Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: GEICO 500
The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
The Date: Sunday, April 28
The Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 1:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 500 miles (188 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 55),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 110), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 188)
2018 Winner: Joey Logano
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: MoneyLion 300
The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
The Date: Saturday, April 27
The Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (113 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 25),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 50), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 113)
2018 Winner: Spencer Gallagher
NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series
Next Race: JEGS 200
The Place: Dover International Speedway
The Date: Friday, May 3
The Time: 5 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 4:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 200 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
2018 Winner: Johnny Sauter
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Hot Streak: Ford drivers on a roll at Talladega
Talladega Superspeedway’s high banks produce some of the most spine-tingling, unpredictable, high-speed action in all of NASCAR, but for all the genuine suspense generated, Ford drivers seem to have cornered the market on victory recently.
The make has won the last seven consecutive Talladega races and eight of the last nine. Reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup champion Joey Logano is the defending winner of Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and has three victories in a Team Penske Ford Mustang on the 2.66-mile speedway – all within the last seven races there. His teammate Brad Keselowski has three wins in the last nine races and five career victories overall at Talladega – best among active drivers.
So not too surprisingly, oddsmakers have picked Keselowski and Logano as the favorites this weekend followed by fellow Ford drivers Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick. Six of the eight “favorites” drive Ford Mustangs.
While Chevrolet holds a 41-26 victory advantage over Ford all-time at Talladega, certainly Ford drivers have found the winning formula as of late, and it’s not typically been a case of final lap drama. In all but one of the last seven races, Fords have combined to lead at least 40 percent of the race laps. In Logano’s win last April, seven Ford drivers combined to lead 126 of the 188 laps (67 percent). Last October, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola won the Playoff race leading only the checkered flag lap, but six Fords combined on the day to lead 184 of the 193 total laps or a stunning 95.3 percent of the race.
Team Penske, in particular, has discovered the magic to the superspeedway style of competition, winning five of the last seven Talladega races. Roush Fenway Racing Ford driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. earned his first career win (from the Busch Pole position, no less) in the 2017 spring race and Almirola claimed his second career win with his work last fall.
In all, Fords have led 785 of 1,336 laps of competition (58.7 percent) during their seven-race string of superiority.
The hot streak is not completely unfamiliar to the Talladega high banks, where certain drivers have historically proven themselves masters of the superspeedway. Chevrolet, for instance, won 13 consecutive races from 1999 (the late Dale Earnhardt) to the 2005 season (Jeff Gordon) and 17 of 18 through 2007. Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett was the lone interruption in that streak, claiming the 2005 fall race win in a Ford.
Almirola looks to go back-to-back at Talladega
The most recent winner at Talladega Superspeedway is Stewart-Haas Racing driver Aric Almirola, who shows up with every reason to believe his good fortune will continue. The Tampa, Florida, native has top-10 finishes in his last five races at the big track, including three top-five efforts and the Playoff win last October that propelled him into the Round of 8.
The superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega have been highlights on Almirola’s resume. In addition to the Playoff win at Talladega, he won the 2017 Xfinity Series race there. His first career Cup victory was at Daytona International Speedway in July of 2014. Plus, he won an Xfinity race there in 2017 – meaning four of his five wins in the top two series have come at these behemoth tracks.
“I always had to go to these races and be aggressive because, back then, they were our only realistic options to win races,’’ Almirola said. “It was the only way I could make it into the Playoffs, and we were able to do that in 2014. They’ve been good to me. I’ve always gone into those races with that mindset.”
That recent Talladega victory was instrumental in Almirola finishing a career best-fifth in the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship in his first season driving Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustangs. And Almirola has responded with another stellar season start. He won the pole position at Atlanta and had a streak of six top-10 finishes between Atlanta and the Bristol races. He’s currently ranked 11th in the points standings and his 72 laps led is already nearly half his career-best season total of 181 laps last year.
Kyle Busch was close in Daytona; will his luck change at ‘Dega?
The current Monster Energy Series points standings leader Kyle Busch shows up at Talladega Superspeedway hoping to re-establish some good vibes with one of the most unpredictable circuits on the schedule. A win for the Toyota driver this weekend would snap a seven-race Talladega victory streak for Ford.
The Joe Gibbs Racing standout’s three wins and six top-fives through the opening nine races of 2019 are tops in the series and have given him a 20-point edge over Team Penske driver Joey Logano in the standings. Busch also has nine top-10 finishes in nine races this season. But the Talladega high banks may prove to be the biggest challenge of the year. He has one win (April, 2008) in 27 races at Talladega.
In the last six races at Talladega he has a pair of top fives, but also three finishes of 26th or worse during that time. He led the most laps (48) of his career at Talladega in the 2017 spring race but finished third.
“You kind of look at what Denny (Hamlin) does and what Brad (Keselowski) does, the guys who are good racers at Daytona and Talladega and the guys who are fast right now,’’ Busch said.
“Denny makes the most out of what he’s got for equipment and I’ve got the same stuff and I’m not quite as forceful in situations as he is, and he makes that work for him. We certainly gained a lot of confidence from Daytona. Our cars were better there and I’m hoping we can carry that momentum at Talladega. I won’t try to put myself in a bad spot to cause something, but it’s always a challenge and it’s always different.”
Kevin ‘The Closer’ Harvick is closing in
Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick has the same number of top-10 finishes (seven) through the season’s opening nine races as he did last year, but the difference? Three of those top-10s last year were victories and the 2014 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion is still looking for his first trophy of 2019. Since 2013, he’s only gone winless through the opening 10 races of a season once – 2017, when he scored his first victory at the summertime Sonoma, Calif. road course race (No. 16 on the schedule).
Talladega Superspeedway has been as unpredictable for Harvick as you might expect of a superspeedway. His only win there came in the 2010 spring race. He has seven top-five finishes in 36 starts. And he’s only got a pair of top-10 finishes in the last seven Talladega races. He won the pole position in this spring event in 2018, led 12 laps and finished fourth – his best showing since his win and runner-up in the two 2010 races. Harvick’s three runner-up finishes ties Jimmie Johnson for most all-time among active drivers.
Certainly, driving a Ford Mustang is encouraging for Harvick’s chances this week. The make has won the last seven straight races at Talladega and his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola won the Talladega race during last fall’s Playoff race with another teammate Kurt Busch leading a race best 108 laps.
“It’s tough to know exactly where you need to be at the end of the race but, for me, I’ve only won one of them there,’’ said Harvick, who drives the No. 4 SHR Ford Mustang. “In that particular race, we were tandem racing and I was second coming into the tri-oval and was able to get past Jamie McMurray. But I would still rather be leading and in control. If I’ve made it to the white flag, then I’ve made it a lot farther than I’ve made it lately, so it’s a chess match all day.
“You have to have a little bit of luck on your side, but you can also put yourself in a good position by making the right moves, having a good day on pit road and not making any mistakes.”
Kurt Busch is on the verge to putting Chevrolet back on top
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kurt Busch shows up at Talladega this week 0-for-36 at the sport’s biggest track – one of eight drivers ranked among the potential championship Top 16 who have not hoisted a trophy there. However, Busch certainly must feel some confidence as he is one of the best – statistically speaking – of all those on this week’s entry list, win or no-win.
Busch boasts the best driver rating at the track (90.5) for competitors with more than six starts and is second only to Chase Elliott (91.3) who has just six starts at Talladega. Busch is ranked first or second in four of the six primary Loop Data Statistical charts that evaluate past performance. His 19 top-10 showings are best in the field, as are his eight previous top-five showings. Only third-year series driver Daniel Suarez (15.0) has a better average finish than Busch (15.4) – and Suarez only has four starts compared to Busch’s 36.
Busch finished 14th in the October Playoff race last year after leading 108 laps – the most laps led by a driver since Matt Kenseth led 142 laps and finished eighth in 2011. Busch has led laps in the last three Talladega races. His 116 laps led in that time is second only to three-time race winner Joey Logano, who led 129 laps and is defending winner of this spring race.
Truex looking to check off another box
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ most recent winner, Martin Truex Jr. earned his first career short track victory two weeks ago at the Richmond Raceway. He’d like to expand his resume again this week with his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at the other extreme – on one of NASCAR’s biggest tracks – Talladega Superspeedway.
Although the 2017 series champion won three consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Talladega from 2004-06, he has only a pair of top-five finishes in 28 Monster Energy Series starts there and has crashed out 13 times, most among the series’ top 16 ranked drivers. Truex’s best work at Talladega is a fifth-place finish – twice – in the fall, 2006, and the spring, 2015. He won the pole position there in October of 2016.
Certainly, the Richmond win – after leading a race best 186 laps – was a huge confidence boost in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing, a team that’s collected six wins through the season’s opening nine races. And having checked off one major item on his bucket list at Richmond, confidence will not be a problem.
“I don’t think anyone really knows what to expect going into Talladega this week,’’ Truex said. “It’s going to be really fast is all I know.
‘Bama Bound: DiBenedetto is good to go
Leavine Family Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto shows up at Talladega Superspeedway this week feeling perhaps the most optimistic he’s been before a big race. And that’s largely because of his showing in NASCAR’s biggest race – the season-opening Daytona 500.
DiBenedetto led a race-best 49 laps at Daytona and was running up front – fourth – in the waning laps when he was collected in a 21-car pileup with nine laps remaining in the scheduled 200-lap race. He finished 28th, but certainly left the track feeling more accomplished than that score would indicate.
His 49 laps out front in his first race with the No 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota Camry team was more than double his previous career total (23 laps). And the 2.66-mile Talladega high banks has historically been another positive venue for DiBenedetto. He’s led laps in the previous three races there and with the LFR Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing team alliance behind him for Sunday’s race, DiBenedetto may well be set for a career-best showing. His previous best is 18th-place – twice – in the spring of 2015 and 2017. Two of his four career top-10 finishes have come on big tracks. He was ninth in the 2017 Daytona 500 and eighth in last year’s summer race at Daytona.
This season’s best finish for DiBenedetto is 12th at Bristol Motor Speedway three weeks ago.
Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett to MRN Radio Booth
NASCAR Hall of Famer and former Talladega Superspeedway winner Dale Jarrett will serve as lead analyst for the Motor Racing Network’s (MRN) broadcast of Sunday’s GEICO 500 – the 50th consecutive spring race the racing network has broadcast.
The 1999 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jarrett won the October 2005 race at Talladega, leading the final two laps and holding off fellow series champions Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth. It was the 32nd and final win of his celebrated career.
His role as lead radio analyst this weekend is the same position his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett, held for many years at the network.
“I’m very excited MRN has given me the opportunity at Talladega to do something in NASAR I’ve never done,’’ the two-time Talladega winner Jarrett said. “It’s always an exciting race and to work my first radio broadcast at the track I scored my last victory is very special.’’
Parade Laps: Insights ahead of this week’s driver media rotations
Seven drivers from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones, Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson, Front Row Motorsports’ David Ragan, JTG Daugherty’s Ryan Preece, Leavine Family Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto, Richard Childress Racing’s Daniel Hemric and Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski will be participating in this week’s media rotations at Talladega Superspeedway in advance of Sunday’s GEICO 500 (2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Erik Jones, 22, of Byron, Mich., will be making his fifth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup start on the Talladega high banks. His first three races at the big track resulted in DNFs after he was caught up in incidents, however, he finished eighth last October in the only race he was able to finish. The 2015 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series champion has scored three top-10 finishes in the opening nine races of this year’s Cup season. His best showing was at the series season-opener in Daytona where he finished third. He led his highest lap total (30 laps) at Texas Motor Speedway three weeks ago and his fourth-place finish was his second top-five of the season.
Jimmie Johnson, 43, of El Cajon, Calif., is hoping to earn his first race victory since May of 2017. He won the pole position at Talladega in his first two series races at the track and answered with back-to-back pole wins again in 2009-10. His two victories came in 2006 and 2011 – both in the spring race. Since that 2011 victory, Johnson’s best finish is runner-up (2015, spring). He has two top-10 finishes in the last four races and was seventh last fall. This season Johnson is looking to snap the longest winless streak of his career. He has four top-10 finishes through the opening nine races. He won the pole position at Texas, led a season high 60 laps and scored a season-best fifth-place finish.
David Ragan, 33, of Unadilla, Ga., earned his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory at Talladega in the spring of 2013. He has been particularly good at the big track with 10 top-10 finishes in 24 starts – including top-10 showings in three of the last four Talladega races. A good finish this week would be key for his No. 38 Front Row Racing Ford Mustang team. He has only a single top-20 showing (16th at Atlanta) this season. Although he showed promise at Daytona, before he was caught up in a crash – eliminated from contention in a 20-car pileup with only nine laps remaining.
Ryan Preece, 28, of Berlin, Conn., has reason to look forward to the Talladega high banks. He scored the best finish (eighth) of his young Monster Energy NASCAR Cup career in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. He’s had two top-20s since – 16th at Martinsville and 20th at Richmond – just before the break. This will be Preece’s series track debut at Talladega. In one previous Xfinity Series start, he finished 15th after starting 26th. He is currently ranked 25th in the series driver points standings – tops among rookies.
Matt DiBenedetto, 27, of Grass Valley, Calif., is probably looking forward to his Talladega time. The young, popular driver has two top-20 finishes, but has led 20 laps in his last three races. He was encouraged after the season-opening Daytona 500 where he led a race-best 49 laps and was contending for the late lead. He was running fourth when his No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota was collected in the 21-car “Big One” with nine laps remaining. He has three top-20 finishes on the 2019 season, including a best of 12th-place at Bristol two races ago.
Daniel Hemric, 28, of Kannapolis, N.C., will be making his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start on the Talladega high banks but has a promising past on the big track. He won the pole for the Xfinity Series race there last year and finished 23rd. His best previous showing at the track is 11th in the 2016 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. This season, Hemric has three top-20 finishes in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, highlighted by a best finish of 18th-place at ISM Raceway in Phoenix.
Brad Keselowski, 35, of Rochester Hills, Mich., brings the top resume to Talladega among active drivers. He’s a five-time winner and scored his first career Cup victory there driving for the underdog Phoenix Racing team owned by James Finch back in 2009. The 2012 Monster Energy Series champion then scored four more wins with Team Penske – the last coming in the 2017 Cup Playoffs. He has led laps in seven of the last nine races and his 216 laps out front in that time frame is most in the field.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Dash 4 Cash raises the stakes at Talladega Superspeedway
For the third straight race weekend, the NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash program is raising the stakes with a $100,000 bonus on the line for series championship qualifying contenders. And for this weekend, those four drivers are Cole Custer, Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier and Tyler Reddick.
So far this season, Christopher Bell banked the first $100,000 bonus with his win at Bristol Motor Speedway a few weeks back, and then Cole Custer fattened his checking account with his victory at Richmond Raceway two weeks ago.
Now the series turns to Talladega Superspeedway as the stage for the next showdown in the Dash 4 Cash competition, the MoneyLion 300, this Saturday, April 27 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
The highest finishing driver among the four qualified Dash 4 Cash participants (Custer, Cindric, Allgaier and Reddick) will win this weekend’s $100,000 bonus and automatically qualify for the final Dash 4 Cash race of the season next weekend at Dover International Speedway. The next three highest finishing NASCAR Xfinity Series championship contenders this weekend will also qualify to compete for next week’s Dash 4 Cash at Dover.
Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer heads to Talladega riding the momentum of his win at Richmond two weeks ago. The California native is currently third in points after accumulating one pole, two wins (Auto Club, Richmond), five top fives and six top 10s this season. Custer has made two series starts at Talladega posting one top-10 finish (ninth, last season).
Team Penske’s Austin Cindric is right behind Custer in the championship standings (fourth) after posting three top fives and six top 10s this season. Cindric is looking to rebound from his series track debut at Talladega last season where he started 11th and finished 30th after being involved in a multicar incident on Lap 62. Cindric has reason to be optimistic though, he finished fifth in the season-opener at Daytona.
JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier and the No. 7 team will be driving with heavy hearts this weekend, as team owners Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelly Earnhardt-Miller’s mother, Brenda Jackson, passed earlier this week. Brenda joined Kelly and Dale at JRM in 2004.
Allgaier is currently fifth in the points after grabbing three top fives and four top 10s this season. Allgaier is a force to be reckoned with at Talladega, he is currently riding a six-race top-10 streak; that includes a third-place finish last season. And the Illinois native has the series-best average finish (10.0) at the famed high banks among active drivers with more than one start.
Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick continues to prove why he won the title last season. The Californian is the current standings leader after putting up a series-leading six top fives and seven top 10s in the first eight starts of 2019. His average finish this season also leads the series at 5.4. Reddick has made two Xfinity starts at ‘Dega posting one top-10 finish (eighth, last season) and an average finish of 14.0.
Sunoco Rookie Update: John Hunter Nemechek takes the rookie standings lead
One driver feeling particularly optimistic this weekend has to be GMS Racing’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender John Hunter Nemechek, who not only took the rookie standings lead following Richmond two weeks ago, but now heads to Talladega this weekend with the defending race winning team from this event a year ago.
Last season, GMS Racing’s Spencer Gallagher grabbed his first and only career series win in this event at Talladega, driving the GMS Racing flagship No. 23 Chevrolet Camaro. Fast forward to this season, and now John Hunter Nemechek heads to Talladega to attempt to match his new team’s efforts from a year ago.
Through eight races this season, Nemechek and the No. 23 GMS Racing team have gelled quite well, he is currently sixth in the points standings after posting two top fives and six top 10s.
Nemechek made his series track debut at Talladega last season while driving part-time for Chip Ganassi Racing; he started fourth and finished a respectable seventh.
The Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings following Richmond: John Hunter Nemechek (263 points), Chase Briscoe (-8), Noah Gragson (-17), Justin Haley (-26), and Brandon Brown (-105).
Reddick’s consistency opens up standings lead on Bell
Christopher Bell’s rollercoaster-type season is the exact reason why Tyler Reddick’s unfettered consistency has opened up his standings lead to a season-high 24 points following Richmond.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell might have two wins this season, but he also has three finishes of 13th or worse; including a 30th-place DNF at ISM Raceway.
The persistent ups-and-downs Bell has endured have opened the door for current standings leader Tyler Reddick – who has been the model for consistency this season, leading the series in top fives (six) and top 10s (seven). His only finish outside the top 10 this season was 14th at Las Vegas.
Reddick’s move to Richard Childress Racing in the offseason has already proven to be fruitful as the Californian now has the opportunity to become just the ninth driver all-time and the first since Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2011, 2012) to win multiple series titles; joining Sam Ard (1983, 1984), Jack Ingram (1982, 1985), Larry Pearson (1986, 1987), Randy La Joie (1996, 1997), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1998, 1999), Martin Truex Jr. (2004, 2005), Kevin Harvick (2001, 2006) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2001, 2012).
Reddick has made two Xfinity starts at Talladega, accumulating one top-10 finish (eighth, last season) and an average finish of 14.0.
Reigning Gander Trucks champ Brett Moffit to make Xfinity season debut
JR Motorsports has called up reigning NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt to pilot the No. 8 JRM Chevrolet Camaro in this weekend’s MoneyLion 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Moffitt will be the sixth different driver to jump in the No. 8 this season joining Chase Elliott, Ryan Preece, Ryan Truex, Jeb Burton and Zane Smith. This weekend Moffitt will be paired with crew chief Taylor Moyer.
Though Moffitt only has two series starts to his career, he made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway in 2011, where he started 10 and finished ninth driving for car owner Robby Benton. His second and most recent Xfinity start came in 2017 driving for GMS Racing – he started 21st and raced his way up to a 11th-place finish.
Moffitt has only made one NASCAR national series start at Talladega, last season in the Gander Trucks he started eighth but finished 17th, two laps down.
Xfinity Stats Snapshot: Talladega Superspeedway
Below are some quick stats to get you up to speed for this weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race the MoneyLion 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (April 27 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio):
Races/Starts:
Talladega Superspeedway has hosted 27 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. The first Xfinity Series race held at Talladega was on July 25, 1992 and the event was won by driver/car owner Ernie Irvan in his own Chevrolet. The series has competed at Talladega Superspeedway once a season since 1992. In total, 339 different NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers have made starts at Talladega, and 220 drivers have competed in more than one. Joe Nemechek leads the series in starts at Talladega with 21 starts. Jeff Green leads all active Xfinity drivers in Talladega starts with 16.
Poles:
In total, the NASCAR Xfinity Series has seen 20 different drivers win the pole award at Talladega Superspeedway; led by Joe Nemechek with five poles (1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003). NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt won the series’ first pole (184.733 mph) at Talladega in 1992 and Daniel Hemric won the most recent Xfinity pole (189.402 mph) at ‘Dega last season. The youngest Xfinity pole winner at Talladega Superspeedway is Brad Coleman (April 28, 2007 at 19 years, 2 months and 2 days). Ken Schrader is the oldest series pole winner at Talladega Superspeedway (April 24, 1999 at 43 years, 9 months, 26 days). Joe Nemechek holds the NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying record at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 193.517 mph (April 26, 1997).
Wins:
In total the NASCAR Xfinity Series has seen 22 different drivers win the race at Talladega Superspeedway; led by Martin Truex Jr. with three victories (2004, 2005, 2006). Ernie Irvan won the series’ first race at Talladega in 1992 and Spencer Gallagher won the most recent Xfinity race at ‘Dega last season. The youngest Xfinity race winner at Talladega Superspeedway is Joey Logano (May 5, 2012 at 21 years, 11 months, 11 days). The oldest series winner at Talladega is Mike McLaughlin (April 21, 2001 at 44 years, 6 months, 15 days). Mark Martin holds the race record in the series at Talladega Superspeedway with an average speed of 169.937 mph (April 26, 1997).
Loop Data:
Below are the top five NASCAR Xfinity Series championship contenders in key Loop Data categories heading into Talladega Superspeedway.
Driver Rating
Average Running Position
Laps in The Top 15
Drivers
Driver Rating
Drivers
Avg. Running Pos.
Drivers
Laps in Top 15
Justin Allgaier
96.9
John H. Nemechek
11.313
Justin Allgaier
662 (70.4%)
Christopher Bell
96.2
Justin Allgaier
11.481
Michael Annett
413 (57.8%)
Tyler Reddick
91.8
Austin Cindric
11.774
Ryan Sieg
213 (37.1%)
John H. Nemechek
90.8
Christopher Bell
12.600
Brandon Jones
210 (61.0%)
Michael Annett
83.0
Tyler Reddick
13.041
Jeff Green
146 (13.8%)
Laps Led
Quality Passes
Fastest Laps Run
Drivers
Laps Led
Drivers
Quality Passes
Drivers
Fastest Laps
Justin Allgaier
63
Justin Allgaier
1,124
Justin Allgaier
38 (4.0%)
Brandon Jones
36
Michael Annett
634
Michael Annett
20 (2.8%)
Jeff Green
19
Ryan Sieg
323
Stephen Leicht
11 (3.1%)
David Starr
10
Jeremy Clements
261
Ross Chastain
11 (2.4%)
Jeremy Clements
8
Stephen Leicht
259
Ryan Sieg
10 (1.7%)
Parade Laps: Insights ahead of this week’s driver media breakouts
Six drivers from the NASCAR Xfinity Series – Cole Custer, Justin Allgaier, Tyler Reddick, Austin Cindric, Joe Graf Jr. and Garrett Smithley – will be participating in this week’s media rotations at Talladega Superspeedway leading into this Saturday’s MoneyLion 300 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Cole Custer (No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang)
Birthdate: January 23, 1998
Driver’s Age: 21
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, California
Hobbies: Watching sports
Team: Stewart-Haas Racing
Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
Xfinity Career Highlights:
In 2018, he made the Playoff’s Championship 4; ultimately finishing runner-up in final driver standings while his No. 00 car won the owner’s title for Stewart-Haas Racing.
Made the Playoffs and finished fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings in his rookie year (2017).
Has four career NASCAR Xfinity Series wins (Homestead-Miami, Texas, Auto Club Speedway and Richmond); including last season’s Playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway to win his way into the Championship 4.
2019 Season Highlights:
Currently third in the NASCAR Xfinity driver points standings, 29 points back from the series standings leader Tyler Reddick and only five points back from second-place Christopher Bell.
In eight starts this season he has posted one pole (Bristol), two wins (Auto Club Speedway, Richmond), five top fives, six top 10s and an average finish of 8.5.
Custer won the most recent Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus at Richmond and is qualified to contend for the prize again this weekend.
Has led the third-most laps (227 laps; 14.2%) this season behind Kyle Busch (438) and Christopher Bell (345).
Talladega Superspeedway Performance:
Has made two series starts at Talladega Superspeedway, posting one top 10 and an average finish of 17.5.
Justin Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro)
Birthdate: June 6, 1986
Driver’s Age: 32
Hometown: Riverton, Illinois
Hobbies: R/C cars, wakeboarding, graphic design, dirt racing
Team: JR Motorsports
Crew Chief: Jason Burdett
Xfinity Career Highlights:
In 2018, he won the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season championship and made the Playoffs for the third consecutive season after posting a career-high five wins on the season.
In 2016 and 2017, made the Championship 4 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.
In 2011, 2016 and 2017, scored career-best third-place finish in NASCAR Xfinity Series standings.
Won first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race in 2010, at Bristol in March. Currently has 10 career Xfinity wins.
Won 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
2019 Season Highlights:
Currently fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity driver points standings, 87 points back from the series standings leader Tyler Reddick and only 24 points back from fourth-place Austin Cindric.
In eight starts this season he has posted three top fives, four top 10s and an average finish of 13.0.
Allgaier is one of four drivers qualified to contend for the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus this weekend.
Talladega Superspeedway Performance:
Allgaier is a force to be reckoned with at Talladega, he is currently riding a six-race top-10 streak; that includes a third-place finish last season. He also has the series-best average finish (10.0) at the famed high banks among active drivers with more than one start.
Tyler Reddick (No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro)
Birthdate: January 11, 1996
Driver’s Age: 23
Hometown: Corning, California
Hobbies: Riding ATVs, gaming, working on cars
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Crew Chief: Randall Burnett
Xfinity Career Highlights:
Won the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
Also won the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors; just third driver in series history to win the title in his rookie season joining Chase Elliott (2014) and William Byron (2017).
In 2017, he captured his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Kentucky, while running a partial schedule. Currently has three series career wins (Kentucky, Daytona and Homestead-Miami).
2019 Season Highlights:
Current NASCAR Xfinity driver championship standings leader, 24 points ahead of second-place Christopher Bell and 29 points ahead of third-place Cole Custer.
In eight starts this season he has posted a series leading six top fives, seven top 10s and an average finish of 5.4 (career-best).
Reddick is one of four drivers qualified to contend for the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus this weekend.
Talladega Superspeedway Performance:
In two starts at Talladega he has put up one top-10 finish (eighth last season). His average starting position at Talladega is 12.0 and his average finish is an 14.0. Has completed 99.6% of his laps attempted.
Austin Cindric (No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang)
Birthdate: September 2, 1998
Driver’s Age: 23
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Hobbies: Mountain biking, water sports, listening to music
Team: Team Penske
Crew Chief: Brian Wilson
Xfinity Career Highlights:
Ran a full Xfinity season in 2018, splitting time between Roush Fenway Racing and Team Penske, making the Playoffs and ultimately finishing eighth in the championship standings.
In 2017, he made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Road America driving for Team Penske; he started on the pole but finished 16th.
2019 Season Highlights:
Currently fourth in the NASCAR Xfinity driver points standings, 63 points back from the series standings leader Tyler Reddick and only 34 points back from third-place Cole Custer.
In eight starts this season he has posted three top fives, six top 10s and an average finish of 8.4.
Cindric is one of four drivers qualified to contend for the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus this weekend.
Talladega Superspeedway Performance:
Cindric made his series track debut at Talladega last season, where he started 11th and finished 30th after being involved in a multicar incident on Lap 62.
Garrett Smithley (No. 0 JD Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro)
Birthdate: April 27, 1992
Driver’s Age: 26
Hometown: Peachtree City, Georgia
Hobbies: Singing and acting/theater
Team: JD Motorsports
Crew Chief: Bryan Berry
Xfinity Career Highlights:
Has competed fulltime in the NASCAR Xfinity Series over the last three seasons (2016-2018) posting a best finish of 18th in the series championship standings in 2016.
Put up a Xfinity Series career-best finish of fifth in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in 2018.
Made NASCAR Xfinity Series career debut in 2015 at Homestead-Miami Speedway driving for car owner Derrike Cope.
2019 Season Highlights:
Currently 18th in the NASCAR Xfinity driver points standings, 238 points back from the series standings lead.
In eight starts this season, he has posted four top-20 finishes and an average finish of 21.5. Completing 96.2% of his laps attempted.
Talladega Superspeedway Performance:
In three starts at Talladega he has accumulated one top-10 finish (10th, last season). His average starting position at ‘Dega is a 32.7 and his average finish is an impressive 14.3. Has completed 99.7% of his laps attempted.
NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.
Only two guarantees this weekend at Talladega – Known as one of the most unpredictable tracks on the schedule, Talladega Superspeedway, rarely has any predictable guarantees, but this weekend will be different as the series will have the guaranteed chance to see a first-time Talladega pole winner and race winner this weekend. None of the current entrants in this weekend’s MoneyLion 300 (Saturday, April 27 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) have sat on the pole or won a Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Justin Haley to make Monster Energy Series debut – Kaulig Racing’s rising star Justin Haley will be making his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway for Spire Motorsports. Haley will jump in the No. 77 Chevrolet with crew chief Pete Sospenzo calling the shots from the pit box. Haley won at Talladega in the ARCA Menard Series in 2017 and finished fourth last season in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at the 2.66-mile track.
Jeffrey Earnhardt to pull double duty at ‘Dega – Joe Gibbs Racing will have Jeffrey Earnhardt back in the No. 18 Toyota Camry this weekend in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race the MoneyLion 300 this Saturday, April 27 (at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), but the grandson of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt will be going the extra mile this weekend as he is also entered in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race the GEICO 500 on Sunday, April 28 (at 2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Earnhardt has made three previous Xfinity Series starts with JGR this season posting two top 10s.
Ross Chastain back with Kaulig Racing this weekend – For the second time this season, Kaulig Racing has tapped Florida native Ross Chastain to pilot the organization’s second entry the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro with crew chief Alex Yontz. Chastain opened the 2019 season with Kaulig Racing at Daytona International Speedway where the 26-year old started sixth and finished 13th. Chastain will be looking for a solid finish at Talladega this weekend as he is currently 13th in points just outside the Playoff cutoff in the standings. Chastain has made four starts at Talladega, posting a best finish of 16th in 2016.
Tight battle for the Xfinity owner points lead – Following the eighth race of the season at Richmond Raceway, Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro team holds a slight lead (five points) in the owners points standings over second place Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota team. Both teams have shown promise this season, the RCR No. 2 team has posted six top fives in the first eight races – the series most – and the JGR No. 18 team has posted three wins – all with Kyle Busch behind the wheel.
Getting the best of out of ‘Dega – Seven of the top-10 finishers in last season’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega posted their best finish at the track – Brandon Jones (runner-up), Noah Gragson (fourth place), Ryan Sieg (sixth), John H. Nemechek (seventh), Tyler Reddick (eighth), Cole Custer (ninth) and Garrett Smithley (10th).
Six-pack of first-timers – This weekend in the NASCAR Xfinity Series six drivers will be making their series track debuts at Talladega Superspeedway – Brandon Brown, Gray Gaulding, Justin Haley, Matt Mills, Brett Moffitt and Max Tullman.
NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series
Getting ready to get back at it
The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series returns to action next weekend at Dover International Speedway on Friday, May 3 in the JEGS 200 (5 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) after a four-week break, including the spring off-weekend for all three NASCAR national series.
Only five races have taken place so far this season, most of which were won by Kyle Busch—with the exception of the season opener at Daytona where Austin Hill got his first series win.
Standings leader Stewart Friesen was able to retain the points lead following Texas with a second-place finish. Friesen currently only holds a six-point lead in the Gander Trucks driver championship standings over second place Grant Enfinger, who finished fourth at Texas.
Without Kyle Busch running at Dover next week, we may see a new face in Victory Lane this season. Could it be Johnny Sauter, the defending event winner two years running, or will it be a young gun, looking to get his first series win? The Gander Trucks has seen 15 different winners in 19 series races on the famous northeast concrete oval.
Crew Chief Spotlight: Doug Randolph
Doug Randolph has been a crew chief in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series for nine years now. In 2018 he served as the crew chief of four young drivers including ARCA Menards Series champion, Sheldon Creed. This season the duo of Randolph and Creed are running for championship and have been off to a quick start.
Randolph has 166 races under his belt in the Gander Trucks with seven wins, 53 top fives, 95 top 10s and seven poles.
Additionally, in 2015 and 2016 Randolph served as the crew chief for Tyler Reddick, the reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion. Reddick’s success is a testament to the kind of impact Randolph can make on a rising young driver like Creed.
Looking ahead to Dover, Randolph and Creed will make their first start together at the Monster Mile. Creed is in good hands with Randolph at this track. Randolph has clinched one win, four top fives and five top 10s at Dover during his career.
Creed is currently holding the 10th position in points, 67 points back from the series standings lead. In five starts this season he has secured one top-10 finish and average finish of 14.8.
All Rhodes lead to Dover
ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes is climbing up the series standing ranks after a solid 10th-place finish at Texas, the driver of the No. 99 Ford F-150 jumped up to third, 16 points behind NASCAR Gander Outdoors Trucks Series standings leader Stewart Friesen.
The Louisville, Kentucky native has posted two top fives and three top 10s this season; including a second-place finish at Martinsville and fifth-place finish at Atlanta. This season has been Rhodes’ first with crew chief Matt Noyce and so far, it appears to be a good match.
Heading into Dover next week we could continue to see Rhodes climb the points ladder. Out of four series starts at Dover, Rhodes has an average finish of 15th with a best finish of fourth back in 2017. In total, he has one top five, two top 10s, and has led 71 laps at the Monster Mile.
ThorSport Racing is strong in 2019
The entire ThorSport Racing organization seems to be hitting on all cylinders this season, as all four drivers are currently in the top 10 of the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series driver championship standings following Texas.
Currently, Grant Enfinger is second in the series standings, Ben Rhodes is third, Johnny Sauter is fourth, and Matt Crafton is sixth.
Heading to Dover in a few weeks, things look promising for the team as well. Two of ThorSport Racing’s current drivers have won at the high-speed one-mile track (Sauter in 2017, 2018 and Crafton in 2016).
Though all four drivers are still chasing after their first win this season, they’ve still managed some solid finishes. Let’s look at the individual performances of the ThorSport Racing team this season:
Matt Crafton: 2019 is shaping up to be Crafton’s comeback season. With four top-10 finishes under his belt and an average finish of seventh, Crafton has demonstrated a consistently strong performance this year. Heading into Dover we can expect to see more of the same. Crafton was the winner of the event back in 2016 and managed a second-place finish last year.
Johnny Sauter: Sauter is sure to head into Dover with confidence as he is the defending event winner for the past two years. Despite a rough start to the 2019 season in Daytona with a 23rd-place finish for Sauter, he has managed to make a comeback with the past four races. The series veteran has two top fives (second at Atlanta and third at Texas) and four top 10s. His average finish through five races is a 9.0.
Grant Enfinger: Sitting second in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series standings, Grant Enfinger is a mere six points back from the series championship standings lead. Enfinger’s 2019 season has seen three top fives, four top 10s and an average finish of 5.4. Heading to Dover, the Alabama native has had mixed results on the concrete track. In two starts at Dover he has posted a best finish of third in 2017; and finished 14th in last season’s event.
Ben Rhodes: In five starts this season, Rhodes has two top fives, three top 10s and an average finish of 11.0. Looking towards Dover, Rhodes has a shot at getting his first win this season. The young driver has run well at the Monster Mile, in four starts he has posted one top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 15.5.
NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, Etc.
Moffit in action this weekend – The driver of the No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet Silverado and defending Gander Trucks champion Brett Moffitt will make his Talladega Superspeedway NASCAR Xfinity Series debut this weekend driving for JR Motorsports in the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro.
Looking ahead for former series champ – Greg Biffle, the 2000 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series champion, will be coming out of retirement and making his return to NASCAR for the Rattlesnake 400 on June 7 at Texas Motor Speedway. The 49-year old will run in the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 51 Toyota.
