What’s Happening?

NASCAR’s National Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for a playoff tripleheader weekend. So far, non-playoff divers have dominated the playoffs, but can they keep it up at an unpredictable track while the playoff drivers try to survive?

• Talladega Superspeedway has been the Deep South’s primer race track since its opening in 1969. The 2.66-mile oval is known for its high banks, wide track surface, and odd finish line.
• The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series first raced at Talladega in 2006. The once-yearly tradition is a necessary viewership for any NASCAR fan as the race has a long streak of the underdog and upset winners.
• The NASCAR Xfinity Series first raced at Talladega in 1992. The Series began racing twice yearly in 2020. However, they took last year off but return to twice a year this season.
• The NASCAR Cup Series first raced at Talladega in 1969. That first race saw multiple drivers boycott after tire safety concerns. Notably, Richard Brickhouse won that first race, which was the only win he had in his short NASCAR Cup Series career.
• Talladega has long been a staple of the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. But, in a shock move for 2025, NASCAR is moving this race to the Round of Eight, where it will complement NASCAR’s other Playoff wildcard, Martinsville.

Weekend TV Schedule (All Times CT)

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Friday, October 4th – Truck Series Qualifying – Truck RACE

• 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Truck Series Qualifying on FS2
• 3:30 p.m. – Truck Series Love’s RV Stop 225 on FS1

Saturday, October 5th: Cup and Xfinity Series Qualifying – Xfinity RACE

• 10:05 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Xfinity Series Qualifying on NBC Sports App
• 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Cup Series Qualifying on USA
• 3:00 p.m. – United Rentals 250 on the CW

Sunday, October 6th: Cup Series RACE

• 1:00 p.m. – YellaWood 500 on NBC

Race Facts

Talladega Superspeedway – Track Facts

• Opened: 1969
• Length: 2.66-Mile
• Shape: Oval
• Banking: Turns are 33°, Tri-oval is 16.5°, Straightaways are 2°.
• Surface: Asphalt
• Lights: No
• Rain Tires: No

Truck Series

• Race Length: 85 Laps (226.1 Miles)
• Stages: 20 Laps (Stages 1 & 2), 45 Laps (Stage 3)
• Most-Recent Winner: Brett Moffitt (2023)

Xfinity Series

• Race Length: 94 Laps (250.04 Miles)
• Stages: 25 Laps (Stages 1 & 2), 44 Laps (Stage 3)
• Most-Recent Winner: A.J. Allmendinger (Fall 2022)

Cup Series

• Race Length: 188 Laps (400.5 Miles)
• Stages: 60 Laps (Stages 1 & 2), 68 Laps (Stage 3)
• Most-Recent Winner: Ryan Blaney (Fall 2023)

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Entry Lists

Truck Series

For the Truck Series, there are 39 entries for 36 spots, meaning two teams will be sent home.

Notable entries include:

• William Sawalich – No. 1 – Tricon Garage
• Keith McGee – No. 02 – Young’s Motorsports
• Corey Roper – No. 04 – Roper Racing
• Norm Benning – No. 6 – Norm Benning Racing
• Connor Zilisch – No. 7 – Spire Motorsports
• TBA – No. 14 – Young’s Motorsports
• Johnny Sauter – No. 16 – Hattori Racing Enterprises
• Jason White – No. 22 – Reaume Brothers Racing
• Mason Maggio – No. 21 – Floridian Motorsports
• Dawson Sutton – No. 25 – Rackley W.A.R.
• Bryan Dauzat – No. 28 – FDNY Racing
• Danny Bohn – No. 44 – Niece Motorsports
• Ryan Reed – No. 91 – McAnally Hilgemann Racing
• Clay Greenfield – No. 95 – GK Racing

Former Winners in The Field:

• Grant Enfinger – 2016
• Johnny Sauter – 2013
• Spencer Boyd – 2019

Xfinity Series

There are 39 entries for 38 spots in the Xfinity Series, meaning one team will be sent home.

Notable entries include:

• CJ McLaughlin – No. 07 – SS-Green Light Racing
• David Starr – No. 14 – SS-Green Light Racing
• Dylan Lupton – No. 15 – AM Racing
• Taylor Gray – No. 19 – Joe Gibbs Racing
• Aric Almirola – No. 20 – Joe Gibbs Racing
• Dean Thompson – No. 26 – Sam Hunt Racing
• Joey Gase – No. 35 – Joey Gase Motorsports
• Caesar Bacarella – No. 45 – Alpha Prime Racing
• Carson Ware – No. 53 – Joey Gase Motorsports
• TBA – No. 74 – Mike Harmon Racing
• Carson Kvapil – No. 88 – JR Motorsports
• Nick Leitz – No. 92 – DGM Racing

Former Winners in The Field:

• A.J. Allmendinger – Fall 2022
• Aric Almirola – 2017
• Jeb Burton – 2023, Spring 2021
• Jessie Love – Spring 2024

Cup Series

For the Cup Series, there are 40 entries for 40 spots, meaning no teams will be sent home.

Notable entries include:

• A.J. Allmendinger – No. 13 – Kaulig Racing
• Cody Ware – No. 15 – Rick Ware Racing
• Shane Van Gisbergen – No. 16 – Kaulig Racing
• J.J. Yeley – No. 44 – NY Racing Team
• Anthony Alfredo – No. 62 – Beard Motorsports
• BJ McLeod – No. 78 – Live Fast Motorsports

Former Winners in The Field:

• Brad Keselowski – Spring 2009, 2012, 2016, 2021, Fall 2014, 2017
• Bubba Wallace – Fall 2021
• Chase Elliott – Spring 2019, Fall 2022
• Denny Hamlin – Spring 2014, Fall 2020
• Joey Logano – Spring 2018, Fall 2015, 2016
• Kyle Busch – Spring 2008, 2023
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Spring 2017
• Ross Chastain – Spring 2022
• Ryan Blaney – Spring 2020, Fall 2019, 2023
• Tyler Reddick – Spring 2024

Qualifying Order

Truck Series

Xfinity Series

Cup Series

What To Watch For

Truck Series

• One round into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs, and only one Playoff Driver has won a race. However, Layne Riggs’s back-to-back upset wins have only set the stage for series leaders Corey Heim and Christian Eckes to go head-to-head week in and week out. Furthermore, the drivers below the cutline seem to be the ones you’d expect to see. However, all four are proven winners at different levels of NASCAR.
• The Truck Series and Talladega seem to have the same chaotic relationship as the Cup Series and Daytona. Chaos incarnate has resulted in upset winners like Brett Moffit, Tate Fogleman, and Raphael Lessard in past seasons. Late cautions seem to easily take major players out of contention. Perhaps a cutline driver like young Taylor Gray or series elder Grant Enfinger could sneak through a wreck and into the Championship Four.

Xfinity Series

• The Xfinity Series is racing at Talladega for the second time this season. This spring, Playoff driver Jesse Love took home his first career victory at Talladega. Notably, two winless career drivers are below the cutline, those being Parker Kligerman and Sammy Smith. However, veterans A.J. Allmendinger and Justin Allgaier are down in the hole with them.
• The Xfinity Series, compared to the trucks, typically has a predictable Superspeedway ace win at Talladega rather than an underdog. However, that doesn’t mean the winner can be unpredictable; no Xfinity Series driver has gone back-to-back at Talladega since Justin Haley did so in 2020.

Cup Series

• So far, four races into the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, two playoff drivers, and two non-playoff drivers have won races. However, major players and superspeedway winners are down below the cutline right now, including the Talladega Spring Winner and Regular Season Champion, Tyler Reddick.
• In the only other drafting race in the playoffs, one driver, Denny Hamlin, hung out back to avoid a wreck. It didn’t matter, as Denny limped home outside the top 20 and limped into the Round of 12. Don’t expect Playoff drivers to do this at Talladega. The Playoff standings are tight, and drivers will have to be aggressive if they want to make a deeper playoff run.

Note: This article will be updated as more information about the weekend comes out.