NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR is in trouble. I hope that someone in the offices in Daytona Beach and Charlotte is working to fix these problems for the future of the sport we love.

Brian Scott and the No. 44 Goody's team are preparing for anything as the Sprint Cup Series makes the second trip to the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. With just five races left in the 2016 season, Scott is hoping for a top finish at the track that can be completely unpredictable with high speeds and close-quarter racing.

The last time Aric Almirola went superspeedway racing, he left Daytona International Speedway with a XFINITY Series win and a Top-15 finish in the Sprint Cup Series. With a win in both Cup and XFINITY, superspeedways are tracks that Almirola has proved to excel. During the season's first visit to Talladega, Almirola ran with the leaders but was taken out in a late-race accident and finished in 27th place. Returning this weekend, he will look to once again run up front in the No. 43 Smithfield Ford and score the strong finish that he missed out on in the spring.

A year ago, NASCAR’s biggest and baddest track - Talladega Superspeedway - offered fans a one-of-a-kind joy ride for their taste buds with the colossal “The Big One” Meatball. Thanks to Americrown, the racetrack’s food and beverage provider, this year’s flavorsome menu returned in May with the incredibly delicious “Talla-Mento Dogwich.” Well, they’re both back just in time for this weekend’s anticipated Chase Double Elimination Races - the Alabama 500 & fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola.

This weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, Ryan Reed will get behind the wheel of a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) car for the first time in competition. Reed will attempt to make his first NSCS start this weekend at Talladega behind the wheel of the No. 99 Lilly Diabetes/American Diabetes Association Ford Fusion.

Richard Childress Racing's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Talladega Superspeedway ... Richard Childress began his driving career at Talladega Superspeedway in 1969 and leads team owners for the most all-time victories at the storied Alabama-based race track with 12 wins.

After sustaining nose damage in a multi-car accident on lap 160, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. lined up in the 14thposition for the final green-white-checkered finish and was on the outside line working his way forward when an accident occurred near the front of the field coming to the checkered flag. His Ford was collected in the accident but Stenhouse was able to slide across the finish line earning a 16th-place finish.

The final race in the Round of 12 takes place this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and Ford drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano are both looking for wins to automatically advance. Logano currently holds the eighth and final transfer spot while Keselowski is seven points behind his Penske teammate.

Kansas Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 15th in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, overcoming a variety of issues to keep the FedEx Racing Team’s chances alive to advance in the Chase for Sprint Cup championship.