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Playoff Pressure Builds as Talladega Superspeedway Hosts NASCAR’s Three National Series This Weekend

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Official Release
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Eight of 12 Drivers in NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Have Victories at 2.66-mile Venue

Talladega, Ala. (Sept. 29, 2020) – The pressure-packed buildup for this weekend’s (Oct. 3-4) NASCAR Playoffs tripleheader at Talladega Superspeedway is finally upon us.

This Sunday’s YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series race will serve as the second (of three) event in the Round of 12 for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs while Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 will be the second race in the Round of 12 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. The first event of a double dose of action on Saturday will be the elimination race for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series where the field of title contenders will be cut from 10 to eight.

Many view the YellaWood 500 as the “wild card” event of the Cup Series Playoffs because of the uncertainty it bestows. It can considerably strengthen or dash a driver’s hopes of moving on to the next round, and ultimately competing in the Championship 4 finale in Phoenix for the title. Of the 12-driver playoff field, eight have driven to the mammoth 2.66-mile track’s Gatorade Victory Lane at least once. If one of the 12 wins the YellaWood 500, he will automatically gain a spot in the Round of 8.

After this past weekend’s kickoff to the second round in Las Vegas, Kurt Busch, with his victory, punched his ticket to the third round. Kevin Harvick leads the point standings by three over Denny Hamlin while there is a log jam beginning with Brad Keselowski (-45) through the rest of the eligible field. Currently under the cutoff line are former Talladega winners Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola, along with Austin Dillon.

Below is the lineup of championship contenders, along with their playoff points and resume at Talladega Superspeedway:

  • Kurt Busch, No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (3041 points (-63)/14th playoff appearance): While he is 63 points behind Harvick, with his win Sunday, he has already advanced to the Round of 8. The 21-year veteran scored a victory at Talladega in the 2003 International Race of Champions (IROC) event, but he is still searching for his first Cup triumph after 39 starts at the track. With eight top-five and 21 top-10 results, TSS is statistically one of Busch’s better playoff tracks. The 2004 premier series champion has come close to earning a win several times, including a runner-up finish in the 2018 GEICO 500 and four third-place results. In the last seven Talladega races, his average finish is 12.86 with four top-10 results.
  • Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (3104 points/14th playoff appearance): The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion and current championship points leader has 39 career Cup Series starts at Talladega and holds one win (April 2010). He has recorded seven top-five and 15 top-10 efforts. Since 2017, he has one top-five result and two top-10s with an average finish of 20th.
  • Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (3101 points (-3)/14th playoff appearance): The three-time Daytona 500 champion (2020, 2019, 2016) drove to the ’Dega Gatorade Victory Lane after the 2014 GEICO 500 in what is still his only win in 29 Cup starts at Talladega. The 2006 series Rookie of the Year has compiled eight top-fives – including three of the last four races (third and a pair of fourths) – and 12 top-10s. Since 2017, his average finish is 11.14.
  • Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (3059 points (-45)/ninth playoff appearance): Keselowski has more wins at TSS than any other active driver with five. His first-ever Cup victory came at the biggest track in NASCAR in the 2009 GEICO 500. In 23 Cup starts at the track, the 2012 Cup Champion has totaled seven top-five and 11 top-10 performances. Over the last seven races at TSS, he has one win (’17 YellaWood 500) but just two top-10s.
  • Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (3058 points (-46)/eighth playoff appearance): Truex, Jr. is still looking for his first ’Dega win, after 31 Cup starts. The 2017 Cup Series champion has recorded eight top-10s at TSS, but unfortunately, Talladega has been one of his worst playoff tracks. Over the last seven races, his best finish is 20th with an average of 25.14. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, he has been to Gatorade Victory Lane a record three times, consecutively from 2004-06.
  • Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford (3054 points (-50)/seventh playoff appearance): The 2018 Cup champion posted his first victory at NASCAR’s most competitive track in the 2015 YellaWood 500, and a year later, made it back-to-back fall triumphs. His most recent TSS win came in the 2018 GEICO 500. In 23 career Cup starts at the track, he has three victories and eight top-five finishes. Since spring of 2017, his average finish has been 10.57 with one win and four top-five results.
  • Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (3053 points (-51)/fifth playoff appearance): Elliott went to ’Dega’s Gatorade Victory Lane in the 2019 GEICO 500. In nine career starts at TSS, the 2016 series Rookie of the Year has produced three top-five results. His first came in his initial Cup series race at Talladega in the 2016 GEICO 500, a race in which he also started on the pole. Over the last seven races he has the victory with an 18.14 average finish.
  • Alex Bowman, No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (3052 points (-52)/third playoff appearance): Bowman has 10 TSS Cup career starts, with his best career finish coming in the 2019 GEICO 500 where he crossed the line in the runner-up position. Bowman has one top-five and three top-10 performances with an average finish of 17.40 over the last seven races. He was seventh earlier this year in the GEICO 500.
  • Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (3043 points (-61)/13th playoff appearance): In 30 Cup starts at ’Dega, the defending Cup Series champion has one victory (2008 GEICO 500) and six top-five finishes. Over the last seven races, his average finish is 18.57. Busch holds the record at TSS as the only active driver to visit Gatorade Victory Lane in all three of NASCAR’s top-tier series, having won in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2011 and back-to-back NASCAR Gander Trucks Series events in 2009 & 2010.
  • Clint Bowyer, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (3032 points (-72)/ninth playoff appearance): Bowyer will be making his 30th series start at TSS, looking to add a third win to his resume to go along with his victories in both the 2010 and 2011 YellaWood 500 events. He has tallied seven top-five and 13 top-10 performances at ’Dega in the Cup level. Over the last seven races here, his average finish is 22.71.
  • Aric Almirola, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (3025 points (-79)/fourth playoff appearance): If the last eight races are any indication, this is the guy to bet on. The 2018 YellaWood 500 champ has recorded eight straight top-10 results, including five top-five efforts, with an average finish of 5.125 during that span. He was fourth in last fall’s YellaWood 500 while third earlier this year in the GEICO 500.
  • Austin Dillon (3020 points (-84)/fourth playoff appearance): Piloting the No. 3 for Richard Childress Racing, which has 12 triumphs at Talladega, Dillon has three top-10 efforts at the 33-degree banked venue with a best result of third in May of 2016. Over the last seven races, his average finish is 25.14. He was sixth in last year’s YellaWood 500.

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Chase Briscoe advanced to the Round of 8 by winning Saturday in Vegas. Austin Cindric (-17) is in second in the championship standings, followed by Noah Gragson (-34), Justin Allgaier (-42), Justin Haley (-56), who won at Talladega in June, Brandon Jones (-57), Ryan Sig (-61) and Harrison Burton (-68). Currently below the cutoff line are: Ross Chastain (-70), Michael Annett (-78), Riley Herbst (-82) and Brandon Brown (-88).

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Heading into Talladega’s cutoff race, Austin Hill is guaranteed to advance to Round of 8 as a result of his win at Vegas. Sheldon Creed leads the points chase by eight over Brett Moffitt, followed by Zane Smith (-13), Grant Enfinger (-21), Tyler Ankrum (-37), Matt Crafton (-37) and Christian Eckes (-46). Ben Rhodes (-52) and Todd Gilliland (-65) have work to do and sit below the cutoff line.

The YellaWood 500 gets the green flag on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. CT. The full schedule for Oct. 3-4 Playoff Weekend for Talladega Superspeedway includes:

  • Sat, Oct. 3 – Chevy 250 at TALLADEGA NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at 12:00 p.m. CDT (FS1, SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90 & MRN); 94 laps
  • Sat, Oct. 3 – Ag-Pro 300 At TALLADEGA NASCAR Xfinity Series at 3:30 p.m. CDT (NBCSN, SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90 & MRN); 113 laps
  • Sun, Oct. 4 – YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series at 1:00 p.m. CDT (NBC, SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90 & MRN); 188 laps

For further information, including infield camping possibilities for the weekend, fans may learn more by calling the ticket office at 1-877-Go2-DEGA. Fans can keep up with all the happenings at the biggest, baddest race track on the planet by following Talladega Superspeedway on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and by downloading the track’s mobile app.

About Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway – which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year – is the most competitive race track on the NASCAR schedule (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), the highest-banked (33 degrees) and the longest (2.66 miles), as well as the most fun and fan-friendly. Three- and four-wide racing at 200 mph are a norm at Talladega Superspeedway, along with nail-biting, photo finishes. For information, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA.

Chris Buescher – Talladega II Advance

By
Official Release
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Team: No. 17 SunnyD Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 500 miles, 188 laps, Stage Lengths: 60-60-68
YellaWood 500 – Sunday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Sweet Home Alabama, Talladega On Deck

· The final Superspeedway race of the 2020 season is on tap for this weekend, as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega for a Sunday afternoon event. It marks the second race in the Round of 12, with the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway next weekend as the cutoff race.
· The starting lineup will continue to be set by three competition-based metrics, rewarding both season-long and single-race performance. Sunday’s lineup will be announced later this week prior to the action-packed racing on Sunday.
· Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed before the schedule later picked back up in mid-May.

Buescher Historically at Talladega

· Buescher makes his 11th Cup start at Talladega on Sunday, where he has an average finish of 20.3 with one top-10. He led four laps en route to a sixth-place run back in the spring, for his first top-10 at the track.
· Buescher has two Xfinity Series starts at Talladega with a runner-up result in 2014, followed by a sixth-place run in 2015.

Luke Lambert Historically at Talladega

· Lambert will be atop the box for his 17th Cup event from Talladega this weekend, where he has an average finish of 14.2 with seven top-10s.
· In addition to leading Buescher to the sixth-place run this spring, he also led Daniel Hemric to a fifth-place finish last spring, and was paired with Newman for a runner-up run in the 2017 fall race. In his first-ever Cup event in Talladega, he led Jeff Burton to a second-place finish after leading 26 laps.
· Lambert also called one Xfinity race with Elliott Sadler in 2012, where he started from the pole and finished 10th.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Talladega:
“Our Superspeedway program has shown what it is capable of, thanks to Jimmy Fennig and all his guys in the shop. We survived the chaos back in the spring to finish sixth, and also ran top-10 at Daytona just a couple months back. There will be a lot happening with the playoff guys, so our goal is to be patient and hang around until the end, which is key in these races.”

Last Time Out
After a flurry of late-race cautions in Sunday’s race from Vegas, Buescher held his ground inside the top-10 for multiple restarts, before going on to finish ninth in the SunnyD Ford.

Where They Rank
Buescher is 20th in driver standings through 30 events.

On the Car
Iconic brand and thirst-quenching favorite SunnyD returns to the No. 17 machine this weekend in Talladega. The #SUNNYDouble race weekends mark the third time in NASCAR Cup Series history that the No. 17 SUNNYD Ford will hit the track in back-to-back races. Roush Fenway Racing and SUNNYD will partner to give fans an exclusive content shared across the Roush Fenway and SUNNYD Racing Facebook, Twitter and Instagram platform for two weeks of SUNNYDynamic action.

During #SUNNYDouble race week, fans will have the opportunity receive a virtual photo with Buescher and their very own personalized SUNNYD bottle. Fans will also have the chance to win spectacular SUNNYD giveaways like lanyards, t-shirts, hats, laptop stickers and more.

Driven for a Cause
Throughout the month of October, Roush Fenway Racing will show its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by running special pink numbers on its Ford Mustangs. In addition, Roush Fenway Fords will sport pink ‘Driven for a Cause’ ribbon decals on its Ford Mustangs.

About SunnyD
The iconic SunnyD® brand is owned by Harvest Hill Holdings, a Brynwood Partners owned beverage company. The 54-year-old SunnyD® brand is a leading chilled juice drink in the U.S. In addition to the SunnyD® brand, the company markets the Juicy Juice®, Little HUG®, and Daily’s® beverage brands. Harvest Hill’s products are widely distributed through leading retailers in the U.S. and Canada.

Alabama Roofing Professionals Returns as Spencer Boyd’s Sponsor at Talladega

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Official Release
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Concord, NC (September 29, 2020) – Alabama Roofing Professionals will again be the primary sponsor for Spencer Boyd’s No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado at Talladega Superspeedway when the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series returns on October 3. The experts in both residential and commercial roofing were on board when Boyd scored his first career win in 2019 at this same race.

“I see that truck every day,” smiled Spencer Boyd. “We rolled it from victory lane directly to its place in Young’s Motorsports shop and haven’t touched it since. Alabama Roofing Professionals was part of a historic day for Young’s Motorsports and me as we all scored our first win in NASCAR competition together. I’m elated to have them back as our primary sponsor for this race!”

“We’ve got you covered,” is Alabama Roofing Professionals tag line. For the regional roofing company it begins with great customer service, continues with a fair price, and ends with an unmatched product. As they did last year, the home-state crew is offering local NASCAR fans a free estimate for their roofing needs.

Mike Parlier, owner of Alabama Roofing Professionals, commented on his relationship with Spencer. “Our team takes a great deal of pride in what we do. Usually, that is making roofing customers happy, but we are so proud of Spencer for everything he does as a professional. Being a part of the win at Talladega was amazing and having a die-cast with my company’s name on it is surreal, but it is his drive and demeanor on consistent basis that impresses me. I’m happy we are again in a position that we can support him in his career.”

For the first time since entering NASCAR’s top three national touring series in 2016, Spencer Boyd will return to a track as the reigning winner and attempt to repeat. “Everything just happened right that day,” said Boyd. “I can’t assume that it will all fall into place again so I just ask for a chance. I want to be there at the end.”

The Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, October 3, 2020 airs live on FS1 at 1:00pm ET.

About Alabama Roofing Professionals
It’s in our name, Alabama Roofing Professionals: we consider ourselves roofing pros. If it involves your roof, we’re the guys that you can trust to get the job done. We offer new roofs, roof inspections, roofing repairs, and a variety of other services to cater to the needs of every customer in the area. If you need the job done, our experts have you covered. Give us a call at 205-289-6467 and speak to one of our highly-trained professionals about your roofing needs or to request your free estimate. We’d love to hear from you. Visit us on the web at www.alroofpros.com.

NGROTS Advance: Tanner Gray – Talladega Superspeedway

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Official Release
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Track: Talladega Superspeedway, 2.66-mile oval
Race: 19 of 23
Event: Talladega 250 (250.04 miles, 94 laps)

Schedule:
Saturday, Oct. 3
1:00 p.m…………..Race (FS1)
(all times ET)

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performace F-150

Tanner Gray definitely has momentum on his side heading into Saturday’s NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Gray has finished third in the last two consecutive races at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in the No. 15 Ford Performance F-150.

In 18 Truck Series races to date this year, Gray has four top-five, seven top-10 finishes, has led four laps and sits 12th in the driver point standings. Of his four top-five finishes, three of them have been third-place finishes all within the last two months.

Gray heads to Talladega with some experience at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. He competed in the ARCA race there in June, but a bad spark plug wire early in the race left him two laps down in 13th place. He also got some drafting experience at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February running both the NGROTS and ARCA Menards Series races. Crash damage left him 23rd in the Truck Series race, while an oil leak left him in 16th in the ARCA race.

The Talladega 250 from Talladega Superspeedway will be run on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on FS1. The 94-lap race will be broken into three segments with stage-ending cautions on laps 20 and 40.

Gray on Talladega: “We’ve had really good runs the last two races and we need to keep working on our consistency. It’s bittersweet that we’re not in the playoffs since we would be in a pretty good situation right now. Eliminating the little mistakes I feel like I made early in the season, and at the end of the day all those little things add up into a big thing and I think that’s ultimately why we missed the playoffs.

“I’m looking forward to Talladega this weekend. The ARCA race and the Truck Series races at Daytona were a lot of fun. We got damage early in the truck race so that kind of put us behind. I got to run the ARCA car at Talladega earlier this year too. We had some problems there, so it wasn’t a lot of fun, but I’m really excited for Saturday. I think our Fords will be really good. I feel like we were pretty good at Daytona until we got that damage. I think it will kind of be a toss up and that would be a good place to sneak in a win since the playoff guys will probably be racing more conservatively.”

Ryan Newman – Talladega II Advance

By
Official Release
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Team: No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format: 500 miles, 188 laps, Stage Lengths: 60-60-68
YellaWood 500 – Sunday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Sweet Home Alabama, Talladega On Deck

· The final Superspeedway race of the 2020 season is on tap for this weekend, as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega for a Sunday afternoon event. It marks the second race in the Round of 12, with the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway next weekend as the cutoff race.
· The starting lineup will continue to be set by three competition-based metrics, rewarding both season-long and single-race performance. Sunday’s lineup will be announced later this week prior to the action-packed racing on Sunday.
· Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed before the schedule later picked back up in mid-May.

Newman Historically at Talladega

· Newman makes his 38th Cup start at Talladega on Sunday, where he has 15 top-10 finishes and seven top fives, with an average finish of 18.9.
· Newman was .007 seconds away from winning this race last fall, in the sixth-closest finish in NASCAR history. The runner-up result marked his second in the last three years, and fourth top-10 in the previous six races at the 2.66-mile Superspeedway.
· Dating back to the spring event from Alabama, Newman finished 24th after fuel mileage came into play late.
· Newman has one Xfinity Series start at Talladega, where he qualified on the pole and finished second in 2009.

Scott Graves Historically at Talladega

· In just eight Cup starts atop the box at Talladega, Graves has an impressive 11.6 average finish. Outside of the spring result of 24th with Newman, Graves has just one other run outside the top-15, with four top-10s and two top-five finishes.
· Graves led Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to a third-place run in the fall of 2013, and led Daniel Suarez to a 10th-place finish in 2018.
· Graves also called three Xfinity Series races at Talladega, all of which were top-10s. He led Buescher to a runner-up result in 2014 and followed that with a sixth-place finish a year later, before finishing seventh with Suarez in 2016.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Talladega:
“Any time we show up to Talladega and a Superspeedway race, we feel confident with the program Jimmy Fennig and his crew work hard on. We were as close as we could have been last fall in winning this race, and we have been strong on these tracks again this year. With a lot of scenarios playing out with the Playoffs, we have nothing to lose, and are looking forward to putting on the best show we can in the Guaranteed Rate Ford.”

Last Time Out
Newman worked his way well inside the top-10 late in Sunday’s race from Vegas after a series of late-race cautions, before being shuffled back on the final restart to finish 15th.

Where They Rank
Newman is 26th in driver points after 27 points races in his 2020 campaign. In owners’ points, the No. 6 is 25th.

On the Car
Guaranteed Rate returns to Newman’s Ford this weekend in Talladega, as part of the overall 12-race schedule for the brand to close out the 2020 slate.

Driven for a Cause
Throughout the month of October, Roush Fenway Racing will show its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by running special pink numbers on its Ford Mustangs. In addition, Roush Fenway Fords will sport pink ‘Driven for a Cause’ ribbon decals on its Ford Mustangs.

About Guaranteed Rate

Guaranteed Rate is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the Company has more than 5,000 employees in nearly 350 offices across the U.S., and is licensed in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Since its founding in 2000, Guaranteed Rate has helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances and funded more than $30 billion in loans in 2019 alone. The Company has cemented itself as Positively Different by introducing innovative technology, such as the world’s first Digital Mortgage, by offering low rates and by delivering unparalleled customer service. Honors and awards include: Top Lender for Online Service for 2018 by U.S. News & World Report; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide’s Top Retail Mortgage Lenders 2019; Top Lender 2016, 2017 and 2018 by Chicago Agent magazine; Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years; and Best Online Mortgage Lender, Best Mortgage Lender for VA loans and Best Conventional Mortgage Lender by NerdWallet in 2019. Visit rate.com for more information.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Ford Going For 7th Straight Talladega Cup Playoff Win This Weekend

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Official Release
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FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: TALLADEGA NOTES

An elimination race in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series kicks off this week’s playoff action at Talladega Superspeedway as the 10-driver field will be shortened by two after Saturday’s race, which will be followed by the second NASCAR XFINITY Series post-season event. The NASCAR Cup Series closes out the weekend with its second race in the Round of 12.

This Week’s Schedule:

Saturday, Oct. 3 – NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Series, 1 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, Oct. 3 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 4:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Sunday, Oct. 4 – NASCAR Cup Series, 2 p.m. ET (NBC)

FORD TALLADEGA PLAYOFF WIN STREAK AT 6

When it comes to the playoffs and Talladega Superspeedway the last few years, Ford has ruled over the competition. The Blue Oval comes into this weekend sporting a six-race post-season winning streak at the track, which began in 2014 when Brad Keselowski posted what was then his third career triumph at the 2.66-mile facility. Here’s a look at the last six Ford playoff winners at Talladega.

Year – Driver
2014 – Brad Keselowski
2015 – Joey Logano
2016 – Joey Logano
2017 – Brad Keselowski
2018 – Aric Almirola
2019 – Ryan Blaney

TEAM PENSKE ROLLING AT TALLADEGA

Team Penske drivers Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney have combined to win 8 of the last 12 NCS races at Talladega Superspeedway. Keselowski won the playoff race in 2017, making him the winningest active driver at the track with five, while Logano won the same event in back-to-back seasons (2015-16). Blaney has followed suit, winning each of the last two visits to Talladega, including his playoff triumph a year ago.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT TALLADEGA

· Ford has 30 all-time series wins at Talladega, including 9 of the last 10, and 10 of the last 12.
· Ford has won the last 6 Talladega playoff races.
· Ryan Blaney has won the last two Cup races at Talladega.

ROUND OF 12 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 advance after Charlotte)
1. Kevin Harvick +61
3. Brad Keselowski +16
5. Joey Logano +11
10. Clint Bowyer -20
11. Aric Almirola -27

BRISCOE ADVANCES TO NXS ROUND OF 8

Earlier this year, Ford Performance development driver Chase Briscoe said he would like to win eight races this season and last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway he achieved that goal. As a result, Briscoe has automatically clinched a spot in the Round of 8 and tied the all-time single-season Ford record for most wins. The only other time a Ford driver had eight victories in one year was 2011 by Carl Edwards.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT TALLADEGA

· Ford has 6 series wins at Talladega.
· The first Ford victory in the series was by Chad Little in 1995.
· Mark Martin, David Ragan, Aric Almirola and Joey Logano have NCS and NXS wins at Talladega with Ford.

ROUND OF 12 NXS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 advance after Charlotte)

1. Chase Briscoe (Clinched: Las Vegas Win)
2. Austin Cindric +53

FORD IN THE NASCAR GANDER RV & OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES AT LVMS

· Ford has 1 series win at Talladega.
· Ford’s only win came in 2006 when Mark Martin won the inaugural event.
· Grant Enfinger’s first NASCAR win came at Talladega in 2016.

ROUND OF 10 NGOTS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 advance after Talladega)

4. Grant Enfinger +31
6. Matt Crafton +15
9. Ben Rhodes -6
10. Todd Gilliland -19

Ford Talladega Highlights:

WINNING IN THE CLUTCH

Needing a win to advance in the Playoffs, Brad Keselowski did exactly that in winning the Geico 500 on Oct. 19, 2014. The win was Keselowski’s sixth of the year, most for any driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, and enabled him to move into the next round. Keselowski got a push from Penske teammate Joey Logano on the final green-white-checker restart and held off Matt Kenseth for the win.

ROUND OF 12 SWEEP

Joey Logano made history in 2015 when he came to Talladega Superspeedway and completed a three-race Round of 12 sweep by surviving a green-white-checker finish to win the CampingWorld.com 500. Logano became the first driver to sweep an entire round in only the second year of the format and won for the sixth time in 2015. In order to do it, he had to survive an aborted green-white-checker restart and then the official restart after it was determined by NASCAR that the original attempt had not gone green before an accident back in the pack occurred. The cars lined up again and shortly after Logano passed the start-finish line, a multi-car wrecked ensued that involved Kevin Harvick, who was having engine issues which brought the caution out and gave Logano the win.

BAKER PROVIDES MOORE SUCCESS

The first time Ford went to victory lane at Talladega Superspeedway was May 4, 1975 when Buddy Baker, driving for Hall of Fame car owner Bud Moore, held off David Pearson on the final lap. The win was Baker’s ninth career victory and came after he took the lead with 18 laps to go. One of the key decisions in getting Baker to the checkered flag first came when his team opted for two tires on its final pit stop of the day while Pearson and the Wood Brothers decided on gas only. Even though Pearson steadily gained ground on the final lap, Baker was able to hold on by half a car length to win. That started a streak which saw Baker and Moore win three straight Talladega races.

DAVEY ALLISON’S FIRST WIN

Ford has had many milestone moments at Talladega Superspeedway, including the first NASCAR Cup Series win for the late Davey Allison, who won the Winston 500 on May 3, 1987. The race came down to a restart with 10 laps to go in which Allison found himself behind Dale Earnhardt in the outside lane. Earnhardt bolted to the lead when the green flew and Allison tucked in right behind him through turns one and two. As they came off the second corner, Allison went to the inside and easily passed Earnhardt for what proved to be the winning pass. Terry Labonte ended up finishing second with Earnhardt third. Allison went on to win 19 NCS races, including three at Talladega.

ROBERT YATES RACING’S FINAL WIN

When Dale Jarrett won the UAW-Ford 500 on Oct. 2, 2005 it ended up being the final trip to victory lane for Robert Yates Racing. This race came down to a green-white-checker restart, where Jarrett was positioned fourth. He was still in that spot when they came around to start the final lap, but quickly moved to the outside as Tony Stewart grabbed the lead on the inside lane. The two drivers battled side-by-side down the backstretch before Jarrett powered his way in front. Seconds after getting the lead, Kyle Petty was involved in a single-car accident that brought out the caution as the cars entered turn three. Jarrett was declared the winner after NASCAR verified that he was in front at the time the yellow flag was thrown. The win was RYR’s 57th triumph in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and came six years after the team won its only championship with Jarrett in 1999.

DAVID RAGAN’S SURPRISE VICTORY

And then there was David Ragan, who became the 11th driver to win a NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway when he took the checkered flag in the 2013 Aaron’s 499. The win was his second series victory and first for Front Row Motorsports, and it ended in typical Talladega fashion. As the cars came to the white flag it was Carl Edwards in the lead while Ragan was fifth and tucked in the middle lane behind Aric Almirola. When Almirola moved to the high side, it enabled Ragan and teammate David Gilliland to work together and push their way forward. The duo was behind Edwards off turn two, but they made their move to the inside on the backstretch and made what proved to be the decisive pass.

FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT TALLADEGA
1975 – Buddy Baker (Sweep)
1976 – Buddy Baker (1)
1979 – Bobby Allison (1)
1983 – Dale Earnhardt (2)
1985 – Bill Elliott and Cale Yarborough
1987 – Davey Allison and Bill Elliott
1989 – Davey Allison and Terry Labonte
1992 – Davey Allison (1)
1994 – Jimmy Spencer (2)
1995 – Mark Martin (1)
1997 – Mark Martin (1)
1998 – Dale Jarrett (2)
2005 – Dale Jarrett (2)
2009 – Jamie McMurray (2)
2012 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2013 – David Ragan (1)
2014 – Brad Keselowski (2)
2015 – Joey Logano (2)
2016 – Brad Keselowski (1) and Joey Logano (2)
2017 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1) and Brad Keselowski (2)
2018 – Joey Logano (1) and Aric Almirola (2)
2019 – Ryan Blaney (2)
2020 – Ryan Blaney (1)

FORD’S NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT TALLADEGA
1995 – Chad Little
1997 – Mark Martin
2002 – Jason Keller
2009 – David Ragan
2015 – Joey Logano
2017 – Aric Almirola

FORD’S NASCAR GANDER RV & OUTDOORS WINNERS AT TALLADEGA
2006 – Mark Martin

NGROTS Advance: Todd Gilliland – Talladega Superspeedway

By
Official Release
-

‌Track: Talladega Superspeedway, 2.66-mile oval
Race: 19 of 23
Event: Talladega 250 (250.04 miles, 94 laps)

Schedule:
Saturday, Oct. 3
1:00 p.m…………..Race (FS1)
(all times ET)

Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Speedco Ford F-150

Saturday’s NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway will be the final race in the Round of 10 playoffs. After difficult races the past two weeks at Bristol and Las Vegas, Todd Gilliland finds himself 10th, 19 points below the cutline. Of course, anything can happen at Talladega and Gilliland is planning to go for the win there.

This will be Gilliland’s third start at Talladega in the NGROTS. He earned his best finish there last year when he crossed the line second after leading seven laps. He also won the ARCA Menards Series race there last year in April in a DGR-Crosley entry.

In 18 starts this season, Gilliland has four top-five, nine top-10 finishes and has led 92 laps in the No. 38 Ford F-150 for FRM. He is 10th in the Round of 10, 19 points below the cutoff which will be decided Saturday at Talladega.

Speedco, part of the Love’s family of companies, will be back on Gilliland’s No. 38 Ford F-150 at Talladega. Love’s provides professional truck drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, fresh coffee, restaurant offerings and more. Love’s has more than 380 truck service centers, which include on-site and stand-alone Speedco and Love’s Truck Care locations. Love’s and Speedco combined is the largest oil change, preventive maintenance and total truck care nationwide network. Love’s is committed to providing customers with “Clean Places, Friendly Faces” at every stop. To learn more, visit loves.com.

The Talladega 250 from Talladega Superspeedway will be run on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on FS1. The 94-lap race will be broken into three segments with stage-ending cautions on laps 20 and 40.

Quick Facts:
Number of Truck Series Starts at Talladega: 2
Best Start: 6th (2018 & 2019)
Best Finish: 2nd (2019)
2020 Driver Point Standings: 10th in the Round of 10 Playoffs (-19 from eighth place)

Gilliland on Talladega: “We may be down in the points, but we are not out. Anything can happen at Talladega. I finished second there last year in the truck race and won the ARCA race, so I have a lot of fun racing there. We really don’t have much to lose going for the win in the position we are in with the points, which is a great way to race. Our plan is to try to run up front the whole race to get as many stage points as possible and win everything we can.”

Memorable Weekend for Sheehan and Damon Racing at VIR Double-header

By
Official Release
-

Alton, VIRGINIA – September 29, 2020 – New Hampshire’s Tom Sheehan was honored at Virginia International Raceway on Saturday when he became the first driver in the history of Trans Am TA2 class racing to notch his 100th race start. The most experienced man on the grid then went on to finish in a highly creditable P7 in Sunday’s Heacock Gold Cup where 42 cars started in an all class mega race that proved hugely popular with fans and viewers.

A top-ten finish in the unique all classes race staged Sunday at VIR was Tom’s reward for another weekend of Ironman effort by the Damon Racing LTK Insulation Technologies team in what was a real feast of action for the fans following the excellent coverage both on the App and on the YouTube stream. After Saturday’s disappointment when a broken driveshaft forced Tom to retire, the popular pilot was pleased to bring the car home with the full 31 laps completed and with a best lap of 1:54:742.

“I’m sure it didn’t disappoint anyone who got to watch that one,” he said after climbing out of the No. 97 Insulation Technologies Ford Mustang. “It was a melee out there. It was close racing pretty much from the get go. Our car got hit in Turn 3 of the first lap, but we had a pretty good car and it was racy on the restarts. There was a lot of contact and they can take a look at all that stuff but it is what it is and it was fun, we had a good time.”

On the unique format of Sunday’s race he added, “The full class racing is always pretty exciting out there. We brought it home 8th and finally finished a race. The car held together well but didn’t have much left in it at the end.” Tom’s ironman spirit was in evidence when he added, “8th place is not our best day but it was a lot of fun and it lifts up the team to see the thing finish. We’ll throw it back on the trailer and take it from there.”

8th place was upgraded to 7th in the provisional results and keeps Tom in the top ten for the highly competitive Drivers Championship in the TA2 Class.The backend of Hurricane Beta landed on Virginia Thursday night and proceeded to make conditions very difficult indeed for practice early in the weekend, something Tom alluded to when commenting on Saturday’s disappointment, “It was a pretty good weekend but we didn’t get a lot of time on the track. The guys were pretty fired up. We got back up to seventh in the race and we were working our way forward when the driveshaft broke on the downshift.” In the circumstances, it was a fantastic effort by the crew to get the car ready for the grid at 11:00 a.m. the following day.

It was also a smart move by Trans Am presented by Pirelli to stage Rounds 5 and 6 on the same weekend, and John Clagett and his team are to be congratulated on getting the go ahead for the event in this most difficult of years. COTA on November 4 to 6 is the next scheduled event where Round 7 of the 2020 Championship will be contested. We look forward to it immensely.

For live timing and scoring, event photos and post-race recaps visit GoTransAm.com. For live race updates follow @GoTransAm on Twitter.

Keep up with Trans Am driver Tom Sheehan on social media – Facebook page is Damon Racing; Instagram is TomSheehanTA97 and Twitter give us a follow @TomTA2_97.

For more information on LTK Insulation Technologies please visit the website online at https://ltkinsulationtechnologies.com/.

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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Las Vegas

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 10th at Las Vegas.

“I’ve got a comfortable points lead,” Harvick said. “There’s a safe distance between me and the cut off line. And that’s exactly how I plan to race at Talladega—a ‘safe distance’ from the front.”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won Stage 1 at Las Vegas and went on to a third-place finish in the South Point 400.

“I’m now a co-owner with Michael Jordan of a car to be driven by Bubba Wallace,” Hamlin said. “It’s great to have M.J. involved in our sport. And I’m sure this isn’t the first time Michael’s ‘put money on’ NASCAR.”

3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski started 12th and finished 13th at Las Vegas.

“I battled handling issues all day,” Keselowski said. “The No. 2 Auto Trader Ford was just not responsive. And trust me, I was talking to it all day, with language unfit even for Kyle Busch’s radio.”

4. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 22nd in the South Point 400.

“Hendrick Motorsports was fined $100,000 for a wind tunnel violation,” Elliott said. “Apparently, we exceeded the amount of time you’re allowed in the wind tunnel. That’s pretty much the definition of ‘blowing’ $100,000.”

5. Kurt Busch: Busch secured his spot in the playoff Round of 8 with a win in his hometown of Las Vegas.

“There was a little luck involved,” Busch said. “I took the lead when a caution flew during green-flag pit stops. So, maybe I didn’t have the best car, but I had enough car. It’s a case of ‘Local boy makes good enough.'”

6. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished fourth at Las Vegas and is now sixth in the playoff points standings.

“We’ve got Talladega next on the schedule,” Truex said. “And who knows what might happen there? That’s always the question at Talladega, and as questions go, it’s a ‘big one.'”

7. Joey Logano: Logano finished 14th at Las Vegas, as an early tire issue set him back in the field.

“That ‘tire issue’ was caused by contact with Kyle Busch,” Logano said. “Trust me, if I could have no contact with Kyle Busch, I’d be thrilled.”

8. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished fifth at Las Vegas and now stands seventh in the standings.

“I’m one of the drivers who are hovering around the cut off line,” Bowman said. “It’s tough on one’s mental state. Plus, we’ve got Talladega to deal with. That means we may have to deal with wrecks, all while trying not to be a nervous wreck.”

9. Kyle Busch: Busch finished sixth in an up-and-down day at Las Vegas.

“I’ve now gone 30 races without a win,” Busch said. “So I know I’m due. And I’m counting on ‘when’ and ‘win’ intersecting at Talladega.”

10.Aric Almirola: Almirola finished 17th in the South Point 400.

“I’ll most likely need a win to advance,” Almirola said. “And Talladega will be a challenge, so I’ll need good aerodynamics and the good Lord on my side. So, I’m heading to Alabama’s superspeedway on a ‘wing and a prayer.'”

The Russian Grand Prix Review

By
SM
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It was a weekend in which Lewis Hamilton was pipped to surpass the record of legend Michael Schumacher at 91 wins in F1 history, but in his words, “they’re trying to stop me”. FIA teammate Valtteri Bottas went on to win the Russian Grand Prix with Max Verstappen taking second but was mainly overshone by the Hamilton controversy.

Due to their being a one-week break in the F1 season now, many racing punters are having to find alternative methods in which to make a profit from the comfort of their own home. At thebestcasinos.co.uk, they have been the main beneficiary of this due to being an online service and the quality of casino that they are offering. It’s no surprise to see this and even with the race season back underway in a couple of weeks, this trend isn’t due to slow down any time soon. 

Lewis started the race on pole but was already under investigation before the race had even started due to his two practice laps starting from outside his designated area. This entailed in him having to do his two 5-second penalties in the pit lane during the race in which angered the six-time world champion.

Due to his penalty record this season, if Hamilton received two or more penalty points before the Turkish Grand Prix in a couple of races time, he potentially might be in line for a race ban which would jeopardize his chances of bringing home his record-tying 7th title win. 

Bottas was impressive though never-the-less and made sure that he was the one profiting from the penalties given to Hamilton and ensured that his and Hamilton’s rival Verstappen wasn’t the one taking home the Russian Grand Prix title.

It wasn’t easy for the Finnish driver to enable him to get the win with it going down to the final lap in which he battled hard, drove strong, and defended very well against the future of the sport Max Verstappen. 

FORMULA 1 VTB RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2020 – RACE RESULT

POSNODRIVERPTS
177Valtteri Bottas26
233Max Verstappen18
344Lewis Hamilton15
411Sergio Perez12
53Daniel Ricciardo10
616Charles Leclerc8
731Esteban Ocon6
826Daniil Kvyat4
910Pierre Gasly2
1023Alexander Albon1
1199Antonio Giovinazzi0
1220Kevin Magnussen0
135Sebastian Vettel0
147Kimi Räikkönen0
154Lando Norris0
166Nicholas Latifi0
178Romain Grosjean0
1863George Russell0
NC55Carlos Sainz0
NC18Lance Stroll0
Note – Bottas scored an additional point for
setting the fastest lap of the race. Ricciardo and
Albon received 5-second time penalties for
rejoining the track incorrectly.

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