What’s Happening?

NASCAR heads to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for the third superspeedway race of the year. The ARCA Menards Series joins the Cup Series and Xfinity Series for the weekend. Here is all you need to know from Talladega this weekend. 

• Talladega Superspeedway is the longest oval track on the circuit. The track’s distinguishing feature is the start-finish line placement, which is past the exit of pit road instead of the traditional spot in the middle of the front stretch.
• Talladega Superspeedway was built in 1969 by NASCAR founder Bill France Jr. The track was built as a slightly bigger, wider, and steeper banked clone of Daytona. Talladega hosted its’ first race in the fall of 1969, and the Cup Series has held 2 races per year at the venue since 1970.
• Fans are always excited for Talladega. It’s one of the most popular tracks on the calendar, and fans are excited for another Talladega race.

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Rainy Weather Forecast for Talladega NASCAR Weekend

Weekend TV Schedule (All Times ET)

Friday, April 19th – Xfinity Series Practice and Qualifying

• 5:30-7:00 PM – Xfinity Series Qualifying on FS1

Saturday, April 20th – ARCA and Xfinity Series RACE

• 10:30 AM-12:00 PM – Cup Series Qualifying on FS1
• 12:30 PM – ARCA Menards Series General Tire 200 on FS1
• 4:00 PM – Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 on FS1

Sunday, April 21st – Cup Series RACE

• 3:00 PM – Cup Series GEICO 500 on FS1

Race Facts

Talladega Superspeedway

• Year Built: 1969
• Length: 2.66 Miles
• Banking: 33 Degrees (Turns 1-2 and 3-4), 16.5 Degrees (Tri-Oval)
• Track Type: Superspeedway
• Surface: Asphalt
• Lights?: No
• Rain Tires?: No

Xfinity Series

• Race Length: 113 Laps (300.58 Miles)
• Stages: 25 Laps (Stage 1 and 2), 63 Laps (Stage 3)
• Purse: $1,479,274
• Defending Winner: Jeb Burton
• Other Talladega Winners in the Field: A.J. Allmendinger

Cup Series

• Race Length: 188 Laps (500.08 MIles)
• Stages: 60 Laps (Stage 1 and 2), 68 Laps (Stage 3)
• Purse: $8,234,125
• Defending Spring Winner: Kyle Busch
• Former Talladega Winners in the Field: Brad Keselowski (6), Ryan Blaney (3), Joey Logano (3), Chase Elliott (2), Denny Hamlin (2), Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Entry Lists

Xfinity Series

The Xfinity Series entry list features between 39 and 40 cars for 38 spots, meaning one or drivers will go home. Notable entrants include Taylor Gray (No. 19), Ryan Truex (No. 20), Jeffrey Earnhardt (No. 26), Jordan Anderson (No. 32), Matt DiBenedetto (No. 38), David Starr (No. 66), and Josh Bilicki (No. 92).

***While not yet reflected on the entry list, Natalie Decker announced on social media that she will not be racing this weekend due to a sponsor not being approved by NASCAR.

Cup Series

This weekend’s race features 38 drivers on the entry list, and all 38 will compete on Sunday. The two open entrants are the Beard Motorsports No. 62 (Anthony Alfredo), and the Live Fast Motorsports No. 78 (B.J. McLeod). Other notable entrants include Cody Ware (No. 15) and Shane Van Gisbergen (No. 16)

What to Watch For This Weekend

Xfinity Series

Talladega is known for being a “Wild Card” race where anyone can win. Now that the Xfinity Series has a Playoff date at Talladega this October, this spring race is critical to gaining valuable information for that race in the fall. Jeb Burton took home the win in 2023, a race that featured 10 caution flags and half of the field failing to finish.

Cup Series

While Talladega does produce its’ fair share of surprise winners, the Cup Series has seen a few drivers get a handle on the track. Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott have each won multiple races at the track since 2019. Kyle Busch is the defending spring race winner, and that was his first superspeedway win since Talladega in the spring of 2008.

Talladega is set to be a wild weekend once again. Which drivers will end up in Victory Lane this weekend?