After a series-best 52-point day in the Round of 12 opener at Kansas Speedway, William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team found themselves at the top of the playoff standings with a 34-point advantage over the cutline. While having a sizable points cushion heading into the weekend, the 26-year-old North Carolina native has an added boost of confidence with three top-10 finishes on drafting-style tracks this season, including his victory in the 66th running of the Daytona 500. When it comes to Talladega Superspeedway, Byron has tallied finishes no worse than 15th in the Next Gen era, including a pair of seventh place finishes and a runner-up finish in the series’ last three events at the track. Heading into the second race of the round, Byron is joined by his other three Hendrick Motorsports teammates in the top-eight positions of the standings. Despite yet another challenging race to open the second round, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Chevrolet team still holds a double-digit points cushion (+18 points) over the elimination line. Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Chevrolet team made the biggest move up the standings once again, going from below the cutline to the sixth position with an eight-point advantage. The 31-year-old Arizona native has three top-five finishes on drafting-style tracks this year, including a runner-up finish at Daytona, as well as a pair of fifth-place results that came at Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. With an engine issue forcing the No. 9 Chevrolet to start at the rear of the field at Kansas Speedway, Chase Elliott and the Alan Gustafson-led team salvaged a top-10 result and a 30-point day to maintain a position above the playoff cutline. The former series champion heads to a track where he has found victory lane twice in NASCAR’s top division, one of which came in the Next Gen era (Oct. 2022). |
Ford Performance
The Good and Bad for Ford teams
Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Michael McDowell has won the pole for the last four races on drafting tracks, the longest streak since Bill Elliott won six straight between 1985-86. … Todd Gilliland has three top 10s in five Cup starts at Talladega. Bad news: Twice Michael McDowell has wrecked as the leader in a drafting track race this season. It happened in April at Talladega on the last lap and late in the August race at Daytona.
RFK Racing — Good news: Brad Keselowski has six Talladega wins, most among active drivers. … Keselowski has four top-five finishes, including a win, in his last seven Talladega races. … Chris Buescher has gone a series-best 60 races without a pit road speeding penalty. … Buescher has four top 10s in the last seven races. Bad news: Buescher has three top 10s in 18 career Cup starts at Talladega.
Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Harrison Burton finished 10th at Talladega in April, his best result in six Cup starts there. … Burton has three finishes of 11th or better in the last four races at drafting tracks. Bad news: Burton has not had a top-20 finish since his Daytona win.
Points Update
The updated points standings show William Byron as your new leader and the regular season points leader Tyler Reddick would be eliminated if the playoffs going to the round of eight started today. It still seems like Reddick will go to the black and Bowman will go home but that is just a guess. What do you think? Comment below.
Active winners at Talladega
Roy Akers is a reporter at www.skyviewsports.net