TALLADEGA, Ala. — AJ Allmendinger, the regular-season champion in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, was sidelined by a Stage 1 crash in Saturday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Allmendinger’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet was swept up along with the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevy of Sam Mayer into the outside retaining wall in Turn 3 on the final lap of the opening stage in the Sparks 300. Both drivers had been racing three- and four-abreast back in the pack just before the stage’s end at Lap 25 (of a scheduled 113). Both drivers walked away from the crash under their own power. They were at the tail end of the top-10 group.
Both drivers walked away from the crash under their own power.
“It looks like Sam got clipped by somebody, and that sent him into us,” Allmendinger said. “You put yourself in that position, that’s bound to happen racing with certain people. That’s a part of Talladega.
“It’s unfortunate, but that’s why you go so hard in the regular season to get these bonus point, to go out and if you have something like this happen in a playoff race, it doesn’t completely set you back. We’ll see where we end at the end of today. If we got to go to the Roval and win the race, we’ll probably go do that. And if not, we’ll do what we have to do to make it to the next round.”
Allmendinger entered the middle race in the Round of 12 in the Xfinity Series playoffs with a 59-point cushion over the elimination line, but he was scored 39th in the 40-car field after the incident. That’ll give him just one point. Mayer was slotted 38th in his 13th start this season.
“I didn’t expect people to make it four-wide then and there, going off into the corner,” Mayer said. “Usually you try to make that move off the corner. But honestly, I’m new at this whole thing, so maybe that is the right thing to do but I definitely wasn’t ready for it. I was just trying to mind my own business, put my left front right on the hash mark, like I’d been doing all day. Whether I was three-, four-wide didn’t really matter until there. People just making moves that really don’t benefit you enough to risk, risk vs. reward.”
John Hunter Nemechek ultimately won Stage 1. There were eight playoff drivers in the top 10 – Jeb Burton, Riley Herbst, Austin Cindric, Harrison Burton, Myatt Snider, Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones filled second through eighth in order; Daniel Hemric was 10th. The race was then briefly stopped during the break for repairs to the Turn 3 barrier.
The Round of 12 field will dwindle down to eight drivers next Saturday at the Charlotte Roval (3 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Allmendinger has never raced on the Roval layout and not won – two wins in two starts. He led 20 of the 67 laps in 2019 and 12 of 68 in 2020.
“We’ll absolutely kick their (explicit) like usual there,” Allmendinger said. “That’s what we’re going to go do.”
YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway
(⏰ 1 p.m. ET | 📺 NBCSN, TSN | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)
Everything you need to know for Monday’s rescheduled Round of 12 middle race and 31st points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season.
Where: Talladega, Alabama Green flag: 1 p.m. ET on Monday, October 4th Grand Marshal: Jimmy Rane, Founder, president and CEO of Great Southern Wood Preserving TV/Radio: NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Forecast: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10 a.m. CT, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 p.m. CT. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%, according to NOAA.gov. Race Distance: 188 laps, 500 miles Stages: 60 | 120 | 188 Pit-road speed: 55 mph Caution car speed: 70 mph Talladega 101: Get the full lowdown Starting lineup: See the full lineup Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where |Expert breaks down pit selectionsJames Gilbert | Getty Images
Five to watch
Here are five big story lines we’ll be following at Talladega Superspeedway.
1. Denny Hamlin is the only NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs driver that has clinched a spot in the Round of 8 after his win at Las Vegas. The only driver who could clinch on points at Talladega without any help is Kyle Larson, who would get an automatic bid to the next round with 54 points, or 55 points if Joey Logano wins.
2. On the other side of the spectrum, William Byron, Kevin Harvick, Alex Bowman and Christopher Bell enter Talladega below the Round of 8 elimination line. Byron is four points below eighth-place driver Brad Keselowski, while Bell finds himself 25 points back. Harvick holds the best average finish at Talladega among drivers below the elimination line with a 15.8 in 41 starts. But what have you done for me lately? While Harvick finished fourth in the spring race at Talladega earlier this year, Byron finished second and also recorded a fourth-place result in the fall race one year ago.
3. It’s hard to ignore the strength of Team Penske on superspeedway races and that especially holds true at Talladega. Penske drivers Ryan Blaney, Keselowski and Logano hold 11 victories at the 2.66-mile Alabama track, while the rest of the current field has seven race wins. Blaney has won two of the last four races at Talladega and also picked up another superspeedway win at Daytona in August.
4. Aside from Blaney, the other superspeedway king recently has been Hamlin. The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished sixth or better in five of the last eight races at Talladega and is the defending winner of Monday’s race. He’s also won two of the last seven superspeedway races. Hamlin could steal another win away from other playoff drivers who desperately need one and should be a favorite to do so.
5. Hamlin’s JGR teammate, Martin Truex Jr., currently sits fourth in the playoff standings. He’s in a good spot, 31 points above the elimination line, but that’s before you look at his Talladega stats. Truex only has two top-five finishes in 33 starts and is on a string of 10 straight finishes of 20th or worse. While Truex remains a Championship 4 favorite, Talladega could very well make or break his run for a second Cup title.
Race-day staples
Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.
• Power Rankings: Plenty of title fight left in dark horse Brad Keselowski | Latest rankings
• Paint Scheme Preview: Slick schemes for Talladega | See them here • Playoff Pulse: Who’s hot, who’s not after Las Vegas | Full breakdown
• Debate: Are Denny Hamlin and No. 11 crew peaking at perfect time? | Backseat Drivers
• Bubble Watch: William Byron next to make Round of 8? | See the bubble breakdown
• Fantasy Fastlane: Penske power at the fantasy forefront | Top plays, sleepers
• Analysis: Round of 12 track-by-track breakdown | See it here
Get in on the action
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.
• What are the odds?: Betting odds for Talladega | See them here
• NASCAR betting: How Penske rises about superspeedway randomness | Read more
• The Action Network: Who to pick — Denny Hamlin or Brad Keselowski? |Read more • Talking playoffs: How Fantasy Live game works for the postseason | Read more • No risk, big reward: Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot
Memories from Talladega
Before the Cup Series races at Talladega for the second time this season, take a look back at some important track history.
Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
• Four drivers have finished in the top 10 in all four playoff races to this point: Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick. • Three drivers — Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott — have led a combined 76% of the laps raced in the 2021 Playoffs. • Ryan Blaney has won two of the last four races at Talladega and three of the last eight superspeedway races. • Martin Truex Jr. only has two top-five finishes in 33 starts at Talladega. • Team Penske has 10 Talladega wins and all 10 came in the last 19 races there.
Catch the pack
Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to the race.
• Pack the protein: Built Bar becomes Official Protein Bar of NASCAR | Read more
• Baby Briscoe: Chase Briscoe, wife Marissa welcome first child | Read more
• Moving on: Round of 8 clinch scenarios for Talladega | Read more
• What pressure?: Chase Elliott feels No. 9 team can ‘enjoy, thrive’ in pressure | Read more
• Don’t be that guy: Joey Logano says Kevin Harvick is ‘known to be that guy’ | Here’s why
• Back in the No 47: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will return to JTG Daugherty Racing in 2022 | Read more
• Penske power: Team Penske sets driver-crew chief lineup for 2022 | Learn about the changes
• Good news: Joey Gase cleared to run Talladega after scary Las Vegas crash | Read more
• Let’s get silly: Keep up with latest Silly Season news for the 2022 season | Read more
Say what?
Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into the race.
Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
“It’s not been very good lately. We’ve kind of been in bad relationship these last couple of years. I don’t know. I enjoy going there. I enjoy racing there. It just been a real challenge to get to the finish, so hopefully, this time around we will have a little bit better luck. Just been caught up in a lot of accidents. Nowhere to hide there. It’s just not been that good to us. We haven’t finished a speedway race this year, so I guess the odds are in our favor to finish this one, hopefully. We need it. We need a good finish, so hopefully we will get it done.” — Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
“I feel like you have to just go as hard as you can. I’ve tried to play the laying back and getting to the front and all that. There’s times where you can chill out because the momentum in the race maybe isn’t as important in that time. But, you’ve got to go for those stage points and put yourself in a good spot. For me, personally, I try to go for the points and see what can happen.” — William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
“The biggest stress point for me is trying to make it to the end of that race. It’s really difficult to do no matter how good at superspeedway racing you are or you aren’t. Just trying to make the right decisions there and the right calls. Hopefully end up toward the front there at the end of the day. It’s definitely pretty tough. — Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Before upset winner Tate Fogleman could go to Victory Lane, he had to visit the infield care center after sliding sideways across the finish line in tandem with runner-up Tyler Hill and slamming into the inside wall.
Fogleman claimed the win in the Chevrolet Silverado 250 after he turned then-race-leader John Hunter Nemechek sideways and passed him in the Talladega Superspeedway tri-oval as the trucks approached the stripe.
The victory was Fogleman’s first in 46 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts. The driver of the No. 12 Chevrolet scored his second top 10 in the series and his first on pavement, having run ninth on dirt at Knoxville Raceway.
Fogleman had never finished a superspeedway race before, but his luck turned on Saturday when he avoided two multicar wrecks earlier in the event.
“It was crazy,” said Fogleman, whose margin of victory was .052 seconds. “I missed that first big wreck, got through the second one, and it felt like things were finally starting to go right finally on a superspeedway. I’d never finished a superspeedway race before. I had a good feeling about it.
“We lined up third there (for the final restart in overtime), and I knew we just had to be aggressive. … I got a push from behind, and we were able to do it.”
Todd Gilliland came home third, followed by Nemechek, who slid across the finish line in fourth. Nemechek was the only one of eight Playoff drivers to finish in the top 10 in an event that left several drivers in the postseason in must-win positions for the Oct. 30 Round of 8 elimination race at Martinsville Speedway.
“I had a run, got by the 38 (Gilliland) and was trying to keep the 12 (Fogleman) in the mirror,” Nemechek said of the final lap. “He had a huge run through the tri-oval. He faked high and I went to block high, and then the block was a little too late, I guess. I should have stayed up and probably still would have won the race.
“Solid points day for us — 35 above the cut line (actually 36), I think, or something like that going into Martinsville. Just have to survive and advance to get to the final four.”
Nemechek leaves Talladega first in the Playoff standings, one point ahead of Ben Rhodes, who finished 13th on Saturday.
A gigantic wreck on Lap 58 had huge implications both for the race and for the Playoff. Chase Purdy shoved the Ford of Gilliland into the back of Austin Hill’s Toyota, and the resulting off-center contact shot Hill’s Tundra up the track, knocking Zane Smith’s Chevrolet into the outside wall.
Smith was eliminated in 33rd place and likely must win Oct. 30 at Martinsville Speedway to advance to the Championship 4.
“The last thing I remember, the 16 (Hill) was about in my windshield,” a rueful Smith said after exiting the infield care center.
All told, 21 trucks — more than half the 40-truck field — were involved in the wreck. Among them was the No. 18 Toyota of Playoff driver Chandler Smith, who managed to continue in the race despite heavy damage to his Tundra. Smith came home 19th, seven laps down.
A subsequent multi-truck accident on Lap 76 brought an early end to the race for Playoff drivers Stewart Friesen and Carson Hocevar, as well as for former Talladega winner Grant Enfinger.
Enfinger steered from the bottom lane to the top, in front of a line of trucks led by reigning series champion Sheldon Creed. When Creed moved higher on the track, Enfinger attempted to block him, and contact between the trucks ignited the seven-truck incident.
Chase Purdy spun while leading after contact from with Gilliland’s truck to bring out the sixth and final caution of the race on Lap 93 and set up the overtime. Only 20 of the 40 trucks that started the race were running at the finish.
Notes: Post-race inspection in the Camping World Truck Series garage was completed without issue, confirming Fogleman’s breakthrough win. … Tyler Hill’s career best runner-up finish was his first top-five result in 23 Camping World Truck starts.
Stewart-Haas Racing driver Chase Briscoe took to social media Saturday to reveal he and wife Marissa have welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Brooks Wayne Cunningham Briscoe.
What I’ve learned in the short 6 hours I’ve been a parent… I need more phone storage, I think I’ve already taken about 200 photos. Here is the most recent one from the little mans big day. pic.twitter.com/nZFGDydGKa
Briscoe shared on Twitter last weekend the baby’s due date was fast approaching as evidenced by the fact he flew out to Las Vegas Motor Speedway the morning of the race.
Pulled the backup plane out so hopefully this one is good to go, bought a seat on the 11:25 just in case this one doesn’t go. Crazy morning left the house at 5:30am! Hopefully I don’t get there and @MarissaBriscoe_ go into labor. 😂 https://t.co/USU4ADhYtLpic.twitter.com/6NV7PsErwD
After a NASCAR Xfinity Series win last year at Darlington Raceway — the series’ first race back after a break from the COVID-19 pandemic — the Stewart-Haas Racing driver was quite emotional as a day prior, the couple shared they had lost a baby. Since then, the couple has been open on social media about their journey.
It has been an emotional week for Briscoe, who is mourning the loss of ARCA champion car owner and friend Briggs Cunningham III, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 89. Given his tweets in honor of his friend and a member of his racing family, it’s not hard to imagine the baby’s middle name is in honor of him.
I’ve been very blessed to have never lost a family member I’m close to in 26 years and although Briggs wasn’t family he was like family and another grandfather to me, he was one of my best friends and someone I owe practically everything to. I miss you so much already Briggs… pic.twitter.com/8CksRaxMeP
The Indiana native is in his first NASCAR Cup Series season driving the famed No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford for co-owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas.
Statesville, NC (Oct. 1, 2021) – GMS Racing is proud to re-welcome Grant Enfinger to its NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) lineup in 2022. The 2019 Regular Season Champion will pilot the team’s iconic No. 23 Chevrolet Silverado full-time in 2022 and 2023.
Enfinger, who has six NCWTS wins in his career, will be rejoining forces with a team that has strong ties to the driver from Fairhope, Ala. Over the years, the driver and team pairing have made a lot of history on track in multiple series.
The Series veteran delivered GMS Racing the team’s first win in the ARCA Menards Series at Berlin Raceway in 2014, and the duo went on to win the ARCA Menards Series championship in 2015. In 2016, driving the GMS Racing No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado, Enfinger earned his first career NCWTS win at Talladega Superspeedway.
“It’s an honor to be coming back to GMS Racing, the place where I was able to jump start my career in NASCAR. Together GMS Racing and I saw a tremendous amount of success – winning races and championships – and I’m ready to pick up where we left off,” said Enfinger.
Joining Enfinger on the move to GMS Racing will be longtime supporter, Champion Power Equipment, who will serve as primary sponsor of the No. 23 Silverado for the majority of the next two seasons. Champion Power Equipment has played an integral role in Grant’s career, with a relationship that dates back to 2015.
“Champion Power Equipment started our motorsports journey with GMS Racing in 2014, joining forces with Grant’s program at GMS Racing in 2015, and we have never looked back,” said Dennis Trine of Champion Power Equipment. “Year-after-year we are seeing the value that a partnership with not only Grant, but in NASCAR, brings to our company. Our consumers are outdoor enthusiast and we are able to connect with them directly at NASCAR race tracks, allowing us to see measurable growth through the life of the partnership. We look forward to continuing that growth with Grant and the GMS Racing team over the next two seasons.”
The No. 23 GMS Racing team looks to contend for race wins and make a bid for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with the energy from the strong partnership with Grant Enfinger and Champion Power Equipment. All parties share a common goal in building a program driven by success.
“It’s so great to know where I’m going to be for the next couple of years, as I’m used to finding out around January each season,” continued Enfinger. “To have this deal signed this early ahead of the season is huge for me personally and career-wise, and I can’t wait to get started!”
Additional information about GMS Racing’s 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season will be made at a later date, including additional driver announcements, sponsor unveilings, and crew chief pairings.
For more information about Grant Enfinger, please visit his official website, www.grantenfinger.com. Follow Grant on social with his official handle @GrantEnfinger. Stay up to date with news on the No. 23 Chevrolet on GMS Racing’s website, www.gmsracing.net, or follow along on social media with the team’s handle @GMSRacingLLC. #WeAreGMS
With only five races remaining before the championship finale at Phoenix and just two races before the Round of 8 cutoff, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to perhaps its most unpredictable racetrack for Monday’s YellaWood 500 (1 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Talladega Superspeedway.
Superspeedways are notorious for pack racing and drafting, therefore resulting in cars constantly maneuvering within inches of each other.
One mistake, even a small one, can take a large portion of the field including drivers who simply find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. The racing here is undoubtedly unpredictable, but some drivers seem to have a knack for pack racing, and that shows in the past data.
Topping the list of NASCAR’s best superspeedway racers are Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski, who are also facing off in Barstool Sportsbook’s Masters of Superspeedway Racing Matchup.
Let’s take a deeper look at this matchup, including the smartest possible way for bettors to approach it on Sunday.
Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@PJWalsh24) for any additional bets I make for this weekend’s NASCAR action at Talladega Superspeedway.
NASCAR YellaWood 500 at Talladega Betting Pick
*Odds as of Friday morning
When it comes to betting NASCAR driver matchups at superspeedways like Talladega, I’m biased toward underdogs simply based on years of watching wild racing at these tracks.
While we can do our best to project speed week in and week out, the sheer randomness of pack racing at Talladega pulls every driver matchup closer to a coin-flip, therefore making dogs more appetizing than being forced to lay a bigger moneyline price with the favorites.
So when it comes to Sunday’s intriguing Denny Hamlin (-132) vs. Brad Keselowski (+102) driver matchup, that’s exactly my plan.
Over the last two seasons, Hamlin has been the top superspeedway racer in the series, highlighted by the top average finish (8.4), the most laps led and the best driver rating over seven total races at Daytona and Talladega.
However, when we isolate just recent performances at Talladega, Hamlin vs. Keselowski appears much closer.
Since 2019, Kez owns the best driver rating and the best average running position at Talladega while Hamlin sits way down in 17th and 23rd, respectively.
Sure, there is plenty of randomness involved and will be again on Sunday, but based on Keselowski’s history at this track and the aforementioned unpredictability, give me the plus-money in this matchup.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 1, 2021) – NASCAR and Built Brands announced today a multiyear partnership, designating Built Bar as “The Official Protein Bar of NASCAR.” Already a sponsor of Corey LaJoie and his No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, Built expands its presence in the sport as an official partner of NASCAR.
To celebrate the announcement, LaJoie and Built CEO Nick Greer recreated a scene from popular NASCAR movie Talladega Nights – a fitting tribute as NASCAR travels to famed Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for high stakes Playoffs races in all three of its national series.
“At Built, we are about high performance and bringing everything you have to each and every day. We understand that the journey is just as important as the finish line,” Greer said. “Every journey will have its ups, downs, spin outs, scratches and dings, and everything in between. This is why we are delighted to be partnering with NASCAR, a sport where the joy of the experience – for driver, crew, sponsor and fan – is a shared pursuit for greatness. We are thrilled to take this journey together.”
Built Bar is part of the Built ™ portfolio of nutritional products. Built is a leading manufacturer and distributor of healthy, great-tasting protein and energy products – combining natural, clean ingredients in a unique way. Built Bar’s proprietary manufacturing process produces a great-tasting, healthy bar that is high in protein, high in fiber and low in sugar.
“Quality nutrition is an essential component to drive athletic performance and especially important to endure the rigors of the most intense competition in motorsports,” said Jeff Wohlschlaeger, chief sales officer, NASCAR. “We are excited to see Built Bar enhance its presence in NASCAR to broaden brand awareness and better engage the most brand loyal fans in sports.”
Tune-in to the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and MRN.
For all the randomness superspeedway racing is known for, the Fords, particularly Team Penske, seem to have Talladega Superspeedway figured out.
Of the last 14 NASCAR Cup races at this 2.66-mile Alabama track, Fords have won 11. Penske drivers account for nine of those victories, including four by Brad Keselowski, three by Joey Logano and two by Ryan Blaney.
Blaney’s win at Michigan should also be considered when handicapping Monday’s YellaWood 500 (1 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Races at the two-mile track in Brooklyn tend to resemble those at restrictor-plate tracks, Las Vegas oddsmaker Ed Salmons told NASCAR.com.
“Michigan feels like half of a mile-and-a-half and half of a restrictor plate race the way they race there,” said Salmons, who posts NASCAR lines at SuperBook USA. “It feels like more of a plate race than any two-mile track race.”
Here are the top contenders’ odds to win Sunday’s race from NASCAR’s three official sportsbook partners, plus the SuperBook.
Driver
BetMGM
Barstool
WynnBET
SuperBook
Denny Hamlin
+800
+800
+850
+1000
Joey Logano
+900
+100
+1000
+1000
Ryan Blaney
+1000
+1100
+1000
+1000
Chase Elliott
+1000
+1000
+1000
+1000
Brad Keselowski
+1000
+1400
+1400
+1200
William Byron
+1200
+1200
+1200
+1200
Kevin Harvick
+1400
+1600
+1600
+1400
Kyle Larson
+1400
+1400
+1400
+1400
Kyle Busch
+1400
+1600
+1400
+1600
Alex Bowman
+1800
+2000
+1800
+2000
Kurt Busch
+2000
+2500
+2200
+2500
Aric Almirola
+2000
+2000
+1800
+2500
Austin Dillon
+2500
+2500
+2500
+2000
Matt DiBenedetto
+2500
+2500
+2800
+2000
Bubba Wallace
+2500
+3000
+2800
+2000
Tyler Reddick
+2500
+2500
+2500
+2500
Martin Truex Jr.
+2500
+2500
+2200
+3000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
+2500
+3000
+2500
+4000
Christopher Bell
+3300
+3000
+2500
+4000
Keselowski being priced longer than his teammates despite an excellent history at Talladega goes back to his lame-duck status with Penske, which we wrote about last week.
For bettors interested in riding the Ford trend at Talladega, Barstool Sports offers a “manufacturer of winning car” prop, pricing Ford at +140, with Chevrolet as the +130 favorite and Toyota the +325 underdog.
The constant superspeedway favorite
Hamlin has been priced as the favorite in all four superspeedway races this season, but he’s so far failed to reward chalk bettors. Including the Duel at Daytona, he has finishes of 13th, fifth, 32nd and 13th at Talladega and Daytona in 2021.
Still, he can’t be dismissed. In the 15 races at superspeedways since 2018, Hamlin has driven the No. 11 Toyota to three wins and nine total top fives. Before his 32nd at ‘Dega in April, in which he led 43 laps, his last three finishes here are first (last October), fourth and third.
While Hamlin tends to keep himself clean during these usually messy races, since he’s through to the Round 8 thanks to his win in Las Vegas last week, he’s bound to be aggressive if he’s near the front Sunday, an enticing scenario at odds ranging from +800 to +1000.
Below the cutline
William Byron, Kevin Harvick, Alex Bowman and Christopher Bell are all outside the bubble looking in on the top eight, with two chances to make up the ground before the next round of the Playoffs – Sunday at Talladega and next week at the Bank of America Roval in Charlotte. With the exception of Bell, none of these drivers have performed well on road courses this season and may have incentive to be aggressive in Alabama.
Hendrick teammates Byron and Bowman both have solid superspeedway records, and the No. 24 has a 2020 win at Daytona to boot.
One never knows what will transpire at Talladega, but Harvick breaking his season-long winless streak Sunday seems unlikely – he has three career wins on superspeedway tracks but none since 2010.
Superspeedways just haven’t been Bell’s bag, and he’s priced accordingly on oddsboards.
The betting market gives reasonable shots Sunday to Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola, each with a Cup win this season and each priced around +2000.
Busch’s 92.3 driver rating at Talladega since 2018, third best among active drivers, stands out but was largely built when he was in Stewart-Haas Racing equipment. He hasn’t been much of a threat at this track since joining Ganassi.
Almirola, meanwhile, holds his own at Talladega in his No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, with a 10.86 average finish in the seven races here since 2018 (best in the series among drivers with more than two starts since 2018) and a win in 2018. He finished 15th at Talladega in the spring and crashed out of last year’s Fall race but tallied eight-straight top-nine finishes (five in the top five) prior to that. If he’s running near the front again Sunday, a bettor would feel pretty good about holding a ticket at 20-1 odds.
Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.
Rick Ware Racing driver Joey Gase has been cleared to run in Monday’s NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (1 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the team said on Thursday night.
The Iowa native is set to make his 12th start of the Cup Series season on Sunday and is set to roll off the grid 36th in the No. 53 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet. He is also entered in Saturday’s Xfinity Series Sparks 300 (4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in the No. 52 Means Motorsports entry.
Gase was evaluated and released from a local medical facility after a hard crash in last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Representatives for both the Ware organization and Gase indicated that the 28-year-old driver was taken to a Vegas-area hospital as part of “precautionary measures.”
The driver of the No. 15 Chevrolet at Las Vegas crashed in Turns 1 and 2 on Lap 92 of Sunday’s South Point 400 after his left-rear tire fell off. Gase was checked in the infield care center on site before being transported. He was scored 37th in the 38-car field.
The chaos of superspeedway racing rears its head in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs this weekend.
With hopes of advancing into the next round on the line, title contenders are set for the second race of the Round of 12 with the YellaWood 500 on Monday afternoon (1 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Before these drivers go three- and four-wide on the high banks of Talladega, let’s set the stage for 188 laps of high-tension, close-quarters racing at 200 mph.
The Joe Gibbs Racing duo of Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch will lead the field to the green flag Sunday afternoon in Alabama. Hamlin is the defending winner of this Talladega race as well as the victor last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In Row 2 will be Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney while Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. make up Row 3. Check out the entire starting lineup here.
RULES PACKAGE
Teams will utilize the 450-horsepower superspeedway package this weekend, which will be the same package used five races ago at Daytona International Speedway. This setup features taller rear spoilers and longer front splitters to promote drafting in a pack with high downforce.
Joey Logano’s flip on the Alabama Superstretch in April triggered alterations to the previous superspeedway package, including a reduction in horsepower and the removal of a wicker that created drag atop the spoiler.
— Originally named the Alabama International Motor Speedway, Talladega’s 2.66-mile oval layout was a Bill France idea that came to life on the site of a near-abandoned former Navy training airport in 1969.
— The first Cup race at Talladega was held on Sept. 14, 1969 and was won by Richard Brickhouse as most series regulars sat out due to safety concerns, worried that the tires provided wouldn’t withstand the high speeds.
— Talladega is the largest oval on the circuit while also hosting the steepest banking (33 degrees), longest backstretch (4,000 feet), most lead changes in a race (88, Spring 2010 and 2011), and closest margin of victory in Cup Series history (.002 seconds, Spring 2011).
— Talladega also hosted the only race in series history that a winner’s first lap led in the series was the final lap (Brad Keselowski, April 2009).
Source: Racing Insights
GOODYEAR TIRES
Despite being repaved way back in 2006, Talladega Superspeedway’s surface remains smooth and doesn’t regularly tear up tires. And while tires will still wear throughout a run, strategy will be key as Cup teams utilize the same tire they’ve used at Talladega since October 2019.
“Since its repave in 2006, Talladega’s track surface has aged a bit and will wear tires somewhat this weekend,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Having said that, teams will still have the opportunity to mix in two-tire and no-tire stops in their pit strategy throughout the race. Being able to do that will help teams gain track position and potentially help them line up with teammates so they can work together in the draft.”
STORYLINES ENTERING TALLADEGA
– Team Penske has won five of the last seven playoff races at Talladega.
– Chase Elliott’s April 2019 victory marks Chevrolet’s only win in the last 12 Talladega races, while Ford has won 10 of the last 12.
– Matt DiBenedetto was passed for the win in each of the last two races at Talladega.
– Each of the last three Talladega contests have been won via a last-lap pass in overtime, and 17 of the last 20 races there have featured a final green-flag run of two laps or less.
– Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick are the only Playoff drivers to finish in the top 10 in each of the first four races in the postseason.
– Kevin Harvick remains the only winless driver of those in the Round of 12.
– The October 2020 race featured 12 additional overtime laps, increasing the final race distance by 32 miles.
– Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers with six Talladega wins. The driver with the next-most wins is teammate Joey Logano with three.
– There were at least 10 DNFs in 10 of the 17 Talladega playoff races.
Source: Racing Insights
FAST MONEY
Despite the usually inevitable calamity at Talladega, some drivers are inherently better on superspeedways than others. There’s a reason that four of the last seven Talladega races have been won by the driver who led the most laps.
Denny Hamlin is this week’s favorite at 8-1 odds, according to BetMGM, and the numbers don’t lie. In the last 11 superspeedway races dating back to the 2019 Daytona 500, Hamlin has three wins and seven top fives.
Behind Hamlin in odds are Joey Logano (9-1), Chase Elliott (10-1), Ryan Blaney (10-1) and Brad Keselowski (10-1). Blaney appears to be an excellent play this weekend as he’s won two of the last four Talladega races as well as the regular-season finale at Daytona on Aug. 28.
Martin Truex Jr.’s (25-1) top-10 streak may be in jeopardy this weekend because Talladega has not treated him well. In 33 career Talladega starts, Truex has just two top fives and has finished outside the top 20 in 10 straight races. His 66 starts at the 2.66-mile track are the most among active drivers without a Talladega win.
Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out the playoff version of NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now and offers a fresh start for those of you who played the regular-season contest. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts, and there is a $10,000 prize for the winner.
The 2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Denny Hamlin (1,222) Kyle Larson (1,208), and Chase Elliott (998).
This year, NASCAR.com also has the Playoffs Grid Challenge game, presented by Ruoff Mortgage, where you can pick the winners for each round of the playoffs right up through the Championship 4. First prize is $10,000.
Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.
New for this season, NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.
And finally, head over to the NASCAR Mobile App for AR Racing presented by Mobil 1, where you can design your own car and race the playoff drivers at the playoff tracks in augmented reality.
