Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Talladega

Talladega Superspeedway
Sunday, Oct. 25
2.66-Mile Tri-Oval
2 p.m. ET
Location: Talladega, Alabama
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (Race 34 of 36)
RADIO: SiriusXM

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 34 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Race: 34th (Phoenix)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 1st

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet  

• Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team hold a five-point lead in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase.
• The 34-year-old leads all drivers in The Chase in laps led (556) and average finish (7.3).
• The defending champion has scored the second-most stage points at Talladega Superspeedway in the Next Gen era with 91 behind only Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott with 94.
• According to Racing Insights, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team ranks second among all NASCAR Cup Series teams on pit road this season.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 30 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last Race: 3rd (Phoenix)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 10th

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet  

• Chase Elliott improved to 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase standings following his third-place finish at Phoenix Raceway last Sunday. He’s 149 points behind the leader with three races remaining.
• Across the last four events, Elliott’s average finish is 7.5, his best during any four-race stretch this season.
• This weekend, the series heads to Talladega Superspeedway, where Elliott is a two-time winner (spring 2019 and fall 2022).
• His average finish of 14.81 at the Alabama track ranks third among active Cup Series drivers with at least four starts.
• At Talladega in the Next Gen era, Elliott has scored the most stage points (94) and has the most points earned (315). His average finish (13.33) in that span ranks fourth.
• Elliott has the third-best average finish (11th) on drafting tracks this season, highlighted by fourth-place finishes in the DAYTONA 500 and the spring Talladega race.
• In the last 11 drafting track races, Elliott is tied for the second-most points earned (332).
• On drafting tracks in the Next Gen era, the 2020 Cup Series champion is tied for the second-most wins (three) and has the fourth-most laps led (294).  

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 28 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Race: 21st (Phoenix)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 14th

No. 24 All-Pro Chevrolet  

• William Byron is 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase standings with three races remaining.
• According to Racing Insights, the No. 24 pit crew ranks third fastest so far during The Chase.
• Byron has five Cup Series wins on drafting tracks with three at Daytona International Speedway and two at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Four of those victories have come in the Next Gen era, the most of any driver.
• In his Cup Series career at Talladega Superspeedway, Byron has five top-five finishes and seven top 10s across 17 starts. He has a track-best finish of second twice (Spring 2021 and Fall 2023).
• In the Next Gen era at Talladega, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has the best average finish (12.11), scored the third-most stage points (80) and scored the second-most points overall (304).
• He has finished seventh or better in five of the last seven races at the Alabama track.  

48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 33 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Race: 29th (Phoenix)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 27th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet  

• Alex Bowman has earned 33 stage points at Talladega Superspeedway in the Next Gen car. This is 10th-most points scored among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers.
• Bowman has the fifth-best average finish in the Next Gen era at the Alabama track (13.75).
• On the hunt for his first win at Talladega, Bowman has earned one runner-up finish (2019). In the spring race this season, the 33-year-old finished third, marking his first top-10 finish of the year.
• In three of the last five races at the 2.66-mile tri-oval, Bowman and the No. 48 Ally team have finished seventh or better.  

17 COREY DAY
Age: 20 (November 28, 2005)
Hometown: Clovis, California
Last Race: 4th (Phoenix)
Crew Chief: Adam Wall
Standings: 3rd

• With three races remaining in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series season, Corey Day sits third in The Chase standings, 39 points behind the leader. The No. 17 HendrickCars.com team earned 41 points in Saturday’s race at Phoenix Raceway, where Day finished fourth to secure his fourth consecutive top-five finish.
• The Clovis, California, native returns to Talladega Superspeedway for his second NOAPS start at the track after earning his first series victory there in April.
• In five starts on drafting tracks during the 2026 season, Day has one win and two top-five finishes.

Hendrick Motorsports

*Most
**Tied for most

• The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for the seventh race of The Chase. Hendrick Motorsports is the all-time leader in wins (14), poles (13), top fives (72), top 10s (109) and laps led (3,115) at the 2.66-mile tri-oval.
• Among the 10 tracks in The Chase, Hendrick Motorsports has piled up 136 victories including 21 in the Next Gen era. The organization leads the field in postseason wins (64) and has won at least one race in The Chase/Playoffs in 23 of 24 seasons. That includes multiple victories in each of the last seven years.
• The Hendrick Motorsports engine department enters the weekend with 584 victories across all three national NASCAR touring series including 23 of 30 events in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series this season.
• Hendrick Motorsports remains the Cup Series’ all-time standard bearer in wins (324), poles (259), top-five finishes (1,352), top 10s (2,313), laps led (87,078) and championships (15).  

QUOTABLE
 
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on Talladega Superspeedway: “Talladega, like any superspeedway race, is challenging because there are so many things that can happen outside of your control. Focusing on what you can control is always an important part of racing at those tracks. As a Chevrolet group, I think we work really well together. We’ve continued to improve how we work together, and I think we’re in a good place.”

“I know I haven’t had the greatest finishes at Talladega throughout my career, but we’re also one of the top contenders when it comes down to the end of the race. Outside of the final stage, we do a great job as a team of scoring stage points. I don’t view Talladega as negatively for us or for Kyle Larson as others might. I truly believe we can have a good day.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on fan support at Talladega Superspeedway: “I love Talladega [Superspeedway]. Genuinely love going over there for that reason. I feel like the people have always just been really accepting of me and just always treated me with a lot of respect and also just felt a lot of support there too. I just really appreciate that. I’ve been fortunate to get a win over there [in the Next Gen] and I would love to get another one at some point down the road. I think we’ll have a great opportunity to do that again this upcoming race.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on Talladega Superspeedway: “I don’t think Talladega [Superspeedway] is as much of a wild card as it used to be when it was the playoff format. You knew if you had a bad race, you probably weren’t moving on to the next round. Now, if you have a bad race, it may make things harder but you’re not out. And in the inverse, if you have a good day, you could make a big jump. We’re not sitting in the position we would want to be, but we’re still chasing wins and points, so the goal stays the same.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on heading to Talladega Superspeedway: “Talladega [Superspeedway] was a good race for us in the spring. It’s obviously one that is unpredictable. You have to make the best decisions for the situation you’re given and be there at the end to give yourself a shot at the win. It’s a good opportunity for us to put together a solid weekend with our Ally 48 group.”

Corey Day, driver of the No. 17 Chevrolet, on heading to Talladega Superspeedway: “Superspeedways are always pretty unpredictable, and Talladega will be the same way. Winning there in the spring was a pretty cool surprise, and hopefully I can take what I learned from that race and apply it this weekend. We’re still in contention for The Chase, so we need to put together a clean race, stay out front and give ourselves a shot at the end. I know my No. 17 HendrickCars.com team will bring me a fast Chevrolet, and hopefully we can put together another strong run and make everyone at Hendrick Motorsports proud.”