THE NASCAR The Cup Series arrives at its biggest and fastest track as second round of playoffs speed around the Talladega Superspeedway.
Known for his high-speed pack racing and Wild multi-car accidents known as “The Big One”“, racing at Talladega can be dangerous and unpredictable. The main goal is to win, of course, but for playoff drivers hoping to advance to the next round, this race is all about survival – figuratively speaking – and avoiding a calamity that could force a driver to find yourself in an unavoidable situation. in the playoff race next weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
There’s only one playoff driver who won’t have to sweat this race: William Byron, winner of the first round of the second round last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The win gives the Hendrick Motorsports driver an automatic berth into the round of 16. For the other 11 championship contenders, however, the pressure is on.
Here’s all the information you need to prepare for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway:
What time does the Cup race start at Talladega?
The YellaWood 500 kicks off at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local) at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.
What TV channel is the Cup race at Talladega on?
NBC is broadcasting the YellaWood 500 and has a pre-race show starting at 1 p.m. ET (noon local), while Peacock will have a post-race show at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local).
Will there be a live broadcast of the Cup race at Talladega?
The YellaWood 500 can be streamed live on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app.
NASCAR playoffs: Where are the drivers after the first race of the second round
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What is the standings heading into the second round at Talladega?
(*-former champion; X-secured a place in the round of 16):
- X-William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports — 3,083 points
- Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing — 3,074 points
- Chris Buescher, RFK Racing – 3,059 points
- Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing — 3,057 points
- Martin Truex Jr.*Joe Gibbs Racing — 3,056 points
- Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing – 3,049 points
- Brad Keselowski*RFK Racing — 3,045 points
- Kyle Larson*Hendrick Motorsports — 3,039 points
- Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing — 3,037 points
- Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing — 3,036 points
- Ryan Blaney, Team Penske — 3,028 points
- Kyle Busch*Richard Childress Racing — 3,022 points
How many laps is the Cup race at Talladega?
The YellaWood 500 makes 188 laps around the 2.66-mile oval for a total of 500 miles. The race will consist of three segments (laps per stage): stage 1: 60 laps; Step 2: 60 rounds; Step 3: 68 turns.
Who won the most recent races at Talladega?
Kyle Busch won the spring race on April 23, 2023 in double overtime, taking the lead from Bubba Wallace on the final lap before a multi-car accident in Turn 2 brought out the yellow flag, ending the race with caution. It was Busch’s second career Cup Series victory at this track.
And a year ago in the playoff race, Chase Elliott led a total of 10 laps, taking the lead for the final time after passing Ryan Blaney on the final lap before edging Blaney by 0.046 seconds on October 2 2022. This was also Elliott’s second career. Cup Series victory on the track.
What is the range of the YellaWood 500?
(Car number in parentheses; P-playoff driver)
1. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
2. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
3. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
4. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
5. (6) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford
6. (36) Riley Herbst, Ford
7. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
8. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
9. (23) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota
10. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
11. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
12. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
13. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
14. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
15. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
16. (19) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota
17. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford
18. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
19. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford
20. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
21. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford
22. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
23. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
24. (17) Chris Buescher (P), Ford
25. (8) Kyle Busch (P), Chevrolet
26. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet
27. (51) J. J. Yeley, Ford
28. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
29. (15) Brennan Poole, Ford
30. (31) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
31. (16) A.J. Allmendinger, Chevrolet
32. (1) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet
33. (77) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
34. (13) Chandler Smith, Chevrolet
35. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
36. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
37. (78) B.J. McLeod, Chevrolet
38. (42) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
