Talladega unpredictability: 12 winners over the last 12 races

The NASCAR Cup Series returned to Talladega Superspeedway in April for the first of two 2026 contests, and like past races at the 2.66-mile venue, surprises and unpredictable variables were aplenty.

The cream typically rises to the top at drafting tracks, but statistically, no driver as of late has been able to capitalize multiple times at the high-banked track. The last 12 races have featured a different winner.

Relive each Talladega race from the spring 2026 showing all the way back to 2020.

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Race: April 2026
Winner: Carson Hocevar
Laps led: 19
How it happened: Revamped stage lengths, in addition to a 26-car pileup during Stage 2, didn't stop Spire Motorsports' Carson Hocevar from working his way to the front of the field. And stay at the front of the field Hocevar did, holding off Chris Buescher and Alex Bowman to clinch his first career win in NASCAR's premier series.

Race: October 2025
Winner: Chase Briscoe
Laps led: 16
How it happened: Restarting on the third row in overtime, Briscoe surged to the lead on the final lap after Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron suffered seperate issues, winning his first superspeedway race and punching a spot in the Championship 4.

Race: April 2025
Winner: Austin Cindric
Laps led: 7
How it happened: In a race that featured a completely green final stage, Ford dominated the afternoon -- as it often does, with Cindric eeking past Ryan Preece for the win on the final lap. Preece crossed the line second but was later disqualified. 

Race: October 2024
Winner: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Laps led: 19
How it happened: One of NASCAR's drafting-track kings prevailed in dramatic fashion, Stenhouse inching past Brad Keselowski by 0.006 seconds in a photo-finish overtime. 

Race: April 2024
Winner: Tyler Reddick
Laps led: 13
How it happened: Michael McDowell crashed while leading the race through the tri-oval, and Reddick avoided the wreck on the final lap and led when the yellow flag was displayed coming to the checkered flag. 

Race: October 2023
Winner: Ryan Blaney
Laps led: 8
How it happened: In a drag race to the finish, Blaney beat out Kevin Harvick as the field crashed behind them for his first win at the track since spring 2020. Harvick crossed the line second but was later disqualified. 

Race: April 2023
Winner: Kyle Busch
Laps led: 3
How it happened: Bubba Wallace crashed from the lead on the final lap, causing a multicar pileup in Turn 2. The yellow flag was displayed, and Busch was out in front for his second victory with Richard Childress Racing. 

Race: October 2022
Winner: Chase Elliott
Laps led: 10
How it happened: Ryan Blaney led the field to green in overtime and paced the white-flag lap, but Elliott had all the momentum in Turn 3 for a popular superspeedway victory.

Race: April 2022
Winner: Ross Chastain
Laps led: 1
How it happened: Leaders Erik Jones and Kyle Larson both shot up the track to block a run coming out of Turn 4 on the final lap, and Chastain, third, stayed in the bottom lane and darted across the line first for his second Cup Series win. 

Race: October 2021
Winner: Bubba Wallace
Laps led: 5
How it happened: Rain covered the Talladega racing surface after just 117 of 188 laps, moments after Wallace took the lead in an intense battle to the caution. The race never continued, and Wallace secured his first career Cup Series victory.

Race: April 2021
Winner: Brad Keselowski
Laps led: 1
How it happened: Fords controled the top six positions for an overtime restart, and with a Michael McDowell push on the final lap, Keselowski surged ahead for his sixth career Talladega victory.

Race: October 2020
Winner: Denny Hamlin
Laps led: 26
How it happened: Hamlin took the white flag in sixth, but as leader Matt DiBenedetto threw blocks on the final lap, Hamlin had enough daylight and momentum on the bottom to secure a last-ditch victory. The win was his seventh of the 2020 season.