NASCAR motors into Talladega Superspeedway for the second race of the second round of the Cup Series playoffs.
NASCAR’s largest and fastest oval, the sometime chaotic nature of racing at Talladega – with its tight pack racing and tendency for big, multi-car crashes – could play a perilous role in how the playoffs shake out. Twelve drivers remain in the playoffs and following next weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the field will be trimmed to eight.
A win Sunday at Talladega would provide automatic advancement into the third round and remove all the pressure at the Charlotte elimination race. A strong showing this Sunday – or just avoiding calamity at Talladega – could also provide a big boost – both in points and confidence.
But Talladega could also completely upend the playoff standings, putting some drivers into a massive hole if they get caught up in the ‘The Big One’ on Sunday and crash out due to no fault of their own. At the end of the day, avoiding major misfortune could be the biggest win.
Who will conquer Talladega on Sunday? Here’s all the information you need to get ready for the YellaWood 500:
What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega start?
The YellaWood 500 starts at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local) on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.
What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega on?
NBC is broadcasting the YellaWood 500 and has a pre-race show beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. local).
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega?
The YellaWood 500 can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo.
How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega?
The YellaWood 500 is 188 laps around the 2.66-mile oval for a total of 500.08 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 60 laps; Stage 3: 68 laps.
Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Talladega?
Tyler Reddick led 13 laps on April 21, 2024, including the final six, before beating Brad Keselowski as the race ended under caution.
And one year ago, Ryan Blaney led eight laps, including the final two after passing Kevin Harvick, before edging William Byron by 0.012 seconds in the playoff race on Oct. 1, 2023.
What are the playoff standings heading into the NASCAR race at Talladega?
Rank, driver, team, points, deficit to leader. Through four races; top eight drivers following next weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will advance to the third round.
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports … 3,074
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske … 3,068 (-6 points)
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing … 3,068 (-6)
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports … 3,058 (-16)
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing … 3,051 (-23)
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports … 3,048 (-26)
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports … 3,044 (-30)
Joey Logano, Team Penske … 3,044 (-30)
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing … 3,040 (-34)
Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing … 3,030 (-44)
Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing … 3,019 (-55)
Austin Cindric, Team Penske … 3,015 (-59)
What is the lineup for the YellaWood 500 NASCAR playoff race at Talladega?
Car number in parentheses; (P)=playoff driver
1. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
2. (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford
3. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford
4. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
5. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
6. (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford
7. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
8. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
9. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford
10. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet
11. (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet
12. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
13. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
14. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
15. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
16. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
17. (16) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
18. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford
19. (4) Josh Berry, Ford
20. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
21. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
22. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford
23. (48) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet
24. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
25. (13) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
26. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
27. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
28. (51) Corey LaJoie, Ford
29. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
30. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
31. (99) Daniel Suarez (P), Chevrolet
32. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
33. (62) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet
34. (15) Cody Ware, Ford
35. (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
36. (14) Chase Briscoe (P), Ford
37. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
38. (78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet
39. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet
40. (44) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet
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