See where your favorite driver will pit for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Talladega Superspeedway.
RELATED: Weekend schedule: Talladega | Starting lineup
TALLADEGA, Ala. — William Byron says his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team has prepared its case for an appeal of midweek penalties but that he hasn’t changed his approach for Sunday’s race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
Byron and his team were penalized for spinning out Denny Hamlin during a caution period in last weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway. NASCAR officials later said they did not see the incident as it happened and issued no in-race penalty. The driver and team were docked 25 points in their respective standings in Tuesday’s penalty report, and Byron was also fined $50,000 for the late-race contact.
RELATED: Weekend schedule | Playoff standings
As he did post-race at Texas, Byron reiterated Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway that he did not intend to send Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota spinning off the track, but that he did want to deliver a message to convey his displeasure. Byron said he and the team took exception to the severity of the penalty, which will be appealed in a hearing next week.
“We’ve kind of compiled our list of evidence and got quite a few videos and things to look at and information that we’ve put together,” Byron said after qualifying ninth for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). “So, I feel pretty good about that and willing to help any way I can. I feel like I’ve tried to help in some ways, just to try to get all the evidence kind of put together. But yeah, I feel good about that end of things. … Like I said, we’re just focused on, I mean, this weekend we just have to go get stage points, try to go win the race, and there’s worse places to do it.”
Jeff Andrews, Hendrick Motorsports’ president and general manager, said that the team opted to appeal in the hopes of presenting an opposing viewpoint of the incident and the intent.
“Until we get through the process next week, I think it’s probably best just to leave it at, our perspective of it is a little bit different and we would just like the opportunity to explain that and bring some things forward,” Andrews said.
The penalty dropped Byron from third to 10th in the Cup Series playoff standings, moving him from a 17-point cushion above the provisional elimination line to an eight-point deficit with two races remaining in the postseason’s Round of 12. Though the appeal is still pending, Byron said his approach to Sunday’s 500-miler relative to his playoff positioning won’t change.
“I race eight (points) behind. I don’t think about the hypotheticals,” Byron said. “Obviously, I feel like we’ve got a good case and a good idea of what … a good amount of evidence that we put together, but I race like it’s there and like it happened. So just move forward with it, I think go after the stage points and feel like we’re capable of running really well at superspeedways. I’ve had a couple of wins on superspeedway-type tracks, so feel good about that.”
Byron said he had a chat this week with Hamlin, who mentioned after Texas that he’d keep their run-in in his memory bank.
“We had a good conversation a couple of days ago, and we’ve never had issues,” Byron said. “So I’m not really worried about … I’m not thinking about Denny and his team. You know, I’m thinking about our team and what we can do going forward. So yeah, it was a good conversation, learned a lot from him, got a better understanding of kind of what he was thinking.”
Hamlin was not restored to his running position after the Byron bump, and he placed 10th in the Round of 12 opener in Fort Worth. Asked if he was satisfied that competition officials penalized Byron and his team, the JGR veteran offered: “Yeah, sorta.”
“I mean, it didn’t help my finish,” Hamlin added. “I saw a lot of people react, ‘well, he could have made up those spots.’ Well, it didn’t change the fact that I could have won the race and instead finished 10th. So you gotta account for those points in there, as well.”
TALLADEGA, Ala. – It took a lot of last lap gumption on the Talladega Superspeedway high banks and an official “race finish review” afterward, but longtime competitor Matt DiBenedetto earned his first NASCAR national series race victory in Saturday’s Chevy Silverado 250 Camping World Truck Series race.
Because the race ended under caution, NASCAR officials reviewed video to determine who was leading when an accident froze the field coming to the checkered flag. Ultimately, it marked the first and only lap the former NASCAR Cup Series driver DiBenedetto had ever led in the truck series – and it delivered his first trophy.
RELATED: Race results | Truck playoff standings
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship competitor Ben Rhodes was scored runner-up with young rookie – and Alabama native – Bret Holmes in third place.
It marked the fifth consecutive Talladega truck race that the winner led only the last lap.
“Oh man, it’s been such a long time coming,” said DiBenedetto, who recently renewed his contract with the No. 25 Rackley WAR Chevrolet team. “I’m so thankful.
“It just seems so surreal,” DiBenedetto added before offering good wishes to fellow driver Jordan Anderson, who was transported to the hospital after an accident on Lap 19.
“I think my heart rate was higher waiting for that than [taking] the white flag.”
It was a typically competitive afternoon at Talladega – with 11 leaders and 25 lead changes in the 95-lap race – only to end with a dramatic push for the checkered flag in an overtime finish.
The 25-year old Holmes – the 2020 ARCA Menards Series champion – led the white flag lap and thought he was ahead when the final yellow and checkered flags waved and pulled up to the trophy stand, where DiBenedetto later pulled alongside.
“It definitely showed we deserve to be here,” Holmes said. “Tough to lose that one for sure.”
Ryan Preece and playoff driver Christian Eckes rounded out the top five. Hailie Deegan – the only full-time woman competitor in the series – earned a career best sixth-place finish. Chase Purdy, Colby Howard, Parker Kligerman and Tyler Ankrum rounded out the top 10.
Anderson, who emerged from a fiery single-truck crash on Lap 19, was transported to a local hospital where he was reported awake and alert.
MORE: Anderson transported to hospital
As for the playoffs, only two driver championship contenders – Rhodes and Eckes – finished among the top 10. With Ty Majeski’s win at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 15, he is the only driver to have already secured a position in the Championship 4.
Chandler Smith was 14th, Zane Smith, 17th and Stewart Friesen was 20th. Majeski finished 23rd and polesitter John Hunter Nemechek – who won Stage 1 – was 24th.
The playoff standings continue to be very tight beyond Majeski. Chandler Smith holds a 12-point edge on Zane Smith with reigning series champion Ben Rhodes in that important fourth position, 27 points behind Chandler Smith.
Eckes and Friesen are both three points behind Rhodes. Nemechek is five points from the cutoff line and Grant Enfinger, who was involved in an accident on Lap 80 is now 26 points behind Rhodes.
While not being championship eligible this season, DiBenedetto will leave Talladega with a full heart and lots of hope for next year thanks to securing this memorable first victory.
“We’ve come so close so many times at this track, I’ve felt like Talladega – more than Bristol or any of those places – owes me one so pretty sweet,” DiBenedetto said adding, “The wait was well worth it.”
The final playoff race to decide which four drivers advance to the series championship will be Oct. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The trucks last raced at the South Florida track in June 2020 where Kyle Busch earned his third series win at the track.
NOTE: Post-race technical inspection was completed with no issues, confirming DiBenedetto as the race winner.
TALLADEGA, Ala. — Jordan Anderson gave another update on Monday on his condition after he sustained second-degree burns in a fiery crash during Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Thank you everyone for the texts, calls, and prayers. Haven’t been able to be on my phone, but I am so humbled by the overwhelming support.
Had to go to the ER last night for some side effects, so heading to the Wake Forest burn center tomorrow.
Getting better by the day! 🙏🏼
— Jordan Anderson (@j66anderson) October 4, 2022
On Saturday night he was taken by helicopter to a local hospital for further evaluation. The 31-year-old driver said he suffered burns across his neck, face, arm, hands and knees.
— Jordan Anderson (@j66anderson) October 1, 2022
Anderson’s No. 3 Chevrolet erupted in flames and smoke as he entered Turn 1 during the 19th of 94 laps in the Chevy Silverado 250. His truck slid toward the paved apron and came to a halt against the inside retaining wall.
RELATED: At-track photos | Race recap
Anderson quickly exited the truck to the attention of the safety crew and was taken by ambulance to the infield care center. A NASCAR spokesperson confirmed that Anderson was transported from there to a local hospital.
Anderson was making his fifth start of the year in the Camping World Truck Series. He is also a team owner on the Xfinity Series side, fielding a full-season effort for driver Myatt Snider.
TALLADEGA, Ala. – Crew chief Greg Ives said Saturday that he was hopeful for Alex Bowman’s quick return to the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after sitting out this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race with concussion symptoms.
Ives, in his final season atop the No. 48 pit box, said he was optimistic Bowman could be back behind the wheel for the Oct. 9 event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. Xfinity Series regular Noah Gragson is set to fill in for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) at Talladega Superspeedway.
RELATED: Weekend schedule | Playoff standings
“I feel like, you know, he’s determined to be back. He wants to come and finish the season off strong,” Ives said Saturday before Cup Series qualifying. “We had a good month, good momentum going in the first round and have a little setback here. But I feel like he’s gonna do everything he can to make sure he’s back. And right now, that’s 100% my goal for him is to be at the Roval.”
Bowman and his team announced Thursday that he would sit out at Talladega, and NASCAR officials confirmed the 29-year-old driver was granted a medical waiver to retain his playoff eligibility. His 29th-place finish at Texas following a wreck and his Talladega absence will place him in a virtual must-win spot to advance at Charlotte’s Roval.
MORE: Gragson to fill in for Bowman at Talladega
Ives said he talked Friday with NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller and other competition officials to discuss safety issues, particularly driver compartment security and rigidity concerns with the rear of the Next Gen car that debuted this year. Officials plan to test a revised rear clip and bumper area at an Ohio crash-test facility Wednesday; if it performs as expected, changes could be implemented for 2023.
Ives said he hopes to be a conduit for positive change in that area.
“Ultimately, I said I was gonna help improve it, and you’ve got to act on those words,” Ives said. “And so, I reached out to Scott Miller, and not only through the process of the driver change but I wanted to just kind of go over a few things that potentially maybe could help or what I saw or experienced with the car, those type of things and just have that dialogue open. And ultimately, that’s the number one thing is when you’re trying to attack a problem, you want allies to help you with it. And I want to be one of those guys.”
In the interim, the No. 48 team is prepping for a weekend with Gragson, a part-timer on the Cup Series side but the current title favorite in the Xfinity Series, riding a historic four-race win streak in his bid for that circuit’s championship. Gragson has made 13 Cup Series starts this season, splitting time between Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevrolet and Beard Motorsports’ No. 62 Chevy. His last time out at a superspeedway, Gragson placed a career-best fifth for the family-owned Beard operation.
After qualifying seventh for Sunday’s 500-miler, Gragson described a “kind of chaotic last 48 hours” as he adjusted to his substitute role with a new team. Ives said from his point of view, Gragson has adapted in a hurry, and that he’ll try to gather as many points as possible for the No. 48’s bid for a team owners’ title.
“I mean, he was quickly to the shop, and we were able to go through our driver debrief and everything with him and try to understand what he needed inside the race car,” Ives said, “but I don’t care if you’re a 5-year-old go-kart racer or a 50-year-old race car driver, a veteran, you’re ready for these moments whenever they arise and ultimately that’s what a true competitor is. They’re ready for the moment. They may have the nerves, but they’re not going to show it.”
Christopher Bell topped the leaderboard in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole Award Qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway at 180.591 mph in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
Right behind him on the charts was Kyle Larson in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at 180.516 mph. They’ll make up the front row in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 Round of 12 playoff race (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).
MORE: Qualifying results | Talladega odds
Rounding out the top five were Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 JGR Toyota, Aric Almirola in the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford and Chase Briscoe in the No. 14 SHR Ford.
Ty Gibbs’ No. 23 Toyota started smoking after his first lap on the 2.66-mile high banks, with the team looking into a possible power steering issue. He elected not to make his Round 2 lap and will start 10th.
“I don’t really know what the smoke was there, but hopefully it goes away. I feel like we’re really fast,” Gibbs told NBC Sports after his run.
No. 8 Richard Childress Racing driver Tyler Reddick also damaged the splitter of his Chevrolet after an incident on pit road. The three-time 2022 winner was unable to slow coming to his pit stall and slammed into the retaining wall. He’ll start eighth after turning a circuit at a clip of 179.366 mph.
RELATED: Talladega 101 | Fantasy preview | Paint schemes
“I’ve never screwed that up that bad before … I went to the brakes and it was soft, I should’ve pumped them up a few times coming down pit road. I just screwed that up,” Reddick said. “I’m really glad it was not worse.”
Noah Gragson, filling in for Alex Bowman in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, will start seventh after making a lap at 179.474 mph.
Next weekend’s Round of 12 finale at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval will trim the playoff field to eight after Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).
Chase Briscoe is used to proving people wrong. He’s done that most of his career.
So while most might be surprised that he advanced to the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Briscoe is simply enjoying the ride through his first postseason excursion at the sport’s top level.
“I love being in this position truthfully where everybody writes us off,” Briscoe told NASCAR.com on Friday. “You know, I’ve been on the other side of it in the Xfinity Series where you’re the championship favorite, and it’s not near as fun. It’s a lot more pressure, I feel like. So for me, I like being in the situation that we’re in where everybody writes us off. They don’t think they even have to worry about us. You know, they’re all counting us out before we even go to the race track. And you can just go there with no pressure and try to prove them wrong.”
MORE: Cup playoff standings | Talladega schedule
That part has seemingly become habit. When others doubted his potential to advance through the stock-car racing ladder, Briscoe’s perseverance won out, carrying him through ARCA, Camping World Trucks and Xfinity to his dream opportunity in Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 14 Ford.
“For me, it’s kind of been like that my whole career, you know?” Briscoe said. “Nobody expected me to ever get to this point. Nobody expected I’d make it into the Truck Series. And, you know, we’ve just scratched and clawed and never gave up and it’s kind of the same.”
In 2020, Briscoe was a serious title favorite in the Xfinity Series, rattling off nine wins and qualifying for the Championship 4. But in the season finale at Phoenix, Briscoe finished ninth, last of the playoff drivers, as Austin Cindric claimed the series title. Now in the Cup playoffs as an underdog, Briscoe said this experience has been more enjoyable.
“When you’re on the other side of it, you know, the whole world is relying on you to be there in the Championship 4, be the guy to beat,” Briscoe said. “And whenever something goes wrong, it’s just a total fallout because the expectations are so high from so many people.
“And you know, for us, we have high expectations on our 14 team, but outside of that, we don’t have the pressure of the world telling us that we got to make it to the Championship 4 so I like it better being on this side of it. And hopefully, like I said, can keep proving people wrong.”
Briscoe heads into Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) eighth in the playoff grid, seven points above the elimination line with two races left in this second round. That cushion toward elimination stemmed from a Tuesday penalty issued to William Byron, who was docked 25 driver and owners points and $50,000 for spinning Denny Hamlin under caution at Texas Motor Speedway. Hendrick Motorsports, which owns Byron’s ride, is appealing the penalty.
MORE: 2022 Cup winners | Bowman to miss Talladega
A fifth-place finish at Texas marked Briscoe’s first top-10 result since finishing fourth at Charlotte in May, allowing plenty of room for outside doubt to seep through social media. But whether he’s above or below the elimination line doesn’t matter much to Briscoe heading to Talladega. With pack racing capable of producing a mixed bag of results, the volatility of Sunday’s race weekend provides uncertainty for each driver.
“If we were maybe somewhere other than Talladega, they might feel a bit safer,” Briscoe said. “But I mean, you can lose or gain so many points this week as well. You know, I feel like we still have to go out and try to race the same way. So I mean, if we were going to a mile-and-a-half [track] or something, then it’d probably make me feel a little bit safer just because I feel like you can control a little bit more of your own destiny as far as how many points you gain or lose. But yeah, with it being Talladega, I’m glad we’re above the cut line, but it really doesn’t change anything I don’t feel like for us.”
No championship-eligible driver has won a playoff race yet this season, with Tyler Reddick claiming the win last week at Texas one week after his elimination from the postseason. That could heighten the intensity in the fight for stage points throughout Sunday’s race. Briscoe sits just 15 points behind fourth-place Ryan Blaney entering the contest.
As for strategy? That will depend on where the No. 14 Ford qualifies on Saturday (10:30 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, MRN).
“If we qualify up front, then you probably have to try to get some points while you can,” Briscoe said. “You know, if you qualify towards the back, then it’d probably change your strategy. The problem is we’ve kind of got to do what all the guys around us in points do. You know, if they all try to ride around in the back, then we probably need to try to ride around in the back. But if they’re all up there trying to mix it up trying to get points, then we need to do the same thing. We just need to try to match what they’re doing.
“So you know, the 20 [Christopher Bell] is probably for sure gonna be going for points. But it’s the 24 [Byron] and the 2 [Cindric] and guys like that, it’s kind of up in the air. But then on the same token, I think we’re only like (18) points out of second place. So you know, if we could go get some stage points that could change a lot of things for us as well. So I don’t know, it’s just a really hard spot to be in.”
MORE: 2022 Cup title odds | Talladega odds
Briscoe has never won at a superspeedway, but advice from Dale Earnhardt Jr. while he was still chasing Xfinity titles proved helpful. The shared philosophy was to try to lead every lap — be the aggressor and be as close to the front as you can be at all times. While that worked in the Xfinity Series and made superspeedways more enjoyable for Briscoe, that hasn’t come as easily in Cup.
“On the Xfinity side, I feel like there was three or four or five of us maybe that understood [superspeedway] racing and how to be aggressive and make moves and block certain runs,” Briscoe said. “Where on the Cup side, there’s 25 of those guys that can do that. So it made it a little bit harder to be aggressive. Just trying to not be the guy that obviously causes the big wreck. And you know truthfully, probably haven’t been the best at trying to be the aggressor in the Cup Series like I was in the Xfinity Series, and I probably need to get a little bit more that direction.
“I don’t know if this weekend we can do that. But I do think I need to probably be a little more aggressive on the superspeedways, just because I haven’t really done that since I got to Cup.”
The Round of 12 comes to a close on Oct. 9 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, the site of Briscoe’s first Xfinity win in 2018. But whatever advantages Briscoe held over the field on road courses previously now feel diminished with the Next Gen car. What matters most is that he will have a chance to advance to the Round of 8 — featuring Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami and Martinsville — heading into Charlotte.
“This is the one round I was probably the most nervous about,” Briscoe said. “I felt like if we could get through this round, you know, make it to the Round of 8, I feel like the Round of 8 is all really really, good race tracks for me, and ones that I feel like I can go, you know, run up front and potentially win at. So yeah, we just want to make it through this round.”
TALLADEGA, Ala. — The Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet for driver William Byron failed NASCAR Cup Series pre-qualifying inspection twice Friday at Talladega Superspeedway.
RELATED: Talladega weekend schedule | Playoff standings
As a result of the infraction, No. 24 car chief Tyler Jones was ejected for the rest of the race weekend leading up to Sunday’s YellaWood 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). The team will also lose its pit-stall selection for Sunday’s race, the fifth of 10 events in the Cup Series postseason.
The No. 24 Chevy was the only car in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs to fail inspection twice, and the car passed on its third trip through the line.
Two cars outside the playoff picture — both Kaulig Racing entries — also failed inspection two times. Both teams — the No. 16 Chevy for Daniel Hemric and No. 31 for Justin Haley — forfeited pit-stall selection, and both car chiefs — Garett Peterson (No. 16) and Jaron Antley (No. 31) — were ejected.
Byron ranks 10th of the 12 remaining championship-eligible drivers. He is eight points below the cut-off line after he was issued a 25-point penalty — plus a $50,000 fine — for spinning Denny Hamlin during a caution period in last weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Byron’s team has indicated it will appeal the penalty.
There was no on-track activity for the NASCAR Cup Series on Friday. The tour will set the starting lineup with Busch Pole Qualifying on Saturday (10:30 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM).
What Noah Gragson is doing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series right now is historic.
The fourth-year driver for JR Motorsports finds himself tied with series legend Sam Ard with wins in four consecutive races, a feat no driver has accomplished since Ard did so in 1983. And while four drivers have won five of their consecutive series starts, no one has ever won five straight races.
Gragson can write his own history at Talladega Superspeedway if he takes his No. 9 Chevrolet back to Victory Lane on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The Las Vegas native is a two-time winner on superspeedways and is the most recent victor at Talladega.
MORE: Xfinity playoff standings | Talladega schedule
At 24 years old, Gragson is experiencing his most fruitful season of his time in NASCAR’s upper echelon. His seven victories this season have come at a variety of different track types — a superspeedway like Talladega; intermediates like Pocono, Darlington, Kansas and Texas; and 1-mile or shorter tracks like Phoenix and Bristol.
If it feels like there’s some recency bias with Gragson’s performance, you might be right to a certain extent. According to Racing Insights, Gragson’s last nine races have produced staggering numbers: five wins, seven top fives and eight top 10s with seven stage victories, 352 laps led and an average finish of 4.89. He’s also racked up an impressive 32 playoff points and is the only competitor locked into the Xfinity Series’ Round of 8 courtesy of his Texas win.
Before this year, Gragson had never won more than three times in a single season. His Xfinity total now sits at 12, ballooning from five at the start of the season.
Perhaps more impressive is that Gragson has maintained a high level of performance since the start of 2022. The first four races produced consecutive top-three efforts, culminating with a Phoenix victory in March. That was followed by a season-worst stretch that saw three finishes of 20th or worse in the next four events.
Gragson quickly relocated his footing. Since that span, Gragson has finished outside the top 10 in just four of the last 19 races. His 13 stage wins this year are the most in an Xfinity season since Christopher Bell racked up 17 in 2019.
His success is also proving significant for JRM, which he’s called home since 2019. JRM, co-owned by Rick Hendrick, Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Dale Earnhardt Jr., is enjoying its winningest season as a company with 13 victories, four more than its previous record of nine in 2014. Chase Elliott won the Xfinity Series championship that year driving the team’s No. 9 Chevrolet. Gragson is now JRM’s second-winningest driver, with his 12 wins trailing Justin Allgaier’s 16.
RELATED: 2022 Xfinity Series winners
Questions surrounding Gragson’s maturity followed an intentional spin during the Xfinity race on July 2 at Road America, an incident that collected numerous vehicles and resulted in a $35,000 fine from the sanctioning body. Those questions have largely been answered as the season progressed — so much so that Petty GMS has signed Gragson to drive its No. 42 Chevrolet on a full-time basis starting with the 2023 Cup Series season.
His growth is continuing in NASCAR’s premier series this year. Gragson has made 13 Cup starts this season — three superspeedway starts for Beard Motorsports and 10 races for Kaulig Racing. Gragson was slated to drive the No. 62 Chevrolet for Beard Motorsports again at Talladega but instead will drive the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports as Alex Bowman sits sidelined with concussion-like symptoms.
With Cup aspirations coming to fruition, Gragson’s goal remains focused on one thing: turning his recent Xfinity Series dominance into a series title in Phoenix.
Alex Bowman will not compete in the Round of 12 playoff race Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway because of concussion-like symptoms he suffered after a Sept. 25 crash at Texas Motor Speedway, according to Hendrick Motorsports.
Bowman was evaluated by physicians on Thursday, according to the team, and it was determined he could not participate this weekend.
TALLADEGA: Full weekend schedule
“After undergoing medical evaluation due to concussion-like symptoms, I will not be driving the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet in Talladega,” Bowman said on social media. “I’m disappointed but know my health is the number one priority.”
Last Sunday, Bowman brought out the caution flag on Lap 98 of 334 when his car hit the wall. Bowman was able to continue in the race but finished 29th, five laps down to winner Tyler Reddick.
Bowman is currently in last place in the 12-driver playoff field, 26 points below the cutline, and he will likely face a must-win situation next weekend at the Charlotte Roval if he is able to return in time for the Round of 12 elimination race. According to a NASCAR spokesperson, Hendrick Motorsports’ request for a postseason waiver enabling Bowman to remain eligible for the Round of 8 has been granted.
Hendrick Motorsports announced that Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports will fill in for Bowman for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM).
Gragson was originally slated to pilot the No. 62 Chevy for Beard Motorsports. Instead, his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier will now drive the No. 62. It will be Allgaier’s 81st Cup Series start and second of 2022 (Bristol Dirt).
— Alex Bowman (@Alex_Bowman) September 29, 2022