Category: NASCAR Cup PR

5 KYLE LARSON
 Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Week: 26th (Kansas)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 4th (-16)

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Talladega
Races	29	360	19
Wins	5	28	—
Poles	5	21	—
Top 5	11	115	1
Top 10	14	178	3
Laps Led	1,551	9,107	54
Stage Wins	12	62	4
Average Finish	14.3	14.2	22.8

• With his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in September., Kyle Larson is now tied for 30th on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list with Rex White and Carl Edwards at 28 wins. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion has the most wins in the Next Gen car with 12.
• The Elk Grove, California, native is in a three-way tie for most top-five finishes this season with 11. He has run a series-high 4,058 laps in the top five through 30 events.
• Larson is the only driver to have eclipsed the 1,000-laps-led barrier in 2024 with 1,551 – 633 more than any other driver. His 12 stage wins lead the Cup Series by two.
• In the Next Gen car, a driver has had an average running position of better than 1.5, 10 times – Larson accounts for seven of those. The 32-year-old driver’s average running position this year is a series-best 10.2.
• Larson is 18 markers ahead of the elimination line entering the penultimate race in the Round of 12. He has 15 more playoff points than any other driver.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
 Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last week: 9th (Kansas)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: T-7th (-30)
 
No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Talladega
Races	30	316	17
Wins	1	19	2
Poles	—	12	2
Top 5	8	101	5
Top 10	15	167	8
Laps Led	213	5,308	214
Stage Wins	1	37	3
Average Finish	11.3	12.9	13.7

• Chase Elliott heads into the second race in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs Round of 12 seventh in the standings, four points above the elimination line. He has reached the Round of 8 six times in eight postseason appearances.
• Elliott captured a playoff victory at Talladega Superspeedway in 2022. He is the only Cup Series driver to have previous wins at all three tracks in the Round of 12 (Kansas Speedway, Talladega and Charlotte ROVAL).
• The 28-year-old driver has scored 31 more points than any other driver at Talladega in the Next Gen car. In the most recent race there, he earned the third-most points (34) among playoff drivers.
• The Hendrick Motorsports driver has earned the fourth-most points (127) among playoff drivers across the first four postseason events. On drafting tracks this season, he’s earned the fifth-most points (136) among playoff competitors.
• The 2020 Cup Series champion is tied with teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman for the third-most top-10 finishes this season (15). He also has the third-best average running position in 2024 (11.54).

24 WILLIAM BYRON
 Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Week: 2nd (Kansas)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 1st

No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Talladega
Races	30	246	13
Wins	3	13	—
Poles	1	13	—
Top 5	9	50	3
Top 10	15	98	5
Laps Led	285	2,906	108
Stage Wins	2	23	2
Average Finish	14.7	15.5	15.3

• William Byron started off the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs Round of 12 strong at Kansas Speedway. After qualifying sixth, Byron won stage one, picking up a crucial playoff point, finished stage two in fourth and left the race with a runner-up result. He leads the playoff standings, 34 points above the cutoff point.
• The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has two runner-up results and has finished seventh or better in the last three races at Talladega Superspeedway. Byron holds the longest current top-10 streak among active drivers at the 2.66-mile tri-oval.
• In stage racing era, Byron has averaged 28.62 points at Talladega – third-most among playoff drivers. In the spring event at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, Byron scored 38 points, second most by a playoff driver.
• The 26-year-old has the most wins on drafting tracks during the Next Gen era with three and ranks third in points earned by playoff drivers on drafting tracks in 2024 with 166.
• In the last nine drafting races, Byron has seven top-10 finishes, including two wins.

48 ALEX BOWMAN
 Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Week: 6th (Kansas)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 6th (-26)

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2024	Cup Career	Talladega
Races	30	319	17
Wins	1	8	—
Poles	1	5	—
Top 5	7	39	2
Top 10	15	94	5
Laps Led	60	1,361	67
Stage Wins	1	7	—
Average Finish	14.6	19.4	22.8

• Following last weekend’s opening race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs Round of 12 at Kansas Speedway, Alex Bowman ranks sixth in the standings, eight markers above the elimination line. Bowman won the second stage on Sunday and earned valuable points in both stages. It marked his first stage win of the season. The Tucson, Arizona, native secured his fifth-consecutive top 10 at the “Sunflower State” track.
• Bowman has earned 24 more points than any other driver in the playoffs (163), leading the way in stage points earned (53) and is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all eight stages.
• With six races remaining in 2024, Bowman has earned seven top-five finishes, one shy of his personal best of eight in 2021. His 15 top-10 finishes place him in a three-way-tie for third-most alongside Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Chase Elliott.
• Bowman finished fifth and earned 33 points at Talladega Superspeedway in the spring. He is one of two drivers in the Round of 12 to finish in the top five at Talladega in April. Bowman has earned the fourth-most points (162) among remaining playoff drivers on drafting tracks this season with three top fives.
• Bowman is one of four active drivers with a second-place finish but no win at Talladega (spring, 2019).
• For four years, Bowman and Ally have teamed up to support Best Friends Animal Society and their vast network of partners. Every race weekend, the pair donates $4,800 to help homeless pets. This weekend, the charitable donation will go to Greenville Animal Shelter located in Greenville, Alabama.

Hendrick Motorsports
 

2024	All-Time	Talladega
Races	30	1,375	81
Wins	10*	311*	14*
Poles	7**	253*	13*
Top 5	35*	1,267*	65*
Top 10	59*	2,171*	101*
Laps Led	2,109	81,866	3,087*
Stage Wins	16	114	5

*Most
**Tied for most

• Hendrick Motorsports leads all NASCAR Cup Series organizations in nearly every major statistical category at Talladega Superspeedway including wins (14), poles (13), top fives (65), top 10s (101) and laps led (3,087).
• This marks the fourth time all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers made the Round of 12 (2014, 2021, 2022, 2024), the most times any team has advanced four drivers through the opening round.
• Hendrick Motorsports has gone to victory lane 59 times in playoff races, 22 more than any other team. The organization’s 10 wins in 2024 are the most by four over any other team.
• All four Hendrick Motorsports pit crews rank in the top eight in terms of average time for a four-tire pit stop. The No. 9 over-the-wall squad of Chase Elliott leads the organization and is second in the Cup Series at 10.83 seconds.

 
QUOTABLE /
 
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on heading to Talladega Superspeedway: “Cliff and the entire group at Hendrick Motorsports do a great job with pit strategy at drafting tracks. We’ll work with our Chevrolet teammates to hopefully score points in both stages. While we always seem to run well at Talladega, we just don’t have the results to show for it. I would really just like to see the checkered flag with a solid finish.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on Talladega Superspeedway in the playoffs: “Talladega, whichever round it falls in every year, is always unpredictable. You just don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s a lot out of your hands in that race.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the points situation heading to Talladega Superspeedway:
“It’s a good feeling knowing how many points we got in Kansas before heading into Talladega this weekend, but we can’t relax any just because of that. It’s the playoffs so every point is going to matter even more. Talladega is a track we’ve always run well at. It’s a superspeedway that handling is a bigger factor than it is at say Daytona. It’s still a place where anything can happen though. Hopefully we can have another solid points day and be sitting in a really good spot heading into the (Charlotte) ROVAL.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on playoff momentum and Talladega Superspeedway: “We have been OK, for sure. We have had better pace in the playoffs than where we were prior, and it’s made my job a little easier. So, yeah, we are not perfect by any means, and we have got a lot of things we need to improve on. But we are kind of headed in the right direction right now and doing the right things. Talladega is certainly the wild card of this round so hopefully we can continue this positive momentum and come out on the good side of it.”

ANTHONY ALFREDO
Talladega Advance
No. 62 Fortify Building Solutions Chevrolet Camaro

Event Overview

● Event: YellaWood 500 (Round 31 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 6
● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
● Layout: 2.66-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Last Call and the Big 3-0. The 2024 NASCAR season is winding down with only six races remaining. For Beard Motorsports, it’s already last call as the YellaWood 500 Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway serves as its final NASCAR Cup Series race of the year. The family-owned team runs a limited Cup Series schedule, entering its signature No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the series’ four superspeedway races – the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, the April 21 GEICO 500 at Talladega, the Aug. 24 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, and the YellaWood 500 at Talladega. Sunday’s 188-lap race around the massive 2.66-mile Talladega oval will commemorate Beard Motorsports’ 30th Cup Series start.

● The Beard Motorsports Resume. Since making its NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2017 Daytona 500, Beard Motorsports has been a fixture at Talladega and Daytona, scoring seven top-10 finishes across the two racetracks. Of Beard Motorsports’ 29 previous starts, 12 have come at Talladega, with Anthony Alfredo’s sixth-place finish in April being the team’s best result at the track. Brendan Gaughan scored Beard Motorsports’ first top-10 at Talladega in April 2019 when he finished eighth in the GEICO 500.

● Back in the Saddle. Alfredo returns to Beard Motorsports this weekend at Talladega for his third NASCAR Cup Series start of the year and the 41st of his career. The Ridgefield, Connecticut, native made his last Cup Series start at Talladega in April, finishing sixth to record Beard Motorsports’ best Talladega result. It was also Alfredo’s best Cup Series finish, and the 25-year-old earned it by carrying the patience and poise of a Cup Series veteran. He avoided two multicar accidents to run with the leaders in the closing laps, allowing Alfredo to better his previous best career finish, 10th in the 2021 YellaWood 500 at Talladega.

● Fortified by a New Partner. The newest brand to align with Beard Motorsports is Fortify Building Solutions. The company is part of Cornerstone Building Brands and offers North America’s most extensive selection of high-quality metal roofing, wall panels and building solutions. Tailored for local builders, contractors and homeowners, the brand’s 20-plus branch locations supply professionals and homeowners with hometown service and support, backed by a nationwide manufacturing and distribution network.

● Family Business. This year marks Beard Motorsports’ eighth season in the NASCAR Cup Series. What started out as a passion project for the late Mark Beard Sr., has become a tribute to the family’s patriarch. Linda Beard, along with her children, Amie Beard-Deja and Mark Beard Jr., have remained committed to the vision laid out by Mark Beard Sr., and have done so with notable success. Today, their No. 62 NASCAR Cup Series operation is just one of their family-owned entities. Beard Oil Distributing is the foundation of the Beard family-owned business portfolio and it is recognized as a women-owned certified organization through the Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

● A Peak Under the Hood. Since making its debut in the 2017 Daytona 500, the No. 62 Beard Motorsports team has been powered by ECR-built engines. The team has leveraged the power of those engines to post solid finishes, with its best result being a fifth-place finish by Noah Gragson in the 2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Beard comes into Talladega on a roll with back-to-back top-10 finishes at Talladega in April (sixth) and Daytona in August (seventh).

Anthony Alfredo, Driver of the No. 62 Fortify Building Solutions Chevrolet Camaro:

It’s been since April at Talladega when you made your last start for Beard Motorsports. What are your thoughts heading into your return trip to Talladega this weekend?

“I certainly have high expectations because the last time I was in the car, we finished sixth. We certainly want to go back there and improve on that finish. Beard Motorsports always brings a really fast Chevrolet Camaro. I’m proud to represent their family and be part of the team. I always have a ton of fun driving their racecars. I will be doing double duty for the third time this year with both the Cup and Xfinity Series races. And I really enjoy superspeedway racing. It’s just right up my ally. I’m prepared to go there and compete for the win in both races.”

You’ve talked about your love of superspeedway racing. What is it about this type of racing that you enjoy?

“That’s a great question because I think there are two parts to this. One is that it’s like high-speed chess. As action-packed and as exciting as it is, you have to be very patient and methodical. And I think it takes a certain type of racer to excel at it. In driving for smaller teams the last few years in the national series, this type of racing presents a really great opportunity for me to go to victory lane because the playing field is a little bit more level. So I put a lot of time and effort into studying and preparing for these races and I’ve gotten quite good at it. I’m always in contention late in the running. We’ve had great pace and that’s the first step – bringing fast cars. I’m confident we’re going to have another rocket ready to go, so it’s just going to be up to us putting ourselves in position in the end and ultimately executing on the final lap.”

This will be your third race driving the No. 62 Chevrolet. What have you learned during the first two races that may help you this weekend?

“I think a lot of what I’ve learned is actually about the fuel strategy because the Cup Series races are so different now with the NextGen car on superspeedways. There is a lot of fuel saving. You really need to be patient and smart not to charge to the front and use up too much fuel. You’re almost better off staying in the pack and having good fuel conservation compared to the other guys. But at the same time, track position is still really important because it’s actually quite difficult to pass in the NextGen car at superspeedways. I want to be sure to execute the fuel strategy well, but also put us in position to be up front toward the end so that we can have a shot to win the race because it’s not that easy to just drive to the front. I think I learned a lot more about that. I’m also hoping that my strong performances in the first two races that I did in the No. 62 Chevy would allow some of the competition to work with me a little more because you do need some teammates to help push you and make moves. Hopefully that works to my favor when people see my name above the door and on the window again on the No. 62 car.”

You have a new partner on board with Fortify Building Solutions and you’ve been able to spend some time with them since announcing the partnership in June. What is it like working with a partner that’s new to the sport?

“This is a really special relationship because I actually grew up in the construction industry and learned a whole lot about operating heavy equipment and seeing steel buildings put up long before I ever climbed into a racecar. It’s kind of back to my roots. I even studied civil engineering in college because that’s what I was going to do if I didn’t become a racecar driver. That kind of bridges the gap between industries. To be able to represent a company that does projects of all sizes for people’s steel building needs is very neat.”

Linda Beard, Owner of the No. 62 Fortify Chevrolet Camaro for Beard Motorsports:

The YellaWood 500 at Talladega marks the 30th NASCAR Cup Series start for Beard Motorsports. What does it mean to you and the family to reach this milestone?

“When Mark (Beard, Sr.) started this, we didn’t really have any idea how far this would go or how far we could take it. Racing was important to my husband and was something he loved and enjoyed. We love it and enjoy it because he did. And it’s not any one thing but all of it – being at the track, competing and being competitive. And all of it is because of him. We wouldn’t be here making our 30th start without Mark and it’s really a credit to him and his dreams.”

The team is wrapping up its 2024 campaign this weekend. How has this season been for the family?

“By all measures, it’s been a pretty successful season. When we show up, we show up to compete and we expect to be up front. We have done that and more. We’ve had the good fortune to welcome new partners and have been able to give the opportunity to compete at the highest level of NASCAR to some young drivers. And to do it with success has been very rewarding for all of us.”

No. 62 Beard Motorsports Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Anthony Alfredo

Hometown: Ridgefield, Connecticut

Crew Chief: Darren Shaw

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Deandre Smith

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Spotter: Keith Barnwell

Hometown: Wilkesboro, North Carolina

President: Linda Beard

Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Chase Masterson

Hometown: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Chris Jackson

Hometown: Rock Hill, South Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Holcomb

Hometown: Whitesburg, Kentucky

Jack Man: Brandon Derby

Hometown: Coopersburg, Pennsylvania

Fuel Man: James Kelley

Hometown: Luray, Virginia

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Jack Gagnon

Hometown: Quebec, Canada

Mechanic: Mark Sanders

Hometown: Springfield, Ohio

Tire Technician: Mike Harrold

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jason Watkins

Hometown: Ridgeway, Virginia

Mechanic: Nic Hill

Hometown: Fort Myers, Florida

Transporter Driver: Roger Lankford

Hometown: Lexington, North Carolina

Race Notes

Talladega Superspeedway
YellaWood 500
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, October 6 at 2:00PM EDT
NBC | MRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

• Kaulig Racing has made 13 NCS starts at Talladega Superspeedway.
• The team has earned three top-10 finishes and led 16 laps at Talladega.
• So far in the 2024 season, Kaulig Racing has earned one runner-up finish, eight top 10s, 21 top 20s and led 54 laps.

AJ Allmendinger, No. 13 Strive Camaro ZL1

• AJ Allmendinger has made 20 NCS starts at Talladega Superspeedway. He has led 11 laps and earned one top five and three top-10 finishes.
• Allmendinger has made 13 NCS starts in the 2024 season and has earned three top-10 finishes and led 13 laps.

“It’s always great to bring a new sponsor into the sport and we’re excited to show Strive what NASCAR racing is all about. We’re not racing for points in the No. 13 Chevy, so we can have the mentality of taking whatever strategy we need to have a shot at the win.” – AJ Allmendinger on Talladega Superspeedway

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 16 WeatherTech Camaro ZL1

• Shane van Gisbergen will pilot the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet for the ninth time this season, his second at Talladega Superspeedway.
• At Talladega in the spring, Van Gisbergen started 17th and finished 28th, while leading three laps in his first superspeedway race in the Cup car.
• Van Gisbergen’s best result of the season came at Watkins Glen International, where he earned a runner-up finish.
• The New Zealand native will carry the white-and-red WeatherTech livery this weekend at Talladega. For decades, WeatherTech has delivered on its promise of quality and craftsmanship through a commitment to American-made auto, home and pet products. More information can be found at weathertech.com.

“Talladega in the Cup car this weekend is going to be epic! I raced there for the first time earlier this season, and it was really cool to get the feel for superspeedway racing, we even led a couple laps which was awesome. It will still be a challenge for me as I continue to learn on the ovals, but I know what to expect a little more heading into Sunday. Excited to see how my WeatherTech Chevy stacks up with the rest of the field and hoping for a solid result this weekend.” – Shane van Gisbergen on Talladega Superspeedway

Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1

• Daniel Hemric has made five NCS starts at Talladega Superspeedway and has earned one top five and two top-10 finishes.
• Hemric led eight laps in the spring race at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this year and finished ninth.
• So far in the 2024 NCS season, Hemric has earned four top 10s, 11 top-20 finishes and has led 14 laps.
• Hemric has currently completed more laps than any other driver in the 2024 season with 8,053 of 8,094 laps completed (99.5%).

“Talladega is a place where we feel we have an equal opportunity to go out and win. Kaulig Racing always brings strong superspeedway cars, and we have shown speed at each of those races this year. Hopefully we have a strong showing in our No. 31 Cirkul Chevy.” – Daniel Hemric on Talladega Superspeedway  

Race Details

Talladega Superspeedway
United Rentals 250
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Saturday, October 5 at 4:00PM EDT
The CW | MRN | SiriusXM

Team Notes

• Kaulig Racing has made 29 starts at Talladega Superspeedway in the NXS, earning four wins, nine top fives and 16 top-10 finishes.
• The team won three-straight NXS races at Talladega from 2020 to 2021. Justin Haley swept both events in 2020, and Jeb Burton won the spring race in 2021.
• So far in the 2024 NXS season, Kaulig Racing has earned three wins, 11 top fives, 29 top-10 finishes and led 223 laps.

Josh Williams, No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

• Josh Williams has made 10 starts in the NXS at Talladega Superspeedway. He has recorded three top-10 finishes there, which includes a seventh-place result in 2020.
• Williams was in contention for the win late in the series’ first trip to the track in 2024, restarting on the outside of the front row for the race’s first overtime restart. He was clipped in the left rear heading into turn one, causing him to lose control of the No. 11 and relegating him to finish in 20th.
• Williams sits 17th in the NXS points standings with four top 10s and 14 laps led.

“We’ve got a really great superspeedway program at Kaulig Racing, and it almost ended up with us in victory lane last time we were here. I still think about that finish, what I could’ve done different at the end there, but hopefully, we can make up for it this time around.” – Josh Williams on Talladega Superspeedway

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Morris-Shea Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger has made seven NXS starts at Talladega Superspeedway with Kaulig Racing. He has earned one win, three top fives and four top-10 finishes. Allmendinger has led 36 laps and has an average finish of 13.7.
• So far in the 2024 NXS season, Allmendinger has earned five top fives, 14 top-10 finishes and led 116 laps. Allmendinger is currently scored 10th in playoff standings.

“Talladega is a great opportunity to gain some points and have a shot at a win. Our superspeedway package has been really good the second half of the year so I’m looking forward to the challenge of trying to win at Talladega for the second time.” AJ Allmendinger on Talladega Superspeedway

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen and the No. 97 WeatherTech team head to Talladega Superspeedway for his second-career NXS start on the 2.66-mile tri-oval track.
• Last weekend in Kansas, Van Gisbergen earned his ninth top-10 finish of his rookie season.
• With Van Gisbergen’s eighth-place finish in Kansas, he is currently sixth in the playoff standings.
• The New Zealand native will carry the white-and-red WeatherTech livery this weekend at Talladega. For decades, WeatherTech has delivered on its promise of quality and craftsmanship through a commitment to American-made auto, home and pet products. More information can be found at weathertech.com.

“I’m excited to get back to Talladega this weekend and see how much we have improved as a team. In the spring, we had such a strong run until the overtime restarts when we ran out of gas, but we learned every lap and improved. Talladega is an iconic place, and I hope we can keep my WeatherTech Chevy up front and can be there for a great result at the end.” – Shane van Gisbergen on Talladega Superspeedway  
 
About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

This Week in Motorsports: September 30 – October 4, 2024

NCS/NXS/NCTS: Talladega Superspeedway – Oct. 4-6
ARCA: Toledo Speedway – Oct. 5

PLANO, Texas (Oct. 2, 2024) – NASCAR is at Talladega Superspeedway for the second time this season as the postseason continues across its three national series. Both the Cup and Xfinity Series enter their second race of the Round of 12, while the Truck Series begins its Round of 8.

The ARCA Menards Series is also in action, wrapping up its 2024 season at Toledo Speedway on Saturday.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCTS

Bell, Hamlin remain above the cutline … With two races remaining in the Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 12, Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin find themselves above the cutline going to Talladega this weekend. Bell is tied for second in the points standings, 28 points above, while Hamlin is fifth, and 11 points to the good. The other Toyota Camry XSE in the Playoffs and regular season NCS champion, Tyler Reddick, comes into the weekend four points under the cutline.

Reddick aims for Talladega sweep … Reddick and his No. 45 23XI Racing team return to Talladega Superspeedway in search of a season sweep after his dramatic win in April. The victory was Reddick’s first top-10 or better finish at Talladega since 2021 and the first of his two wins so far this season. Another triumph for the California native would lock him into the next round of the Playoffs as he looks to make the Round of 8 for the second consecutive year.

Bell aims to continue strong runs … After coming home seventh at Kansas last weekend, Bell now has seven top-10 finishes in the last nine races coming to Talladega. The strong results have kept the Oklahoma native toward the top of the points standings throughout the Playoffs so far, currently sitting tied for second. Another such finish this weekend would be his third career top-10 at Talladega and first since the spring of 2023.

Smith, Creed rise in Xfinity Series points … The first Playoff race for the Xfinity Series last weekend was a productive one for Chandler Smith and Sheldon Creed as both climbed up the points standings coming into Talladega. Smith grabbed pole, led 114 laps and finished third to put himself second in the standings, 36 points above the cutline. Creed earned his 14th top-five finish of the season, rising four spots to fifth in the points standings, 10 points to the good.

Dean Thompson doing double duty … For the second time this season and in his career, Dean Thompson will be doing double duty this weekend by running the Xfinity Series and Truck Series races. Saturday afternoon, the 23-year-old will be piloting the No. 26 GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing for the second time after his debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. He’ll also take the wheel of his regular No. 5 Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage in the Truck Series race on Friday.

Round of 8 begins for Heim and Gray … With the Truck Series Round of 8 beginning Friday at Talladega, Corey Heim and Taylor Gray are closer to their ultimate goal of a series championship. Coming off his victory at Kansas last weekend, Heim is the points leader and sits 38 above the cutline. Taylor Gray enters the round in eighth position and is 15 points below.

Sauter back in No. 16 Tundra TRD Pro … For the fourth time this season, Johnny Sauter will pilot the No. 16 Tundra TRD Pro for Hattori Racing Enterprises this weekend at Talladega. Sauter’s best finish of his three starts so far in 2024 is a 17th-place finish at Texas in the spring. Sauter has made 14 previous starts at Talladega in the Truck Series, which includes his 2013 victory.

Sawalich makes superspeedway debut … This weekend marks the 13th career Truck Series start, seventh this season, for Toyota Development Driver, William Sawalich, but it will be his first NCTS start on a superspeedway. Thursday is the Minnesotan’s 18th birthday, allowing him to take on the 2.66-mile oval this weekend in the No. 1 Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage. Sawalich is coming off his best Trucks finish of the season of 11tth at Bristol two weekends ago.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series

Sawalich seeks Toledo repeat … Coming off his second consecutive ARCA Menards Series East championship, and his eighth victory of 2024 at Bristol, Sawalich returns to Toledo Speedway to end the ARCA season searching for a repeat victory at the Ohio track. The soon-to-be 18-year-old led 111 of the 200 laps on his way to victory a season ago.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

JOSH BERRY
Talladega Advance
No. 4 SUNNYD Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: YellaWood 500 (Round 31 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 6
● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
● Layout: 2.66-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The NASCAR Cup Series will tackle the largest oval track on the circuit during Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at the 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Josh Berry, driver of the No. 4 SUNNYD Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing, has one previous Talladega start behind the wheel of a NextGen car, which took place in April. The 33-year-old driver from Hendersonville, Tennessee, started the race in 29th and navigated his way through the field to the sixth position coming to the checkered flag. But before he crossed the finish line, an on-track incident collected nearly half the field, including Berry’s No. 4 machine. Berry slid across the finish line to take the checkered flag 16th with his car stacked on top of the No. 7 entry of Corey LaJoie.

● Berry has five Talladega starts with JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, netting one top-five finish, two top-10s and an average starting position of 10.1. Best of those outings was his fifth-place finish from the seventh starting position in the October 2022 race. After finishing 10th in Stage two, he deftly maneuvered the draft lanes to score his solid top-five.

● Crew chief Rodney Childers will climb atop the No. 4 pit box Sunday for his 36th NASCAR Cup Series start at Talladega. He’s called the shots for six different drivers at the track, tallying one pole award (April 2018 with Kevin Harvick), four top-five finishes, 12 top-10s, an average starting position of 18.6, an average finish of 17.1, with only five DNFs (did not finish).

● With six NASCAR Cup Series races left in his rookie campaign, Berry has two top-five finishes, four top-10s, and 96 laps led. He has finished third on two occasions this season: at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in May and again at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in August. Through 30 races, Berry is ranked 26th in the driver standings. He is second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, 66 markers behind Carson Hocevar.

● SUNNYD returns for another ride with Berry and the No. 4 team Sunday at Talladega, bringing back the vibrant orange-and-blue SUNNYD colors in its first race since March at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. SUNNYD has been an associate partner of the No. 4 team throughout the 38-week season, featured on Berry’s firesuit and the team’s hauler and toolboxes.

Josh Berry, Driver of the No. 4 SUNNYD Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Talladega always has the component of luck, but it takes a lot of skill to run competitively. How do you balance pushing the pace versus being reserved?

“When you look at the guys who consistently run well at superspeedways, you see them making moves that keep them advancing and they never seem out of control. I think, for me, Daytona in August was some of my best superspeedway racing. We just had an unfortunate outcome that day because the car was really good, and Rodney (Childers, crew chief) and Eddie (D’Hondt, spotter) kept me focused for the whole race. It just felt like we had some sense of control in a race that is typically chaotic.”

You had a pretty intense accident in Daytona. Does that make you rethink making aggressive moves when you need to?

“As a racecar driver, we all get into some pretty bad wrecks, whether that’s when we were younger or now in the Cup Series. But I think anyone who drives knows that is part of the job and being competitive. It can happen. The wreck that happened at Daytona looked violent, but the car did its job to protect me, we didn’t have to change any of the harnesses or belts, so I am just as confident to make those moves and be aggressive and try to win.”

You have six races left, including Talladega, in your rookie season. Does it feel like it went by quickly, and how do you evaluate yourself?

“This season has been crazy, to say the least. With the situation Stewart-Haas is in, and having to audition for a ride, signing with the Wood Brothers, and then having to stay focused on competing the best we can as a group, all in my rookie year, it wasn’t something I had on my Bingo card. But I don’t regret any of my decisions and I am overall happy I made it this far. For a while, I thought I would just be a Late Model racer and that would be my life, so to have even made it in a Cup car for a season surpassed any of my expectations. Now that I have another shot next year, I am going to have to reevaluate my goals and keep chasing my racing career for as far as it will carry me.”

No. 4 SUNNYD Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Josh Berry

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Billy Kuebler

Hometown: Saline, Michigan

Spotter: Eddie D’Hondt

Hometown: Levittown, New York

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala

Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal

Hometown: Holland, Michigan

Jack Man: Kapil Fletcher

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Chris Capaldi

Hometown: Armada, Michigan

Tire Specialist: Zac Lupien

Hometown: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Jake Zierhoffer

Hometown: Billerica, Massachusetts

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Georgia Peanuts Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Competition Notes

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 1, 2024) – Todd Gilliland is back in the infamous Georgia Peanuts Ford Mustang Dark Horse this weekend at the Talladega Superspeedway.

Gilliland has shown much speed on superspeedways this season, leading laps in the Daytona 500 and NASCAR’s first visit to the Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway. Gilliland has also qualified within the Top-5 in three of the four superspeedway races this season and hopes to continue that this weekend. Georgia Peanuts will partner will Gilliland for the 500-mile event.

NASCAR Cup Series track activity will start Saturday, October 5th with qualifying at 1:30 pm ET on USA Network. The 500-mile race will be Sunday, October 6th at 2:00 pm ET. Fans can watch the action live on NBC or listen in via the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 38 Georgia Peanuts Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:

“I have always enjoyed Talladega. It’s fast, but I like the adrenaline rush. We have shown a lot of speed on the superspeedways this season, but just haven’t been there in the end when it really matters. I know Ryan (Bergenty) and the team will bring a fast Georgia Peanuts Ford Mustang, we just have to execute and stay out of the chaos.”

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

“With the superspeedways, we have had the speed, but the execution and the luck hasn’t been there. I have a good feeling about this weekend, though. We had a solid 8th place finish in the spring, so we have something to build of off and hopefully best that result.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

RYAN PREECE
Talladega Advance
No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: YellaWood 500 (Round 31 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 6
● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
● Layout: 2.66-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Wonder Bread, an iconic brand made even more iconic when it was prominently featured in the 2006 sports comedy Talladega Nights, is back at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway this weekend. Life will imitate art at the 2.66-mile oval when Ryan Preece drives the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang Dark Horse in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series race. Wonder Bread is already giving fans a sneak peek of the promotion with in-store displays throughout Alabama. And at select stores, most notably on Friday, Oct. 4 at the Piggly Wiggly in Lincoln, Alabama, Preece and his No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang will be onsite. The racecar will be positioned outside the store from 3-6 p.m. CDT and Preece will be available beginning at 4 p.m. CDT.

● Founded in 1921 in Indianapolis, Wonder Bread is named for the feeling that founder Elmer Cline experienced when watching a hot-air balloon race. A century later, the brand is credited with the popularization of sliced bread and remains an iconic brand at barbeques, on store shelves, at picnics and in lunchboxes across the nation. Learn more at www.WonderBread.com and see the Wonder Bread hot-air balloon in the midway at Talladega.

● The YellaWood 500 will mark Preece’s 10th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Talladega with his best result being a third-place drive in his Cup Series debut at the track on April 28, 2019. That race was just the 15th of Preece’s Cup Series career and it remains his best finish with 181 Cup Series starts now under his belt.

● Preece comes into the YellaWood 500 with top-15 finishes in his last two NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega. He finished eighth in last year’s YellaWood 500 and 14th in the series’ prior visit to the track in April.

● Preece also brings some quiet momentum to Talladega with five straight results of 18th or better. He finished 12th Sept. 1 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, 18th Sept. 8 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, ninth Sept. 15 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, seventh Sept. 21 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, and 16th last Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

● Preece has two additional starts at Talladega outside of the NASCAR Cup Series – one in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Preece’s Xfinity Series race at Talladega in April 2016 was his first start of any kind at the track and he came away with a respectable 15th-place finish driving for team owner Johnny Davis. Preece’s Craftsman Truck Series start at Talladega was more recent. He finished fourth in October 2022 for team owner David Gilliland.

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang Dark Horse

How would you assess your performances at the superspeedway races this year? It seems to have been pretty up-and-down. Most recently, you qualified well at Daytona in August but then got caught up in a wreck at an unexpected point in the race.

“For our company, when it comes to qualifying and all those things we need at the superspeedways, this is something that we all have at Stewart-Haas. So we know going into it that qualifying is probably going to be our strength. And then when we get into the races, it’s just, man, it’s so tough. You want to manage your track position, but you have to save fuel. And it’s just that the name of the game is trying to stay out of the wrecks and be there on the last lap, hopefully in the first two rows or three rows, and have an opportunity to give yourself either a solid finish or a chance at a win.”

What’s the patience level of drivers in the last superspeedway race of the year? How do you balance self-preservation with being where you need to be at the end of the race to win?

“I honestly haven’t had too much success with it this year, so I’m still trying to navigate that one. It’s really just having track position in the last stage with 15 to go because at that point, you’ve kind of solidified yourself in a good spot, and I think that’s what it takes. I think if you go in there and you’re cautious and you’re trying to be cautious, but at the same time, you’re trying to be aggressive and you’re not just picking one or the other, that’s usually, at least from my experience, when you end up in the wreck.”

Seeing that superspeedway races have become all about saving fuel for a large majority of the race before you get the green light to hit the go switch, would you consider that a product of the NextGen car?

“Yeah, it’s definitely a lot more challenging this year, or with this car, than it has been in years past because you just don’t see anyone being able to make big runs and come from the back. It’s become the way to try and gain track position.”

It’s the fourth and final superspeedway race of the year. Have you found some go-to guys in the draft who you work well with, and do you seek them out to develop your own strategy for the race?

“I prefer to stick with my Ford teammates, as well as my SHR teammates and, really, anybody that I have a good amount of respect for.”

Wonder Bread is back on your car for another year at Talladega. Is there a certain cool factor that comes with that considering the brand’s ties to Talladega Nights?

“Honestly, the part I enjoy is all the things we get to do with Wonder Bread and the excitement of the fans rallying around it. That’s really a lot of fun. For me, it’s just getting to be Ricky Bobby for a weekend which, let’s be honest, I don’t think there are very many of us who have been able to be Ricky Bobby. The hope is to be the Ricky who wins and not the Ricky who’s flipping and catching on fire.”

No. 41 Wonder Bread Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Ryan Preece

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Crew Chief: Chad Johnston

Hometown: Cayuga, Indiana

Car Chief: Jeremy West

Hometown: Gardena, California

Engineer: Marc Hendricksen

Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

Spotter: Tony Raines

Hometown: LaPorte, Indiana

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Devin Lester

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Rear Tire Changer: Austin Chrismon

Hometown: China Grove, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons

Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Jack Man: Sherman Timbs

Hometown: Indianola, Mississippi

Fuel Man: Dwayne Moore

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Road Crew Members

Front End Mechanic: Joe Zanolini

Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

Interior Mechanic: Robert Dalby

Hometown: Anaheim, California

Tire Specialist: Matt Ridgeway

Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia

Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife

Hometown: Orange County, California

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues

Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer

Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Love’s RV Stop/Peak Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 1, 2024) – Talladega Superspeedway plays host to the NASCAR Cup Series as Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team look to play Playoff spoiler this weekend.

Talladega has been a great track statistically for McDowell and Front Row Motorsports. For McDowell he has three Top-5s and four Top-10s in 27 starts, including a third-place finish in the fall of 2022 and a pole back in the spring race, leading 39 laps. For FRM, the organization has six Top-5s and 21 Top-10s, including a historic 1-2 finish with David Ragan and David Gilliand in the 2013 spring race.

The iconic Love’s colors return to the No. 34 as the Ford Mustang Dark Horse will feature Love’s RV Stop and Peak for the weekend. PEAK Performance is back to promote their exclusive line of PEAK products available at Love’s Travel Stops across the country.

The NASCAR Cup Series track activity will start Saturday, October 5th with qualifying at 1:30 pm ET on USA Network. The 500-mile race will be Sunday, October 6th at 2:00 pm ET. Fans can watch the action live on NBC or listen via the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 34 Love’s RV Stop / Peak Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“Front Row Motorsports has always performed well at Talladega. We know it’s a great opportunity for us to win with our very strong superspeedway program. This weekend is a big one for us and we want to take advantage of it. It’s just a matter of executing and being there on the final lap.”

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“Talladega is just a great opportunity for us. We had speed in the spring and have run well at all the superspeedways. We’re looking forward to playing playoff spoiler this weekend and getting a win.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

TALLADEGA 2

Friday, October 4 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 4:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, October 5 — NASCAR Xfinity Series, 4 p.m. ET (CW)
Sunday, October 6 — NASCAR Cup Series, 2 p.m. ET (NBC)

This will mark the second straight week that all three of NASCAR’s top national series will be competing in playoff races at the same track as Talladega Superspeedway hosts the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series on consecutive days. Friday will see the Truck Series open its Round of 8 while Saturday and Sunday is the second race in the Round of 12 for both the Xfinity and Cup Series.

FORD DRIVERS IN THE CUP PLAYOFFS

Ryan Blaney – 2nd (+28 above cut line)
Joey Logano – 8th (+4)
Chase Briscoe – 11th (-25 below cut line)
Austin Cindric – 12th (-29)
Note: Top 8 advance after Charlotte

FORD PLAYOFF DRIVERS AT TALLADEGA

Joey Logano: 31 starts, 3 wins, 9 top-10, 11 top-10
Ryan Blaney: 20 starts, 3 wins, 6 top-5, 8 top-10
Chase Briscoe: 7 starts, 0 wins, 1 top-5, 2 top-10
Austin Cindric: 5 starts, 0 wins, 1 top-5, 2 top-10

TALLADEGA PLAYOFF SUCCESS

No track has provided more playoff success for Ford than Talladega Superspeedway, which has seen 10 Blue Oval wins in the postseason. Team Penske has been at the forefront of that success with Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney each winning twice.

FORD PLAYOFF WINS AT TALLADEGA

2005 – Dale Jarrett, Robert Yates Racing

2009 – Jamie McMurray, Roush Fenway Racing

2012 – Matt Kenseth, Roush Fenway Racing

2014 – Brad Keselowski, Team Penske

2015 – Joey Logano, Team Penske

2016 – Joey Logano, Team Penske

2017 – Brad Keselowski, Team Penske

2018 – Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing

2019 – Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

2023 – Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

KESELOWSKI CLIMBING

ALL-TIME TALLADEGA WIN LIST

Brad Keselowski, who will be making his 32nd career start at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, is the winningest active driver at the track with six NASCAR Cup Series victories. That ties him for second on the all-time list with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon and puts him four behind all-time winner Dale Earnhardt Sr., who won 10 times during his NASCAR Hall of Fame career. In 31 races, Keselowski has registered 11 top-5 and 15 top-10 finishes while completing almost 97 percent of the laps (5655-of-5835).

BLANEY GOING FOR FOURTH WIN

AT TALLADEGA

Ryan Blaney heads into this weekend with 12 career NASCAR Cup Series wins and three of those have come at Talladega Superspeedway (2019, 2020 and 2023). Blaney advanced to the Round of 8 with his photo finish victory over Ryan Newman in 2019 after the race had to be completed on Monday due to rain forcing a postponement following the first stage one day earlier. The race came down to a final inch as Newman got past Blaney for the lead coming off turn three, only to see the Team Penske driver battle back on the inside and nip him by a bumper at the stripe. The script was much the same in 2020 as rain forced the race to Monday with Blaney this time beating Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by inches in an overtime finish. Last year, Blaney outdueled Kevin Harvick in a door-to-door battle for the entire final lap to win in a photo finish and once again advance to the Round of 8.

ROBERT YATES RACING’S FINAL WIN

When Dale Jarrett won the UAW-Ford 500 on Oct. 2, 2005 it ended up being the final trip to victory lane for Robert Yates Racing. This race came down to a green-white-checker restart, where Jarrett was positioned fourth. He was still in that spot when they came around to start the final lap, but quickly moved to the outside as Tony Stewart grabbed the lead on the inside lane. The two drivers battled side-by-side down the backstretch before Jarrett powered his way in front. Seconds after getting the lead, Kyle Petty was involved in a single-car accident that brought out the caution as the cars entered turn three. Jarrett was declared the winner after NASCAR verified that he was in front at the time the yellow flag was thrown. The win was RYR’s 57th triumph in the NASCAR Cup Series, and came six years after the team won its only championship with Jarrett in 1999.

MARTIN LEFT HIS MARK

Mark Martin is the only Ford driver to have won in all three of the major series offered by NASCAR at Talladega. Martin won the Cup series race in 1995 and 1997, Xfinity in 1996 and lastly in the Truck series’ debut 2006 event. Martin went a lap down in that NCTS victory after only 10 laps when his engine began to overheat due to debris getting stuck on the grille of his F-150. Once that was removed, Martin was able to get back on the lead lap and team up with Mike Wallace to work his way to the front. He passed Ted Musgrave with four laps to go and was still leading when a multi-truck accident occurred on the final lap to end the race and allow Martin to complete his Talladega series sweep.

CUSTER ON TOP OF PLAYOFF STANDINGS

Defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer finds himself on top of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings after the first race in the Round of 12. Custer, who finished second last weekend at Kansas Speedway, has a 41-point advantage over the cut line going into Saturday’s scheduled race at Talladega Superspeedway. Custer has five career NXS starts at Talladega and has most recently posted finishes of fourth and 10th in his last two events.

Riley Herbst is eighth in the standings and is one point above the cut line with two races remaining in the round. Herbst has made eight series starts at Talladega and has two top-five and three top-10 finishes with his best effort coming earlier this year when he finished second in April.

MAJESKI MOVING ON

The first race in the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is scheduled to take place on Friday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway with Ty Majeski being the sole Ford driver remaining the championship hunt. Majeski, who has a pair of wins this season, starts the round in third place and is 14 points above the cut line. The Round of 8 will conclude with races at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Oct. 26) and Martinsville Speedway (Nov. 1) with the top four drivers advancing to the championship race at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 8.

RIGGS CONTINUES ROLL

If Layne Riggs was in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs, he would undoubtedly be a championship contender because of the streak he’s been on the past two months. Riggs and his No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150 won back-to-back races at the Milwaukee Mile and Bristol Motor Speedway before finishing second last weekend in Kansas. He goes into Friday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway with a streak of five consecutive top-five finishes.

FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS

AT TALLADEGA

1975 – Buddy Baker (Sweep)

1976 – Buddy Baker (1)

1979 – Bobby Allison (1)

1983 – Dale Earnhardt (2)

1985 – Bill Elliott and Cale Yarborough

1987 – Dave Allison and Bill Elliott

1989 – Davey Allison and Terry Labonte

1992 – Davey Allison (1)

1994 – Jimmy Spencer (2)

1995 – Mark Martin (1)

1997 – Mark Martin (1)

1998 – Dale Jarrett (2)

2005 – Dale Jarrett (2)

2009 – Jamie McMurray (2)

2012 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2013 – David Ragan (1)

2014 – Brad Keselowski (2)

2015 – Joey Logano (2)

2016 – Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano

2017 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Brad Keselowski

2018 – Joey Logano and Aric Almirola

2019 – Ryan Blaney (2)

2020 – Ryan Blaney (1)

2021 – Brad Keselowski (1)

2023 – Ryan Blaney (2)

FORD’S NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS

AT TALLADEGA

1995 – Chad Little

1997 – Mark Martin

2002 – Jason Keller

2009 – David Ragan

2015 – Joey Logano

2017 – Aric Almirola

FORD’S NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT TALLADEGA

2006 – Mark Martin

2023 – Brett Moffitt

NOAH GRAGSON
Talladega Advance
No. 10 Beef-a-Roo Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: YellaWood 500 (Round 31 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 6
● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
● Layout: 2.66-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Noah Gragson brings some quiet consistency to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series race. The driver of the No. 10 Beef-a-Roo Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing comes into the 188-lap race around the 2.66-mile oval with three straight finishes of 18th or better. While none of the performances – 11th Sept. 15 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, 12th sept. 21 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, and 18th last Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City – will be mounted over the mantle, that kind of solid consistency is key to emerging from Talladega with points in hand as opposed to being emptyhanded. The gargantuan facility is notorious for sending drivers to an early exit via The Big One, the perfunctory multicar accident that dashes any hope of victory and leaves drivers with just a handful of points and a garage full of mangled parts. In four career Cup Series starts at Talladega, Gragson has three top-20 finishes, a number that includes the best result of Gragson’s Cup Series career – third in the series’ prior visit to Talladega in April.

● In the three superspeedway races run this year – the season-opening Daytona 500, the April race at Talladega and the NASCAR Cup Series’ return to Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in August – Gragson has scored two top-10s. He finished ninth in the Daytona 500 before finishing third at Talladega. Gragson was collected in a 17-car accident at Daytona in August, leaving him with a 37th-place finish.

● Gragson is still relatively new to the NASCAR Cup Series, with the YellaWood 500 serving as just his 70th career start. Prior to joining the elite Cup Series, Gragson spent five years in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (2018-2022). In eight career Xfinity Series starts at Talladega, Gragson finished 11th or better seven times with six top-10s and three top-fives. His highlight was a victory in April 2022, when Gragson beat Jeffrey Earnhardt to the stripe by .131 of a second.

● Gragson has two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Talladega. In October 2017, Gragson finished 14th. He returned a year later and one-upped his performance by finishing 13th.

● Gragson first took to the Talladega oval in May 2017 via the ARCA Menards Series. It started off well with Gragson qualifying second and taking the lead on the first lap. But on lap 37 of the 82-lap race, Gragson was swept into a six-car accident that ended his day.

● At Talladega in October 2018, Stewart-Haas enjoyed one of its most dominant days ever. The team qualified 1-2-3-4 for the first time in its history. Stewart-Haas drivers then led 155 of the race’s 193 laps (80.3 percent), including the last lap by Aric Almirola, who delivered Stewart-Haas’ milestone 50th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victory and the organization’s 11th win of the season.

● Beef-a-Roo, known for its famously delicious burgers and fresh, quality ingredients, will serve as the primary partner for Gragson and the No. 10 team of Stewart-Haas in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega. Beef-a-Roo is a beloved fast-casual restaurant brand that has garnered a loyal fanbase for its commitment to quality food and community engagement. Talladega is the first of three primary races for the No. 10 Beef-a-Roo Ford Mustang Dark Horse, with Beef-a-Roo returning with Gragson Oct. 13 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval and Oct. 27 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This partnership, facilitated by agency AMG Sport, marks a key step in Beef-a-Roo’s strategy to align with dynamic personalities who resonate with racing fans and support local communities through motorsport. Coinciding with Beef-a-Roo’s partnership with Gragson is the opening of three new locations in October: Manhattan, Kansas; Pittsburgh, Kansas; and Joplin, Missouri. These soon-to-be-opened restaurants will join already established Beef-a-Roo locations in serving a special Noah Gragson-inspired burger throughout the month of October. Gragson’s “Nacho Burger” features a premium beef patty with lettuce, tomato, onion, tortilla chips, jalapenos and taco sauce, all drizzled with melted cheddar cheese. Beef-a-Roo/Gragson merchandise will be available soon, as will a new loyalty app that will offer NASCAR fans VIP giveaways and Beef-a-Roo discounts. To learn more about Beef-a-Roo and its offerings, please visit www.beefaroo.com.

Noah Gragson, Driver of the No. 10 Beef-a-Roo Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Ninth in the Daytona 500, a career-high third at Talladega in April, but 59 laps into the Daytona race in August, a wreck ended your day? How would you assess your performances at superspeedway races this year?

“It started out really well, and then for whatever reason, it just doesn’t seem like we had what it took to do well at the superspeedways. The first Daytona and first Talladega, we were decent. Talladega, particularly, felt like we had a great car. But I didn’t feel great about it for the second Daytona race. As the year’s gone on, we haven’t had as much in terms of handling at these tracks, for whatever reason. I can’t make the moves that I need to.”

What’s the patience level of drivers in the last superspeedway race of the year?

“I think the added fuel-saving factor at Talladega will dictate the patience level at different parts of the race. You’re able to kind of establish track position at the beginning at Talladega and then get down to it at the end. It seemed like at the first Talladega we were able to make our way up there easier than at Daytona.”

These superspeedway races have become fuel-mileage races where you’re riding around until you get to your fuel window, and only then can you finally hit the go switch. Explain what you have to do, and are you handcuffed a little bit until you get into that window where you can go full throttle?

“Yeah, you ride around half-throttle pretty much the whole run until the end of the race, until you get within your fuel window to get to the checkers. Honestly, what they need to do is just let you go, whatever our fuel window is should be the race. We should be able to race hard the whole time.”

It’s the fourth and final superspeedway race of the year. Have you found some go-to guys in the draft who you work well with, and do you seek them out to develop your own strategy for the race?

“No. I race for me. I race to win the race, and I race to put myself and my No. 10 team in the best position possible. I’m not there to help others. I’m there to win the race.”

What’s the secret to performing well at superspeedways?

“I think just being smart and being patient. You definitely want to be aggressive and get to the front. I always want to get to the front at a superspeedway and be able to control the lines and be up in that front row leading the line or being second. But if I can’t get there, because sometimes it’s like a roadblock out there and you just can’t physically get to the front, I’ll just cruise around in the back and wait for them to wreck. It depends on what part of the race it is, but definitely starting that third stage, I want to be able to get track position. I want to have that track position at the start. And if we are in the back, I want to get up to the front as soon as I can because I know the intensity of the race ramps up as those stages and the race come to a close. Being able to get to the front early in the stage is definitely important to me as a driver. Those are the tendencies I look for.”

Does blocking remain the necessary evil it’s seemingly always been when it comes to superspeedway racing?

“I think there’s always blocking, especially if you’re leading the line. But it’s harder to punch through the air and get to a guy’s back bumper. As the lead car, you’re almost lifting off the corner to get the guy attached behind you and have him pushing you when you get to the flat down the back straightaway. Off of turn four, you kind of lift out of the gas so he can get locked up with you so he can push you down the straightaways. If you get too far of a lead and the cars in second and third are hooked up, they’re coming with a massive run, so yeah, you’re blocking. But it’s not like it used to be maybe three or four years ago where you’d see those guys get massive runs and hit the leader and the leader will go to block them. The runs don’t come as fast in this NextGen car, so blocking is definitely a lot easier to stall out the momentum of the guy behind you.”

When you finish the second stage at Talladega, is there a sense of accomplishment because you’ve avoided the Big One to that point?

“You don’t really get that sense until you cross the start-finish line when the checkered flag is waving at the end of the race. You could start the third stage and be wiped out on a restart, or something else happens, like you make a bad move. There’s no sense of accomplishment until you cross the start-finish line under your own power. You want to stay out of the mess. Anything can happen on any given lap.”

On the last lap of a race at Talladega, how smart do you need to be and how lucky do you need to be, as it seems those last 2.66 miles are the most treacherous part of the race?

“You’re spending the whole race trying to see what your car’s tendencies are, where they’re better and where they’re weak. You’re trying to figure out where you’re getting big runs and where guys around you are getting runs on you. You’re setting up a plan the whole race to where, if you’re in that position to be leading the race, or running second or wherever you’re running, you’re setting up a plan and you’re gathering information throughout the whole race. So you definitely have to be very, very focused and aware of your surroundings, and be in rhythm and in sync with your spotter to be able to paint a good picture. Your spotter has to paint a good picture so you can make the right moves. They always ask, ‘What’s the best position to be in coming to the white flag? Do you want to be second or do you want to be leading?’ I’d like to be leading. I feel like I can control a lot more, but it’s a different situation every single race. You just try to learn in every single race what’s going on, and if you get put in that situation again, you’ll be ready for it.”

No. 10 Beef-a-Roo Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Noah Gragson

Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer

Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Jerry Cook

Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: James Kimbrough

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Andy Houston

Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White

Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard

Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotten

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener

Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Chris Trickett

Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Beau Whitley

Hometown: Carmel, Indiana

Tire Specialist: Jacob Cooksey

Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller

Hometown: Monroe, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Steve Casper

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy

Hometown: Augusta, Georgia