The Race: Alabama 500 The Place: Talladega Superspeedway The Date: Sunday, Oct. 15 The Time: 2 p.m. ET TV: NBC, 1:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 500.08 miles (188 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 55), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 110), Final Stage (Ends on lap 188) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Travels To Talladega The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs travel to the second race of the Round of 12 – Sunday’s Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Here’s how the rest of the Playoffs leaderboard shakes out as we head to Talladega: Remember, drivers still earn playoff points for stage wins (one) and victories (five). Truex Advances To Round Of 8 With Charlotte Win Martin Truex Jr. continued his dominant season with a win in the Round of 12 opener at Charlotte. With the victory, he automatically advances to the Round of 8, which begins at Martinsville on Oct. 29. Truex will carry at least his 64 playoff points – 30 for his six wins, 19 for his 19 stage wins and 15 for his regular season championship – into the Round of 8. He can still earn even more in the upcoming races at Talladega and Kansas. Truex’s victory was his fifth at a 1.5-mile track this season, tying Carl Edwards (2008) for the most in a year. He still has races at Kansas, Texas and Homestead to break Edwards’ mark. The No. 78 Toyota driver has led 1,977 laps this season – 23 away from 2,00. If he accomplishes the feat, he will become only the fourth driver since 2000 to lead 2,000 or more laps in a single season, joining Kevin Harvick (2015 – 2,294 laps led and 2014 – 2,137 laps led), Jimmie Johnson (2009 – 2,238 laps led) and Jeff Gordon (2001 – 2,320 laps led). In the Modern Era (1972 to Present), only 11 drivers have led 2,000 or more laps in a single season. Cale Yarborough (7) Darrell Waltrip (7) Dale Earnhardt (4) Richard Petty (3) Rusty Wallace (3) Jeff Gordon (3) Bobby Allison (2) Kevin Harvick (2) David Pearson (1) Jimmie Johnson (1) Dale Jarrett (1) Truex leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in wins (six), top fives (14, tied with Kyle Larson), top 10s (21), stage wins (19), average running position (7.3), driver rating (115.7), fastest laps run (1,143, 16.4%) and laps led (1,977, 22.7%). Elliott Scores Another Runner-Up Finish Chase Elliott scored his second consecutive runner-up finish and third of the Playoffs in Sunday’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. As a result, he shot up from ninth on the Playoff leaderboard to fourth (16 points above Matt Kenseth on the cutoff line). The runner-up marked the sixth career second-place showing for Elliott, who is still trying to win his first race. Elliott will try to tackle Talladega this weekend, where he has a career-best finish at the track of fifth (spring 2016). He finished 12th (fall 2016) and 30th (spring 2017) in his other two starts at the 2.66-mile behemoth. Stenhouse Goes For Third Restrictor-Plate Win Of The Season Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is trying to establish himself as the new restrictor-plate ace in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season. He took the checkered flag in the May Talladega race and the July Daytona contest. He’ll go for the Talladega sweep and his third restrictor-plate win of the season in Sunday’s Alabama 500. Stenhouse’s success at Talladega shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. He has three top fives, five top 10s and a 10.4 average finish at the Alabama track. A win on Sunday would automatically advance Stenhouse to the Round of 8. Currently, he sits last on the Playoff leaderboard, 10 points behind Jamie McMurray on the cutoff line. Talladega has been swept seven times by six different drivers: Pete Hamilton (1970), Buddy Baker (1975), Darrell Waltrip (1982), Dale Earnhardt (1990, 1999), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2002) and Jeff Gordon (2007). Earnhardt Jr. Takes Final Ride At Alabama Track No driver is more beloved at Talladega than Dale Earnhardt Jr. On Sunday, the restrictor-plate ace will make his last start at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. In 34 starts at Talladega, Earnhardt boasts six wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s and a 15.6 average finish. His 91.0 driver rating at the Alabama track leads active drivers who have more than three starts there. Earnhardt ranks sixth all-time in career superspeedway wins with 10 (six at Talladega and four at Daytona). Every eligible driver in the top 11 is in the NASCAR Hall of Fame: Dale Earnhardt (13 superspeedway wins), Cale Yarborough (12), Jeff Gordon (not yet eligible, 12), Richard Petty (12), David Pearson (11), Bobby Allison (10), Earnhardt Jr. (not yet eligible, 10) Fireball Roberts (seven), Bill Elliott (six), Buddy Baker (six), Dale Jarrett (six). Keselowski Can Produce Another Wild ‘Dega Finish Brad Keselowski is no stranger to success at Talladega. In fact, he’s had some wild finishes at the 2.66-mile Alabama track. In 2009, the No. 2 Ford driver won his first career race at Talladega for Phoenix Racing, turning Carl Edwards on the final lap to take the checkered flag. In 2014, Keselowski entered the Talladega Playoff race in a “win or go home” situation following a run-in the previous weekend with Matt Kenseth at Charlotte. Keselowski blocked out the distractions and won the race to make the Round of 8. The Team Penske driver will attempt to muster some of the same magic for Sunday’s Alabama 500. He is currently 10th on the Playoff leaderboard – two points behind Jamie McMurray on the cutoff line. Keselowski boasts four wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s and a 14.9 average finish in 17 career starts at Talladega. Next Race: Kansas Lottery 300 The Place: Kansas Speedway The Date: Saturday, Oct. 21 The Time: 3 p.m. ET TV: NBC, 2:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 300 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200) The Race: Fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola The Place: Talladega Superspeedway The Date: Saturday, Oct. 14 The Time: 1 p.m. ET TV: FOX, 12:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 250.04 miles (94 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 20), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on lap 94) Dega Dance Following an off-week, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will close out the Round of 8 at Talladega Superspeedway Saturday with the Fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (1 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Grant Enfinger is the defending race winner, while 2017 Playoffs contenders Christopher Bell (sixth) and Johnny Sauter (seventh) both finished inside the top-10. Playoff Bubble Drivers At Talladega As the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff field gears for its first elimination race of the post-season at Talladega Superspeedway, below is an outlook of how the bubble drivers have performed this season and at the superspeedway, if they’ve registered a start: Chase Briscoe: The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender and Brad Keselowski Racing driver currently sits 10 points above the cutoff line. Briscoe has been on a tear all season – finishing top-25 or better in every race this year. He’s coming off a third-place finish at Las Vegas and has never made a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Talladega. Austin Cindric: Also a Brad Keselowski Racing driver and a Sunoco Rookie, Austin Cindric sits eight points above the cutoff line heading into Talladega. Cindric has been stout during his Playoffs run as he has finishes of eighth (New Hampshire) and fourth (Las Vegas). He has one career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Talladega – he finished 20th in this race a year ago in the No. 2 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford. Kaz Grala: Having a strong Sunoco Rookie season for GMS Racing, Kaz Grala sits eight points below the Round of 8 Playoffs bubble. Grala has finished top-10 or better in four consecutive races and will need a strong finish, plus some help, to stay in the 2017 Playoffs. Grala will be making his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Talladega this weekend. John Hunter Nemechek: Due to mechanical trouble in the opening race of the Round of 8, John Hunter Nemechek is 14 points below the cutoff line heading into Talladega. He will need some help to get in the Round of 6 on points if he doesn’t win the race. Nemechek has two career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Talladega. He finished 32nd there last year due to an engine issue and 11th there in 2015. Sauter Looking For Another Dega Win Reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter is looking to make his mark in the final race of the Round 8. Sauter was victorious at Talladega in 2013 and finished seventh there in back-to-back seasons (2016 and 2015). Sauter had a rough night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in his last race out but still managed to finish 10th. He finished ninth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs opening race at New Hampshire. Sauter currently sits fourth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs point standings and remains a threat to win anywhere, any week. First Timers At Talladega There are six Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders making their track debut at Talladega Superspeedway in Saturday’s Fred’s 250 (1 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). They include: Chase Briscoe, Wendell Chavous, Stewart Friesen, Noah Gragson Kaz Grala and Justin Haley. Cody Coughlin, Austin Cindric and Grant Enfinger are the three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie contenders who have made previous career starts at Talladega Superspeedway. In 11 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Grant Enfinger (10/22/2016) and current NBC NASCAR analyst Parker Kligerman (10/06/2012) are the only two drivers to win their first series race at Talladega. Current NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Tyler Reddick (10/18/2014) is the only driver to win his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole at Talladega. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Etc. From The Booth To The Truck: Two current NASCAR broadcasters in Parker Kligerman (NBC Sports) and Regan Smith (FOX Sports) will be racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this weekend at Talladega. Kligerman won at Talladega in 2012 – becoming the youngest winner at Talladega in series history. Smith has one career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Talladega and finished ninth there in 2007. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Owner Standings Update: Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 4 Toyota Tundra leads ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 Toyota by 51 points in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner standings after 18 races this season. GMS Racing’s No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado (-54), Brad Keselowski Racing’s No. 19 Ford F-150 (-71) and GMS Racing’s No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado (-78) round out the top five. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturer Standings Update: Through 18 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races this season, Toyota leads Chevrolet by 33 points in the manufacturer standings, 673-640. Ford occupies third place with 570 points. source – NASCAR communications
