Playoff Pulse: Talladega lives up to billing with ‘Big One’ causing late drama
Called the most unpredictable track on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit, Talladega Superspeedway didn’t disappoint, providing late drama in the form of the “Big One” with five laps to go that shuffled the field and had huge playoff implications. We’ll be talking about the fallout from this version of the YellaWood 500 for a while, but for now, let’s take a look at the winners and losers from just another wild afternoon at the famed 2.66-mile superspeedway.
WINNER
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made it two wins in a row for non-playoff drivers as the JTG Daugherty Racing superspeedway ace held off Brad Keselowski in a photo finish for the victory by 0.006 seconds. The driver who just turned 37 on Wednesday recorded his fourth win in the NASCAR Cup Series — all on superspeedways — and his first since the 2023 Daytona 500.
WHO’S HOT?
Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell. They are not known for their superspeedway prowess, but Larson and Bell came home fourth and sixth at Talladega, respectively, bucking their history and putting themselves in safe positions heading to the Charlotte Roval. Bell sits 57 points above the elimination line while Larson is 52 up. And if you thought this might be the chance to knock out a couple of championship contenders, well, think again.
Denny Hamlin. The No. 11 team appeared to be cooked after taking two tires on a late pit stop and losing contact with the draft, but when the “Big One” happened late, that strategy call actually kept Hamlin out of harm’s way. It probably wasn’t the way crew chief Chris Gabehart drew it up, but Hamlin now sits 30 points above the elimination line heading to Charlotte.
WHO’S NOT?
Austin Cindric. He was five laps away from possibly getting a win and advancing to the Round of 8, but Cindric got too far out in front of the pack, which surged toward him and ultimately led to his spin on the backstretch that set off the “Big One.” Now, Cindric remains mired 29 points below the elimination line and likely needs a win at the Charlotte Roval in order to advance.
Daniel Suárez. His day started with NASCAR penalizing the No. 99 team for unapproved adjustments to the roof area and that meant starting from the rear, performing a pass-through penalty and going without car chief Eddie D’Hondt Jr., who was ejected. Then, Suárez spun and had to come to pit road in Stage 1 and finished the day involved in the “Big One.” Not quite what the superspeedway winner earlier this year at Atlanta might have envisioned as he’s 20 points below the elimination line.
