What to Expect in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at Talladega

What’s Happening

After a thrilling race last week in Kansas, the stars of tomorrow in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series head down south to the infamous Talladega Superspeedway for some good, old-fashioned superspeedway-style racing. When fans think of the OAPS series at ‘Dega, one team usually comes to mind: Richard Childress Racing. They’ve had a stranglehold over the competition at these types of track that most haven’t seen since the DEI/Chance 2 Motorsports days of the early-to-mid 2000s. Will they continue their drafting dominance? Or will another team rise and spoil their show?

JR Motorsports has been strong at these types of tracks in the past, as has Haas Factory Team. Will one of them be able to get the job done? Well, buckle up. Here’s what you need to keep your eyes peeled for as we gear up for the AG-PRO 300 at Talladega Superspeedway!

Full throttle 😤 pic.twitter.com/RCEcBQknLL

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) April 25, 2026

Fast Notes:

• Starting on the pole in today’s race is last year’s winner at the track, Jesse Love. Historically, the RCR Chevys are strong on superspeedways, with Austin Hill quickly closing in on Dale Earnhardt’s record for wins on these types of tracks. While Hill is the guy to beat every time NASCAR returns to this kind of track, his teammate Jesse Love is no slouch either. Keep an eye on him today as he leads the field to the green flag.
• Speaking of Hill, he’s rolling off in the 6th position. Last week at Kansas, there was a bit of teammate drama between him and Love after a side draft gone wrong took Hill out. It’ll be interesting to see if that bad blood carried over in today’s race. Will these two teammates work together to score yet another superspeedway win for RCR, or will personal feelings take their eyes from the prize?
• Corey Day qualified 3rd. He’s had a lot of good runs lately, but now we’re back at a superspeedway-style track, a track type his mentor, Kyle Larson, has struggled at his entire career. Will Day fare better on the big banks at Talladega or will he get sucked up in (or start) a massive crash to end his day prematurely?
• One storyline to follow into this evening’s race is the weather. Weather scrapped on-track activities this morning for the NASCAR Cup Series, and the threat of rain is slated to remain as a looming threatinto the night. With Talladega not having lights, it begs the question as to whether or not the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race will be able to be completed before sunset.
• The stage breakdown for today’s race is as follows: 25-25-63. Teams were given 4 sets of Goodyear Eagle tires, and there is a 65% chance of rain in the area by race time.
• Coverage for the AG-PRO 300 at Talladega Superspeedway begins on the CW at 4 PM ET with the pre-race show kicking off at 3PM ET on the CW.

Starting Lineup

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