Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway… Richard Childress began his driving career at Talladega Superspeedway in the inaugural Talladega 500 on September 14, 1969. As an owner, Childress has won 13 NASCAR Cup Series victories at Talladega. Kyle Busch became the latest RCR driver to win in the Cup Series at the Alabama speedway when he captured the GEICO 500 at Talladega in 2023. Clint Bowyer won twice for RCR (fall races in 2010 and 2011) while Kevin Harvick won the 2010 spring event. Dale Earnhardt earned nine Talladega wins under the RCR banner, his first coming in 1984. Earnhardt scored his 76th and final Cup win in the 2000 fall race at Talladega which earned the team and a lucky fan each a $1 million bonus from the series sponsor. Other victories by Earnhardt include a sweep of both races in 1990 and 1999, plus 1991 (July), 1993 (July) and 1994 (spring).
RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway… Richard Childress Racing has two Xfinity Series wins at Talladega, most recently by Jesse Love in April. Two-time Xfinity Series Champion Tyler Reddick gave RCR its first Xfinity Series victory at Talladega in 2019 when he drove his No. 2 Chevrolet to Victory Lane. RCR has won four consecutive pole positions at Talladega, three by Austin Hill (fall 2022, 2023, and spring 2024) and one by Jeffrey Earnhardt (spring 2022).
Big Power on the Drafting Tracks… ECR has been dominant at the drafting tracks in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season (Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Talladega Superspeedway). In the five races entering Talladega, ECR teams have four wins, four pole positions and have led 425 laps (62.68 percent) and 843.14 miles (60.39 percent) in those races. ECR powered a sweep of the top-three finishers in the most recent drafting track event in Atlanta last month (Austin Hill-Parker Kligerman-AJ Allmendinger).
Catch the Action… The United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway will be televised live on Saturday, October 5, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on The CW. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
The YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will be televised live on Sunday, October 6 beginning at 2 p.m. ET on NBC. The race will be broadcast live on Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway… In the 22 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway, Austin Dillon has two top-five and five top-10 finishes with a career-best finish of second in the spring of 2022. The 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion has made four starts at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, earning one pole (2015) and a career-best finish of third among three top-10 finishes. In two NASCAR Truck Series races at Talladega, Dillon has two top-10 finishes.
About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations, and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops united with Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations, and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
You’ve won on superspeedways. What kind of race do you expect we will see at Talladega Superspeedway?
“I have Talladega Superspeedway circled on my calendar. I love racing there and can’t wait to get on track in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off-Road Chevrolet. At Talladega, there’s a lot of movement in the draft, the packs are big and wide, and with the way this package works, there is more two-lane racing around the bottom. You can do certain things throughout that race to put yourself in a better position, but it’s one of those tracks you go into knowing that there’s probably a 75 percent chance that you could be in a wreck. You have got to be in the right place at the right time for the right run. A lot goes into it. Depending on what people pull out, you can get too far forward on that last lap and that will put you in the position to black lanes, and sometimes that turns into a mess.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway… Kyle Busch will make his 39th NASCAR Cup Series start at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. Busch won the 2023 spring event at the Alabama track, after stretching his fuel mileage to perfection and scoring the victory in NASCAR Overtime. The driver of the Lucas Oil Chevrolet claimed his first win at Talladega in 2008, when he paced the field for 12 of the final 15 laps to secure the victory in his seventh Cup Series start at the 2.66-mile facility. Busch has two NASCAR Truck Series wins at Talladega (2009, 2010) and one win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (2011).
Drafting Track Performance… Busch has performed well on drafting tracks during the 2024 season. The Las Vegas native is tied for the most top-10 finishes (three), led a lap in all five races, and piled up the fourth-most points (162) in those events.
Stat of the Week… Busch has led a lap in 30 of 38 – including the last seven consecutive – Cup Series events at Talladega Superspeedway.
Lucas Oil’s Role as a Technical and Development Powerhouse in Motorsports at RCR and ECR… Lucas Oil has contributed first-hand to the many on-track successes of one of NASCAR’s legendary race teams since 2014. Lucas Oil’s resources and expertise, including R&D, technical development and support, have provided a competitive on-track advantage that has equated to RCR’s more than 20 trips to Victory Lane over the past decade. All RCR NASCAR Cup and ECR engines rely on the best performance motor oil in NASCAR: a direct result of joint research and development. The same success that Lucas Oil and RCR/ECR have found at the highest levels of motorsports, has been successfully transferred to grassroots racing efforts throughout the country. And all team operations rely on the full line of Lucas Slick Mist appearance products – from metal polish to speed wax and detailers – to keep all types of vehicles looking their best. To learn more about Lucas Oil, visit lucasoil.com.
KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
Would you like to see NASCAR add a practice session at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway? Are you okay with the current format?
“I am perfectly okay with the current format of going straight into qualifying and then to the race at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway. I do, however, think that a practice session at Atlanta Motor Speedway would be beneficial to everyone to make sure they have their heights correct and their car balanced because there’s not really any simulator work for Atlanta.”
How mentally draining is the racing at Talladega Superspeedway for a driver?
“I would say the racing at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway is more mentally taxing than physically demanding. The mental aspect comes in with riding in line, saving fuel, and paying attention to everything going on around you while you’re trying to make the right moves, while getting yourself in position to strategically get stage points and a great finish on the day.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway… Jesse Love has made one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Talladega Superspeedway, claiming his first series victory at the Alabama track earlier this season. Love started from the second position, led a total of 28 laps, and secured Whelen’s first primary victory. In addition, the Menlo Park, California native has participated in one ARCA Menards Series event in April 2023. During that race, Love qualified in the second position, before leading 35 of 74 laps and claiming victory.
Defending Race Winner… For the first time in his career, Love enters Talladega Superspeedway as the most recent Xfinity Series race winner.
Top-10 Streaking… With a ninth-place result at Kansas Speedway, Love extended his top-10 streak to five consecutive races. The 19-year-old accomplished this same feat earlier this season, capping off the five consecutive top-10 finishes with a win at Talladega Superspeedway.
About Whelen Engineering… Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.
JESSE LOVE QUOTE:
Did winning at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this season help or hurt your season?
“Winning the race earlier this season at Talladega Superspeedway was huge for not only myself, but for our entire No. 2 team and everyone at Whelen. That group had been so close so many times, so I knew winning a race was something I needed to do this year. To win so early in the season was a boost for our team, but it also hurt me a bit too. I had all this confidence that I was going to win four more races this season and make a run at the regular season championship. I stopped focusing on the execution and started focusing solely on the results. With that came making mistakes and not maximizing our day, which probably played a role in our downward trajectory in the middle portion of the season. About a month ago though, I reset myself and got focused for the Playoffs. I told myself to go run 10th today and take what the car will give you. Once I did, we got back on the path, and I feel like we have a shot to make it to Phoenix Raceway.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway… Austin Hill has made five career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway, but never captured the checkered flag at the Alabama track. The Winston, Georgia native has claimed three poles and led a total of 182 laps in the last four events, all while piloting the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Hill has also participated in five NASCAR Truck Series events, securing a best finish of sixth in 2019.
Four in a Row? Hill has earned the last three pole positions (fall 2022, spring 2023, spring 2024) at Talladega Superspeedway and on Saturday, the 30-year-old will look to make it four in a row.
Superspeedway Dominance… Hill has captured the victory in three – February at Daytona International Speedway and twice at Atlanta Motor Speedway – of the five Xfinity Series drafting races in 2024.
Women in the Driver’s Seat… In celebration of female truck drivers, the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet will proudly carry a special pink tribute to the ladies who succeed in a male-dominated industry. As a woman-owned company since 1974, founder and CEO, Marcia G. Taylor, started the Women in the Driver’s Seat program to advance women in trucking and logistics careers. The four pillars of the program are to Be Resilient, Be Steadfast, Be Courageous, and Be Fierce. Over 40 guests, including the Women Drivers of Excellence honorees, will be on site at Talladega Superspeedway to support Hill. Visit womendrivebennett.com to learn more and apply today.
About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 14 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Bennett has 4,625 drivers/owner-operators, over 1,000 employees and 600 agents located across the United States. For more information, visit www.bennettig.com.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
What is it about superspeedway racing that suits your driving style?
“Superspeedway racing in general has treated me very well. It starts with having a great team and engine with everyone at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines. Our Chevrolets are really good, but even with having a fast car, you, as the driver, have to know what to do with it. The more I think about it, I really think it stems from the relationship that my spotter, Derek Kneeland, and I have. We know when to make the moves and when not to make the moves. We try to learn early in the race of what moves may work for when the pay window opens up at the end. At a place like Talladega Superspeedway, the track will race differently depending on the weather. It is still superspeedway racing at the end of the day, but the way that runs are generated are always different. You have to have an open mindset of the things that have worked in the past may not work this time around, and if it doesn’t work, we are going to try something different.”
