Key information for Sunday’s NASCAR playoff race at Talladega

One ticket to the NASCAR Cup Series championship four race is secured.

Denny Hamlin punched his ticket to the season finale at Phoenix Raceway by pulling away over the final four laps to take a victory over Kyle Larson by 1.533 seconds. This win marks Hamlin’s 60th career victory in the Cup Series, which ties him with Kevin Harvick for 10th-most in series history.

The victory also secures Hamlin’s first appearance in the championship four since 2021. He has been eliminated in the Round of 8 in each of the last three years.

Now, it’s time to find out who will join him in Phoenix with a shot at the championship.

The calendar takes the Cup Series to Talladega this week in the final superspeedway race of the year. With Talladega, it’s typically not a matter of if but when ‘The Big One’ will happen. A multi-car wreck is a certainty at the longest oval of the year with steep banking and high speeds.

Austin Cindric won the spring race at Talladega – the Jack Link’s 500 – but was eliminated from playoff contention after the Round of 12.

With seven drivers still in playoff contention fighting for a spot in the championship four, anything could happen. Here’s everything you need to know to get ready for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, Oct. 19:

What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Darlington start?

The YellaWood 500 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 19 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.

What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega?

The YellaWood 500 will be broadcast on NBC, the home of the Cup Series’ final three races of the season. Pre-race coverage will start at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega?

Yes, the YellaWood 500 will be streamed on Peacock, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Stream the NASCAR race at Talladega on Fubo

How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega?

The YellaWood 500 is 188 laps around the 2.66-mile track for a total of 500.08 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 60 laps; Stage 3: 68 laps.

NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings

Here’s how things look as the playoff field hits the second race in the Round of 8. The bottom four drivers will be eliminated after Martinsville.

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kyle Larson (+4)
3. Christopher Bell (+19)
4. Chase Briscoe (+24)
5. William Byron (+39)
6. Chase Elliott (+47)
7. Joey Logano (+48)
8. Ryan Blaney (+55)

Who won the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega last year?

Last year’s YellaWood 500 featured one of the closest finishes of the year. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. earned his lone win of the season by 0.006 seconds over Brad Keselowski. The No. 47 Chevrolet driver ended his win drought on a superspeedway after previously winning the 2023 Daytona 500. William Byron’s push on the final lap got Stenhouse Jr. ahead of Keselowski to cause a bit of chaos in the Round of 12. Stenhouse Jr. led a total of 19 laps in a race affected by a massive wreck with five laps remaining. With 28 cars involved, it was the biggest Cup Series wreck since 2002. Keselowski, Byron, Kyle Larson and Erik Jones rounded out the top five runners.

What is the lineup for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega?

1. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
2. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
4. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
5. Ryan Preece, No. 60 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
6. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
7. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
8. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
9. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
10. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
11. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
12. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
13. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
14. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
15. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
16. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
17. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
18. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
19. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
20. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
21. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
22. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
23. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford 
24. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
25. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
26. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
27. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford 
28. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
29. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
30. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
31. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
32. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
33. Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
34. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
35. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
36. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
37. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
38. Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet
39. BJ McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
40. Casey Mears, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford

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