NASCAR

NASCAR at Talladega: Schedule, watch info, picks for YellaWood 500

Here's a full preview for the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, NBC).

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It’s Talladega week.

NASCAR’s biggest oval will host the fifth race of the playoffs on Sunday, with the Round of 12 now underway.

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The Alabama superspeedway is one of NASCAR’s most unpredictable tracks, with high speeds and massive crashes that can often take out dozens of drivers. None of the playoff drivers have secured safety into the Round of 8 yet, so the stakes are high entering Sunday’s race.

So, who is racing at Talladega? What’s the schedule for TV and streaming? And what drivers could contend for the win? Here’s everything you need to know for 2024 YellaWood 500:

When is the NASCAR race at Talladega?

The YellaWood 500 is set for Sunday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. ET.

Before the race, there will be a qualifying session on Saturday. The 40 drivers will take the track one-by-one (in this order) for two-round qualifying. Each driver gets two laps in the first round, with the 10 fastest advancing to the final round. The final 10 drivers will get two more laps to determine the top-10 starting order, with positions 11 through 40 set based on first round times.

What is the NASCAR TV schedule this weekend?

Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Jeff Burton (analyst) and Steve Letarte (analyst) will be on the call for NBC Sports all weekend. Here’s the full TV and streaming schedule:

Saturday, Oct. 5 (USA Network streaming)

Sunday, Oct. 6 (NBC and streaming)

NASCAR Talladega entry list, drivers

Forty drivers will race at Talladega – the 34 full-timers, plus six others.

Three Xfinity Series regulars will step up into the Cup Series on Sunday, with A.J. Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen driving for Kaulig Racing and Anthony Alfredo suiting up for Beard Motorsports. Then there’s part-timers Cody Ware for Rick Ware Racing, J.J. Yeley for NY Racing Team and B.J. McLeod for Live Fast Motorsports.

Here’s the full entry list for Talladega:

Car numberDriverTeamSponsor
1Ross ChastainTrackhouse RacingBusch Light
2Austin CindricTeam PenskeDiscount Tire
3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingBass Pro Shops
4Josh BerryStewart-Haas RacingSunnyD
5Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsHendrickCars.com
6Brad KeselowskiRFK RacingBuildSubmarines.com
7Justin HaleySpire MotorsportsGainbridge
8Kyle BuschRichard Childress RacingLucas Oil
9Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsKelley Blue Book
10Noah GragsonStewart-Haas RacingBeef A Roo
11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingFedEx
12Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeMenards
13A.J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingStrive
14Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas RacingRush Truck Centers
15Cody WareRick Ware RacingArby's
16Shane van GisbergenKaulig RacingWeatherTech
17Chris BuescherRFK RacingNexletol
19Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingBass Pro Shops
20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingDeWalt
21Harrison BurtonWood Brothers RacingDEX Imaging
22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeShell/Pennzoil
23Bubba Wallace23XI RacingU.S. Air Force
24William ByronHendrick MotorsportsRaptorTough.com
31Daniel HemricKaulig RacingCirkul
34Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsLove's RV Stop
38Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsGeorgia Peanuts
41Ryan PreeceStewart-Haas RacingWonder Bread
42John Hunter NemechekLegacy Motor ClubGearWrench
43Erik JonesLegacy Motor ClubDollar Tree
44J.J. YeleyNY Racing Team
45Tyler Reddick23XI RacingMonster Energy
47Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingKroger
48Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsAlly
51Corey LaJoieRick Ware RacingMighty Fire Breaker
54Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingMonster Energy
62Anthony AlfredoBeard MotorsportsFortify Building Solutions
71Zane SmithSpire MotorsportsFocused Health
77Carson HocevarSpire MotorsportsDelaware Life
78B.J. McLeodLive Fast Motorsports
99Daniel SuarezTrackhouse RacingTootsies Orchid Lounge
2024 YellaWood 500 entry list

NASCAR Talladega predictions, picks, favorites

Predicting a winner at Talladega is no simple task – there have been eight different winners in the last eight races dating back to 2020. But while it may seem like a dart throw at a track with so much carnage, there actually is a science to running well there.

Look no further than the Ford trio of Blaney, Logano and Keselowski. Blaney has three wins in his last 10 Talladega starts, including this race last fall to spark his eventual title run. Logano’s 490 laps led at Talladega is best among active drivers. And Keselowski has six Talladega wins – trailing only Dale Earnhardt (10) and tied with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Part of the challenge at Talladega is actually finishing the race, so keep an eye on those who usually stay out of trouble. Chastain and LaJoie are the only drivers in the field with over 10 starts and just one DNF. On the other side of things, Truex (13) and McDowell (10) both have double-digit DNFs.

Alfredo has the best Talladega average finish (9.3), though he’s only made three starts. Elliott (13.7 average finish in 17 starts), Briscoe (14.4 in seven starts), Blaney (14.8 in 20 starts) and Stenhouse (15.1 in 22 starts) are the best finishers among drivers with more than five starts.

Get to know NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney.

NASCAR Talladega winners list, race history

Ten of the 40 drivers in the field are past winners at Talladega, including six with multiple victories.

Keselowski leads all drivers with six Talladega wins, followed by Logano and Blaney with three apiece. Busch, Hamlin and Elliott have two wins each, and the one-time winners are Stenhouse (2017), Wallace (2021), Chastain (2022) and Reddick (2024).

NASCAR playoff standings entering Talladega

With Chastain (a non-playoff driver) winning last week at Kansas, nobody has locked themselves into the next round. That leaves all 12 drivers at risk, though some are in a bigger hole than others.

Reddick, Suarez, Briscoe and Cindric are below the cut line with Talladega and Charlotte still to go before the bottom four are eliminated.

You can find a full explanation of NASCAR’s playoff format right here.

Here’s the playoff standings entering Talladega:

RankDriverPoints
1.William Byron3,074
2.Ryan Blaney3,068
3.Christopher Bell3,068
4.Kyle Larson3,058
5.Denny Hamlin3,051
6.Alex Bowman3,048
7.Chase Elliott3,044
8.Joey Logano3,044
9.Tyler Reddick3,040
10.Daniel Suarez3,030
11.Chase Briscoe3,019
12.Austin Cindric3,015
Playoff standings entering Talladega
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