Todd Gilliland and the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Team
Talladega Superspeedway Competition Notes
Jack Link’s 500

Date: Sunday, April 27, 2025
Event: Race 11 of 38
Series: Talladega Superspeedway (2.66-miles)
#of Laps: 188
Time/TV/Radio: 3:00 PM ET on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Todd Gilliland Notes

Todd Gilliland heads to the Talladega Superspeedway this weekend after the NASCAR Cup Series Easter break. Gilliland will look to defend the No. 34’s 2024 Talladega pole dominance in Saturday’s qualifying session.

The 2.66-mile Talladega, Alabama track is one of Gilliland’s favorites on the Cup Series circuit, having earned three top-10 finishes in six Cup Series starts. Gilliland has one win at the track, capturing the checkered flag in 2019 in an ARCA Series event.

Gilliland and the No. 34 team will have Love’s Travel Stops and their truck care partner, Fleetguard, on the car this weekend. A global leading filtration brand within the Atmus Filtration Technologies portfolio, Fleetguard offers a full suite of filtration products for nearly all makes of vehicles and equipment across the truck, bus, agriculture, construction, mining, marine and power generation vehicle, and equipment markets.

Fleetguard heavy-duty filters give customers the ultimate protection for all their equipment. With availability in more than 45,000 independent aftermarket retail outlets globally, including approximately 5,800 locations in North America, Fleetguard products are available where customers need them and are backed by the competitive Fleetguard warranty.

“Talladega is a fun track, but it also provides its own set of challenges,” said Gilliland. “There is very little room for error, and if even the smallest of mistakes can take you out of the race. FRM has a good qualifying record here, so I expect to start up front. Hopefully, we can stay up there and bring home a trophy.”

Road Crew

Driver: Todd Gilliland
Hometown: Sherrills Ford, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Chris Lawson
Hometown: Medway, Ohio

Car Chief: Joe Marra
Hometown: Somers, New York

Engineer: Marc Rullo
Hometown: Ringwood, New Jersey

Engineer: Kevyn Rebolledo
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Spotter: Brit Andersen
Hometown: Branford, Connecticut

Underneath Mechanic: Michael Brookes
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Interior Mechanic: Chance Burke
Hometown: Siler City, North Carolina

Tire Specialist: Billy John
Hometown: Pitman, New Jersey

Engine Tuner: Tim Meyer
Hometown: Beatrice, Nebraska

Transporter Driver: Christian Boller
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Danny Olszowy
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky

Rear Tire Changer: Justin Fox
Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jordan Goodine
Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Jackman: Courtney Edmonds
Hometown: Burlington, North Carolina

Fueler: Zeke Nance
Hometown: Calhoun, Georgia

ABOUT LOVE’S TRAVEL STOPS

Love’s has been fueling customers’ journeys since 1964. Innovation and perseverance continue to lead the way for the family-owned and -operated business headquartered in Oklahoma City with more than 40,000 team members in North America and Europe. The company’s core business is travel stops and convenience stores with 640 locations in 42 states. Love’s continues its commitment to offer products and services that provide value for professional drivers, fleets, four-wheel customers, RVers, alternative fuel and wholesale fuel customers. Giving back to communities Love’s serves and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workplace are hallmarks of the company’s award-winning culture.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @teamfrm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Zane Smith and the No. 38 TitleMax Ford Team
Talladega Superspeedway Competition Notes

Jack Link’s 500
Date: Sunday, April 27, 2025
Event: Race 11 of 38
Series: Talladega Superspeedway (2.66-miles)
#of Laps: 188
Time/TV/Radio: 3:00 PM ET on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Zane Smith Notes

Zane Smith is back in action this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series makes its first trip of the 2025 season to the Talladega Superspeedway. Following the 500-lap event at the Bristol Motor Speedway two weeks ago, Smith sits 24th in the Cup Series Driver Championship points standings.

TitleMax returns this weekend in the brand’s third of four primary races with Smith and the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. TitleMax helps thousands of people get the funds they need with a title loan or personal loan. Offering competitive rates, while providing a superior level of customer service. For more information about TitleMax, please visit www.TitleMax.com.

“The off week was nice, but I’m ready to get back to racing,” said Smith. “Talladega provides a great opportunity to capture my first win in the Cup Series. FRM and the Ford’s always run well at the superspeedways, so I expect to qualify and compete upfront. Hopefully, we can stay out of the chaos and get the job done.”

Road Crew

Driver: Zane Smith
Hometown: Huntington Beach, California

Crew Chief: Ryan Bergenty
Hometown: Plainville, Connecticut

Car Chief: Will Norris
Hometown: Bells, Tennessee

Engineer: Jacob Clamme
Hometown: Hartford City, Indiana

Engineer: Chris Yerges
Hometown: Green Bay, Wisconsin

Mechanic: Steve Godfrey
Hometown: West Haven, Connecticut

Mechanic / Engine Tuner: Tyler Podlaski
Hometown: Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania

Spotter: Ryan Blanchard
Hometown: Bethlehem, Connecticut

Transport Co-Driver: Ernest Mullins
Hometown: Fayetteville, North Carolina

Transport Co-Driver: Rick Grissom
Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Flores
Hometown: Manasquan, New Jersey

Rear Tire Changer: Austin Chrismon
Hometown: China Grove, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Drew Baum
Hometown: Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Jackman: Ryan Selig
Hometown: Lindenhurst, Illinois

Fueler: Chris Webb
Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

ABOUT TITLEMAX

As part of the Community Choice Financial Family of Brands, TitleMax is one of the nation’s largest title lending companies. TitleMax helps thousands of people get the funds they need with a title loan or personal loan. Offering competitive rates, while providing a superior level of customer service.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

• In 22 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-five, two top-10 and seven top-15 finishes. Corey LaJoie earned a team-best fourth-place result in the Cup Series’ October 2023 visit to the 2.66-mile superspeedway. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s in the Cup Series for Justin Haley, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• The Jack Link’s 500 from Talladega Superspeedway will be televised live on FOX Sunday, April 27, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 10th of 36 points-paying races on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NASCAR Raceday will take the green flag on FS1 at 1:30 p.m. EDT and transition to FOX at 2 p.m.

Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

• Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
• Haley made his first start in NASCAR’s premier division for Spire Motorsports at Talladega Superspeedway on April 28, 2019 – his 20th birthday. Sunday will mark Haley’s 154th career NASCAR Cup Series start. Over the course of the last seven seasons, the 25-year-old racer has notched one win, five top fives, 17 top 10s and 103 laps led.
• Last time out at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, the Winamac, Ind., native qualified 10th and showed speed from the drop of the green flag, powering to the second position by Lap 45. Haley maintained top-five track position throughout the first two stages and managed his equipment the remainder of the afternoon to finish 13th.
• Founded in 2018, Gainbridge® is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone, no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Its platform provides access to financial products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge® is headquartered in Zionsville, Ind. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.io or follow and connect with us on X and LinkedIn.
• Haley has recorded 10 previous Cup Series starts at Talladega, owning a career-best sixth-place finish in October 2023. In total, he’s collected two top-10 finishes, paced the field for 13 circuits and has finished within the top 20 in all but three of his 10 appearances.
• In Xfinity Series competition, Haley claimed two victories at the 2.66-mile Alabama oval, including his first victory in the series in June 2020. He went on to sweep the series’ events at the track by taking the checkered flag later that October. In total, Haley has logged five Talladega starts including one pole, two top fives and five top 10s while recording an average starting position of 5.4 and a 4.6 average finish.
• Haley also visited Talladega victory lane in May 2017 with the ARCA Menards Series. He held off several competitors during a one-lap overtime shootout to claim his second victory in the series, and first on asphalt.
• Haley secured his first Cup Series win in the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, another superspeedway. He picked up both his and the team’s first win – an upset of practically unprecedented proportions – behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet.
• The veteran racer has collected four NASCAR Xfinity Series checkered flags and three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins, making him one of just 41 drivers in history to have earned victories across all three of NASCAR’s National Touring Series.
• In total, Haley has made 50 Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports, with the bulk of races coming during the 2021 season behind the wheel of the team’s No. 77 machine. In his second appearance amidst his return to Spire Motorsports at Talladega last October, Haley earned a seventh-place result, his first top 10 with the team since the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.

Justin Haley Quote
You’ve seen plenty of success at Talladega. What do you need to get the job done this weekend?
“We need to qualify fast, stay up front and hope for the best. But, you can’t be too far up front because you have to save fuel. It’s honestly more mind games than it’s ever been. There is a balance of frustration and challenges. Winning it would be rewarding because you did everything right. That’s the goal.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Rodney Childers

• Crew Chief Rodney Childers has called 36 races at Talladega Superspeedway. Childers-prepared cars have led 198 laps and earned four top-five and 12 top-10 finishes at the track.
• The Mooresville, N.C., native has called 684 NASCAR Cup Series races where he’s earned 34 pole awards, 40 wins, 178 top-five and 298 top-10 finishes. He also clinched 2014 championship honors with Harvick.
• Childers’ 40 wins at NASCAR’s premier level are second-most amongst all crew chiefs in the Cup Series garage.

Michael McDowell – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

• Michael McDowell will be behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 GUNK Chevrolet ZL1 for Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
• McDowell owns three top-five and four top-10 finishes at Talladega, highlighted by a pair of third-place results in May 2021 and October 2022.
• During the 2024 campaign, the 40-year-old earned two of his five pole awards on the season in the pair of Talladega events and led a combined 78 laps. Unfortunately, he was involved in late-race incidents in both races, removing him from contention.
• The No. 71 Chevrolet will host a bright orange-and-blue GUNK livery for this weekend’s contest at Talladega. The Engine Degreaser will serve as the primary partner with their tagline “We Like It Dirty” featured on the TV panel.
• GUNK products are the toughest cleaners and degreasers. For more than 60 years of American heritage, Gunk has taken on the grease and grime of the garage to earn the trust of trade professionals, weekend wrenchers, and auto enthusiasts alike. GUNK is dedicated to developing performance-driven products and innovative solutions that help customers take on the toughest cleaning challenges.
• The 2021 Daytona 500 Champion owns three top-five and eight top-10 finishes, including his victory in the 63rd edition of the “Great American Race,” at Daytona.
• McDowell has claimed two Xfinity Fastest Lap awards, clocking the fastest lap in the Daytona 500 and again last month at Phoenix Raceway. McDowell and A.J. Allmendinger stand as the only drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series to have secured multiple bonus points through the recently-unveiled program.
• The Arizona native secured Spire Motorsports’ first Busch Light Pole Award last month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His 28.833 second lap marks the fastest lap in the Gen 7 era (2022-present) at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.

Michael McDowell Quotes
What have you learned about the challenges of winning at a superspeedway in your last handful of starts?
“You only get one move and you’re only one bad block away. We were fast, and last year I could obviously see the checkered flag, but I didn’t get there. We have a lot of confidence going into Talladega. I’ve been in position to win those races, and I’ve finished second, third and fourth, but we have been close to seeing that that checkered flag. I enjoy the challenge of going there and putting yourself in position to fight for the win on the last lap. Hopefully we’ll have another opportunity to do it again. You always learn what you could have done differently, how you would approach that differently and whether you think you’re right or wrong. It doesn’t matter, we didn’t win. If you didn’t win, you didn’t do it right. You always go back and analyze how you would do it differently, how you could make better choices and what led to those choices. We feel confident going back there and look forward to having a shot at it.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

• As a race engineer at JR Motorsports, Travis Peterson helped Regan Smith to Talladega Victory Lane in the 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series event. Smith survived late-race carnage to preserve the lead in a three-wide finish, narrowly edging Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne.
• The West Bend, Wis., native earned his first Cup Series victory at the track in May 2015 as a race engineer at Hendrick Motorsports, working alongside crew chief Greg Ives and driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr., on the No. 88 team. After qualifying fourth, Earnhardt, Jr., led 67 laps en route to his antepenultimate Cup Series win.
• The 33-year-old helped McDowell to pole awards in both 2024 Talladega events.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

• Carson Hocevar will make his fourth NASCAR Cup Series start at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500. The Portage, Mich., native’s venue-best finish came last October in a 14th-place effort.
• Chili’s Grill & Bar is back on the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1 for their second of three consecutive appearances. Hocevar piloted the western-themed Ride The ‘Dente machine two weeks ago at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. After qualifying ninth for the 500-lap event, he picked up bonus points in the first two stages and was on track for a top-five finish before a slow pit stop late in the Final Stage put him a lap down to the leaders. The race concluded with a long green-flag run, resulting in an 11th-place finish for the No. 77 team.
• With nine Cup Series starts on drafting-style tracks, the 2024 Cup Series Rookie of the Year owns one top-five, one top-10 and six top-20 finishes.
• Hocevar owns three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Talladega with a best-finish of 11th earned in October 2023. In total, he has nine Truck Series starts on drafting-style tracks highlighted by two top-10 finishes at Daytona International Speedway in 2021 and 2023.
• Chili’s is a leader in the casual dining industry and the flagship brand of Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT). Chili’s is known for its big mouth burgers, Chicken Crispers®, full-on sizzling fajitas and hand-shaken margaritas. Chili’s takes its food seriously – but not themselves – because dining out should feel like a celebration even if there is nothing to celebrate. Chili’s passion is making everyone feel special, and every day, ChiliHeads make it their job to spread #ChilisLove across almost 1,600 restaurants in 27 countries and two territories. Chili’s hosts local Give Back Events to support kids, education and hunger and has raised more than $100 million benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through generous Guest donations. Find more information about Chili’s at chilis.com, follow on Twitter or Instagram, like them on Facebook or join Chili’s on TikTok.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
The last time the Cup Series visited a drafting track, you left Atlanta with a runner-up finish and a change of view on your approach to superspeedways. Explain what changed between the first race at Daytona and the second at Atlanta, and how that applies at Talladega.
“I’ve just never been a fan of superspeedways and drafting. That type of racing isn’t something I enjoyed, up until this year. Even at Daytona, my approach was stay out of trouble and hope to be there at the end when everyone else starts wrecking. That didn’t really work out for us and we ended up not finishing the race. Then at Atlanta, I decided I was just going to race as hard as I could and get as many points as I could. I don’t know if that will always work. These tracks are so different and Talladega is different from Daytona. It really just comes down to what the racing is like that day and how well your car is handling in the draft. I’d love to say we’re going to get stage points and battle for a win, and I hope that is the case. This type of racing is just so unpredictable and you never know what you’re going to get until you’re there.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

• Crew chief Luke Lambert has called 23 Cup Series races at Talladega resulting in four top-fives and eight top-10 finishes. In total, Lambert has led his drivers to 18 top-10 finishes on drafting-style tracks.
• In April 2023, the Mount Airy, N.C., native led Noah Gragson to a NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Talladega in April 2023. The result marked Lambert’s lone victory and third top 10 in three races atop the box at the 2.66-mile superspeedway in Xfinity Series competition.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on March 21, 2025, when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in the Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

In 2025, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team will also field the Nos. 07, 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and the No. 77 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series in select events.

Noah Gragson and the No. 4 Rural King Ford Team
Talladega Superspeedway Competition Notes
Jack Link’s 500

Date: Sunday, April 27, 2025
Event: Race 11 of 38
Series: Talladega Superspeedway (2.66-miles)
#of Laps: 188
Time/TV/Radio: 3:00 PM ET on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Noah Gragson Notes

After a short break in the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, Noah Gragson and the No. 4 team head to “Sweet Home Alabama” for 188 laps at the Talladega Superspeedway. The 2.66-mile Talladega, Alabama track is a favorite for Gragson, having earned his career best Cup Series finish (3rd) in the 2024 Fall event with Stewart-Haas Racing. Gragson has a storied history at the superspeedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In eight starts, Gragson has one win, three top-five, and six top-10 finishes.

Rural King, America’s Farm and Home Store, will return to Gragson’s No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. This marks the Mattoon, Illinois-based retailer’s second race with Front Row Motorsports, bringing its well-known commitment to rural values, hardworking communities, and American heritage to race fans across the country. Gragson will make an appearance at the Rural King in Jasper, Alabama on Saturday, April 26th from 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm CDT.

“As an organization, we’re upbeat heading into the superspeedways,” said Gragson. “The Fords have shown real strength there, and we’ve had solid speed, like we showed in Atlanta before getting caught up in that wreck. Coming off the break, the team’s recharged and ready to get after it this weekend.”

Road Crew

Driver: Noah Gragson
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Joey Forgette
Hometown: Iron Mountain, Michigan

Engineer: Dillon Silverman
Hometown: Chico, California

Engineer: Scott Bingham
Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Mechanic: Chris Trickett
Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Tony Infinger
Hometown: Fort Valley, Georgia

Tire Specialist: Chris Aunspaw
Hometown: Zelienople, Pennsylvania

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller
Hometown: Monroe, New York

Spotter: Nick Del Campo
Hometown: Blauvelt, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Nate “Cookie” Eller
Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy
Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher
Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Rear Tire Changer: Adam Riley
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Tire Carrier: Jarren Davis
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

Jackman: Nate McBride
Hometown: Vidalia, Georgia

Fueler: Ray Hernandez
Hometown: Orlando, Florida

ABOUT RURAL KING

Rural King, also known as RK Holdings, LLP, planted its roots as America’s Farm and Home Store in Mattoon, Illinois in 1960. Since that time, Rural King has grown to more than 140 stores in fourteen states. Specifically, we provide a broad range of essential goods, food, feed, seed and other farm and home necessities to the communities we serve throughout Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. We welcome and encourage everyone to enjoy our long-standing tradition of offering free popcorn and coffee every time you visit our stores.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @teamfrm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY PRE-RACE ADVANCE

RACE: Jack Link’s 500 | Race 10 of 36
DATE: April 27, 2025
TRACK: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Ala. | 2.66-mile Superspeedway

CLUB MINUTES

OFF WEEK: During the NASCAR Cup Series off week, the teams took some much-needed time to reset before a 28-week straight stretch of races. Erik Jones went home to Michigan and spent time with his family and friends. Teammate John Hunter Nemechek and his family stayed local and had some quality family time as well, which included celebrating his wife Taylor’s birthday.

NEVER SETTLE: Join ESPN’s Marty Smith and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s co-owner Jimmie Johnson for their weekly podcast, Never Settle. The podcast airs live on SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 at 2 p.m. ET every Wednesday and can be downloaded wherever fans source their podcasts. This week’s guest is Nick Weaver, entrepreneur and co-founder of Blue Delta Jeans.

LEGACY WINS AT ‘DEGA: CLUB Ambassador Richard Petty, “The King” has two wins at Talladega Superspeedway – both coming in 1974. CLUB co-owner Johnson won two times at Talladega, and the most thrilling was a four-by-four wide finish in the 2011 Aaron’s 499. In a race that featured 88 lead changes, Johnson won on the last lap by .002 over Clint Bowyer while being pushed by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. This finish is still tied for the second-closest finish in NASCAR history.

DALE INMAN, HALL OF FAME: Infamous eight-time championship-winning crew chief Dale Inman, will be inducted into the 61st annual North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, NC. This year the Hall will induct University of North Carolina and Dallas Cowboy great Greg Ellis, athletic administrator Nora Lynn Finch, North Carolina State track and cross-country coach Rollie Geiger, legendary high school football coach David Gentry, NASCAR crew chief Inman, Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones, basketball star Wendy Palmer, college football legend Jimmy Raye and the founder of the Durham Bulls Miles Wolff. Posthumously, the Hall will induct NASCAR driver Bobby Isaac and Clemson University/ NFL great Chester McGlockton. The 2025 class will bring the total number of those enshrined in the Hall to 422.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 JACK LINK’S TOYOTA CAMRY XSE

WELCOME JACK LINK’S: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB recently announced that Jack Link’s®, the global leader in meat snacks and vendor partner of Dollar Tree will serve as the primary partner on John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 42 Jack Link’s Toyota Camry XSE for the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 27.

NEMECHEK AT DEGA: During his rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020, John Hunter Nemechek showed a knack for the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway, scoring a pair of eighth-place finishes in both races. Nemechek has four NCS starts at the 2.66-mile superspeedway with an average finish of 20th. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Nemechek has made four starts, qualifying inside the top 15 each time and earning two top 10 finishes. In the NASCAR Truck Series, he has seven starts, claimed one pole position, led 31 laps, and notched one top five and two top 10 finishes. During the 2024 Spring event at Talladega, Nemechek led 20 laps in his Toyota Camry XSE but got caught up in an accident, finishing 33rd. This season during the two speedway races, he kicked things off with a career-high fifth-place result in the DAYTONA 500 and followed that up with a 10th place finish in Atlanta.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY T-MACK: During the off week, the crew chief of the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entry, Travis Mack, celebrated his 42nd birthday. Happy Birthday, T-Mack!

T-MACK AT DEGA: Mack has made nine Cup Series starts as a crew chief, earning three top-10 finishes, including a best result of eighth place with Daniel Suárez in 2022. In the Xfinity Series, he has three starts as a crew chief, highlighted by a pole position with Michael Annett in 2019 while at JR Motorsports.

QUOTING JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK:
“I’m really looking forward to getting back on a superspeedway this weekend at Talladega. We’ve had a strong start to the season with back-to-back top-10 finishes, and we’ve got a pretty cool Jack Link’s scheme on the car. It’d be fitting to get my first Cup win in the Jack Link’s 500.”

QUOTING TRAVIS MACK:
“It’s important to LEGACY MC to unload in Talladega and outqualify our positions from the Daytona 500. Our cars performed well in the race, but we lacked some speed in qualifying. To improve means we improved our car’s speed in just a couple of months’ time. I am always excited about our chances of going to a superspeedway race with John Hunter. He is a smart SS racer and will definitely be in contention at the end of the race.”

ERIK JONES
NO. 43 TRISTATE VACUUM & RENTAL TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
WELCOME TRISTATE VACUUM & RENTAL: The No. 43 will dawn the red, grey, and white colors of TriState Vacuum & Rental, a subsidiary company of partner Massey Motor Freight.

JONES AT DEGA: Throughout his career, Jones has had 16 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway, earning three top five and eight top 10 finishes. He’s been especially consistent recently, finishing in the top 10 in seven of his last 10 races while leading a total of 75 laps. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Jones has three starts at Talladega, never qualifying outside the top 10 and securing a top five finish in 2017, where he led five laps. In the Truck Series, the 2015 champion made two starts, boasting an average starting position of 4.5 and an average finish of 5.0, and has led seven laps and recorded one top five and one top 10 finish.

BESHORE AT DEGA: Ben Beshore has called the shots as crew chief at Talladega Superspeedway six times. Of those six starts in the top Series, he has one top five, which was a third place finish in 2022 with Kyle Busch behind the wheel at Joe Gibbs Racing. In addition, he has four NXS starts with a best finish of 26th to his record.

RIDE ALONG: This weekend, fans can go onboard the No. 43 TriState Vacuum & Rental Toyota Camry driven by Jones as he carries cameras sponsored by Toyota, giving the fan multiple viewpoints as the 28-year-old driver takes to the high banks of Talladega.

QUOTING ERIK JONES:
“I always look forward to getting to Talladega, for me it’s somewhere I have been really close to winning a handful of races, but I just haven’t been able to close the deal. I am looking forward to getting back there again, representing TriState Vacuum & Rental, hopefully running up front and having an opportunity to win. I felt like our Daytona week was really good and I feel like LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s speedway cars are good, and we have done some things to even improve since then. So, looking forward to just to seeing what our speed is like and having an opportunity to go there and run well with a shot to win.”

QUOTING BEN BESHORE:
“Qualifying isn’t a huge deal at Talladega — it’s really more about making sure the car drives well and races strong. If we have to give up a little in qualifying to gain that in the race, it’s worth it. We’re focused on drivability and the ability to move through the pack and change lanes in the big pack. We’ve been making some incremental changes to help improve our performance [at Talladega].”

CLUB APPEARANCES
NASCAR KIDS CLUB HANGOUT: On Saturday at 11:30 a.m. local time, Nemechek will visit the NASCAR Kids Club and have a question-and-answer session with NFL Star and NASCAR Growth & Engagement Advisor, Alvin Kamara.

TALLADEGA GARAGE EXPERIENCE: On race day morning at 10:15 a.m., Nemechek will stop by the Talladega Garage Experience Stage located in the infield for a Q&A session.

TUNE IN:
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action this week at Talladega Superspeedway with the Jack Link’s 500 on Sunday, April 27. The race broadcast will take place on FOX, MAX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) at 3:00 p.m. ET.

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: (LEGACY MC) is a premier auto racing organization co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.

TALLADEGA 1

Saturday, April 26 — NASCAR Xfinity Series, 4 p.m. ET (CW)
Sunday, April 27 — NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. ET (FOX)

The NASCAR Cup Series embarks on 28 consecutive weekends of racing to close out the 2025 season as Talladega Superspeedway hosts the Jack Link’s 500 on Sunday afternoon. Ford has 32 all-time Cup wins at the Alabama facility and has won at least one race in 11 of the last 13 years.

TALLADEGA GOOD FOR FORD AND BLANEY

Ford’s Ryan Blaney has won three times at Talladega Superspeedway, which is a personal best and one of three tracks where he has registered multiple victories. Martinsville and Pocono are the others with two each. Blaney’s streak started with consecutive triumphs, winning the playoff race in 2019 and then the following event in the spring of 2020. He capped off the streak in 2023 with a dramatic photo finish victory over fellow Ford driver, Kevin Harvick. Ford dominated the event, leading 121-of-188 laps after sweeping the top three spots in qualifying and eight of the top 11 positions. The win marked Ford’s 12th win at the superspeedway in the last 19 races, which included a seven-race winning streak from 2015-18.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Ford and Team Penske have won 10 of the last 21 NCS races at Talladega Superspeedway. Brad Keselowski started this run by winning in 2014 and registered four victories at the track before joining Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in 2022. Joey Logano won in back-to-back seasons (2015-16) while Ryan Blaney followed suit, winning three times in the last five years at Talladega.

TEAM PENSKE WINS AT TALLADEGA SINCE 2014

2014 – Brad Keselowski (Talladega 2)

2015 – Joey Logano (Talladega 2)

2016 – Brad Keselowski (Talladega 1)

2016 – Joey Logano (Talladega 2)

2017 – Brad Keselowski (Talladega 2)

2018 – Joey Logano (Talladega 1)

2019 – Ryan Blaney (Talladega 2)

2020 – Ryan Blaney (Talladega 1)

2021 – Brad Keselowski (Talladega 1)

2023 – Ryan Blaney (Talladega 2)

KESELOWSKI

ACTIVE TALLADEGA WIN LEADER

Brad Keselowski is the winningest active driver at Talladega with six NASCAR Cup Series victories and is tied for second on the all-time list with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. The track’s all-time winner is Dale Earnhardt Sr., who won 10 times during his NASCAR Hall of Fame career.

MARTIN LEFT HIS MARK

Mark Martin is the only Ford driver to have won in all three of the major series offered by NASCAR at Talladega. Martin won the Cup series race in 1995 and 1997, Xfinity in 1996 and lastly in the Truck series’ debut 2006 event. Current blue-oval branded drivers Joey Logano (2015 Xfinity) and Aric Almirola (2017 Xfinity) have won in both the Cup and Xfinity series, most recently sharing a sweep of the 2018 Cup double-header. David Ragan is also a part of the list, having won a Cup race in 2013 and an Xfinity event in 2009.

JOEY LOGANO: “Talladega is kind of a beast of its own. It’s really about the draft. The track is pretty wide, so it’s quite a bit different than Daytona and handling isn’t as big of a factor, at least through the corners. What ends up happening is the pushes and shoves, the draft itself becomes more aggressive so definitely a unique one, but Talladega, people show up there, too. Everyone knows it as the party track, but I will never see that. I just race there.”

RYAN PREECE: “With how fast the Fords are on superspeedways and with all the preparation that we all put in, to me, it’s just another opportunity to really listen to Brad and his point of view of how we should be preparing and working together and doing all those things to execute so an RFK car can win that. Ford would love it if a Ford won, but we’re selfish. We want it to be one of our team guys, so I think that, for me, is something that’s just as exciting as how fast our cars are.”

ZANE SMITH: “I’m always excited for the superspeedways with the speed that Front Row brings and the power the Fords bring. I personally think the Fords work really well together. I think we’re able to push a little better than others and I think that’s a big reason for the success that the Fords have had on the superspeedways, so just being around at the end and sticking together will be the key. FRM has always had two cars, so now we have three and I feel like you’re on par with the Penske cars, which they obviously really work well together, and Brad and the whole RFK group always work well together. Hopefully, we can add our names to that list.”

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 Cup Series, and came six years after the team won its only championship with Jarrett in 1999.

BURTON COMING OFF SEASON BEST RUN

Harrison Burton, driving in his first season with AM Racing, successfully maneuvered his way through a pair of late-race multi-car accidents to post his best finish of the year in Saturday’s race at Rockingham Speedway. Burton’s third-place finish marked his fourth top-10 run of the year and kept him 12th in the series point standings. For AM Racing, it represented the organization’s second all-time top-five run and doubled the number of top-10 finishes from a year ago. This weekend will be the fifth time Burton has run a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. His best result came in 2021 when he finished 10th in the spring race.

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 – Dave 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 and Joey Logano

2017 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Brad Keselowski

2018 – Joey Logano and Aric Almirola

2019 – Ryan Blaney (2)

2020 – Ryan Blaney (1)

2021 – Brad Keselowski (1)

2023 – Ryan Blaney (2)

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