Talladega Superspeedway
Sunday, Oct. 19
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: 33 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Week: 2nd (Las Vegas)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 2nd

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet

2025	Cup Career	Talladega
Races	33	399	21
Wins	3	32	0
Poles	1	22	0
Top 5	13	132	3
Top 10	20	202	5
Laps Led	1,100	10,356	58
Stage Wins	10	72	1
Average Finish	13.4	14.0	21.0

• Kyle Larson will make his 400th NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
• The No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM team enters this week’s event with a 35-point advantage on the Round of 8 cutline.
• Larson leads all drivers with 1,100 laps led in 2025. It’s his third straight season leading over 1,000 laps and his fourth in five seasons with Hendrick Motorsports.
• The Elk Grove, California, native leads all playoff drivers with the best average finish on superspeedways this year at 9.6. He’s finished 100% of the laps at such tracks.
• Earlier this year at Talladega, the 33-year-old won stage one, finished second in stage two and finished second in the race. With that effort, Larson scored 54 points, the most of any driver.
• Among playoff drivers, Larson has earned the most points in five events at drafting tracks in 2025 (177).

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 29 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last week: 18th (Las Vegas)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 6th

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet

2025	Cup Career	Talladega
Races	33	355	19
Wins	2	21	2
Poles	0	12	2
Top 5	10	114	6
Top 10	17	188	9
Laps Led	424	5,950	216
Stage Wins	1	39	3
Average Finish	12.2	12.8	14.1

• With two races left in the Round of 8, Chase Elliott is sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings, 23 markers below the cutline.
• Elliott’s 30 lead-lap finishes this season are tied with Jeff Gordon in 2014 for the most by a Hendrick Motorsports driver through 33 races.
• In the spring race at Talladega Superspeedway, the 29-year-old finished fifth. His 39 points earned were third most among remaining playoff drivers.
• Elliott is a two-time Talladega winner and finished in the top 15 in six of his last seven races there.
• Only two of the last nine races at Talladega were won by a current playoff driver with Elliott being one of them (October 2022).
• Elliott’s average finish of 14.05 at Talladega ranks second best among active drivers with at least four starts.
• The 2020 Cup Series champion finished in the top 10 in the last three drafting track races including a win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in June. It’s the longest active streak in the series.
• Elliott’s 173 points earned on drafting tracks this season ranks second.
• In the Next Gen era, Elliott has the second-most wins on drafting tracks (three).

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 27 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Week: 36th (Las Vegas)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 5th

No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet

2025	Cup Career	Talladega
Races	33	285	15
Wins	2	15	0
Poles	2	15	0
Top 5	10	64	5
Top 10	15	119	7
Laps Led	970	3,948	119
Stage Wins	8	31	2
Average Finish	14.1	15.1	13.7

• After the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8, William Byron is fifth in the playoff standings, 15 points below the cutline.
• At the two remaining tracks in the Round of 8, Byron has a best finish of second at Talladega Superspeedway (twice) and two wins at Martinsville Speedway.
• In 2025, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has run the most laps in the top five (3,459) and in the top 10 (5,071) plus has the best average running position (10.73). He has earned 150 points on drafting tracks, third most by a playoff driver and fourth most overall.
• Byron has five drafting track wins with four coming in the Next Gen era (most of any driver). He accomplished this feat in only 35 starts, sixth fewest all time. His five drafting victories are also tied for the second most by a Hendrick Motorsports driver with Jimmie Johnson, behind only vice chairman and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Jeff Gordon (12).
• At Talladega in the spring race, Byron earned the second-most points (43) among remaining playoff drivers. Currently he has five consecutive finishes of seventh or better at Talladega, including consecutive third-place finishes in his last two starts.
• In 15 events at the Alabama track, Byron has five top-five finishes and seven top 10s with two runner-up results.

48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 32 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Last Week: 7th (Las Vegas)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 13th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet

2025	Cup Career	Talladega
Races	33	358	19
Wins	0	8	0
Poles	2	7	0
Top 5	6	46	2
Top 10	16	112	6
Laps Led	165	1,533	68
Stage Wins	0	7	0
Average Finish	16.9	19.1	21.6

• Alex Bowman’s 16 top-10 finishes in 2025 are tied for his most through 33 races in a NASCAR Cup Series season.
• The Tucson, Arizona, native has scored seven top-10 finishes in the last 13 races on drafting tracks.
• Bowman owns two top-five and six top-10 finishes in 19 career starts at Talladega Superspeedway, with a best showing of second in April 2019.
• Ally and Bowman have raised over $725,000 with Best Friends Animal Society since 2021, with weekly donations to local shelters. This week’s goes to the Crossing Paths Animal Rescue in Cleveland, Alabama.

Hendrick Motorsports
 

2025	All-Time	Talladega
Races	33	1,414	83
Wins	7	319*	14*
Poles	5	258*	13*
Top 5	39	1,318*	70*
Top 10	68*	2,255*	107*
Laps Led	2,659*	84,971*	3,105*
Stage Wins	19*	134	6

*Most all time
**Tied for most all time

• Hendrick Motorsports engines have won 23 poles (seven in the NASCAR Cup Series, 16 in the Xfinity Series) and 27 races (seven in Cup, 19 in Xfinity and one in the preseason Clash) in 2025.
• Hendrick Motorsports has led 2,659 laps through 33 events this year, accounting for 31% of all circuits completed in the Cup Series and 399 more than any other team. It’s the second time in the last 11 years Hendrick Motorsports has eclipsed the 2,500-laps-led mark through 33 races.
• With 19, the organization leads the series in stage wins. That total is the team’s second most through a season’s first 33 races.
• Hendrick Motorsports has had at least one driver finish in the top 10 in 32 of 33 races in 2025.
• With 106, the organization has registered more lead-lap finishes this season than in any year through the first 33 races.
• Hendrick Motorsports is the all-time leader in wins (14), poles (13), top fives (70), top 10s (107) and laps led (3,105) at Talladega Superspeedway.

 QUOTABLE /
 
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on returning to Talladega Superspeedway: “Hopefully we can go to Talladega and do what we’ve done on superspeedways for a while now by scoring stage points and get good finishes by getting to the checkered flag like we have been doing this year. We’ll just try to execute again; have a good points day at Talladega and be in a good position heading into Martinsville (Speedway).”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on Talladega Superspeedway: “I don’t see anyone being a standout. Everybody’s just really close and whoever gets themselves in a good spot and positions themselves well and has some good fortune, you know, is going to have a good day.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on Talladega Superspeedway: “Obviously last weekend didn’t end the way we hoped. We were going to be in a good position for the rest of this round and that shows how quickly things can change. Talladega is where anything and everything can happen and change quickly. We would like to collect stage points but also strategy will be big when it comes to fuel. Plus, you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where your race could end early all because you pushed too hard for stage points. It’s going to be a very fine balance and all we can do is execute and see where the chips fall at the end.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on going to Talladega Superspeedway: “Talladega is unpredictable and all about survival. A lot of it is mental as well. You have to be mentally sharp throughout the whole race and especially towards the end when it gets hectic. We had a decent finish last weekend at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) and hopefully we can keep that momentum going.”

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

Date: Sunday, October 19, 2025
Event: Race 36 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Talladega Superspeedway (2.66-miles)
#of Laps: 188
Time/TV/Radio: 2:00 PM ET on NBC/MRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Todd Gilliland Notes

Todd Gilliland is back in “Sweet Home Alabama” this weekend for the NASCAR Cup Series’ second visit to the Talladega Superspeedway this season. 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 seven Cup Series starts. In this year’s Spring race, Gilliland started 15th and finished 16th. He has one win at the track, capturing the checkered flag in 2019 in an ARCA Series event.

Love’s Travel Stops joins Gilliland and the No. 34 team this weekend. Fans are encouraged to download the Love’s Connect App to unlock exclusive benefits and savings. Users can save 10¢ per gallon on gas and up to 25¢ per gallon on auto diesel, along with access to great mobile-only deals. Fans can download the app from Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Gilliland and the No. 34 team will also have PEAK Performance on their Ford Mustang Dark Horse to promote PEAK’s exclusive line of PEAK products available at over 600 Love’s Travel Stops across the country. PEAK is a leader in automotive and heavy-duty products ranging from PEAK Global Antifreeze, Final Charge, PEAK Windshield Wash, and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid. All products can be found at Love’s Travel Stops.

“I have always enjoyed Talladega, but it provides its own set of challenges,” said Gilliland. “Even the smallest error can cause race ending mistakes, so you have to execute perfectly to bring home a good finish. Front Row’s qualifying record is strong there and I have good drafting partners with Noah (Gragson) and Zane (Smith), so I expect us to have a solid weekend.”

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: Kyle Moon

Hometown: Troy, New York

Tire Specialist: Billy John

Hometown: Pitman, New Jersey

Engine Tuner: Tim Meyer

Hometown: Beatrice, Nebraska

Transporter Driver: Randy Bernier

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: Paul Steele

Hometown: Wichita, Kansas

Jackman: Landon Honeycutt

Hometown: Mount Pleasant, 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.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Talladega Superspeedway
October 17-19, 2025

Now officially aligned in the Round of Eight, all three NASCAR national touring series will head to Alabama to take on arguably the biggest wild card stop of the playoffs – Talladega Superspeedway.

Fresh on the heels of a strong points day, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson will carry that momentum with him as he seeks his first career superspeedway victory and an early berth into the Cup Series Championship Four. In the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series, the playoff rankings see a strong contingency of three Team Chevy drivers above the cutline in each division heading into the penultimate race of the round.

 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega:

One year ago, Chevrolet conquered the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway with a tripleheader weekend sweep. Among those triumphs included a playoff upset by Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who drove Chevrolet to its 45th all-time win in NASCAR’s top division at the track. The victory added onto Chevrolet’s already stellar showing in the Next Gen era at the Alabama venue – leading its competitors with wins in four of the seven races since the car’s competition debut. Earlier this season, the manufacturer fell just one spot short of a trip to victory lane but proved to be a force to be reckoned with as nine drivers from five different Chevrolet organizations earned top-12 results, including a pair of podium finishes by playoff contenders Kyle Larson and William Byron.

LARSON CONTINUES TO ADD TO THE POINTS BANK

Kyle Larson made one of the biggest climbs up the NASCAR Cup Series playoff rankings – leaving Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the top provisional points position with a 35-point advantage over the cutline. The 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native turned in a 54-point race to open the Round of Eight – matching race winner, Denny Hamlin, to lead the series. His runner-up finish extended an already stellar performance during the midway point of the postseason with the 2021 champion heading to Talladega Superspeedway with a streak of four-straight top-seven finishes. While luck hasn’t been on his side on superspeedway’s throughout his Cup Series career, Larson has found his footing on the configuration this season. He has earned top-six results in three of the five races on drafting-style tracks, including a runner-up finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April. The finish marked back-to-back top-five finishes at the Alabama venue, with the No. 5 team also tallying a fourth-place result at the track one year ago.

 
BYRON, ELLIOTT LOOK TO TAP INTO SUPERSPEEDWAY SUCCESS

While a disappointing trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway put William Byron and Chase Elliott in an unfavorable position below the cutline, the Hendrick Motorsports duo will look to tap into their superspeedway success this weekend. This season alone, each driver has earned a victory on a drafting-style track including Byron’s DAYTONA 500 victory and Elliott’s first win of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Elliott’s Alabama accolades include two trips to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division, including the track’s fall event in 2022 that led him to a berth into the Round of Eight. While still seeking his first Talladega triumph, Byron has yet to finish outside of the top-15 in seven races during the Next Gen era at track. The regular season champion currently sits on a streak of five-straight top-seven results at the Alabama venue, including back-to-back podium appearances in the past two races.

 
TEAM CHEVY TRIO BOOSTS DOUBLE-DIGIT POINTS CUSHION

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, three Team Chevy playoff drivers cashed in on a strong points result to find themselves sitting above the playoff cutline with a double-digit cushion heading into the Talladega race weekend. The JR Motorsports pairing of Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier rounded out the podium in Las Vegas to not only maintain their one-two playoff positions, but further build onto their points lead to now 82-points (Zilisch) and 44-points (Allgaier) above the cutline. Making the biggest move up the rankings was Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love, who turned a two-point deficit to a 20-point advantage over the bubble heading to the track that delivered his first career Xfinity Series win.

Love Tallies Impressive Talladega Stats:

While most drivers look at superspeedways as a wild card, Jesse Love sees this weekend as the perfect opportunity to solidify his first career Championship Four appearance. The 20-year-old Menlo Park, California, native is a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series winner, with his first coming at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2024. Love’s Talladega resume sees a front-row qualifying effort and results no worse than sixth in each of his three starts at the track. In the spring, the Richard Childress Racing driver secured the pole position en route to top-two finishes in each stage, 50 laps led and a third-place finish.

Love has proven to be well-versed in the art of superspeedway racing throughout his short NASCAR career. In five races on drafting-style tracks this season, the Team Chevy driver has earned a victory (Daytona – Feb.), two poles and four top-six finishes. Destined to be a frontrunner in Saturday’s race, an early Championship Four berth is very much in reach.

 
ENFINGER EYES CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR POTENTIAL

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoff rankings are closer than ever with just a single-digit points margin separating the seven title contenders vying for the three remaining Championship Four spots. Heading into the Talladega race weekend, the Bowtie brigade occupies each of those three positions with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum in second and Daniel Hemric in third, as well as Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth who sits in the fourth and final provisional points position.

While he might be sitting on the outside looking in, CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger is no stranger to playoff pressure and a trip to his home track of Talladega Superspeedway might just be what he needs to punch his ticket into the title-deciding race. The 40-year-old Fairhope, Alabama, native is a two-time Truck Series winner at Talladega, with his most recent coming one year ago that led him to his third career Championship Four appearance. This season, the Truck Series has only participated in two drafting-style races – both of which ended in top-10 results for Enfinger and the No. 9 team.

 
PINK CORVETTE STINGRAY PACE CAR TO HIGHLIGHT 2025 ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER’ CAMPAIGN

This season, Chevrolet celebrates 15 years of supporting the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative with the return of a specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray that will serve as the official pace vehicle for two NASCAR Cup Series races this month, including this weekend in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Once again helping drive donations for the initiative, every caution lap the pink Corvette Stingray completes in Sunday’s race will generate a donation of $500 (up to $25,000). A special addition has been added to this year’s campaign with Chevrolet also pledging to donate an additional $1,500 (up to $25,000) for each Team Chevy driver that earns a top-10 finish in the two participating events.

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 33 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 14

Poles: 11

Laps Led: 3,573

Top-Fives: 61

Top-10s: 135

Stage Wins: 25

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:

Wins: 24

Poles: 19

Laps Led: 3,585

Top-Fives: 101

Top-10s: 196

Stage Wins: 45

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 22 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:

Wins: 6

Poles: 2

Laps Led: 939

Top-Fives: 46

Top-10s: 102

Stage Wins: 7

 
BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the tripleheader weekend at Talladega Superspeedway:

NASCAR Cup Series: Specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray in support of the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Silverado RST
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Silverado RST

· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway:

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – two wins (2017 & 2024)
Kyle Busch – two wins (2023 & 2008)
Chase Elliott – two wins (2022 & 2019)
Ross Chastain – one win (2022)

· In 112 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet has recorded 45 victories – four of which have come during the Next Gen era to lead its manufacturer competitors.

· Chevrolet holds a winning percentage of 68.4 percent in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway with 26 wins in 38 races. The manufacturer enters the weekend with 12-straight NXS wins at the Alabama venue – a streak that dates back to the April 2018 event.

· Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 14 of the 33 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

· In 141 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 66 victories – a winning percentage of 46.8%.

· With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 880 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

FOR THE FANS:

· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Talladega Superspeedway, which features a variety of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2026 Tahoe Z7, 2026 Silverado 1500 ZR2, Trax Activ, Traverse RS, Silverado 2500 HD, Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Corvette Z06 and a Chase Elliott No. 9 Show Car.

· Fans will also have access to a special showing of the Eagle Lunar Terrain Vehicle.

GM brings three areas of expertise to the Lunar Dawn team: electrification, autonomous vehicle technology and chassis development.
GM’s expertise in electric vehicle technology will leverage EV performance, quality and durability synergies from its experience back on Earth to applications on the Moon.
GM’s ongoing work on autonomous vehicles technology is being applied to the rover and to its unique environment.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

Friday, October 17

Rajah Caruth: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Daniel Hemric & Connor Mosack: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Grant Enfinger: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Corey LaJoie: 10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Andres Perez, Bayley Currey & Matt Mills: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Saturday, October 18

Carson Kvapil: 9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Sammy Smith & Connor Zilisch: 9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Jeb Burton: 9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Justin Allgaier: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Nick Sanchez: 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 19

Shane van Gisbergen: 9:20 a.m. – 9:35 a.m.

Justin Haley: 9:35 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.

Kyle Larson: 9:50 a.m. – 10:05 a.m.

Chase Elliott: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

William Byron: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

Friday, October 17: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 18: 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, October 19: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

 
TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series

Playoffs Round of Eight: Race Two

YellaWood 500

Sunday, October 19, at 2 p.m. ET

(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Playoffs Round of Eight: Race Two

United Rentals 250

Saturday, October 18, at 4 p.m. ET

(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Playoffs Round of Eight: Race Two

Love’s RV Stop 225

Friday, October 17, 4 p.m. ET

(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

How do you approach Talladega?

“Talladega is such a wild-card. You truly have no idea how it’s going to go for you. You can be the fastest car but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll win. You need to be a little bit lucky to avoid the accidents so you can even have a shot at winning at the end. There really hasn’t been a pattern for me at this track. I’ve won it from a last lap pass to ending up wrecked making a high-risk move for position, you just truly don’t know what is going to happen. That’s why the fans like it so much, you just never know who is going to win.”

Your car has a little bit different look this weekend.

“I hope I’m going so fast that it’s hard to see me with the Busch Light Hunting scheme. Busch Light does a great job with their specialty schemes, and I can’t think of a better track to run a Hunting scheme than Talladega. I had fun shooting content in the woods for it. “

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

What’s Talladega Superspeedway like compared to Daytona International Speedway?

“Talladega Superspeedway is a big speedway, a fast place, with a lot of space. You get four wide, five wide, and you’ve got to be really on point with your spotter. You’ve got to give you good, clear communication during the race. It does race a lot differently than Daytona International Speedway because of how wide the track is. Daytona’s a little rougher, but as the years have gone on, Talladega has started to develop a couple of places that can be trouble spots on the track.”

Do you look at Talladega Superspeedway as an opportunity or challenge?

“Talladega Superspeedway is an opportunity for the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet team. Speedway racing can be tough sometimes and you can be on either side of the thought process going into it. But it does shake up the Playoffs with being where it’s at in the Round of 8. It’s anybody’s game. There are certain guys who rise to the top even at superspeedways, though.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Larson on returning to Talladega Superspeedway:

“Hopefully we can go to Talladega and do what we’ve done on superspeedways for a while now by scoring stage points and get good finishes by getting to the checkered flag like we have been doing this year. We’ll just try to execute again; have a good points day at Talladega and be in a good position heading into Martinsville (Speedway).”

Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

You’ve been impressive on superspeedways throughout your career. What is the key to being successful at a track like Talladega?

“I have just always really enjoyed superspeedway racing. I’m not sure why that is, but it has just come easier to me and fits my style of racing better. I try to be very patient in the car, wait for the right moment to make the pass and I think that’s why I tend to do better on the bigger tracks. Talladega and Daytona are really just tracks that test your patience. You want to go and be at the front but you know that anything can happen at any moment. It’s a balance of knowing what is needed to get to the front but making it to the end. The Spire cars have been really good at superspeedways this year and I think we can continue that this weekend.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

The racing has changed a lot at Talladega. Going into this Fall race, how do you race at Talladega now, compared to years past?

“You run them more part throttle now more than you ever have before. The fuel mileage game, and the saving of the fuel, and things like that. Trying to get yourself into that leap-frog strategy. It seems like everybody is doing that, where you want to spend the least amount of time on pit road to pick off spots, because it seems like it is more difficult to pass. When the first two lanes, the bottom lane and the middle lane lets call it, when they are sitting there side-by-side saving fuel, the third lane can open up and go more throttle on and make up some time and get the third lane going. But then once the bottom lane and middle lane are wide open, there is no top lane. The bottom just gets too fast, and the top is too far around. You don’t see enough of that speed gain down the backstretch coming off the banking to give you that the propel forward and making up rows, so it’s tougher to pass. When you come down towards the last 10 laps, eight laps, six laps, everybody is scared to pull out of line because you know if you pull out of line, and no one goes with you, you are literally going to pull back to last. So it seems like everybody is a bit more scared to take that chance, and don’t want to take that chance to drop backwards. So they just all stay in line, until they can literally see they checkered flag out of their windshield, and then they all go crazy, and that’s about when the wrecking ensues. So try to miss that one.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Elliott on Talladega Superspeedway:

“I don’t see anyone being a standout. Everybody’s just really close and whoever gets themselves in a good spot and positions themselves well and has some good fortune, you know, is going to have a good day.”

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Byron on Talladega Superspeedway:

“Obviously last weekend didn’t end the way we hoped. We were going to be in a good position for the rest of this round and that shows how quickly things can change. Talladega is where anything and everything can happen and change quickly. We would like to collect stage points but also strategy will be big when it comes to fuel. Plus, you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where your race could end early all because you pushed too hard for stage points. It’s going to be a very fine balance and all we can do is execute and see where the chips fall at the end.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

“I’m excited to head to Talladega again this weekend with Jack Link’s on the car. Last year’s win was huge for our team and it’s one of those moments you don’t forget. I’m hoping we can get the #47 back in victory lane this year.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Bowman on going to Talladega Superspeedway:

“Talladega is unpredictable and all about survival. A lot of it is mental as well. You have to be mentally sharp throughout the whole race and especially towards the end when it gets hectic. We had a decent finish last weekend at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) and hopefully we can keep that momentum going.”

Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet

“Talladega is definitely one of my favorites,” he said. “I have a really good track record there with top-five finishes in Xfinity, and multiple Cup Series top-10 finishes. I feel like I know what I need to do behind the wheel to execute, or to at least position myself to leverage the draft and make moves. From there, it’s a matter of seeing what happens. Sometimes all you can do is put yourself in position and hope that it works.

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

How do you balance being aggressive while racing for the win and not ruining a playoff contenders’ day?

“When it comes to playoff contenders, you do think about them at most of the races, but not Talladega. There’s just no way of actually doing that, because you can’t help what’s going to happen at Talladega. That’s actually one of the less stressful races because of that. You can’t control the big one, when it’s going to happen, or who it’s going to take. So, for us, we don’t have any pressure but to go there and try to win the race. So, it’s low pressure and low stress going into it. We’re not in a spot where we have to worry about the cutoff. 
We’re not in a spot where we’re worried about points. We can just go and try to run up front and win the race.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Spire Motorsports as a whole has been strong on superspeedways this year. What have you learned since the season opener at Daytona that you can apply in Sunday’s race?

“For me, I think I’ve gotten more comfortable with pushing for position during a superspeedway race. I had always been so worried about just making it to the end and staying out of trouble, and learned early this year that if I wanted a shot at a win that just wasn’t going to work. We had a good run at Talladega earlier this year and if all goes right, we should be able to knock out a top five.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

What do you think about Talladega?

“It’s crazy and very different than a traditional oval. We are doing 320 kilometers in a pack of 40 cars. It’s amazing how fast we are going, all squeezed together. Talladega is one of the most difficult races that we do. Hopefully this weekend we can prove that we are getting better at that (superspeedway racing) too and get a good result.”

There are only ovals left on the schedule this season. Is there a certain oval you like the best?

“I like the challenge of all of them. I like how different they all are. The intermediates, they look the same shape on paper, but when you go there, they all drive so differently. I really like the challenge of finding all the little integrities on the track and what makes the cars work.”

You have received massive amounts of support from the people of New Zealand, and even Australia this season. How special is that to you?

“The support I’ve gotten coming over here (United States) has been great! As I always say, when New Zealanders or Aussies go overseas, the support we get is amazing. It’s in all different series, like IndyCar, Formula 1 and Formula E, it’s so cool to see the support we get and it’s really appreciated. Every track I go to, there are always some Kiwis or Aussies there to support me. It’s really special.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

You have been able to run inside the top-10 consistently in recent races at Talladega. Does that make you optimistic about this weekend?

“The racing at Talladega can get so crazy but it’s a lot of fun when you can stay

out of trouble and have a good day. We’ve been able to do that quite a bit in

the last few races there. It was an up-and-down day for our team in the spring

race. I thought our car had speed, but we needed to improve the balance. Our

guys on pit road executed well when it counted the most late in the race.

Everyone at Trackhouse does a great job preparing our Freeway Insurance

Chevrolet and ECR gives us great engines, especially at Talladega and Daytona.

I certainly think we can have another strong run this weekend.”

Do you like racing at Talladega?

“I love Talladega. At first, I really didn’t like superspeedway racing but the

more I did it the more I started to enjoy it. We have been so close so many

times on the superspeedway. One of these days we are going to win one of these

races and I hope it is Sunday.”

Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

How do you approach Talladega since it is such a wild card race?

“A lot of times you don’t have much to control at Talladega. A lot of things that happen at those types of tracks that are out of your control, so you just have to do what you can to put yourself in the right spots. But sometimes what you think is the right spot can easily turn out to be the wrong spot, and you find yourself in trouble.”

You enter Talladega 82 points above the cutline. Is there comfort being that far above the elimination line?

“Plus 82 is not bad. It could be a lot worse for sure. Having another win sticker on this car definitely would have been better.”

 
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:

Total (1949-2024): 43

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Most recent: 2024

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Drivers Championships:

Total (1949-2024): 33

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021

Event Victories:

Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2025 STATISTICS:

Wins: 14

Poles: 11

Laps Led: 3,573

Top-Fives: 61

Top-10s: 135

Stage Wins: 25

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 880 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 764

Laps led to date: 256,284

Top-Fives to date: 4,430

Top-10s to date: 9,142

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,214

       Chevrolet: 880

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 846                                                                               

       Ford: 746

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 202

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

The last time Josh Berry and the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing team took on Talladega Superspeedway back in April, they had the speed to contend for the win — even after a dose of early hiccup.

In the opening laps of that race, Berry’s Mustang struck a bird while running at full speed, but the team quickly regrouped and stayed in the mix. From there, Berry methodically worked his way to the front, leading five different times for a total of 15 laps.

A late-race speeding penalty on pit road derailed the team’s shot at victory, leaving Berry with a 28th-place finish despite having one of the strongest cars in the field.

Now, as Berry and the No. 21 eero Ford Mustang Dark Horse return to the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway for Sunday’s YellaWood 500, the team’s focus is on execution — and putting together a complete, mistake-free day.

“Our team has been really strong on the superspeedways this year,” Berry said. “We were in a good spot in the spring before that late-race speeding penalty, so hopefully we can avoid the chaos, execute and come away with a great result in the eero Ford Mustang.”

Per NASCAR rules for drafting tracks such as Talladega, there will be no practice session this weekend. Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET on truTV, while Sunday’s 188-lap, 500.08-mile race is set to go green shortly after 2 p.m. ET on NBC.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 60 and 120.

About eero
eero was founded to make wifi and networking the way they should be—fast, reliable, secure, and, most importantly, easy to use. After introducing the first home mesh wifi system with a high-quality design that blends into its environment and technology that intuitively works behind the scenes, eero became known for sweating every single detail and delivering award-winning hardware and software for homes, businesses, communities, and service providers. Founded and headquartered in San Francisco in 2014, eero is an Amazon company. For more information, visit eero.com.

About Wood Brothers Racing
Founded in 1950 by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood in Stuart, Virginia, Wood Brothers Racing holds a special place in NASCAR history as the sport’s longest-running team. Over eight decades, the team has earned 101 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with 120 poles, and remains proud of its longstanding relationship with Ford Motor Company, fielding only Ford products since its inception. Glenn’s brother, Leonard Wood, played a key role in shaping modern racing by developing the techniques behind today’s pit stops. With a rich legacy rooted in innovation and tradition, Wood Brothers Racing continues to honor its heritage while adapting for the future as it competes in NASCAR’s premier series with Josh Berry.

Noah Gragson and the No. 4 Rush Truck Centers Ford Team
Talladega Superspeedway Competition Notes
YellaWood 500

Date: Sunday, October 19, 2025
Event: Race 36 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Talladega Superspeedway (2.66-miles)
of Laps: 188
Time/TV/Radio: 2:00 PM ET on NBC/MRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Noah Gragson Notes

Noah Gragson and the No. 4 team return to the Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. 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. In the Cup Series’ first visit to the track this season, Gragson earned his season best finish of fourth. 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.

Rush Truck Centers returns this weekend with Gragson and the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse team for the 188-lap race. With more than 150 Rush Truck Centers dealerships located across the U.S. and Ontario, Canada, visit rushtruckcenters.com to find a location near you. For the entire month of October, Front Row Motorsports will run pink Rush Truck Centers mud flaps on their NASCAR Cup series tractors in honor of breast cancer awareness month.

Cummins also joins Rush Truck Centers for this weekend’s race. Cummins Inc., a global power solutions leader, is comprised of five business segments – Components, Engine, Distribution, Power Systems and Accelera by Cummins – supported by their global manufacturing and extensive service and support network, skilled workforce and vast technological expertise. From buses that transport kids to and from school to the trucks that carry essentials, to construction, mining equipment, trains and ships, and critical backup power for places like data centers and hospitals, Cummins powers the future through innovations that make people’s lives better. Cummins is committed to its Destination Zero strategy – the company’s commitment to sustainability and helping its customers successfully navigate the energy transition with its broad portfolio of products. Learn more at cummins.com.

Rush Truck Centers is proud to announce the winners of our 2025 Race to Talladega technician referral contest. This year’s contest was an overwhelming success, with 397 applicants referred by eligible Rush Enterprises technicians. The two technicians who referred the highest number of candidates, along with three additional technicians selected in a random drawing from all eligible entries, were invited to attend this weekend’s race. Rusty Rush was joined by Vice President of Service Operations Victor Cummings to draw the winners. To enter the contest, current technicians referred a candidate to apply for a technician role within the company. Technician recruiting and retention are key strategic initiatives for the company and are critical to their ongoing success. Rush Truck Centers is always looking for talented technicians to join their team. If you’re passionate about keeping trucks on the road and want to turn your skills into a rewarding career, visit careers.rushenterprises.com to apply today.

Congratulations to this year’s winning technicians:
Jose Ramirez Diaz, Custom Vehicle Solutions – Denton (10 referrals)
Donnie Peyatt, Rush Truck Centers – Cleveland (8 referrals)
Brandon Blakely, Rush Truck Centers – Memphis
Jose Lopez Cota, Rush Truck Centers – Tucson
Matt Sallee, Rush Truck Centers – Greeley

“Talladega’s one of those places where you have to be patient and smart all race long,” said Gragson. “We had a great car in the spring and finished fourth, which showed what this team is capable of. Everyone’s been working hard, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there and building on that.”

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 RUSH TRUCK CENTERS

More than a dealer network, Rush Truck Centers is the premier solutions provider for the commercial vehicle industry. With more than 150 Rush Truck Centers dealerships across the U.S. and Ontario, Canada, no one can match our network reach and scale. We provide our customers an integrated, one-stop approach to the service and sales of new and used trucks and commercial vehicles, aftermarket parts, service and collision repair capabilities, alternative fuel systems, vehicle technology solutions, and a range of financial services including financing, insurance, and leasing and rental options. Since 1965, we’ve earned our reputation for excellence, fairness, positive attitude and solutions that exceed customer expectations. That’s why we can say with confidence; when it comes to trucking, no one offers you more. Visit rushtruckcenters.com or follow us on social media: X @rushtruckcenters, Instagram @rush_truck_centers and facebook.com/rushtruckcenters.

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.

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Talladega Media Availabilities
Wednesday, October 15, 2025

A pair of Ford Mustang drivers conducted separate Q&A sessions with the media this afternoon as Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and Chris Buescher, driver of the No. 17 Kroger Ford Mustang Dark Horse, spoke about this weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway.

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WAS YOUR TEAM ABLE TO DIAGNOSE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TIRE? “No, I don’t really think we found anything that really stood out that we could point to and say, ‘Oh, yeah. That was it.’ So, whether it got cut or was low air over the bumps and it just kind of worked through it, we don’t really know. It’s not inconclusive, but the result was the same, unfortunately.”

DO YOU FEEL YOUR PREPARATION OR STRATEGY IS DIFFERENT NOW GOING INTO TALLADEGA BECAUSE OF YOUR POINTS SITUATION? “No, I don’t think so. It stinks where we are on points, but we’ve still got two races left and I don’t personally think we are in a must-win quite yet. At Talladega, you never know what can happen. You can go have a massive points day and be short of the win, but maybe a couple other guys don’t have as good of a points day and you go into Martinsville maybe in a spot where you could point your way in if you go have another good day short of winning. Our prep is really no different. It’s how do we try to be efficient through the stages and gather up all the stage points. That could change. Let’s say the first two stages don’t go our way and, alright, maybe now it’s a must-win type scenario. That might switch up a little bit, but as far as our prep this week, it’s kind of business as usual and try to go gather the most points we can and go try to figure out a way to win the race, so pretty similar.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON TALLADEGA’S SPOT IN THIS ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS? “When they came out with the schedule and I saw that Talladega was in the Round of 8 as opposed to 12, I didn’t really think anything of it. It’s still Talladega in the playoffs and it’s gonna be just as important as always. Honestly, my mind was like, ‘OK, I only have to worry about seven other guys as opposed to 11.’ It’s just less guys to keep your eye on and have to worry about winning or racing for points, so it didn’t really change my outlook. You should have a superspeedway race in the playoffs. I fully agree with that. You’ve got to have all forms of racetracks in the playoffs, but I didn’t really think anything of it with the round change.”

DID OTHER DRIVERS SHARE THE SAME OPINION OR DID THEY VARY? “I’m not really sure, honestly. I wish I could give you an answer on that, but I don’t really know what everyone else’s thoughts were.”

YOU REFERENCED THE QUOTE ‘UNJUSTIFIABLY IN A POSITION I’D RATHER NOT BE IN,’ AND I’M CURIOUS HOW LONG HAVE YOU RELIED ON THE PHILOSOPHICAL SAYINGS OF RANDY ‘MACHO MAN’ SAVAGE? “I don’t think there is a person before or after him that could cut promos quite like that guy. If I’m sitting at home and I’m bored, and maybe I’ve had a couple drinks, I will go watch Randy Savage interviews, just because I think he was amazing (laughing). What was going through that man’s head, but that’s my favorite one. He keeps pulling out the creamer and unjustifiably in a position I’d rather not be in, but the cream will rise to the top, and I hope that is what we can use for this weekend. I thought that was a perfect comparison to my situation, so, thank you, Mr. Savage.”

WHAT HAS THIS YEAR BEEN LIKE FOR YOU WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE? “It’s definitely been a challenging year from that side of it and having a lot of DNFs. I wouldn’t really point the DNFs at anybody, it just kind of is what it is and we’ve just had a little bit more than we would have liked, but, I look at our team on the 12 car and I’ve been really, really happy with how we’ve been going about things, how we’ve been able to bounce back from bad weeks and just go do our job the next weekend and not really let it change our outlook on things and go to the racetrack confident every single week. I think it’s just the thing of getting older and having more experience and understand you’re gonna have ups and downs and it’s just how do you not really let them get to you. How do you learn from down times, if there was anything you can do about it, and you move on. I told myself like, ‘Hey, you can be upset with the Vegas deal Sunday, but when you wake up Monday, we’re gonna be full-on looking forward and heads-up looking forward to Talladega and then what challenges come at Martinsville.’ So, I think it gets easier as you get older and you’re outlook on things change and you’re just trying to look ahead a little bit more. I think some of it come naturally and just natural growth, but other is just having these conversations with myself years ago of, ‘Hey, I want to kind of change this up about me,’ because early in my career I would stew on things a little bit longer and now I try to just drop things and move on from them, so it’s a little bit of both, but I think that’s the healthiest way I’ve been able to deal with it.”

YOU’RE CLOSE TO BEING A FIRST-TIME FATHER. HOW HAS THIS EXPERIENCE CHANGED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT A GOOD VERSUS A BAD DAY IS? “If I have a bad day in my job, that’s one thing, but it has put it into perspective for me watching my wife go through having a child grow inside of her – of things that she has to deal with too from that level. The way that she’s been able to overcome things that her body is changing and things that maybe aren’t ideal that come up through her pregnancy that she has to deal with and just how do we move forward together. I think you just realize that there are bigger things out there. Your job is obviously important, but other things are just as important if not more, so Gianna has honestly been amazing. It puts it into perspective for me like, ‘Hey, if I have a tough day, it’s nothing compared to if she has a tough day’ because she is having to deal with this and making sure that our child is all good and that she is being healthy.’ It definitely changes your outlook and then when he arrives it’s gonna change your outlook even more.”

WITH YOUR SUCCESS AT TALLADEGA AND MARTINSVILLE IS THIS A BEST-CASE SCENARIO THAT THESE TWO TRACKS ARE NEXT FOR YOU? “Yeah, I try to go into every weekend with optimism and thinking we can go compete no matter where we go, but, yeah, looking at Talladega a lot of things can happen that can benefit you or hurt you, or benefit your competitors or hurt your competitors. I think the points thing at Talladega, why I say it’s not a must-win yet, is the same thing can happen to somebody. A couple guys get tore up early who are in the playoffs and you can go have a big day and big point swings can happen at these type of racetracks. And then our history at Martinsville we’ve been able to do a really good job there the last couple fall races and I hope that trend can continue to where we can go compete there as well. So, I like the next two tracks, for sure. We’ve definitely had a great track record at those two, and I think we can go into either one of those and run well and hopefully compete for the win, but that’s kind of everywhere. I have so much faith in this team with the guys that I’ve got working around me and the level of trust in each other, I just love going to the races every single weekend. It’s definitely nice when you’re in that spot, so hopefully we can dig into some previous success and experiences that we’ve had and can lean on those the next two weeks and see what happens.”

WITH THE NEW DVP POLICY THIS YEAR, COULD WE BE LOOKING AT A RACE WITHIN THE RACE THIS WEEK, WHERE IF SOMEBODY GETS IN TROUBLE AND HAS TO GO TO THE GARAGE, THERE’S A RACE TO GET BACK ON TRACK? “Yeah, that could definitely come into play. You never know what your damage is until you can assess it and ‘hey, can we repair this thing to get back out?’ You might see that, for sure. So that changes it in that way to where, like as before, if you got in a little accident and you can’t fix it on pit road, you’re done. Now, you at least have a shot, which I think is the right way to be. So, yeah, you could definitely see a little race within the race like you said depending on what goes down throughout it.”

HOW DO YOU GUYS AT PENSKE CIRCLE THE WAGONS AS YOU HEAD TO THESE LAST TWO? IS THERE MORE SHARING OR CONVERSATION? WHAT IS IT LIKE? “I feel like, no matter what situation that we are in as an organization we’ve always had an open notebook of sharing info, the drivers getting together and just talking through things, crew chiefs and engineers all working together. We’ve always had that, so I don’t think there’s gonna be any more or any less of that. A great example is Joey and I were both in the championship race last year and there was no difference in our communication. There were no secrets being held. It was, ‘how do we all be better to where the two of us can run for this thing and run one-two,’ and we were able to do that. So, I just think that’s the culture that Roger has built over there. What’s the point of having three or four cars on your team if no one talks to each other. Then you’ve just got three or four separate teams in your building, so we’ve always really made it a highlight and he always has made it a highlight of, ‘let’s lean on each other and let’s learn from each other,’ and that part, I think, is very strong and doesn’t waver.”

DO THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN EVEN WIDER, OR ARE YOU GUYS ALL-IN THE WHOLE TIME IN THAT REGARD? “Yeah, I’d say we’re all-in the whole time. No matter if we were way to the good on points or in the position that we are in, I think that’s wide-open all the time.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE MENTAL SIDE OF NOT OVERTHINKING A PLACE LIKE TALLADEGA THIS WEEKEND, AND HOW QUICKLY DO YOU HAVE TO THINK AND MAKE DECISIONS IN THE MOMENT? “I think it’s really important to be as prepared as you can. Preparation is a massive thing, but, like you said, on overthinking, I think it can eat you alive and everyone looks at everything differently, but, in my mind, it’s like, ‘Alright, let’s try to gather all the information that we can to be as prepared as possible for all these scenarios,’ but not try to drive yourself crazy doing it because it is, at the end of the day, Talladega. Things can happen. Things can change outside of your control and it’s how do you adjust to that, so I think it’s important to keep an open mind in that and not get set in your ways, but not just being fully free and going in and like, ‘Oh, yeah. We didn’t plan. We’re just gonna go see what happens.’ You have to prepare the best you can, but it’s a fine line of gathering all of the info and prep work that you need, but also not overthinking it and chewing your fingernails off, which it is stressful. It’s an important race. It’s your season, but, at the same time, you can’t go crazy thinking about it. You’ve just got to get in the zone that you need to be in from a crew chief and driver and spotter mentality and that’s all you can do. I hope that we’ve done that correctly.”

DID YOU OVERTHINK IT EARLIER IN YOUR CAREER BECAUSE THEY FEED YOU A LOT OF INFORMATION AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF TEAMMATES? “I think I used to overthink it, for sure, because there’s a lot going on and it’s easy to get overwhelmed when there’s so much information being thrown at you, but, at the end of the day, you just kind of do. You don’t have time in the moment at these places to think on something, contemplate it, and then make your decision. You just kind of have to do, and sometimes you make the wrong decision and sometimes you make the right decision. That’s just kind of the way it goes. You’re not gonna make the right decision every time, but do what you think is best in the moment, and I’d say I used to sit around late at night earlier in my life and just run through all these different scenarios and drive myself crazy of, ‘well, if this happens, that happens, and it can go downhill like this,’ it’s kind of a spiral, so I think it’s a getting older type thing of, ‘hey, I can only control so much and let’s just try to do the best job we can at controlling what we can control,’ and the rest of it, good or bad, is gonna play itself out and you just hope the stars are aligned for you. So, yeah, I think it’s just a product of getting a little older and a little bit more experienced. Those things come a little bit easier and things like that.”

WHAT IS THE PERFECT ZONE FOR YOU TO BE IN AT TALLADEGA? “Blinders on, I guess. Always wanting to go forward, but if you’re in a spot you have to defend, you have to defend. Superspeedway racing is such a different mentality than everywhere else. The way the drivers and crew chiefs and spotters approach it is way different just because it’s a different style of racing, so I always try to be patient there in moments. I feel like it’s super easy to get, ‘I’ve got to go now. I’ve got to go now.’ And there are sometimes where, OK, yeah, time is tight and you’ve got to get going, but I’ve always tried to be, and Denny Hamlin has talked about this for a long time, is I try to keep in my head that I’m gonna have another shot, so don’t try to get super antsy and get in your head that you’ve got to go right away. Just try to let everything play out and just be patient and hopefully it lines up for you. He was talking about that years ago and I kind of took that to heart, and I try to apply it to what I do.”

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO BE FED INFORMATION IN THE CAR? “I would say outside of superspeedway racing I’m not a huge wanting information type of guy. I just try to do my own thing and stuff like that. Through the week, I look at where everyone is at on points. Then I look at it once or twice and I don’t really look at it again. I might ask updates through the race like, ‘Hey, what is the point scenario,’ just so I know what I have to do. Do I need to really try to get a lot more points? Is this guy kind of out-pointing me?’ You know that. You see everybody out there, but at superspeedways I like a lot of information. I want to know everything around me, gaps, lanes that are coming or going, opportunities that might have been presented. I’ve always thought at superspeedway racing that over-information is good, but at other places I always try to keep less information. Like I said, there’s just such a different style of racing that I try to change up my mentality a little bit. Here, I like to know as much as I can what’s going on. It just helps me process everything.”

MARTINSVILLE IS NEXT WEEK. WHY DO YOU GUYS PERFORM WELL AT SUCH A HIGH-PRESSURE RACE? “I think we do a really good job. It’s a track that’s been good to us. We understand what it takes to go fast there and then you build off of that. I think that’s always been good. Every race has its pressure. That one, obviously being the last race of that round to get to Phoenix, is always kind of amplified, but I just think we do a good job of keeping a cool head and knowing the spot we’re in having to go in there. Like in ‘23, we understood like, ‘Hey, we’ve just got to go have a good night.’ That wasn’t a must-win for us. We just happened to win the race and that was a big exclamation point on it, and then last year we went into that race with one goal, we have to win to get in and we were able to do that. So, I just think we understand the situations that we’re in and go into it level headed like, ‘Here’s the goal. Here’s what we have to do, so let’s just go have a good night.’ Everybody at the shop can rally around each other, which is great. It’s an amazing culture over at Team Penske and everybody learning and picking off each other of how do we all get better as a group. I think it goes back to that open notebook and the culture that Roger has built around that place, and I think we can do that pretty well. So, we’ll see what happens. It would be cool to go get another clock, but we’re gonna do the best job we can to make that happen, so we’ll find out.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Kroger/Thomas’ High Protein Bagels Ford Mustang Dark Horse – YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN THE MODEL OF CONSISTENCY THE LAST THREE YEARS. “Yeah, there is certainly some good to internally discuss on that front. Unfortunately, consistency isn’t rewarded very well in this format, so, for us, we’ve been good. We haven’t quite been great and we’ve got a couple little steps to take here or there, but we’ve certainly been able to be a lot better rounded and enabled to be more competitive at any different style of racetrack and that’s been a lot of fun throughout the years, whether it’s been short tracks, road courses, superspeedways, and mile-and-a-halves. I think we’re close on all of them and some are a little stronger than others, but we just have this small step to take forward across the board to be in the hunt to win consistently, I guess, is when it really starts to pay off. So, there’s nothing to be ashamed about, for sure, and proud of the work we’ve done. Everybody has done a great job. Our pit crew has been fantastic. We’ve had a handful of races that really had excellent shots to win and weren’t able to pull it off and get all the details right on that weekend, so as it winds down we’ve got a couple more opportunities ahead of us here and a couple of good racetracks, so I’m excited about that. As we go into Talladega we know our RFK Fords will be working together and able to be up front and have speed, it’s just a matter of executing correctly and having a little bit of luck on our side.”

HAVE YOU GUYS FOUND ANYTHING DURING THE PLAYOFFS TO IMPROVE YOUR PERFORMANCE FOR NEXT YEAR? “Certainly nothing we’re gonna share to the public, but let’s go back to the ROVAL. Road racing has been strong for myself and for our team through the years and the ROVAL, I would say, has probably been our weaker road course with the Next Gen car. We were pretty solid there with the previous car, so we turned a big corner this last go-around there, so, yeah, we’re searching and finding stuff that works. It’s another one of those where we needed another step to truthfully be in the hunt for the win, but we were right there in third to fifth all day long. With that, we are looking to try and figure out what we can take into next year. Obviously, knowing we’ve got some changes coming with some recent announcements. There’s a little bit of power coming at some of these racetracks that will make a little bit of a change for us, not a major one to start I don’t believe, but we’ve also had a lot of progress made – not us internally, but NASCAR and Goodyear and everybody with tires that are wearing out more creating a short run and long run race cars, so we’re learning for what that looks like next year, and I believe that is probably gonna be sticking around or maybe getting a little bit more pronounced yet, so, certainly in some form of R&D. We’re hitting on some things and finding some things that aren’t working as well, but with the minimum amount of practice and no testing nowadays, trying to make the best out of our situation ultimately.”

WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU HEARD TALLADEGA WAS IN THE ROUND OF 8 THIS YEAR? “It’s a little madness (laughing). There is a skill set to speedway racing. There are teams that have handling figured out and speed. There is a strategy to it, but there is certainly a much more elevated luck factor involved as well. With that, we all know that and that’s accepted throughout the year, but it certainly puts a lot on the line for a day that, and not that this can’t happen any given week, but one mistake from a single person can wipe out 10, 12, 15 cars in an instant at Talladega, where that’s much less likely at other places. It’s part of racing and it is what it is, but it certainly makes it difficult to get through all the way to the end and feel like you have the most deserving cars fighting for a playoff at the end. Maybe I’m talking a little bit out of turn because we’re not in it, but certainly I know we’re good at Talladega and Daytona and these style of racetracks, so on one side you want to be selfish about it and say this is just more opportunity, but, at the same time, you want everything to feel like you have the most control possible and you certainly give away a good chunk of that when we go speedway racing.”

ARE YOU AWARE IF YOU’RE RACING WITH BLANEY OR LOGANO ABOUT WHAT’S INVOLVED IN TERMS OF LOYALTY AT THE END OF THE RACE? “You’re always aware of it. We’re aware of it throughout the playoffs. I think there’s been a pretty clear warning set for race manipulation right now, so I think that there’s certainly a finicky way to go about that and I don’t want to be caught up in that, and I don’t want anybody to ever accuse me of laying over for anybody, so ultimately we are still going to the racetrack to win a race. That’s not something that you would pull over or give anything away. It’s just a matter of awareness. If that means not trying to shove right in the middle of four-wide in a bad situation, then there’s an extra thought that goes into your head at that point, but we’re still going to the racetrack to figure out how to win.”

IF IT’S A FORD DRIVER OR NON-FORD DRIVER YOU HAVE TO PUSH AT THE END OF THE RACE, I WOULD ASSUME YOUR LOYALTY WOULD BE TO A FORD DRIVER? “Yeah and that’s always been the case. It doesn’t really matter if it’s the playoffs or not. When we go to these speedway races from a manufacturer’s side, everybody gets their groups together and we try to work together throughout the race – pit cycles, strategy, working to try and save fuel at times, probably too much, but that’s always the case, so it doesn’t change just because we’re coming down to the end here.”

FROM A BROAD PERSPECTIVE, WHAT GOES INTO MAKING A DRIVER SO WELL-ROUNDED IN THIS ERA OF NASCAR? “If I had the answer, I would have put it into play a lot sooner, I guess. We’ve been good road racing for a long time. I’ve had some really good road racers help fine-tune what I was able to pick up on as a kid. Brad Keselowski is an extraordinary speedway racer among other things, so I’ve been able to pick up on a lot of that now just from having him as a teammate. I think that our race cars are more competitive now than they’ve ever been, so that helps you when you go short track racing or intermediate racing. Ryan is a short track racer and we’ve been able to lean into that side of things, so I think a lot of it comes from who you’re surrounded by and what you can pick up on and learn, and I’m certainly not gonna sit here and say I’ve got it all figured out at any given style of racetrack. We’re always figuring out how to be better, so there’s certainly an openness to keep after it and try to figure out how to improve a little bit more each time we go to these things and been fortunate to be around very talented people as well. A lot of things go into that, but it’s fun to think about where you came from and how you grew up racing and I’m not a road course racer by trade, but we did a handful of Legends car races growing up because we knew we wanted to do something different. We raced ARCA brand road races. We did a handful of dirt tracks growing up. It’s not my background, but if you add them up through the years we’ve done maybe 15-20 dirt races now in total, but it’s something to round you out a little bit and to have experience for different approaches and different mindsets.”

WITH LIMITED PRACTICE DOES THAT PUT A GREATER IMPORTANCE ON THE PEOPLE YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH? “Yeah. I mean, you think back and we’ve got to be good off the truck nowadays. One, you don’t even have the tolerance to be able to make any big changes. We’re very much locked into a tight box. Two, you don’t have the time if you did have the allowance. So much of it happens now back at the race shop. Our day is largely set up from Monday to Wednesday or Thursday until that car goes up in the hauler, so, yes, it certainly matters a lot to have good people in all different aspects, so that when you get to the track there’s no guesswork or no trying to dial in from a mile away.”

WHAT HAS MADE YOU SO ACCUSTOMED TO PHOENIX AND GET AROUND THAT TRACK SO WELL? “Man, I’ve wanted to burn Phoenix down for most of my career. I’ve hated that place with a fairly decent passion and it was really tough for a long time. The Next Gen car, something definitely got better in a little way, but the last probably two years at Phoenix now – three or four races – we’ve just made incredible strides to be more competitive there. Scott and our group have done a great job. RFK as a whole has done a nice job of getting to the point where it just clicks better and have studied a lot from there as well. When you have a guy like Kevin Harvick that showed up at that racetrack and just won no matter what, you certainly take notes of what worked for him through the years and try and figure out how to apply that to your certain driving style. We’ve figured out a lot on the car side. I’ve figured out some stuff from my side of things and it’s made it a much more enjoyable weekend. For two years now I’ve been able to truthfully say I’m looking forward to heading to Phoenix, whereas I basically just straight-up lied for a long time.”

HOW DO YOU THINK YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE PERFORMED THIS YEAR? “You know what, at the end of the day it’s not been a great season. It’s been a good season. The best way I’ve been able to put that is we’ve had moments that have been really good. We’ve been very consistent, but we have a step to take to be very consistently fighting for wins and that’s the big thing. We had a big goal this season to fire off and win a race in the first eight. We weren’t able to do that, obviously, but also I think what was good for us was the first eight races were way more competitive than we had been in the past also, so we did not have this period where we felt like we were behind and set us up for a lot better momentum heading into the summer, which put us in a place where we were so close to being able to win a Michigan or a Pocono or Texas and we certainly, along with anybody in the field, have had our share of bad luck, but it’s been a good year. It’s just not been absolutely everything we wanted it to be.”

WHERE DID YOU GET THE MESSAGE FROM NASCAR ABOUT WHAT CAN BE SAID OVER THE RADIO? AND DO YOU THINK IT MADE A DIFFERENCE? “I think it did make a difference. I don’t have any direct communication for what’s been talked about, but I know it has made it through our competition side. I know that it has made it into the media and I think the message we’ve gotten is clear enough to say, ‘Do it at your own risk, but you’re not gonna like the result.’ Ultimately, I think that’s fair. We had a terrible scenario at Martinsville last year with cars just riding and blocking basically and entire racetrack. We’ve had instances where we’ve seen cars just straight-up lift and not push rows at speedway races. I don’t know if that’s blatant enough to be called this time around if there is radio chatter ahead of that, I don’t know. It’s a hard line for anybody to police and you can always say that balance was an issue. I heard one of the things that came from the ROVAL was something that I actually got told in a purely selfish 17 team state of mind was, ‘Alright, save tires here. Don’t push forward in case we have a late-race restart.’ And then I hear that was one of the things that somebody else said later on that almost got them in really big trouble, so I’m sitting here like, ‘Well, alright, we realistically wanted to make sure we had some amount of tire race for a late-race restart.’ That was not to help anybody other than ourselves, so it’s certainly a hard place to officiate from, but I think that the warning is loud enough and clear enough that nobody wants to be on the other side of NASCAR having to make a judgement call.”

DOES THE WARNING MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU AS A DRIVER OR MORE DIFFICULT? “Probably a little bit easier, but, that being said, I’m very much in my own space most of the time. There’s an awareness when it’s other Fords, basically, but I couldn’t have told you the playoff scenario for anybody at any of these cut races because it didn’t matter to us and what we were trying to do. There’s just a respect thing among certain people and certainly there’s a respect thing on certain people that you’ve had good, clean racing with through the year and those that you feel like you still owe a little bit so you’re gonna run them a little harder. That’s not for anybody else’s benefit other than our own and feeling like somebody is owed one by us, so, for us, it cleans it up a little bit to where you don’t have to guess if others around you are trying to play those games as much. They probably will to some extent, but I don’t think they’ll be very obvious or in the purely blatant moves that we’ve seen in the past.”

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE TO EVEN THINK INSIDE THE CAR IF SOMEONE IS IN OR OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS? “As we come down to the end it’s easier to keep track of eight cars, I guess. I say that right now and I could not name all eight right at this moment. We’re still racing. You don’t want to be the storyline on a negative front in any given scenario, but our playoffs are just different than other spots. There are outside factors that affect racing and I don’t know if anybody wants to hear it, but that always came up when we were in the playoffs or when we weren’t, ‘Do your race differently?’ And, I don’t think so. I think you have to run 100 percent and be looking out for your own team because it’s not like we get the playoffs and we run 16 cars on the racetrack for three races. It’s not other sports, and I don’t think we need to have the mindset that we need to try and be treating it like there are only eight cars on the racetrack at Talladega and we all just need to be riding behind that. That’s not how this is gonna go.”

THE SPRING RACE AT TALLADEGA WAS KIND OF MILD. THERE WASN’T THE BIG ONE, BUT DO YOU THINK THIS FALL RACE WILL BE DIFFERENT? “I certainly had my big one in the spring. I hit a ton. You think about the accidents that happen and statistically where the safest place may be. We got wrecked from the front row – us and the 20 – so there’s no safe place and there’s no saying that if that happens this week and it doesn’t wipe out 10 cars. There was still aggression. There were still moments, it just didn’t end up wiping out as many cars, so I would say I don’t expect it to be super tame, no, but I never really do. Sometimes it just works out easier, I guess. One thing this late in the year, I’d imagine we haven’t dove off into weather until later this afternoon in a pre-race meeting, but it’s probably not gonna be hot enough to make handling a real big issue at Talladega, which means we’ll be mostly in control and what that really comes down to is it wasn’t just a handling mishap, it was just an aggression mishap, so I think when you have that, you have less accidents because people are able to control themselves a little bit more in that sense, but there’s gonna be a lot of different scenarios on the line for a lot of different people in their positions and we’re certainly not gonna be able to keep up with what that looks like for everybody, so I think we just expect the aggression level to be a little bit higher this go-around than maybe it was in the spring. I think it was there in the spring, too, but it was two-car accidents, instead of eight.”

• In 25 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-five, three top-10 and nine top-15 finishes. Corey LaJoie earned a team-best third-place result 2.66-mile Alabama oval in October 2023. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s with Justin Haley, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• Throughout the month of October, Spire Motorsports is trading its signature “Ascent Yellow” for “Breast Cancer Pink” in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness month, honoring the incredible strength and resilience of those who have been affected by the life-altering disease. Fans can purchase limited edition “Spire Goes Pink” merchandise online or at the team’s race shop located at 351 Mazeppa Road in Mooresville, N.C. All proceeds will be donated to support breast cancer research. In addition to the financial contribution, Spire Motorsports will recognize the team’s employees, friends and family members who have been impacted by breast cancer. Their stories will be shared across the organization’s social media channels over the next five weeks.
• The YellaWood 500 will be televised live on NBC Sunday, Oct. 19 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 34th of 36 points-paying events on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.

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

• Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Gainbridge Assists Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
• Haley has recorded 11 previous Cup Series starts at Talladega and earned a venue-best sixth-place finish in October 2023. In total, he’s collected two top-10 finishes, paced the field for 13 laps and has finished inside the top 20 in all but four of 11 races.
• The Winamac, Ind., native made his Cup Series debut for Spire Motorsports on April 28, 2019, at Talladega Superspeedway on his 20th birthday. He went on to pick up both his and the team’s first win – an upset of practically unprecedented proportions – less than three months later in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
• In Xfinity Series action, Haley notched two Talladega wins, earning his first career series victory in June 2020 and following it up by sweeping both races that season with another checkered-flag finish in October. Across five total starts at the 2.66-mile Alabama track, Haley has earned one pole, two top fives, five top 10s, an average starting position of 5.4 and an impressive 4.6 average finish. In the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Haley has a pair of starts and one top-five finish.
• Haley captured his first asphalt victory in the ARCA Menards Series in May 2017 at Talladega in a one-lap, overtime finish.
• Last Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Winamac, Ind., native started 27th and battled handling issues throughout the day to come away with a less-than-ideal 27th-place finish.
• The Gainbridge® Assists Powered by Parity grant program awarded $222,000 to 32 organizations and athletes across 21 states, supporting efforts to expand access and opportunity to sports and education for girls and women. In its third year, the initiative continued to drive equity by funding grassroots programs, elite athletes, and community leaders who used sport to build confidence and opportunity. Each recipient received $5,000, with special grants of $50,000 awarded to the Turnstone Center for Children and Adults with Disabilities and $22,000 to the Caitlin Clark Foundation. The program honors Gainbridge ambassador Billie Jean King and her lifelong commitment to equality in sports. Gainbridge® teams up with Parity and the Women’s Sports Foundation to fuel #GainbridgeAssists.
• 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.
• Sunday’s race at Talladega will mark Haley’s 177th career NASCAR Cup Series start. Over the course of the last seven seasons, the 26-year-old has collected one win, six top five, 18 top 10s and led 123 laps. He made his first premier series start with Spire Motorsports at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2019 and has since made 76 Cup Series starts with the team.

Justin Haley Quotes
You’ve been impressive on superspeedways throughout your career. What is the key to being successful at a track like Talladega?
“I have just always really enjoyed superspeedway racing. I’m not sure why that is, but it has just come easier to me and fits my style of racing better. I try to be very patient in the car, wait for the right moment to make the pass and I think that’s why I tend to do better on the bigger tracks. Talladega and Daytona are really just tracks that test your patience. You want to go and be at the front but you know that anything can happen at any moment. It’s a balance of knowing what is needed to get to the front but making it to the end. The Spire cars have been really good at superspeedways this year and I think we can continue that this weekend.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

• Ryan Sparks serves a dual role as Spire Motorsports’ Competition Director and crew chief for driver Justin Haley.
• The Winston-Salem, N.C., native has been atop the pit box for 199 NASCAR Cup Series races, earning four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes over the course of his career.
• Sparks has called 11 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway and has one top-five and two top-10 finishes. He posted a venue-best fourth-place result in October 2023 with driver Corey LaJoie.

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

• Michael McDowell will race Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Carolina Handling Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
• McDowell will showcase primary sponsorship from Carolina Handling aboard his No. 71 machine and race a vibrant white, black, and red paint scheme during the 500-mile contest.
• The father-of-five owns three top-five and four top-10 finishes at Talladega, highlighted by a pair of third-place results in May 2021 and Oct. 2022.
• Last season, the 40-year-old earned two of his five pole awards at Talladega where he led a combined 78 laps at the famed 2.66-mile Alabama tri-oval. Unfortunately, he was involved in late-race incidents in both races, leaving him 31st (April) and 37th (October), respectively at the checkered flag.
• Over the course of 33 races in 2025, McDowell has tallied three top-five, five top-10, 14 top-15, and 20 top-20 finishes. To date, the veteran racer has earned an average starting position of 15.6, an 18.4 average finish, led 86 laps, and been running at the finish of all but two of the season’s first 33 points-paying races.
• The 2021 Daytona 500 Champion qualified 14th and led 10 laps on his way to a respectable 11th-place result in April’s Jack Links 500.
• In his last six races, the Cup Series veteran has earned an average finish of 12.3 highlighted by an eighth-place effort at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and fifth-place finish at the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• The Bank of America ROVAL 400 marked the No. 71 team’s third top five of the season, a single-season record for the first-year Spire Motorsports driver.
• Last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, McDowell qualified 18th for the 267-lap event, and despite an early pit-road penalty, rallied back from a lap down to record a respectable 16th-place finish.
• Founded in 1966, Carolina Handling is one of the Southeast’s leading integrated material handling solutions providers and the exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida’s Central time zone. The company provides forklifts and automation solutions for manufacturers, warehouses and distribution centers, along with parts, racking, storage, lighting and dock and door equipment.
• McDowell has claimed three Xfinity Fastest Lap awards this season, clocking the fastest lap in the Daytona 500, at Phoenix Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The team is one of just three in the series to tally three or more bonus points via the program.
• The No. 71 team secured Spire Motorsports’ first Busch Light Pole Award in March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. McDowell’s 28.833-second lap marks the fastest lap recorded in NASCAR’s seventh-generation Cup Series car (2022-present) at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.
• McDowell’s team earned a handsome $100,000 payday and a trip to Victory Lane after winning the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge during May’s NASCAR All-Star Weekend at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. The crew’s winning 12.587-second stop topped all entries for both the NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race, earning them the title of the fastest team on pit road.

Michael McDowell Quote
How do you balance being aggressive while racing for the win and not ruining a playoff contenders’ day?
“When it comes to playoff contenders, you do think about them at most of the races, but not Talladega. There’s just no way of actually doing that, because you can’t help what’s going to happen at Talladega. That’s actually one of the less stressful races because of that. You can’t control the big one, when it’s going to happen, or who it’s going to take. So, for us, we don’t have any pressure but to go there and try to win the race. So, it’s low pressure and low stress going into it. We’re not in a spot where we have to worry about the cutoff. 
We’re not in a spot where we’re worried about points. We can just go and try to run up front and win the race.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

• As a race engineer at JR Motorsports, Peterson played a key role in Regan Smith’s 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Talladega. Smith survived a late-race multi-car incident to win in a three-wide finish.
• 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 the win.
• Peterson led McDowell to pole awards in both 2024 Talladega events.

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

• Carson Hocevar will make his fifth NASCAR Cup Series start at Talladega Superspeedway in Sunday’s YellaWood 500. The Portage, Mich., native’s most recent finish at the 2.66-mile track – his best – a sixth-place effort in April.
• Modo Casino, America’s fastest-growing social casino from ARB Interactive, returns to the No. 77 for the third time this year with a reimagined scheme. Modo Casino is proudly built in the U.S. and offers players the thrill of casino-style gaming online. This free-to-play platform features hundreds of popular slot titles, live dealer experiences, and classic table games like Blackjack and Roulette. Players use free coins to compete and can redeem winnings for real-world prizes and experiences, creating a fun, accessible and low stress way to play. Through partnerships with major sports properties, Modo Casino delivers exclusive content, unique fan experiences, and culturally relevant entertainment for millions of players nationwide. Modo Casino follows the International Social Games Association’s and the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance’s best practice principles, as well as all relevant consumer protection, competition, advertising and privacy regulations. Modo Casino will return to the No. 77 Chevy once more this season at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
• In the five races on drafting-style tracks this year, Hocevar has one top-five and three top-10 finishes. His top result was a runner-up finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.
• In 12 Cup Series starts at Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta, Hocevar owns one top-five, three top-10 and eight top-20 finishes.
• Additionally, the 22-year-old driver owns three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Talladega with a best-finish of 11th earned in October 2023. In total, he has nine CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts on drafting-style tracks highlighted by two top-10 finishes at Daytona International Speedway in 2021 and 2023.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
Spire Motorsports as a whole has been strong on superspeedways this year. What have you learned since the season opener at Daytona that you can apply in Sunday’s race?
“For me, I think I’ve gotten more comfortable with pushing for position during a superspeedway race. I had always been so worried about just making it to the end and staying out of trouble, and learned early this year that if I wanted a shot at a win that just wasn’t going to work. We had a good run at Talladega earlier this year and if all goes right, we should be able to knock out a top five.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

• Crew chief Luke Lambert has called 24 Cup Series races at Talladega resulting in four top-five and nine top-10 finishes. In total, Lambert has led his drivers to 11 top fives and 17 top 10s on drafting-style tracks.
• In April 2023, Lambert led Noah Gragson to a NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Talladega. It was the first victory and third top 10 in three races called from the pit box at the superspeedway.

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 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win came on May 30, 2025, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

In 2025, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team also fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and an ARCA Menards Series Chevrolet in select events.