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