The NASCAR Cup Series heads to its wildest and most unpredictable track — Talladega Superspeedway — for the fifth playoff race of the season, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
An automatic berth to the Round of 8 is available to the winner, but so far, no championship contender has been able to reach victory lane in any of the first four playoff races. Will that finally change on Sunday?
One playoff driver who will not be in the field is Alex Bowman, who is suffering from concussion symptoms following a crash last weekend at Texas. Noah Gragson will drive the No. 48 Chevrolet for Bowman on Sunday.
As for the other contenders, five of the 12 have won at Talladega, with current points leader Joey Logano leading the way with three victories — playoff wins in 2015 and 2016 and the spring race in 2018. Denny Hamlin has won twice — 2014 spring and 2020 playoff — as has Ryan Blaney, who won the 2019 playoff race and the 2020 spring race. Ross Chastain is the most recent winner at NASCAR’s biggest track, stealing a win this April.
ALEX BOWMAN: Will miss Sunday’s playoff race at Talladega with concussion
2023 SCHEDULE: Eight takeaways with (some) big changes and new tracks
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Here is everything you need to know to get ready for the YellaWood 500, Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway:
What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Talladega start?
The YellaWood 500 starts at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local) in Talladega, Alabama.
What TV channel is the Cup race at Talladega on?
NBC is broadcasting the YellaWood 500 and has a preview show beginning at 1 p.m. ET (noon local).
Will there be a live stream of the Cup race at Talladega?
The YellaWood 500 can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website (for those with a cable/satellite provider) and on the NBC Sports app. The race can also be streamed on FuboTV as well as other options.
How many laps is the Cup race at Talladega?
The YellaWood 500 is 188 laps around the 2.66-mile oval for a total of 500 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps, Stage 2: 60 laps, Stage 3: 68 laps.
What are the playoff standings entering the Cup race at Talladega?
(Through four races)
1. Joey Logano, 3,071; 2. Ross Chastain, 3,059 3. William Byron, 3,058; 4. Kyle Larson, 3,057; 5. Ryan Blaney, 3,056; 6. Denny Hamlin, 3,049; 7. Chase Elliott, 3,045; 8. Daniel Suarez, 3,045; 9. Chase Briscoe, 3,041; 10. Austin Cindric, 3,034; 11. Christopher Bell, 3,016; 12. Alex Bowman, 3,015.
Who won the most recent Cup races at Talladega?
Ross Chastain surged to the checkered flag on April 24, slipping past Erik Jones and Kyle Larson as they battled for the lead on the final lap to win his second career Cup race. Chastain edged Austin Dillon — who also slipped by Jones and Larson — by 0.105 seconds.
And one year ago, Bubba Wallace scored his first career Cup win, taking the lead on lap 113 before NASCAR threw a red flag for rain five laps later. As the rain continued and sundown approached, Wallace was eventually declared the winner of the playoff race on Oct. 4, 2021.
What is the lineup for the YellaWood 500?
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
2. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
3. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
4. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
5. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
6. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
7. (48) Noah Gragson, Chevrolet
8. (8) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet
9. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
10. (23) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
11. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
12. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet
13. (16) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet
14. (99) Daniel Suárez, Chevrolet
15. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford
16. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
17. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
18. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
19. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
20. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
21. (31) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
22. (19) Martin Truex Jr, Toyota
23. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
24. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
25. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet
26. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota
27. (45) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
28. (41) Cole Custer, Ford
29. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
30. (42) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
31. (62) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet
32. (7) Corey Lajoie, Chevrolet
33. (77) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet
34. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford
35. (78) BJ McLeod, Ford
36. (15) JJ Yeley, Ford
37. (51) Cody Ware, Ford
