Written by Gabriel Tsui & Sean McKean
After another weekend of thrilling 1.5-mile action, we now travel to the gigantic Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.
Since its opening in 1969, the track has maintained two dates on the calendar – one in the early Spring and another in mid-Autumn. This track is also known for its close-quarters racing in packs, meaning that slipstream will be pivotal.
The track being used by Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks this weekend is 2.66 miles (4.28 kilometres) long with banking as high as 33 degrees in the turns. The start-finish line is also situated just past the tri-oval – a feature exclusive to this fast giant.
For ARCA, they head to Toledo to conclude their season – a track that has strong roots in ARCA history. The track is 0.5 miles long with banking of 12-13 degrees in Turns 1 and 2 and 11 degrees in Turns 3 and 4.
Below are the start times for each race plus lap count:
Trucks: Friday, 4 October, 15:30 local (21:30 UK) – 85 laps
Xfinity: Saturday, 5 October, 15:00 local (21:00 UK) – 113 laps
ARCA (Toledo): Saturday, 5 October, 16:10 local (21:10 UK) – 200 laps
Cup: Sunday, 6 October, 13:00 local (19:00 UK) – 188 laps
Cup Series: YellaWood 500 Preview
Written by Gabriel Tsui
After a surprising win for Ross Chastain in Kansas, we head to Talladega for one of the most chaotic races in the playoff schedule. With drivers such as Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe falling massively behind in the points standings, this will be their chance to flip the script and steal a spot to the next round.
On the other hand, Tyler Reddick, the regular season champion, has also fallen below the cut line after finishing 25th in Kansas scoring only 12 points. The chaotic nature of the superspeedway may well give him a chance to push back to the front with a solid race, or he might succumb to the pressure, and get washed out of contention.
Can Reddick and all those hanging around the cut line be able to take control of their destiny and push through? Or will the superspeedway be too much for them, pushing them even further behind the likes of William Byron and Kyle Larson?
The drivers will be driving 188 laps around the race track, with 60 laps each in the first two stages, closing out the race with 68 laps, totalling a distance of 500.08 miles ran around the track.
The weather report indicates that there will be clear skies, with temperature fluctuating between 25-28 degrees Celsius (77-82 degrees Fahrenheit). The race will commence on the Sunday of October 6th, at 14:00 ET (11:00 PT, 20:00 CET).
Race Predictions
In recent years, the Talladega speedway has been a race where most chaos occurs. This track has been split between all three manufacturers, with the most recent race in early 2024 being won by Tyler Reddick and Toyota. If these past races indicated anything, it is that anything could happen in superspeedways.
However, one could also argue that amongst all the uncertainty and unknown, Ford has been a standout performer in superspeedways this season. They dominated the Daytona 500 before key contenders were taken out by a crash, while they were oh-so-close to a win in the spring Talladega race before Reddick stole a win in the last second.
Therefore, the prediction favours the Fords. In their playoff lineup, they have the Penske drivers who are proven superspeedway drivers, while Briscoe has a hit and miss record in Talladega. They also have a strong supporting cast behind them, with the likes of Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, and Michael McDowell who are also capable of winning at a superspeedway.
Our prediction for this weekend will be Austin Cindric of Penske Racing taking the win, jumping all the way from the bottom of the playoff standings to the top.
Three storylines to look out for
Do or die for Briscoe and Cindric
Ford lost two of their playoff drivers in the first round, and are now on the verge of doing the same in the round of 12, leaving only Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney on the road to the championship four. If they want to avoid this situation, then Briscoe and Cindric must step up to the occasion. It is time for them to show their worth, and show that they are capable of driving championship contending cars.
The curse of the regular season championship?
Ever since NASCAR made the switch to Gen-6 cars, the regular season champion has never won the Cup Series championship. They encounter unusually strong roadblocks and difficulties in their quest for the ultimate prize, conceding the championship to another fellow driver. After the first race of the round of 12, regular season champion Tyler Reddick finds himself at the cutline, on the verge of being knocked out if he has yet another poor performance.
23XI and FRM will be racing with a chip on their shoulders
News broke early morning on the Thursday of October 3rd that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports will be suing NASCAR on anti-competitive practices, positioning themselves against the monopoly owned by the France family.
This weekend and beyond, the teams will be racing with a chip on their shoulder, whether as a milestone in their road of David versus Goliath, or a petty competition against NASCAR after NASCAR officials refused to take the stage to present the regular season trophy to Reddick.
Xfinity Series: United Rentals 300 Preview
Written by Sean McKean
Following a thrilling last-lap battle between Aric Almirola and Cole Custer in Kansas, the Xfinity Series now goes to Talladega for the second race in the Round of 12.
Kansas saw drivers such as Custer and Chandler Smith prosper, with both sitting comfortably above the cut. For others, such as Justin Allgaier, they will be looking for a rebound around the 2.66-mile goliath that is Talladega.
Race Predictions
It’s typically difficult to predict who will be up front, but it is a given that Richard Childress Racing will lead many laps with Austin Hill and spring winner Jesse Love. Our pick to win the Xfinity race at Talladega, subsequently, is Hill.
Two storylines to look out for:
Lov[e]ing Talladega?
One driver, perhaps a dark-horse pick, for victory this weekend is Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love. As mentioned above, Love has acclimated nicely to plate racing, having won the spring iteration of this race and took a stage win on debut in Daytona. With his talents, expect Love to spend a lot of time up front.
A proper send-off
As announced in the summer, Stewart-Haas Racing will be closing doors on their Cup and Xfinity operations after this season. However, for their drivers Cole Custer and Riley Herbst, they have not slowed down.
Custer has had a remarkable season, taking the regular-season title in Bristol two weeks ago and following that up with a second-placed result in Kansas – the highest of the playoff drivers. With momentum on his side, Custer could be one to watch at Talladega.
However, a proper wild-card is Riley Herbst. Although he has only taken one victory in Indianapolis, he and his No. 98 team has been consistent at plate tracks, finishing sixth at Daytona and second at Talladega in the spring. Herbst’s strong pace at these fast tracks will certainly give us another reason to watch SHR as they approach the end of their tenure.
Craftsman Truck Series: Love's RV Stop 225 Preview
Written by Sean McKean
Coming off a masterful performance by Corey Heim in Kansas, we enter the first race of the Round of 8 for the Craftsman Truck Series playoffs in Talladega. The race will be 94 laps long.
With the points now effectively reset, drivers such as Heim and Christian Eckes will look to bring back their buffers. But, with Talladega notoriously producing upsets, it will be a tough ask – especially when drivers such as Grant Enfinger and Nick Sanchez have shown great strength on plate tracks.
Race Predictions
Going through the field, there are many justifiable picks for victory given past results at Talladega, such as Ben Rhodes, Bret Holmes, and Matt Crafton. However, the pick this weekend is Corey Heim, who comes off a season-high sixth victory at Kansas and has previously won at plate tracks.
Storylines to look out for:
Gray and Enfinger on the cusp
Although they both avoided elimination in the first round, Taylor Gray and Grant Enfinger now sit below the playoff cut line entering the Round of 8.
Gray opened the season in consistent fashion, taking seven top-ten finishes in the first nine races. However, he has struggled to replicate that pace since then – especially highlighted by the first round, wherein a fifth-placed result in Milwaukee was his only top ten.
Enfinger, on the other hand, has been all over the place this season. With five top-five finishes the whole season, the 39-year-old faces the realistic possibility of having his first winless season since 2021, further compounded by only having one top ten in the Round of 10. It should also be noted, however, that Enfinger took his maiden win in 2016 at this very track.
To survive this round, a good race at Talladega will be the primary building block for each driver.
Consistent Christian
Looking towards the top of the standings, Christian Eckes is in remarkable form currently. Having only finished outside of the top ten one time this season, the soon-to-be Kaulig Xfinity driver is a favourite for the title.
But, this round will be the most difficult to maintain consistent results, with races in the notoriously chaotic Talladega and Martinsville and a historically strategy-focused race in Homestead. To continue this impressive top-ten streak, Eckes will need to keep his nose clean.
ARCA: Owens Corning 200 Preview
Written by Sean McKean
A week separated from the dramatic ending in Kansas, the ARCA Menards Series will wrap their season up in Toledo, Ohio for the Owens Corning 200.
The main headlines belong to the top two in the championship: Andres Perez and Lavar Scott. Although they’re both teammates at Rev Racing, the two are only separated by 40 points heading into the finale. With both drivers yet to take victory, will Toledo be the day it finally happens?
But, to take their first wins, they’ll have to usurp Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich. He is not in the championship fight – having prioritised competing in the ARCA East Series – but has eight wins on the season. Will he make it win number nine in Toledo?
Race Predictions
The obvious favourite for this weekend is William Sawalich. Last year, Sawalich dominated the race, leading 111 laps enroute to victory. Subsequently, the 18-year-old driver is our pick to win the race.
However, in consideration of the championship, Andres Perez looks likely to seal it up – if history is on his side. In his one start last year, Perez finished fourth and showed strong pace despite the dominance of Sawalich and Jesse Love. For that reason, look for Andres Perez to take his first stock-cars title come Saturday’s end.
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