Posted on by Seth Sharp

Throughout the 2024 NASCAR season, Ken Martin, director of historical content for the sanctioning body, will offer his suggestions on which historical races fans should watch from the NASCAR Classics library in preparation for each upcoming race weekend.

Martin has worked exclusively for NASCAR since 2008 but has been involved with the sport since 1982, overseeing various projects. He has worked in the broadcast booth for hundreds of races, assisting the broadcast team with different tasks. This includes calculating the “points as they run” for the historic 1992 finale, the Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The following suggestions are Ken‘s picks to watch before this weekend‘s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

1978 Winston 500:

Rain delayed the 500-mile event at Talladega from May 7th to the following week, which promptly landed on Mother’s Day. NASCAR’s struggles with Mother Nature forced them to move the Music City 420 at Nashville Fairgrounds out of its spot on the May schedule and to be completed later in the season.

Once the green flag eventually waved, the 41-car field put on a show for everyone in attendance. The race featured 44 lead changes, with all of them coming from drivers who were named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.

One driver did not lead the race for more than 17 consecutive laps, and 14 of the lead changes lasted just one lap.

Cale Yarborough, who led the most laps on the day, passed Buddy Baker exiting Turn 4 to take the checkered flag.

Dave Marcis inherited the point lead after finishing eighth. He left Talladega with just six points up on Benny Parsons.

Cale Yarborough in Victory Lane at Talladega
NASCAR Research & Archives Center | Getty Images

1982 Winston 500:

Benny Parsons put his Harry Ranier-owned Pontiac on the pole for the race with a lap over 200 MPH.

The story of the day was a mix between parity at the front of the field and attrition.

13 different drivers found their way to the front of the field at some point in the day, with 51 lead changes occurring along the way. From 1981 NASCAR Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip to rising star Terry Labonte to Lennie Pond to Steve Moore, the front of the field was always changing as the laps slowly passed.

18 of the 40 starters in the field picked up a DNF due to many issues, the majority of them being mechanical issues. Only five drivers finished all 188 laps, and only 16 of them completed at least 180 laps.

It all came down to another classic Talladega finish.

Parsons took the lead with three laps remaining but lost the top spot on the final lap as he attempted to break the draft of the cars behind him. Waltrip led a contingent of cars past Parsons on his way to Victory Lane.

Cars racing at Talladega
NASCAR Research & Archives Center | Getty Images

2005 UAW-Ford 500:

A handful of contenders were caught up in an early accident triggered by contact between Jimmie Johnson and Elliott Sadler. This ended the day for Mark Martin and Dale Earhardt Jr. and left Michael Waltrip’s car flipping two times.

Later in the race, Scott Riggs’s No. 10 car tumbled end over end after contact between Ryan Newman and Casey Mears.

Dale Jarrett captured the 32nd and final victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career, in a race that featured the final hurrah for not only Jarrett but also a handful of others.

It was also the 57th and final victory for his car owner, Robert Yates, and his team.

The race also marked the seventh and final NASCAR Cup Series start for Kerry Earnhardt.

Tony Stewart finished second after leading a race-high 65 laps, which had him leading the point standings by four over Ryan Newman with just seven races remaining on the schedule.

Cars racing at Talladega.
Rusty Jarrett | Getty Images

You can watch these three races and hundreds more by visiting NASCAR Classics.

Posted on by Holly Cain

When it comes to racing on the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway’s high banks, everyone on the grid typically feels like they stand a chance to hoist the big trophy. This brand of all-out, pedal-down racing is a specialized artform for the drivers and Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 (4 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is always a fan favorite, must-see event.

There are only two former race winners among the season’s NASCAR Xfinity Series field. Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger won in 2022 and Jordan Anderson Racing’s Jeb Burton is a two-time winner, including last Spring when he triumphed over Sheldon Creed in a tremendously exciting overtime finish.

Both Allmendinger and Burton arrive in Alabama highly motivated, racing for their first victories of the year. In Burton’s case, he’s competing for his first top-10 finish of the season after several hard-luck finishes.

MORE: Talladega schedule | Xfinity Series standings

As so often happens racing on superspeedways, the finishes in this race are typically wide-open with an anyone-can-win feel. That may be a good thing for several of the 2024 championship leaders, who have not typically fared particularly well at ‘Dega.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chandler Smith brings a 19-point advantage atop the Xfinity Series driver standings over reigning series champion Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer. He has a 33-point lead on Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and is 56 points ahead of JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier.

Smith, the driver of the No. 81 JGR Toyota, has crashed out in both of his previous starts at Talladega with finishes of 38th and 25th place. Custer, the driver of the No. 00 SHR Ford, is batting .500 with two top-10 finishes in four starts. He finished fourth last year.

Hill has been a victim of Talladega’s aggressiveness, with zero top-10 finishes in four starts—twice he’s crashed out. His best finish was 14th place in 2022. However, Hill has started on the front row in the last three races and won pole position in the last two.

The sustained qualifying achievements certainly show Hill – who has three wins at the series’ other big track, Daytona International Speedway – knows his way around a superspeedway. And he is optimistic about his chances on Saturday working with rookie teammate Jesse Love, who won pole position in the Daytona season-opener that Hill won.

“So, I think that going into this weekend, a lot of guys are going to do all they can to split the 2 (Love) and the 21 (Hill) up and try to keep us from leading the field,” said Hill, a two-race winner this season. “Because if we’re leading the field, him and I both, we do a really good job of stringing the line around. Yes, we have fast race cars, but we know what to do with them as well.”

This week marks the third race of the season’s Dash 4 Cash incentive program. Last week’s Texas winner, Sam Mayer (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet), his Texas runner-up Ryan Sieg (No. 39 RSS Racing Chevrolet), Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) and Allmendinger (No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet) will compete for the money this week. The highest finishing driver among this quartet pockets an extra $100,000 check. The top four eligible finishers will then qualify for the final leg of the Dash 4 Cash program next week at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.

There is no practice session for the field at Talladega. Qualifying is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday (FS1).

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR today announced the launch of the NASCAR Alumni Network, a program that will help the sport — and its fans — stay connected with former competitors.

NASCAR Alumni logo

The program is open to past NASCAR competitors with a focus on those who competed in more than 100 races in their careers. Members of the NASCAR Alumni Network will have the chance to engage with current and past industry members through exclusive networking opportunities, including an annual at-track reunion.

Amber Wells, a 25-year NASCAR veteran who manages the NASCAR Hall of Fame for the company, has been named executive director of the NASCAR Alumni Network.

MORE: Cup Series schedule 

“The relationships built in NASCAR are very special,” Wells said. “We’ve seen tremendous fellowship in the connections rekindled through the NASCAR Hall of Fame and we want to extend that to all past competitors. Our hope is that this program will not just connect members with us, but also with former teammates and competitors.”

The inaugural NASCAR Alumni Network reunion will be held at Darlington Raceway during the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, May 12. The public appearance schedule of those in attendance will be announced at a later date.

Former drivers, crew chiefs, team owners, team members and other industry competitors are invited to apply to join the NASCAR Alumni Network at www.nascar.com/alumninetwork.

The program launch coincides with “NASCAR Legends Presented by GEICO,” a four-week campaign that centers on telling stories of notable traditions and prominent pieces of NASCAR history. The campaign begins this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and continues for four weeks, culminating at the NASCAR throwback race weekend at Darlington Raceway May 10-12. Fans can visit www.nascar.com/legends for more information.

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

With Talladega Superspeedway on the horizon, spotters will be in full song as they guide their drivers through close-quartered, three-wide racing around the 2.66-mile behemoth.

Drivers are ultimately the ones who put their cars in Victory Lane, but spotters can make or break whether a driver can keep their car spotless from green to checkered or get collected in a multi-car pileup.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski have all had their fair share of success at tracks like Talladega and Daytona, the most recent victor being Stenhouse in the 2023 Daytona 500. While Stenhouse is big on trust with his spotter Tab Boyd, he also keys in on a spotter’s cadence and listening to them.

RELATED: Cup schedule | Favorites to win Talladega

“Luckily for me, I’ve only had in my whole career, like four spotters, and I feel like I’ve had some really good spotters and I think you got to trust them,” Stenhouse told NASCAR.com. “But you also have to enjoy listening to them, right? You have had spotters here and there, different races where you go back and listen to races and radio communications of other teams, and you close your eyes, you’re like, ‘Man, there’s no way I can listen to that spotter.’ So you got to be comfortable, you got to enjoy them, but you got to trust them as well.”

Boyd jumped over to Stenhouse and the No. 47 JTG Daugherty team after the 2021 season, and while the two haven’t strung together consistent results on superspeedways yet, Stenhouse said he’s enjoying having the longtime spotter as his eyes in the sky.

“Tab Boyd’s been spotting for me for a while now and I think we got a great relationship,” Stenhouse said. “He knows what I’m looking for and you just continue to build that relationship up and that trust. They’re super important, especially in this day and age where, you know, an inch here or there when you’re clear, is very vital to track position. It takes them doing their job to, you know, to be on it.”

Whether it’s running three or four wide inches apart at Talladega or spread out and having multi-second gaps between your competitors at a road course, Stenhouse said he always wants his spotter to have the same tone no matter the scenario.

“I think you want a spotter that’s the same all the time,” Stenhouse said. “I think that’s key. The drivers get excited enough. You want your spotter pretty calm and so whether you’re battling for the win at Daytona or at Bristol or a road course, you want a guy that it’s going to be the same.”

Since his early days in NASCAR, Denny Hamlin has had only two spotters. Outside of his breakout 2006 victory in the pre-season shootout at Daytona, Hamlin hadn’t won a superspeedway race until Chris Lambert joined the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team.

While Hamlin has been a perennial title contender throughout the majority of his career, he noted the differences between his spotters and how each one made him a better driver in various aspects.

“[The first] was Curtis Markham early on. He was more of a driver coach when I came into JGR in my early years,” Hamlin said. “And then once we switched over to Chris Lambert in 2012, or 13, he was just a really sought-after guy, and in my eyes, from what I’d seen, the work he had done, I think that he kind of made me a better superspeedway racer.”

Together, Hamlin and Lambert have won five superspeedway races, two of them at Talladega, and what is probably the most impressive feat of Hamlin’s career, three Daytona 500 trophies.

As motorsports continue to evolve and technology becomes a greater aspect both away and at the track, relationships among race teams have to evolve and adapt with the times.

Brad Keselowski, the winningest active driver at Talladega (six), broke down how the roles of spotters have changed over the course of his career.

“Probably the biggest thing is when SMT came in, and all this technology came in, the spotter went from being somebody who could almost work it as a part-time job to someone who has to study every week and really focus hard,” Keselowski said. “Not that it was a part-time job before, but it was different. It seemed like the garage experience, at least from a spotter perspective, was more about being at a race track for four or five days a week and now it’s, as the schedules change, more about being at the race track, two days a week, but studying for two days a week. So it’s a different balance for those guys for sure than what it was a decade ago.”

Regardless of where the sport goes in the future, the spotter’s importance will never fade and the role will be at its most pressure-filled this weekend.

To get a perspective of the driver-spotter relationship, here’s how to access the scanners this weekend to listen live to spotters navigate their drivers around the high banks of Talladega.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

As the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series slate enters its second quarter this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Ford Performance is stuck in its longest dry spell to start a season since 2010 — but there’s a high chance it ends on the high banks Sunday.

Though winless through the first nine races this year, the manufacturer’s entries at drafting tracks have been unparalleled in speed recently, collecting six of the past seven poles (and 13 of 14 front-row starting spots), 11 of 14 stage wins, 965 of 1,452 laps led and three of the past seven race wins.

The eyes then look to a particular Ford driver who’s led the most drafting track laps of any driver this year (74) and has been there at the end of the past few races down in Alabama to put together a splendid 9.67 average finish in the last three ‘Dega races.

Ford’s streak-snapper? Well, it might just be No. 38 Front Row Motorsports driver Todd Gilliland.

MORE: Full Talladega schedule | ‘Dega surprise winners

“I think there’s definitely been a tough start to the season just as far as not being able to win with the Ford yet, but we know our Dark Horse Mustangs have a lot of speed, and I definitely think they’re all-around the best cars when they show up to the superspeedways,” Gilliland told NASCAR.com. “Obviously, we still have a long ways to go in every area — as racers, we’re really never satisfied, I would say — but this weekend, we definitely feel like we should be strong.”

Of course, having speed and knowing what to do with it are two separate parts of the equation, but Gilliland has shown early in his Cup Series career that superspeedway racing and working in the draft come naturally to him. Maneuvering around drafting tracks is as much about getting to the front as it is picking up what your car is capable of within the pack itself, and as laps tick off, the game becomes a tug-of-war between learning and surviving.

Scoot through the wrecks, know what your car can do on that last lap and who your friends are and maybe, just maybe — you’ve got a shot.

“Really, these races just start from the drop of the green flag, even if it’s just semi-riding around, but you’re really just learning what your car is capable of and what everyone else is feeling out there; just trying to build a good notebook for the end of the race,” said Gilliland, currently in his third year of full-time Cup competition. ” … For me, it’s kind of about balancing expectations. It’s pretty unpredictable. You have a pretty good chance, I guess, of kind of getting caught up in a wreck, right? Whether it’s your doing, someone else’s doing. But at the same time, I definitely have a lot of high expectations that we’re gonna bring fast Ford Mustangs to the race track again, just like we started out the season really strong at Daytona and Atlanta.”

And honestly, that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

todd gilliland talks to michael mcdowell
Tim Nwachukwu | Getty Images

Front Row has consistently proven to be among the most competitive teams on drafting tracks, and Gilliland has two of the more respected racers of the past decade-plus at those venues as direct resources in teammate Michael McDowell and his father, David Gilliland — a former driver for Front Row and Daytona 500 pole winner himself. They’ve both offered the younger Gilliland a bevy of advice on how to last in these races and position yourself for a strong finish.

Each mentor has contributed to Gilliland’s superspeedway acumen in unique ways.

“The advice from my dad was more kind of just early on as far as bigger picture things for superspeedway racing, but really, I feel like I have picked it up fairly easy,” said Gilliland, who has led the second-most laps for Ford in 2024. “And I really do think that’s just from watching him all those years. He always seemed to just run well at them, for whatever reason. And for me as a kid, that’s what was always super exciting — when we would go to the race track and, in my heart as a 10-year-old, I really thought he had a good chance of winning. And I’d watch those races that much more closely. And I’m sure I’ve picked up on random stuff along the way, as far as that goes.

“But I would say nowadays, for sure, Michael is probably the main point of advice whether it’s any race track, right? He’s the one driving the car right next to me, and he knows what he’s going through and can relate to what I’m going through better. But as far as superspeedways, we’ve really been working on, probably last year and a half, taking care of each other out there; as far as, if someone’s in trouble, letting them back in line, trying to stick together for the majority of the race. And it’s funny, sometimes it works out better than others, but it’s just good to have that game plan, at least. It’s hard to have anybody’s back out there, but as teammates you do cut them a break here or there.”

MORE: Michael McDowell through the years

The mentorship between Gilliland and McDowell appears to be paying off for both of them, with the 23-year-old North Carolinian rounding into form as he shakes off the rookie and sophomore newness and the grizzled veteran from Arizona keeps turning in his best seasons as he rounds the corner to his age 40 campaign. At some point — likely years down the road as McDowell continues to get stronger and stronger — it’s conceivable that the former “Great American Race” winner will toss the proverbial baton to Gilliand as Front Row continues its rapid development into a leading organization for Ford.

He’s not quite ready to take the handoff, but it’s in his purview.

“Certainly hope so. I think, you know, (becoming the leader at Front Row) is something I’m working toward, for sure. Just as far as being a better leader for myself, right? Like that’s just a life skill that McDowell, whether it’s more natural to him or he’s been doing it much longer than me, he’s definitely better at it. That’s one thing that I feel like he does really well; he gets the most out of the people around him and pushes everyone to be better. Every year he’s been here, he’s probably improved his average finish position by two or three or four spots. That’s really tough to do, and he’s continued to do it up through the mid-20s to teens to be able to become a playoff contender.

“So definitely, what he’s doing here is really special. And yeah, that’s my goal; to hopefully take over at some point. Long ways to go, obviously; he’s really solid on the race track and just a super, super solid guy off the race track. But that’s definitely my goal one day.”

The short-term goal for this weekend, though? Putting one on the board for the blue ovals.

And it’s quite possible he does.

Posted on by Track Release

FORT LIBERTY, N.C. — In advance of the 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend, Charlotte Motor Speedway launched its 2024 Mission 600 campaign Wednesday, visiting the 82nd Airborne at Fort Liberty, with Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Daniel Suárez and his Trackhouse Racing crew chief Matt Swiderski.

Now in its seventh year, Mission 600 pairs NASCAR drivers with regional military bases in an effort to educate the NASCAR community about the day-to-day lives of the men and women who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces and to build meaningful connections between the worlds of motorsports and the military.

RELATED: Buy Coca-Cola 600 tickets

“We are so thankful for these guys; if it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have the freedoms that we are able to enjoy,” said Suárez. “To be able to spend some time here and be able to learn about what they do, how they do it, their specialties, the guns, everything, it’s mind-blowing.

“The guns, to shoot, all that stuff is cool. But the coolest part is to get to know them. Like, who are these individuals? What do they do on a weekly basis? How did they get to this point? Obviously, I have so much respect for them. Some of them have been here for 29 years. That’s half a lifetime. It’s quite impressive, and I have learned a lot from these men and women today.”

As part of Mission 600, Suárez and Swiderski, alongside Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter, spent the day learning about the equipment and training that members of the 82nd Airborne receive. The trio toured Fort Liberty in Infantry Squad Vehicles and fired an M119A3 Howitzer, a 105mm weapon that uses a six-man team — much like a NASCAR pit crew — to aim and fire. The group also dined with service members in Fort Liberty’s Warrior Restaurant and participated in live-fire exercises with an M4 Carbine. The exercises, designed to simulate shooting in combat environments, are aimed at testing a soldier’s ability to calm themselves after rigorous activity.

“It’s amazing (shooting a Howitzer). You don’t really know what to expect when you pull the handle, probably one of the coolest experiences I’ve had,” Swiderski said. “You try to appreciate what all these people do and the families behind these people. You come out here and actually get to meet them and see their personalities; it’s really impressive what they put on the line and how hard they work to protect our families.”

Fort Liberty is the largest military installation by population in the U.S., providing the infrastructure and training that enables a ready, capable force to fight and win the nation’s wars. The 82nd Airborne Division is America’s immediate response force — ready to deploy and answer the nation’s call in 18 hours.

At Charlotte Motor Speedway, Memorial Day Weekend provides the opportunity to pay tribute to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, particularly those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. With the support of the U.S. Department of Defense, the patriotic Coca-Cola 600 pre-race show includes representation from all six major branches of the military.

“The Sunday before Memorial Day is the greatest day in racing, but we also want to be sure that we set the right tone and timber — that we’re on the eve of Memorial Day, which is a very solemn holiday for us as Americans,” Walter said. “We actually pause the race halfway for a moment of remembrance. The fact that we have the 600 Miles of Remembrance, where the name of a fallen service man or woman is on the windshield. We have Gold Star Families there and we love on them. Our fans appreciate the words of service, duty, and sacrifice. It sets the right tone, and our fans appreciate that.”

Posted on by Staff Report

After a thriller in Texas, the Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for what is shaping up to be a sensational GEICO 500 this Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Set your Fantasy Live roster | Weekend schedule

The advance metrics predict another Hendrick Motorsports win, with William Byron projected to earn his fourth victory this season.

It’s wild to think Byron has yet to find Victory Lane at Talladega. The No. 24 Chevrolet finished in the top 10 at both races there last season, with a runner-up to Ryan Blaney in the fall. In addition, all of Byron’s finishes at Talladega in the Next Gen era have been in the top 15, suggesting he could visit Victory Lane soon at the famed superspeedway.

Following Byron in the projections is his teammate and most recent Cup Series victor Chase Elliott, Team Penske’s Blaney, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace. Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, and Martin Truex Jr. complete the projected top 10.

Plenty of playoff spots are still up for grabs this weekend. Talladega is known to produce surprise winners, which leaves the door open for another wild Cup race.

OTHER DRIVERS TO WATCH

CHASE ELLIOTT: After returning to the mountaintop and breaking a 42-race winless drought last weekend at Texas, and with Talladega on tap, signs point to the No. 9 Hendrick driver to have another stellar weekend. Before last Sunday, Elliott’s last win came at the Alabama circuit, and he owns the fourth-best all-time average finish at Talladega (13.63) with a minimum of six starts.

RYAN BLANEY: Blaney is the only repeat Talladega winner in the last nine races. He’s finished in the top 10 in seven of the last nine drafting races, with his last three Talladega finishes being in the top two. In the Next Gen era, drafting tracks have been Blaney’s second nature, with the 2023 champ earning six top fives and nine top 10s and owning an average finish of 10.9.

JOEY LOGANO: After a slow start to the 2024 campaign, Logano has found his way back into the playoff mix. While his recent numbers at Talladega don’t jump off the page, one can’t discount the two-time champ whenever the Cup Series shifts to superspeedways. His last win came at a drafting-style track in last year’s Atlanta race, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him in the mix this weekend as he aims to end a drought of his own.

CHRIS BUESCHER: Both RFK Racing cars have a chance to turn in solid results this weekend. Buescher, to match his champion teammate’s prowess, has become a savvy superspeedway racer over the past several years and won at Daytona last season. He is already off to another great start in 2024, with five top 10s through the first nine races. Plus, Buescher finished third at Talladega last fall. 

DANIEL SUÁREZ: Suárez landed a top-five finish last weekend at Texas for his first top-five finish since the Atlanta win earlier this year. Suárez also has three consecutive top-10 finishes at Talladega and should be carrying some extra momentum this weekend after turning in a result that reflects the speed the No. 99 has shown all season.

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE GEICO 500

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.

FinishCar NumberDriver
124William Byron
29Chase Elliott
312Ryan Blaney
411Denny Hamlin
523Bubba Wallace
65Kyle Larson
722Joey Logano
820Christopher Bell
914Chase Briscoe
1019Martin Truex Jr.
118Kyle Busch
1217Chris Buescher
136Brad Keselowski
1499Daniel Suarez
151Ross Chastain
1648Alex Bowman
1743Erik Jones
1845Tyler Reddick
192Austin Cindric
2054Ty Gibbs
2134Michael McDowell
227Corey LaJoie
2310Noah Gragson
2451Justin Haley
2538Todd Gilliland
2641Ryan Preece
2747Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
283Austin Dillon
294Josh Berry
3042John Hunter Nemechek
3177Carson Hocevar
3221Harrison Burton
3332Daniel Hemric
3462Anthony Alfredo
3571Zane Smith
3678BJ McLeod
3715Cody Ware
3816Shane van Gisbergen
Posted on by Pat DeCola

Here’s what’s happening in the world of NASCAR with Texas in the rearview and Talladega (Sun., 3 p.m. ET, FOX) right around the corner.

THE LINEUP ️

1️⃣ Elliott back to winning — but is he a title favorite?

2️⃣ Playoff spot up for grabs at wide-open ‘Dega

3️⃣ Who could squeeze their way into the playoff picture?

4️⃣ Guess who’s due in Alabama?

5️⃣ Catch the pack — news and notes from around the garage

chase elliott celebrates at texas
Getty Images

1. Chase Elliott is back to winning — but is he a title favorite?

Now that the 2020 champion is free of a heavy 42-race winless streak and a playoff spot is in hand, it’s time to assess his championship hopes.

It felt like 420 races, didn’t it?

Forty-two-race winless streaks aren’t the most remarkable of droughts — plenty of drivers capable of winning in bunches have gone a season or more without a return to Victory Lane — but the way Elliott’s past two years have played out only served to highlight the drudgery of No. 9’s quest to snap the skid.

Well, he finally did.

Now Elliott’s got a provisional playoff spot after missing the postseason for the first time in his career eight months ago, a full head of steam and a championship-quality cast surrounding him. With the dominance we’ve seen from a handful of drivers apparently destined for a Championship 4 date themselves (Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson and rival Denny Hamlin, in particular) where, exactly, does the 2020 champ fit into this year’s title picture?

Honestly, he was already firmly entrenched in it even before Texas.

STACKING PENNIES: No. 9 team back in its stride?

While everyone was focused on the zero in the win column, Elliott was quietly putting the pieces together for what could wind up being his best season to date. The 19-time Cup Series winner has been a fixture among the cars at the front of the field nearly the entire campaign so far, landing in the top four in most laps run inside the top five and top 10 this season and turning in the second-best average finish (10.33) among full-timers this year. He’s absolutely on fire right now, with all four of his top-10 finishes coming in the last five races — the last three of which were all top fives for his longest top-five streak since last summer.

What was remarkable during the drought was the chatter and the questioning. Plenty asked the questions—did Elliott lose anything off the ol’ fastball from his snowboarding accident? Does Hendrick need to make a change atop the pit box and break up the dynamic duo of him and Alan Gustafson? Is this now Byron and Larson’s team?

No, no and no.

How quickly some forget just how exceptional of a talent Hendrick Motorsports’ longest-tenured driver is, and despite the slump he’s still, in a way, wiping the floor with everybody. Get ready for this — Elliott, a driver who missed last year’s playoffs amidst arguably his worst career season … still owns the best average finish (12.45) of any driver in the Next Gen era.

Couple that with the fact that his 13 most recent wins all came at different tracks (one of which is the site of this weekend’s race) and now that he’s kicked the streak to the curb, he’s likely to pile on plenty more in the coming months.

Elliott’s championship chase is officially on and in full force.

Giddy up.

chase elliott at texas
Getty Images

2. Playoff spots up for grabs at wide-open ‘Dega

The 2024 postseason field is taking shape already and drivers need to maximize every remaining opportunity as more spots dry up.

Part of the somewhat under-discussed fallout from Elliott’s massive Texas win? That’s one more playoff spot off the board.

“But Pat,” you say. “It’s Chase Elliott — we expected him to make the playoffs. Plus, it’s April.”

Indeed. But he didn’t last year. Nor did Atlanta winner Daniel Suárez. And one of last year’s postseason competitors (Kevin Harvick) will be watching this year’s playoff drivers sweat it out while he’s sitting comfortably on his couch.

That’s at least three spots of turnover in the playoff field we’re tentatively going to see. And perhaps more.

Enter Talladega Superspeedway.

Perhaps the track most notorious for unexpected winners, the Alabama track could easily offer up another surprise playoff entrant this weekend and really shuffle the deck.

According to Racing Insights, 86% of the playoff field has been set, on average, after the ninth race in the past seven years, which was Texas this season; Talladega being the 10th.

Based on that trend, there are essentially just two remaining spots up for grabs at the moment from drivers not currently in. Even if it is April.

And naturally, there’s almost no possible way to predict who might emerge this weekend — seven different drivers have won the last seven ‘Dega races.

There are a lot of eyes on Ford and Brad Keselowski — a six-time Talladega winner — to make the first big strike for the blue ovals this season, and his former Team Penske teammates all join him as formidable options to break through for their first 2024 wins as well, all being past superspeedway winners. Ford itself, for all of its noted struggles this season, might be the manufacturer to beat on Sunday as the unquestioned best at drafting tracks in recent years.

Talladega is anybody’s ballgame, but Toyota has not won a race on a drafting track in the Next Gen car, with the last win for the manufacturer on this track type coming via Bubba Wallace there in October 2021, 14 drafting races ago. Thankfully for Toyota, all Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing cars are in the tentative playoff field already, so an off weekend can be afforded should it happen. And actually, if Toyota was to buck the trend, it may come at the hands of Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones, who compiled a sparkling 8.71 average finish in the seven Talladega races prior to last fall’s P26 in his final superspeedway race for Chevy.

Then again, let’s go full circle here.

It’s extremely possible Elliott just goes back-to-back, as Talladega stands as one of his best tracks with two wins and top 10s in half of his 16 starts. No. 9 finished in the top 10 in three of the last four in Alabama and, oh yeah — his last win before the streak?

Talladega, fall 2022.

cars race at talladega
Getty Images

3. Who could squeeze their way into the playoff picture?

NBC’s Steve Letarte and MRN’s Todd Gordon break down expectations for when NASCAR hits the high banks at Talladega on Sunday.

 

4. Guess who’s due in Alabama?

This year’s Daytona 500 winner might make it two in a row at superspeedways, as William Byron has been close to his first ‘Dega win with two runner-ups in the past six races.

Most laps led at Talladega laps without a win

DriverLaps LedCareer wins
Kurt Busch29234
Benny Parsons25321
Geoff Bodine17818
Jeff Burton15821
Greg Biffle15519
Elliott Sadler1263
Morgan Shepherd1224
Rusty Wallace12055
William Byron10813
Jim Vandiver1030

5. Catch the pack — news and notes from around the garage

Power Rankings: Brad Keselowski next champ to snap winless streak?

Paint Scheme Preview: See the schemes for Talladega

William Byron on Texas tangle with Chastain: ‘We’ll discuss it and go from there’

@nascarcasm: Nine things you may not know about Chase Elliott

Analysis: Chase Elliott’s victory highlights journey back to top of mountain

NASCAR Inside The Race: How scoring lines factored into Chase Elliott’s Texas win

Fans fired up about Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 Jordan Brand paint scheme

Kyle Petty on impact of Elliott’s victory: ‘The sport needs him to win’

@nascarcasm: Fake texts to Texas winner Chase Elliott

Which driver is favored to win 2024 title after Texas?

Getty Images
Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials issued two-race suspensions Tuesday to two crewmembers of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team for a detached wheel in last Sunday’s Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Larson’s right-rear wheel came unfastened during a Stage 2 caution period in Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. He was penalized two laps during the race but regained some of the lost ground for a 21st-place finish on the lead lap.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Weekend schedule: Talladega

Tuesday, the remaining penalty for the safety violation was handed out, with suspensions for the next two Cup Series events for No. 5 crewmembers Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer) and Brandon Johnson (jack). The suspension will be in effect for Sunday’s GEICO 500 (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Talladega Superspeedway and the following week’s race at Dover Motor Speedway.

Competition officials also issued an indefinite suspension to Nicholas Covey for a violation of NASCAR’s Substance Abuse Policy. According to NASCAR’s team rosters portal, Covey was jackman for the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet as recently as the April 7 race at Martinsville Speedway.

Three other Cup Series crews were hit with one-race suspensions for Talladega for infractions related to protective clothing and equipment:

  • No. 17 RFK Racing tire carrier Zach Yager (gloves)
  • No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing tire carrier Jake Holmes (helmet strap)
  • No. 33 Richard Childress Racing jackman Doug Warrick (helmet)

In the Xfinity Series, competition officials handed down a one-race suspension to Brandon Harder — fueler for the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team — for a protective clothing/equipment violation, specifically the protective apron.

Officials also fined two crew chiefs $5,000 apiece after their cars were found with one unsecured lug nut each in a post-race check:

  • No. 9 JR Motorsports crew chief Phillip Bell
  • No. 48 Big Machine Racing crew chief Patrick Donahue

In the Craftsman Truck Series, Henderson Motorsports crew chief Chris Carrier was fined $5,000 and suspended for one race after two unsecured lug nuts were found on the No. 75 entry of Stefan Parsons post-race at Texas.

Posted on by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. — William Byron said Tuesday he’s awaiting a discussion with Ross Chastain after their last-lap contact in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race but that the benefit of hindsight hasn’t swayed his viewpoint on their overtime collision at Texas Motor Speedway.

Byron finished third behind a victorious Hendrick Motorsports teammate in Chase Elliott, but his charging No. 24 Chevrolet tangled with Chastain’s No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevy as the two drivers exited Turn 2. Chastain scraped the outside retaining wall and went from a likely top-five finish to a 32nd-place result in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400.

RELATED: Byron takes third at Texas | Byron tops Power Rankings list

Byron said post-race Sunday that the contact was not intentional, adding, “I don’t want to do that to anyone.” In a Tuesday roundtable with reporters, the 26-year-old driver said he’d made the initial reach-out to Chastain to talk it through.

“We haven’t spoken yet. I reached out to him, but I’m sure we’ll get connected later this week,” Byron said. “But nothing really changes for me, my perspective. We just came together in a spot there. He was coming down the track to try to cover my run, and I was just making the corner exit like I anticipated him being where he would be on the exit. It’s unfortunate, but it’s racing on the last lap, and I’m just going to do that at times probably to save that spot.”

Byron said he would have expected turnabout if the roles were reversed, and Chastain — known as one of the series’ most aggressive drivers — was in his position under Sunday’s circumstances.

“I would. I think probably the timing and the momentum that I had was probably, maybe a little bit different than what he thought or something,” Byron said. “I haven’t talked to him, so once we talk, we’ll discuss it and go from there.”

Byron enters Sunday’s GEICO 500 (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Talladega Superspeedway as the circuit’s top winner this year with three Cup Series victories in the first nine races. He’s also rounded into a proven winner at superspeedway-style racing, with two wins each at Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.

MORE: Weekend schedule: Talladega

When pressed to measure his speedway credentials against the best of the field, Byron cites two drivers from rival manufacturers — Toyota’s Denny Hamlin and Ford’s Ryan Blaney, Talladega’s most recent winner last fall.

“Those two guys do a really good job of just kind of positioning themselves throughout the entire race,” said Byron, who was runner-up to Blaney at Talladega last October. “But yeah, it just seems like for us, we just have to go with a good mindset, and then it seems like the rest kind of takes care of itself. You can’t worry about the things you can’t control, so the times I go there stressed out or worried about crashing because of a point situation or whatever, it just doesn’t work. So just try to have the right mindset going there.”