Christopher Bell opened the season with an impressive run, capturing three straight victories, while his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin, answered with two consecutive wins of his own. Kyle Larson has since claimed two of the last four Cup Series races, including a hard-fought win at Bristol Motor Speedway just before the Easter break.
Despite his busy and successful stretch — which included Indianapolis 500 testing earlier this week and a World of Outlaws victory in Florida on Friday — Larson remains cautious about any supposed momentum heading into Talladega.
“It’s just a normal-ish week for me, sitting in a race car every day,” Larson said Saturday. “I race so often that a week of racing can make the week before feel like a long time ago.”
Larson’s blistering form would normally be cause for concern among competitors — but Talladega’s high-speed, chaotic brand of racing has never been his strong suit. While Larson posted a career-best superspeedway finish with a third place at Atlanta earlier this year, he has historically struggled at the biggest drafting tracks. He has twice finished fourth at Talladega but has yet to crack the top 10 at Daytona.
“I enjoy coming here because the crowd is into it,” Larson admitted. “I don’t enjoy the racing, honestly. I don’t know if many people do. We haven’t finished well here the majority of the time.”
Talladega's Tradition of Variety
Talladega's unpredictable nature is well documented. The 2.66-mile track has crowned nine different winners in the last nine Cup Series races — the longest such streak in its history. Since Ryan Blaney’s back-to-back victories in 2019 and 2020, the list of winners has included names like Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Blaney, Tyler Reddick, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
The hallmark of racing at Talladega — along with Atlanta and Daytona — is pack drafting, where drivers rely on aerodynamics and precision to navigate the tightly-bunched field. This style often leaves little margin for error and has reinforced the role of sheer luck in determining race outcomes.
“Luck is more important now, certainly, than it has ever been in history,” Hamlin noted. “But it’s always had a role. It is just that the (percentage) numbers have grown.”
Last fall’s playoff race at Talladega illustrated that vividly, producing the largest crash in NASCAR history, involving 28 cars just four laps from the finish. Stenhouse ultimately survived the chaos to claim victory in overtime.
Front Row Motorsports Finds Speed Again
In Saturday’s qualifying session, Zane Smith continued Front Row Motorsports’ superspeedway prowess by securing his first career Cup Series pole with a lap of 182.174 mph. Smith edged out Kyle Busch and Joey Logano for the top spot, while Ty Gibbs was the fastest Toyota driver in 10th.
Smith’s pole extends Front Row’s impressive record on drafting tracks, with the team now claiming six poles in the last eight races at Talladega and Daytona combined. Michael McDowell, now driving for Spire Motorsports, swept both poles at Talladega last season.
Crew Chief Shake-Up at Spire
Meanwhile, change was in the air at Spire Motorsports this week as the team parted ways with veteran crew chief Rodney Childers after just nine races working with driver Justin Haley. Haley said he had no involvement in the decision.
“I showed up on Tuesday, had our normal 8 a.m. meeting with the No. 7 team to plan for Talladega, and after my meetings, I was notified,” Haley explained. “It was unexpected, but honestly, nothing surprises me in this sport anymore.”
Haley, who himself joined Spire midway through last season after replacing Corey LaJoie, emphasized the team's aggressive pursuit of winning as the driving force behind the move.
“If one little thing isn’t right, you’re not going to win races, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Haley said. “Spire is putting so much time, effort, and resources into winning. They’re not afraid to make big changes.”
Race Odds and Notables
Heading into Sunday’s race, Ryan Blaney sits as the betting favorite at +900 according to BetMGM Sportsbook, with Keselowski and Logano both listed at +1200. Despite a rough start to the season that sees him ranked 31st in the Cup standings, Keselowski remains a threat at Talladega, where he leads all active drivers with six career wins.
Elsewhere, Bell’s earlier win at Atlanta was a milestone for Joe Gibbs Racing, marking the team's first drafting track victory since NASCAR introduced the Next Gen car in 2022.
As NASCAR’s stars prepare to tackle one of the sport’s wildest stages, one thing is certain: at Talladega, expect the unexpected.