NASCAR Cup Series
YellaWood 500
Site: Talladega, Ala.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 1:30 p.m., Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (NBC)
Track: Talladega Superspeedway.
Race distance: 188 laps, 500.08 miles.
Last year: Eventual series champion Ryan Blaney got his title-run going when he crossed the finish line about a foot ahead of Kevin Harvick to win at Talladega. The victory was Blaney’s third at the superspeedway. He had only led eight laps, but was out front the final two to top Harvick, whose car was disqualified during post-race technical inspection for violating rules involving windshield fasteners.
Last race: Ross Chastain took the lead from Martin Truex Jr. on a restart with 20 laps to go and held off playoff leader William Byron to win for the first time this season at Kansas. Truex was third in his final season of racing. Defending Cup Series champ Ryan Blaney was fourth and Ty Gibbs, who like Truex was eliminated from the playoffs a week earlier, was fifth.
Fast facts: Byron, among four Hendrick Motorsports drivers left among the 12 playoff teams, moved to the font of the playoff field with his runner-up finish at Kansas. … Defending champion Blaney and Christopher Bell are tied in second, six points in back of Byron. … Past champions Chase Elliott and Joey Logano are seventh and eighth, both four points ahead of the cutline. … Tyler Reddick, who won the regular-season championship, is first team out in ninth, four points behind Elliott and Logano. … The others on outside are Daniel Suarez, Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric. … The round of 12 concludes on Oct. 13 at the Charlotte Roval, where the field will be sliced to eight. … Chastain became the second non-playoff driver in four postseason races this season to win. Chris Beuscher won at Watkins Glen three races ago. … Reddick won at Talladega in April.
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NASCAR Xfinity Series
United Rentals 250
Site: Talladega, Ala.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 11:30 a.m.; race, 4 p.m. (CW)
Track: Talladega Superspeedway.
Race distance: 94 laps, 250.04 miles.
Last year: Jeb Burton won in double-overtime when the Xfinity last raced at Talladega in April 2023. Burton, the son of NASCAR Cup Series driver Ward Burton, held off Sheldon Creed by 0.113 seconds. Parker Kligerman finished third, with Cole Custer fourth and Brennan Poole fifth.
Last race: Aric Almirola ran down Xfinity playoff leader and defending series champion Cole Custer to win at Kansas. It was Almirola’s first win at Kansas and sixth in his Xfinity career. Almirola beat Custer to the finish line by 0.660 seconds, with Chandler Smith trailing in third.
Fast facts: Custer remained on top as he tries for a second straight Xfinity title. He’s got a five-point lead over Chandler Smith as contenders head to the second event in three-race round of 12. … The round ends at the Charlotte Roval on Oct. 12. … Austin Hill is third on the playoff grid with Sam Mayer fourth followed by Creed, Shane van Gisbergen, Jesse Love and Riley Herbst the rest of the drivers currently in position to advance. … Justin Allgaier is first on the bubble, just a point in back of Herbst. … The others on the bad side of the cutline are A.J. Allmendinger, Parker Kligerman and Sammy Smith.
