MOTORSPORT AMERICA PHOTOS OF THE NASCAR CUP RACE AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
Kyle Larson & Family with the YellaWood Race Sponsors in Victory Lane at Talladega
Motorsport America Photos of the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 5oo at Talladega Superspeedway
Photos by Fred Hanyon & Greg McWilliams
by Derek Jackson
Kyle Larson came from 11th to 1st in a dramatic last lap 1/4-mile dash and his first win at Talladega. In doing so he put a commanding lead on the NASCAR Cup Points Chase by 73 points over 2nd place Denny Hamlin with two races remaining in the season.
Austin Hill from Douglas County, Georgia started on the front row of the race beside Chase Briscoe and was leading briefly on the race on the last lap along the backstretch, when he then ran out of fuel in a race filled with drama.
On lap 134 Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney’s championship season hopes were dashed by Bubba Wallace, when Wallace ran into the back of Blaney in a wreck that collected 11 cars. It was immediately called “the big one”, but the race wasn’t over yet.
With four laps to go in the race, Caution Hocevar ran into the back of Team Penske’s Joey Logano in the Tri-Oval, causing him to go airborne and flip in a dramatic wreck that saw Logano sliding across the start finish-line almost to Turn One, further cementing Caution Hocevar’s reputation for wrecking people in hopes of winning himself. Consequences be dammed.
The late-race-wreck claimed 16 cars and a badly injured Riley Herbst when the No. 35 Herbst hit the outside wall in the Tri-Oval and then rocketed across the track into the inside wall. AMR Safety Teams were immediately on-scene and extracted both drivers from their cars in a Red Flag event. Logano was un-injured in the dramatic wreck that saw his car create a shower of sparks as he slid on his roof down the front stretch. Hocevar later claimed that he wasn’t paying attention to what was happening in front of him but instead was “looking in the mirror”.
When the race restarted Austin Hill passed Kyle Larson with one lap remaining and Larson was shuffled back to 11th place. All of a sudden, Austin Hill ran out of gas when in 2nd place to Ricky Stenhouse and then fell back like a parachute was attached to his car. Larson then came from out of nowhere, from 11th to 1st in a 1/4-mile dash, claiming his first win at Talladega Superspeedway.
Motorsport America Photos of the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 5oo at Talladega Superspeedway
Photos by Fred Hanyon & Greg McWilliams
JOHNNY RAY’S BIG RIG WITH A BIG FLAG IS A PATRIOTIC TRADITON SINCE 2001.TALLADEGA’S PINK CORVETTE PACE CARTALLADEGA’S PINK CORVETTE COMES ONTO PIT ROAD AS AUSTIN HILL AND CHASE BRISCOE LEAD THE FIELD TO THE GREEN FLAG AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYTHE NASCAR CUP SERIES FIELD IN FRONT OF A PACKED HOUSE AT TALLADEGANo.10 T. DILLON HAD TO SERVE A PRE-RACE PENALTY FOR UNAPPROVED ADJUSTMENTSSVG, HERBST, ELLIOTT, WALLACE AND CHASTAIN EARLY IN THE RACENo. 33 AUSTIN HILL FROM WINSTON, GEORGIA LEADS THE WAY IN HIS RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING CHEVROLETLap 9 – No. 21 JOSH BERRY TO THE LEADLAP 16 – CODY WARE TO THE LEAD. JOSH BERRY IS SHUFFLED BACK TO 15thCUP DRIVERS ON THE HIGH BANKS OF TALLADEGA AS DRIVERS IMPLEMENT FUEL SAVINGS AND SLOWER SPEEDS AT NASCAR’S FASTEST TRACKLap 26 – DANIEL DYE TAKES THE LEAD OVER CODY WARERFK RACING’S RYAN PREECE, BRAD KESELOWSKI & CHRIS BUESCHER’S EPIC FIRST STAGE RUN DURING THE YELLAWOOD 500 AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY. THEY WOULD OPEN UP AT 39 SECOND LEAD OVER FOURTH PLACE No. 33 AUSTIN HILLJOEY LOGANO AT SPEED AT TALLADEGA2025 YELLAWOOD CHAMPION CHASE BRISCOERFK RACING’S PREECE, KESELOWSKI AND BUESCHER STRETCHED OUT A 43 SECOND LEAD IN THE FIRST STAGE, NEARLY LAPPING THE ENTIRE FIELD.Lap 30 – TEAM LAP TIMES ARE OVER 58 SECONDS AS FUEL SAVING STRATEGIES CONTINUE. THAT’S MORE THAN 7 SECONDS SLOWER THAN THE START OF THE RACE AT NASCAR’s FASTEST TRACK.FUEL SAVING STRATEGY AT NASCAR’s FASTEST TRACKTHE REST OF THE FIELD IN PURSUIT OF THE RFK DRIVERSBRAD KESELOWSKI PIT STOP AFTER HIS EPIC FIRST STAGE RUN AT TALLADEGABRAD KESELOWSKI GET’S A NEW WINSHEILD TEAR-OFF DURING HIS PIT STOP AT TALLADEGABRAD GETS THE GO-SIGNAL AFTER TOPPING OFF WITH SUNOCO RACING FUELDENNY HAMLIN’S CREW KEEPS WATCH ON TURN 4 AS THEY AWAIT THEIR DRIVER’S STOP ON PIT ROADCHRIS BEUSCHER’S PIT STOP AS THE FIELD FOLLOWS SUITCHRIS BUESCHER’S FRONT TIRE CHANGER NARROWLY AVOIDS DISASTER AS DENNY HAMLIN SLAMS ON THE BREAKS GOING INTO HIS PIT STALL.DENNY HAMLIN PIT IN A CLOUD OF SMOKE AT TALLADEGA USAHAMLIN IS HELD IN PLACE BY A CREW MEMBER AS HE TOPS-OFF AND GETS EVERY OUNCE OF SUNOCO RACING FUELBYRON & BOWMAN LEAD A PACK OF CUP CARS ONTO PIT ROAD AT TALLADEGAALEX BOWMAN’S PIT STOP AT TALLADEGA IN FRONT OF THE PACKED GRANDSTANDWILLIE B RETURNS TO THE FIELDLAP 50 – CASEY MEARS AND THE MEARS GANG PIT STOP AT TALLADEGA. CASEY MEARS & CAUTION HOCEVAR INCURRED A PIT ROAD SPEEDING PENALY ON THE LAP. THIS WAS CASEY MEARS FIRST NASCAR CUP RACE SINCE HE LEFT THE SERIES IN 2019.DANIEL SUAREZ, MICHAEL McDOWELL AND TY GIBBS SINGLE FILE ON THE FRONTSTRETCHLAP 54 – CHRISTOPHER BELL LEADS REDDICK, HERBST, WALLACE AND HAMLIN. THEY STILL NEED TO PIT.LOGANO BATTLES McDOWELL ON THE FRONTSTRETCHCHASE ELLIOTT WON THE XFINITY FASTEST LAP AWARD OF THE RACE AT 201.405 MPH ON LAP 73, MARKING THE FIRST 200+MPH LAP IN A NEXT GEN CARTYLER REDDICK AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYCHRISTOPHER BELL’S WOES CONTINUE AFTER HE IS FORCE TO PIT AGAIN ON LAP 59 WITH A TIRE RUB. ON LAP 53 BELL SUFFERED A SINGLE CAR CRASH ON HIS ENTRANCE TO PIT ROADCHRISTOPHER BELL’S WOES CONTINUED AS THE SINGLE CAR CRASH PUT HIM 12 LAPS DOWN FOR THE DAYTYLER REDDICK’S DAMAGED TOYOTA AFTER THE LAP 132 WRECK ON THE BACKSTRETCH AT TALLADEGARYAN PREECE PULLS ONTO PIT ROAD FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT ON THE BACKSTRETCH THAT COLLECTED SEVERAL CARS, INCLUDING CHASE CONTENDER RYAN BLANEY.JOEY LOGANO AND ROSS CHASTAIN ON PIT ROAD AT TALLADEGA IN FRONT OF A PACKED HOUSETY GIBBS No. 54 MONSTER ENERGY TOYOTAKYLE LARSON ON PIT ROAD AT TALLADEGAA.J. ALLMENDINGER COMPETES FOR KAULIG RACINGRYAN PREECE RETURNS TO PIT ROAD TO REPAIR DAMAGE TO HIS FORD MUSTANGAUSTIN HILL’S No. 33 UNITED RENTALS CHEVYWINSTON, GEORGIA’S AUSTIN HILL GET THE SIGNAL TO GO AFTER FILLING UP WITH SUNOCO RACING FUELTODD GILLILAND HITS PIT ROAD AT TALLADEGACONNOR ZILISCH PULLS INTO HIS PIT STALL FOR SERVICECONNOR ZILISCH GETS SERVICED ON PIT ROAD AT TALLADEGALATE IN THE RACE, THE FIELD PICKS UP SPEEDNOAH “NACHO” GRAGSON STARTED THE RACE IN 39th AND FINISHED 20thNo. 66 GRAY GAULDING LED THE RACE FOR FIVE LAPS AT TALLADEGA. GAULDING STARTED THE RACE DEAD-LAST IN 40TH POSITION BUT WOUND UP FINISHING THE RACE IN 23rd.Lap 184 – THE “BIG ONE” HAPPENS ON THE FRONT STRETCH AS CAUTION HOCEVAR GETS INTO THE BACK OF JOEY LOGANOAFTER CAUTION HOCEVAR SPINS JOEY LOGANO, HE DARTS OUT OF THE WAY AS CHASE BRISCOE T-BONES LOGANOJOEY LOGANO IS INTO THE OUTSIDE WALL AS CAUTION HOCEVAR THE TAGS ERIK JONESCHASE BRISCOE CRUSHES JOEY LOGANO’S CAR, AS CAUTION HOCEVAR TAGS ERIK JONES, WHICH SETS OFF A CHAIN REACTIONJOEY LOGANO GOES AIRBORNE AS CONNOR ZILISCH, AUSTIN CINDRIC AND RILEY HERBST BECOME INVOLVEDJOEY LOGANO GOES AIRBORNE AS SEVERAL CARS ARE COLLECTED IN THE WRECKJOEY LOGANO FLIPS UPSIDE DOWN AS RILEY HERBST THEN MAKES CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WALL AND ROCKETS ACROSS THE TRACK AND HAS A HORRIFIC CRASH WHICH HE SUSTAINED A SEVERE ARM INJURYJOEY LOGANO FLIPS UPSIDE DOWN AND SLIDES THROUGH THE TRI-OVAL ON HIS ROOF. THE RACE WAS THEN RED FLAGGED FOR CLEAN-UP. THE AMR SAFETY TEAM RIGHTED JOEY LOGANO’S CAR AND EXTRACTED HIM FROM THE VEHICLE, UNHARMED. CAUTION HOCEVAR’S CAR SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGED AND HE RESUMED THE RACE TO A 6TH PLACE FINISHA.J. ALLMENDINGER’S DAMAGED CHEVY FROM THE BIG ONE. THE WRECK ALSO INVOLVED LOGANO, HERBST, BERRY, BOWMAN, BUESCHER, CINDRIC, JONES, SUAREZ, SVG AND ZILISCHLAST LAP OF THE RACE – ON THE RESTART AFTER THE RED FLAG, KYLE LARSON WAS LEADING THROUGH TURNS ONE AND TWO. AUSTIN HILL THEN MADE A MOVE TO THE INSIDE AND BRIEFLY TOOK THE LEAD. HILL WAS IN 2nd PLACE TO STENHOUSE WHEN HE RAN OUT OF FUEL, FALLING BACK TO A P14 FINISH. IN THE ENSUING LAST LAP DRAMA, LARSON FELL BACK TO 11th PLACE……LARSON THEN WENT FROM 11th TO 1st IN A 1/4 MILE DASH THAT PROPELLED HIM TO THE LEAD. FANS ROSE TO THEIR FEET ON THE LAST LAP OF THE RACE, AS LARSON EDGES STENHOUSE FOR THE LEAD. LARSON WON THE RACE OVER A 2nd PLACE BYRON IN A PHOTO-FINSH BY A .041 SECOND MARGIN, FOLLOWED BY STENHOUSE, CHASTAIN AND CUSTER. CAUTION HOCEVAR FINISHED 6th, FOLLOWED BY GILLILAND, HAMLIN, BOWMAN AND McDOWELL.KYLE LARSON’S EPIC BURNOUT AFTER WINNING THE YELLAWOOD 500 AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYTHE AMR SAFTETY TEAM ARRIVES ON SCENE AS KYLE LARSON STANDS ON HIS CAR AFTER HIS BURNOUT AT TALLADEGAKYLE LARSON CELEBRATES IN VICTORY LANE AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYKYLE LARSON’S SON COOPER WITH THE CHECKERED FLAG IN VICTORY LANEKYLE LARSON AND FAMILY WITH THE YELLAWOOD RACE SPONSORS IN VICTORY LANE AT TALLADEGAKYLE LARSON AND FAMILY WITH THE YELLAWOOD RACE SPONSORS AND ASSOCIATES IN VICTORY LANE AT TALLADEGAKYLE LARSON AND FAMILY CELEBRATE HIS WINNING DAY AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY WITH THE ARMED FORCES FREEDOM TROPHY.KYLE LARSON WITH HIS CREW CHIEF CLIFF DANIELS CELEBRATE WINNING THE VULCAN TROPHY, WHICH IS A UNIQUE HAND-CRAFTED 100+ POUND IRON AWARD PRESENTED ANNUALLY TO THE WINNER IN VICTORY LANE. THE VULCAN TROPY IS MODELED AFTER THE ROMAN GOD VULCAN AND IS A MINATURE VERSION OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST CAST IRON STATUE IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA – A 56-FOOT-TALL MONUMENT OVERLOOKING THE CITY SINCE 1930S. THE DESIGN HONORS THE BOTH THE CITY’S INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE AND THE TOUGHNESS OF RACING AT NASCAR’S FASTEST TRACK.
