Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Despite the late drama and heart-stopping moments associated with much of the history at Talladega Superspeedway, Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske have achieved dominant and largely unrivaled success.

RELATED: Talladega schedule | Expert picks for Talladega

Since the team’s inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports drivers have controlled races at Talladega, notching the most wins (13) and the most laps led (2,809) all-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Nearly half of those wins belong to NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who won six times throughout his legendary career.

While current Hendrick drivers William Byron and Alex Bowman have yet to win at Talladega, the team still holds the record for the most different drivers to win at the track with seven. Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is tied for third among active drivers and second in the team’s history with a pair of Talladega wins under his belt.

Known for elite speed and front-running consistency, Hendrick Motorsports also holds the all-time record at Talladega for the most poles (12), wins (13), runner-up finishes (14), top fives (58), top 10s (87) and highest average finish (18.31). In the last 17 speedway races, a Hendrick driver has won the pole 11 times, with the team sweeping starting positions one through four at the 2019 Daytona 500.

Though winless, both Byron and Bowman have finished inside the top three once each in the last two superspeedway races, with Bowman finishing runner-up at Talladega to teammate Chase Elliott in the spring. Byron finished second to Justin Haley at Daytona this summer.

Outside of Elliott’s recent trip to Victory Lane, Team Penske has enjoyed the most wins as of late, led by a dominating string of performances from Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. The Penske pair have combined to win six of the last 10 at Talladega, including four of the last five elimination format playoff races dating back to 2014.

Logano has been especially impressive, posting one of the best runs of his career at any track. In his last eight races at Talladega, he has three wins, six top fives and has led a total of 247 laps. His most recent win there came in the spring of 2018.

In spite of his teammate’s recent success, Keselowski has perhaps been the most effective and consistent at Talladega throughout his career. Keselowski leads all active drivers with five wins at Talladega, three of which he won on a last-lap pass. Those five wins slot him into fourth place all-time behind Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

RELATED: Most wins all-time at Talladega | Who’s favored at Talladega?

As the Round of 12 continues Monday in the 1000Bulbs.com 500 (2 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), three playoff drivers between both organizations are currently on the outside looking in: Joey Logano, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney. After struggling last Sunday at Dover, the trio need a big weekend to fight their way in and secure a place in the Round of Eight. Logano and Elliott both have recent victories at the track, while Blaney remains winless there in his career.

Consistent track position ahead of the pack and staying damage-free will be important, as four of the last five Talladega Playoff races ended in an overtime finish with the winner leading less than 10 laps each of the last two times.

Source: Racing Insights

Posted on by Staff Report

The eNASCAR Heat Pro League Championship 4 is set following Wednesday night’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Team Penske Esports, JR Motorsports, Stewart-Haas Gaming and Leavine Family Gaming surviving a pair of wild races to advance to the finale at ISM Raceway.

All four spots were up for grabs in the Round of 6, with a mere five points separating the bottom five teams entering the night. Only Team Penske Esports sat in a comfortable position – 17 points to the good of the cutline – but even that team was in danger of falling late after an abysmal finish in the opening Xbox race.

Strategy was king in that race as a pair of Playoff teams gambled on fuel and came out on top. SHG_Slick_14x from the Stewart-Haas Gaming camp scored yet another victory on the season, passing JR Motorsports’ JRM_Dohar88 with one to go and cruising to the line.

RELATED: Complete eNASCAR coverage

“Had enough (fuel) to go for the win at the end but points were more important,” Dohar admitted. “We didn’t need the victory today. That will come in two weeks at the finale.”

Behind them was a trio of non-Playoff drivers in JMacAttack, Mordog5 and mrTRACKBAR35. TheBolt18 was the next closest championship contender in sixth, with the rest finishing 10th or worse.

The missteps in the Xbox event set up a pressure-packed race for the PlayStation cohorts, where any mistake could cost the team a shot at advancing to the finale. Three- and four-wide racing left competitors with bent e-metal and hurt feelings, and ultimately led to a late-race caution.

On the final green-white-checkered restart, Leavine Family Gaming’s ThAbEaR95 rocketed past NickJobes25 and set sail to claim his second win in the 2019 Playoffs. xX_Fluffy_Xx recovered to finish second, but it was not enough to push Roush Fenway Gaming to the next round. A trio of non-Playoff drivers once again rounded out the Top 5 in Jobes, Sloppy_Joe_YT and Mike_RPM44.

Voltage20 was unable to recover after early troubles and finished 12th, knocking Gibbs Gaming out in the Round of 6.

Teams will now pack their bags and travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the live championship race Oct. 23. Live coverage will begin at 7:30 pm ET on eNASCAR.com.

Posted on by Team Release

Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has renewed its partnership with Smithfield Foods, Inc., maintaining Smithfield’s status as the lead brand on the No. 10 Ford Mustang driven by Aric Almirola in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Smithfield, the leading provider of high-quality pork products, joined SHR in 2018, along with Almirola. The 35-year-old from Tampa, Florida, has represented Smithfield since 2012, his first full season in the elite NASCAR Cup Series. The 2020 season will mark Almirola’s ninth full season in the NASCAR Cup Series and third with SHR. Almirola has made the NASCAR Playoffs in each of his two seasons with SHR.

“The Smithfield brand has enjoyed great success with Aric Almirola and Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Michael Merritt, Senior Marketing Director for Smithfield Foods. “It’s a true partnership that performs on the racetrack, with retailers and our consumers. Aric resonates well with them because he’s genuine and, overall, a great ambassador for the company. He has worked incredibly hard to get to where he is today and we’ve been a part of that journey for nearly a decade, and the payoff from all that hard work has been amplified by Stewart-Haas Racing.”

RELATED: More on Silly Season

Almirola had a career year in 2018 with four top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, highlighted by a victory Oct. 14 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Almirola qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs for the second time in his career and advanced into the Round of 8, just missing the Championship 4 cutoff. He ended the season fifth in the championship standings to earn the best points finish of his career.

Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

“I said when I first came to Stewart-Haas Racing that this is the opportunity every driver wants, and I’m obviously very proud to have it continue,” said Almirola, who in less than two seasons at SHR has scored more top-10 finishes (27) than in his five previous seasons (2013-2017) combined. “Our relationship with Smithfield is strong. From the customers, to the retailers and all of the employees, we take a tremendous amount of pride in representing the Smithfield brand. They’re our biggest supporters and it’s what drives us every time we hit the race track.”

Almirola has won races in each of NASCAR’s top-three national touring series. He has two NASCAR Cup Series victories, three NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and two NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series triumphs.

“Aric is one of the most focused and determined drivers I’ve ever met, and he’s got the skills to match,” said Tony Stewart, who co-owns SHR with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas. “He’s taken the opportunity here at SHR and seized it. Keeping him as the driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang was a priority and we’re very happy to have it continue.”

Those wanting to see how Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield team operate can do so by subscribing to Beyond the 10 on YouTube. Episodes showcase behind-the-scenes footage of Almirola at the track, with his family and what a day in the life of a racer, husband and father looks like. Click here to subscribe and view the latest episode.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 9, 2019) — Following more than two years of development from concept to reality, NASCAR’s Next Gen car hit the track for the first time for a two-day test at Richmond Raceway.

The much-anticipated car, which is slated to debut at the 2021 Daytona 500, will honor stock car racing’s roots with bodies that resemble their street versions while incorporating new vehicle technology and innovation.

“This is an important milestone for the Next Gen car and the future of stock car racing,” said John Probst, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development. “There are so many new systems on the car from the front to the back that our main goal with this test was to log laps and put miles on them.  The test has met – and even exceeded – our expectations, and we are well on our way to developing the final iteration of the car.”

Austin Dillon was behind the wheel of the car, which was assembled by Richard Childress Racing in collaboration with NASCAR.

“I really enjoyed driving the car,” Dillon said. “I like the way that it looks, you can see the finished product down the road. The OEMs can make the body look really good, like a street car that you see on the road today. When it comes together and they all get their cars on the track, we’re going to have something to work with that also looks really good.”

The car is one of two prototypes currently built.  The other was assembled by NASCAR and was tested in the wind tunnel for the first time on Oct. 1. That car is scheduled to make its second trip to the wind tunnel later this week. Another on-track test is anticipated before the year concludes.

“We have a very comprehensive test plan,” Probst said. “We will be doing extensive wind tunnel testing to ensure liftoff speeds are appropriate before moving to larger tracks. As we move into 2020, we will begin testing on intermediate tracks, superspeedways and road courses.”

While many components on the current versions of the car will remain, some major elements – including each OEMs body design – are still in development.

Posted on by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, displayed a unique all-pink paint scheme in the October playoff race at Dover International Speedway in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, raising awareness and funding for breast cancer research.

RELATED: Full Talladega Schedule

For nearly two decades, Hooters has actively supported the fight against breast cancer, raising over $5.8 million in funds since 2002 through the Give a Hoot fundraising platform and the Kelly Jo Dowd Breast Cancer Research Fund — a fund established to honor Kelly Jo Dowd, an original and influential Hooters Girl who courageously battled breast cancer for five years before passing in May of 2007.

Hooters, a dedicated sponsor of Elliott, worked closely with the Hendrick Motorsports team to design a paint scheme and fundraising campaign that highlights the importance of supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the quest for a cure. This year’s goal is to raise $1 million for the cause.

Chase Elliott pink Hooters scheme
Tyler Strong | NASCAR Digital Media

“Hooters has put a lot of effort into changing the paint scheme for the Dover race in October and doing everything they can to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” Elliott said. “They are definitely doing their part with the Give A Hoot program — which is nice to see.”

The Give A Hoot fundraising program supports breast cancer research by engineering various initiatives that benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research and other recipients. Elliott’s pink racing gear from the Dover event will be auctioned off on Oct. 14 to fans with proceeds benefiting partnering organizations and efforts. Follow @Hooters on Twitter to find out more about the auction, which includes as an item to bid on a trip for two to a 2020 Hooters-sponsored NASCAR race.

Replicas of the specially produced pink No. 9 merchandise can be purchased at Hooters.com and ChaseElliott.com, with a portion of those proceeds donated by Hooters and Elliott for the cause.

For more information about the Hooters #GiveAHoot fundraising campaign or to donate online, visit hooters.com/give.

Posted on by Staff Report

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 continues with a Sunday afternoon showdown in the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). (UPDATE: The race will resume in Stage 2 on Monday at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.)

RELATED: Talladega schedule | Memorable wrecks at Talladega

TRACK DETAILS

Talladega Superspeedway hosted its inaugural race on September 14, 1969, as Richard Brickhouse led 33 laps on his way to his first and only career win in the Grand National Series.

Claiming the title of NASCAR’s biggest and fastest track, Talladega is a 2.66-mile tri-oval with 33 degrees of banking in Turns 1 and 2, 33 degrees of banking in Turns 3 and 4, 16 degrees of banking in the tri-oval and 3 degrees of banking at the start-finish line.

Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske have combined to win eight of the last 10 races at the track.

RULES PACKAGE

The race at Talladega will feature the 2019 rules package with aero ducts and a tapered-spacer engine generating a targeted 550 horsepower.

Each team will have two sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for practice, one set for qualifying and seven sets for the 500-mile race (six race sets plus a set transferred from qualifying or practice).

Unlike its fellow superspeedway, Daytona International Speedway, Talladega features a more abrasive surface that increases wear on tires that affects team strategies throughout the race.

“While we will see some pit strategy at Talladega, it is a track that actually wears tires a bit, especially when compared to Daytona,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing.  “Depending on where teams are running and who they are working with, they can take four tires, or two, or fuel only to gain some track position.”

STATS

– Team Penske has won four of the last five Talladega elimination format playoff races, with Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano each winning a pair.

– The longest green flag stretch to ever end a Talladega playoff race was eight laps.

– Kurt Busch has the most laps led at Talladega without a win in Monster Energy Series history (266).

– Among all-time drivers, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. holds the second-best average finish at Talladega at 11.83 (minimum three starts).

– Three of the four playoff drivers currently outside a transfer spot have one or more wins at Talladega: Joey Logano (three), Clint Bowyer (two) and Chase Elliott (one)

Source: Racing Insights

LIVE COVERAGE

The second race in the Round of 12 will air live Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and streamed on the NBC Sports App. Listen in to live radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Also, follow along on NASCAR.com for live Lap-by-Lap coverage, the live leaderboard, Drive (featuring in-car cameras) and RaceView (subscription: in-car audio, stats, more). Be sure to set your lineup in Fantasy Live and make your picks in the Props Challenge.

2018 RACE WINNER

With then-teammate Kurt Busch running out of fuel on the final lap of overtime, Aric Almirola powered his No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to the front of the pack, taking home the checkered flag and securing his spot the Round of 8.

ACTIVE TALLADEGA WINNERS

Brad Keselowski (five); Joey Logano (three); Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson (two wins each); Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, David Ragan, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola, Chase Elliott (one win each).

Posted on by Staff Report

The penultimate round of the eNASCAR Heat Pro League championship takes center stage at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Wednesday night – and if the inaugural season is any indication of what’s to come, the race is sure to be a barn burner.

Six teams remain alive in the Playoffs, but only four will advance to the championship finale at ISM Raceway on Oct. 23. Team Penske Esports holds a commanding lead atop the standings, but everything’s in play behind them as the other five teams are separated by just five points.

MORE: Full eNASCAR coverage

Team Penske Esports

It’s safe to say Team Penske is the only team sleeping well at night as they enter Homestead with a 17-point advantage over the cut line. While it’s still mathematically possible for them to miss the finale, don’t count on it. Both of their drivers have been staples of consistency, and even if one falters, the other should be able to carry the team to ISM Raceway.

Stewart-Haas Gaming

Entering Homestead with only a four-point cushion, the winningest team in the eNASCAR Heat Pro League faces pressure for the first time this season. The masked drivers at Stewart-Haas Gaming are coming off mediocre runs at Las Vegas and Kansas and must refocus to keep their title hopes alive. They have the speed to advance, but it will all come down to execution in Wednesday night’s showdown.

MORE: Highlights from last race

JR Motorsports

Bridesmaid no longer! JR Motorsports is catching fire at the right time and making a serious run at the championship. Tyler Dohar enters Homestead fresh off his first career victory and teammate Jason Keffer continues to build strong result after strong result. The team enters the cutoff race only one point to the good, but momentum is on its side. That could be enough to propel the drivers to the finale at ISM Raceway.

Roush Fenway Gaming

An up-and-down season has Roush Fenway Gaming on the ropes and in serious danger of being knocked out. An abysmal stretch through the Playoffs has relegated Jack’s esports squad to the fourth and final transfer spot – tied on points with Leavine Family Gaming. Both drivers proved they can win throughout the preseason and regular season races, but it’s now or never to find the right gear and get back on track.

Leavine Family Gaming

Much like its MENCS counterpart, Leavine Family Gaming will not go away quietly. Josh Harbin aka ThAbEaR95 has scratched and clawed to keep the team’s playoff run alive – finishing no worse than second in the two previous races. However, the team enters Homestead below the cut line and Harbin will need serious help from teammate Nicholas Vroman if the team stands a chance at advancing.

Gibbs Gaming

The final team to advance to the Round of 6 is none other than Gibbs Gaming. The Toyota duo has led laps this season and battled for wins but have not slammed the door shut yet. While they only enter one point below the cut line, it’s time to make a statement. Go big or go home.

Who will advance and which two teams will be sent packing? It’s all at play for Wednesday night at 7:30 pm ET on eNASCAR.com.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

The 2019 NASCAR Playoffs’ next stop in the Round of 12 is Talladega Superspeedway. The Monster Energy Series’ longest and fastest track has hosted a postseason race since the playoffs were formed for the 2004 season and into the elimination era in 2014. And none of the events lacked drama.

Four out of the last five Talladega playoff races ended in overtime. Three races featured a last-lap pass for the checkered flag. Two times the race winner eventually reached the Championship 4. One time the race ended under yellow.

RELATED: Full schedule for Talladega | Who’s favored at Talladega | How playoff picture looks

Here’s how all that broke down.

In 2014, Brad Keselowski won at Talladega, passing Ryan Newman for the lead on the final lap with a nice push from Matt Kenseth. The final run was two laps of green-flag racing in overtime.

Joey Logano was victorious in both 2015 and 2016. The first showing saw Logano lead the last eight laps (he led 20 on the day) and win under caution in overtime. The latter race had a longer leading run of 45 laps, which included a restart with two laps to go in overtime.

Keselowski then won again in 2017 in a similar fashion to his 2014 win. Once again, he won with a last-lap pass against Newman.

In 2018, Aric Almirola broke through at Talladega. He passed Kurt Busch on the final lap as Busch ran out of gas on the backstretch.

Each year, the winner just so happened to be a playoff driver. Logano in 2016 and Keselowski in 2017 were the only instances, though, where the winner went on to make the Championship 4. None of them won the series championship.

Talladega Winner Eliminated Final standings spot
Oct. 19, 2014 Brad Keselowski*^ Round of 8 5th
Oct. 25, 2015 Joey Logano^ Round of 8 6th
Oct. 23, 2015 Joey Logano^ Championship 4 2nd
Oct. 15, 2017 Brad Keselowski* Championship 4 4th
Oct. 14, 2018 Aric Almirola*^ Round of 8 5th

Key: *last-lap pass to win … ^overtime

The fun doesn’t stop there.

In each of those five races, the driver who actually led the most laps was not the one to ultimately win.

— 2014: Jimmie Johnson led 84 of 194 laps and finished 24th.
— 2015: Dale Earnhardt Jr. was out front for 61 of 196 laps and ended up second.
— 2016: Keselowski was first for 90 of 192 laps and didn’t finish due to an engine issue 144 laps in.
— 2017: Logano held the lead for 59 of 188 laps and crossed in fourth.
— 2018: Busch dominated for 108 of 193 laps and fell back to 14th when his No. 41 ran dry.

No one is safe at ‘Dega. While none of the previous turmoil involved crashes — even though a yellow fell within the last five laps of the last five races. The “Big One” is always looming.

Nevertheless, Sunday is the 1000Bulbs.com 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the second of three races in the Round of 12. Kansas Speedway is afterward as the eliminator race. Four drivers will be out from postseason contention, and the only one safe is Kyle Larson since he won the opener last week at Dover International Speedway.

“Everybody in this playoff field is going to be stressing next week at Talladega except for me, so that’s good,” Larson said. “You know, last time I was at Talladega, I was on my lid. And, I mean, I could still end up on my lid next week. But it’s not going to matter after this win.”

Posted on by PJ Walsh

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

Just like the shenanigans that take place on Talladega Boulevard, the on-track racing should be just as exciting during Sunday’s 1000Bulbs.com 500.

At any moment, pack racing at Talladega Superspeedway means the field is just one bobble away from a massive wreck that can change the entire landscape of the event.

MORE: The Action Network covers NASCAR

For the 12 drivers still alive in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, this can be a scary prospect for those toward the top of standings, while also providing a glimmer of hope for those on the outside looking in.

And, of course, a win here will lock a driver into the Round of 8 that begins Oct. 27 at Martinsville Speedway.

Because the draft acts as an equalizer between NASCAR’s haves and have-nots, underfunded cars can often find themselves running in the top 10 late and contending with the sport’s elite.

Plus, the “Big One” is always lurking, which could also take out front-runners and open the door for a sleeper to steal a victory.

After scanning 1000Bulbs.com 500 odds from the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, one long-shot driver immediately caught my eye as one to bet right now.

RELATED: Talladega weekend schedule

For those who have followed The Action Network since the start of season, you know how much I loved Michael McDowell for the Daytona 500. I bet him twice — once at 200-1 and again at 150-1 — and he didn’t disappoint, contending for a win before ultimately finishing fifth.

While the aero package the MENCS cars will run Sunday is different from that of the Daytona 500 in February, the racing has changed very little, so McDowell is someone I still very much like.

In fact, bettors simply looking at results from Talladega in April — which did use the current aero package — will be sorely misled.

McDowell finished dead last, but it was due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, not performance. The driver of the No. 34 Ford qualified 12th and was running in the top 10 before getting caught up in this Lap 10 accident.

McDowell was simply minding his own business in the outside lane before getting collected in an accident that had nothing to do with him. This is just the nature of pack racing at Talladega, but also a key reason why long shots can contend more often.

At the time of writing, McDowell is 100-1 at Westgate, a great number for someone so capable at superspeedways. This doesn’t mean I expect him to win, and that’s of course included in this long-shot price.

However, should this race get dicey with playoff drivers getting too aggressive, McDowell could be one of the few left standing and racing for the win when the white flag waves.