Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!
Everything to Know about NASCAR’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega: Schedule, How to Watch
Sunday’s playoff event marks the 110th Cup Series race hosted at Talladega Superspeedway.
It wasn’t quite the same as his unforgettable “Hail Melon” wall ride maneuver two years ago in Martinsville, but NASCAR lightning rod Ross Chastain finally got to smash some juicy fruit in Kansas, along with the hopes and dreams of several elite playoff contenders who doggedly sought a coveted, automatic berth into the Cup Series’ Round of 8.
Trackhouse Racing’s intrepid speedster overtook former Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. after a restart with 20 laps to go in the Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN Bet while also managing to stave off a valiant effort from Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron, who took second place while the retiring Truex Jr. finished third. Chastain’s win marks the first victory for the seventh-generation watermelon farmer since his epic finale win in Phoenix, Arizona last year. While we should expect nothing less from the league’s ultimate “disruptor,” Chastain’s success in Kansas upended the playoff standings just in time for Talladega – a track that’s every bit as unpredictable as the Watermelon Man himself.
The last time the Cup Series raced at Talladega in April, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick captured the checkered flag; brefore that, it was Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney winning this very race, the 2023 YellaWood 500, in a wild photo finish, thanks to a slight, last-second nudge from Byron. Now, as Reddick, Blaney and the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series drivers prepare to throttle back into gear this Sunday, here’s everything you need to know about the YellaWood 500 at Talladega.
RELATED: Where to Watch the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs
Location
First run in 1969 with Richard Brickhouse motoring his way to victory in the inaugural race, the YellaWood 500 will be held at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. When it comes to the largest oval on the NASCAR circuit, along with his 23 top-five finishes, legendary wheelman Dale Earnhardt still owns the record for the most wins (10) on Talladega’s infamous 2.66-mile track. Between the 33 degrees of banking in the turns and 16.5 degrees of banking in the track’s tri-oval, teammates assisting each other while drafting along the three-degree banked backstretch is of paramount importance and vital for success. This is a track where any and everything can happen.
When is the YellaWood 500?
The YellaWood 500 will take place Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Prior to the Cup Series race on Sunday, Talladega Superspeedway will host the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the United Rentals 250, on Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Where to watch the YellaWood 500
All the high-octane action from the postseason race at Talladega Superspeedway live on NBC. The earlier qualifying heats on Saturday will be televised on USA Network and NBC.
Key storylines
While Ross Chastain wasn’t competing for any postseason glory, his win in Kansas still managed to send shockwaves through NASCAR’s top flight with another shakeup in the Cup Series playoff standings ahead of Talladega. William Byron made the biggest jump by garnering a race-high 17 stage points to move him into first, while a cut on Kyle Larson’s tire relegated Yung Money to a 26th-place finish, dropping him to fourth in the playoff standings. With that in mind, here are a couple key storylines for Sunday’s Cup Series race of the YallaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Reddick hanging by a thread
Regular season champion Tyler Reddick faltered to a 25th-place finish in Kansas despite his resume suggesting he had all the tools to shine. He now finds himself four points below the cutline and, to make matters worse, his team 23XI Racing (and Front Row Motorsports) is now embroiled in a major anti-trust lawsuit against the league after owner Michael Jordan sued NASCAR and its chairman Bill France over the league’s revenue sharing model. Despite the fact that Reddick won the Geico 500 in Talladega in April, that’s a whole lot of noise to contend with for a driver who’s about as quiet as they come.
Hendrick Motorsports throttles up
All four drivers from Hendrick Motorsports – William Byron, Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott – currently reside above the cutline. Though Larson had an off day in Kansas, his speed’s been consistent all year, so one might expect the California native to bounce back at Talladega, despite being a bit historically snake-bitten on draft-intensive tracks. Meanwhile, now at the top spot, Byron will seek to keep it that way while Elliott and "Bowman the Showman" eye strong performances to keep them aloft in the standings.
The dangerous nuances of Talladega
Boasting the title of the longest and the most competitive track on the NASCAR schedule with a record of 88 lead changes in 188 laps, Talladega Superspeedway is both one to fear and one to respect. The track has a deep, storied history of stomach-churning wrecks, dating back to Bobby Allison. The danger’s been so prevalent that the league announced Tuesday it is instituting aerodynamic changes to all Cup Cars to help prevent them from going airborne. But at speeds that now top 200 mph with cars sometimes running in a four-wide row, Sunday could still potentially add to its legacy of turning complete cars into complete scraps.
The Blaney bounce-back
Another Cup Series postseason means Ryan Blaney has a chance to repeat his victory of the 2023 YellaWood 500. In fact, in the 20 races he’s competed in at Talladega Superspeedway, Blaney has secured six top-five finishes, including three victories and two runner-up finishes. If the Team Penske driver has success in Alabama this weekend, that could very well pave way for him to hoist the Cup in the coming weeks.
Playoff standings
After Ross Chastain triumphed over the postseason field in Kansas last weekend, here is the current breakdown of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs standings before the YellaWood 500 kicks off at Talladega this Sunday.
- William Byron, +34
- Ryan Blaney, +28
- Christopher Bell, +28
- Kyle Larson, +18
- Denny Hamlin, +11
- Alex Bowman, +8
- Chase Elliott, +4
- Joey Logano, +4
ON THE BUBBLE
- Tyler Reddick, -4
- Daniel Suárez, -14
- Chase Briscoe, -25
- Austin Cindric, -29
