NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: YellaWood 500
The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
The Date: Sunday, October 1
The Time: 2 p.m. ET
The Purse: $8,806,315
TV: NBC, 1 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 500 miles (188 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 188)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
The Date: Saturday, October 7
The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,360,791
TV: NBC, 3 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 155.44 miles (67 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 67)
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: Love’s RV Stop 250
The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
The Date: Saturday, September 30
The Time: 1 p.m. ET
The Purse: $779,790
TV: FS1, 12 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 250.04 miles (94 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 94)
NASCAR Cup Series
Playoffs heat up at Talladega Superspeedway
Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron grabbed the win at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend securing his spot in the next round of the postseason, leaving the remaining 11 contenders still vying for one of the spots in the Round of 8 with two races left in the Round of 12 – Talladega Superspeedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. This weekend the competitors will have to face one of the biggest hurdles in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, as Talladega Superspeedway opens the gates and unleashes its 2.66-miles of asphalt with 33 degrees of banking in the turns for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
The 2023 season marks the seventh consecutive year Talladega Superspeedway will host the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2017-2023) – Race No. 31 of the season. Talladega is the third different track to host the fifth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs; joining Charlotte Motor Speedway (2004 – 2014) and Kansas Speedway (2015 – 2016). The 2.66-mile track is the largest paved oval the series competes on with 33 degrees of banking in the turns.
Talladega Superspeedway has participated in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs since its inception into the series in 2004 and has occupied five different spots on the postseason schedule. Talladega has hosted the third race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2004 – 2005); the fourth race (2006 – 2008 and 2012); the fifth race (2017-2023); the sixth race (2011, 2013 – 2016); and the seventh race (2009 – 2010).
A total of 15 different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races at Talladega Superspeedway. Brad Keselowski (2017, 2014), Clint Bowyer (2010-2011), Jamie McMurray (2009, 2013) and Joey Logano (2015-2016) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Playoff wins at Talladega Superspeedway with two victories each. Seven of the 15 Talladega Playoff race winners are active this weekend and four of the seven are Playoff contenders this year – Bubba Wallace (2021), Denny Hamlin (2020), Ryan Blaney (2019), Brad Keselowski (2014, 2017).
| Talladega Superspeedway Playoff Race Winners | ||
| Track | Race Winner | Date |
| Talladega | Chase Elliott | Sunday, October 2, 2022 |
| Talladega | Bubba Wallace | Monday, October 4, 2021 |
| Talladega | Denny Hamlin | Sunday, October 4, 2020 |
| Talladega | Ryan Blaney | Sunday, October 13, 2019 |
| Talladega | Aric Almirola | Sunday, October 14, 2018 |
| Talladega | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, October 15, 2017 |
| Talladega | Joey Logano | Sunday, October 23, 2016 |
| Talladega | Joey Logano | Sunday, October 25, 2015 |
| Talladega | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, October 19, 2014 |
| Talladega | Jamie McMurray | Sunday, October 20, 2013 |
| Talladega | Matt Kenseth | Sunday, October 7, 2012 |
| Talladega | Clint Bowyer | Sunday, October 23, 2011 |
| Talladega | Clint Bowyer | Sunday, October 31, 2010 |
| Talladega | Jamie McMurray | Sunday, November 1, 2009 |
| Talladega | Tony Stewart | Sunday, October 5, 2008 |
| Talladega | Jeff Gordon | Sunday, October 7, 2007 |
| Talladega | Brian Vickers | Sunday, October 8, 2006 |
| Talladega | Dale Jarrett | Sunday, October 2, 2005 |
| Talladega | Dale Earnhardt Jr | Sunday, October 3, 2004 |
During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Era (2004-Present), the winner of the Talladega Superspeedway Playoff race has never gone on to win the title in the same season. But twice the Talladega Playoff race winner has finished runner-up in the championship standings at the end of the season: Jeff Gordon (2007) and Joey Logano (2016).
The worst finish in a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway by a driver that went on to win the title that same season was 37th by Kyle Larson in 2021.
A total of 15 different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series fifth race in the Playoffs; nine of the 15 are active this weekend and four are currently in the Playoffs – Bubba Wallace (2022 Talladega), Denny Hamlin (2021 Talladega), Ryan Blaney (2019 Talladega) and Brad Keselowski (2017 Talladega and 2013 Charlotte).
Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins in the fifth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with three victories (2004, 2005, 2009 – all at Charlotte Motor Speedway). Brad Keselowski (2013 Charlotte and 2017 Talladega) and Kevin Harvick (2014 Charlotte and 2016 Kansas) lead all active drivers in wins in the fifth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with two each.
| Playoff Race No. 5 – Race Winners (Race No. 31 of 36) | ||
| Track | Race Winner | Date |
| Talladega | Chase Elliott | Sunday, October 2, 2022 |
| Talladega | Bubba Wallace | Monday, October 4, 2021 |
| Talladega | Denny Hamlin | Sunday, October 4, 2020 |
| Talladega | Ryan Blaney | Sunday, October 13, 2019 |
| Talladega | Aric Almirola | Sunday, October 14, 2018 |
| Talladega | Brad Keselowski | Sunday, October 15, 2017 |
| Kansas | Kevin Harvick | Sunday, October 16, 2016 |
| Kansas | Joey Logano | Sunday, October 18, 2015 |
| Charlotte | Kevin Harvick | Saturday, October 11, 2014 |
| Charlotte | Brad Keselowski | Saturday, October 12, 2013 |
| Charlotte | Clint Bowyer | Saturday, October 13, 2012 |
| Charlotte | Matt Kenseth | Saturday, October 15, 2011 |
| Charlotte | Jamie McMurray | Saturday, October 16, 2010 |
| Charlotte | Jimmie Johnson | Saturday, October 17, 2009 |
| Charlotte | Jeff Burton | Saturday, October 11, 2008 |
| Charlotte | Jeff Gordon | Saturday, October 13, 2007 |
| Charlotte | Kasey Kahne | Saturday, October 14, 2006 |
| Charlotte | Jimmie Johnson | Saturday, October 15, 2005 |