Frankie Muniz explains why the NASCAR Playoffs have improved the sport as a whole
Actor Frankie Muniz has dedicated the last few years of his life to a career in auto racing and explains why he loves NASCAR’s current playoff contender.
Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
The NASCAR Cup Series reaches its biggest and fastest track as the second round of the playoffs gets underway at Talladega Superspeedway.
Talladega is known for its high-speed racing and wild multi-vehicle crashes known as “The Big One.” Racing at Talladega can be treacherous and unpredictable. The main goal is victory, of course, but for the playoff drivers hoping to advance to the next round, this race is about survival – figuratively speaking – and avoiding disaster that forces a driver into a winning situation could be in the elimination race next weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
There’s only one playoff driver who doesn’t have to sweat this race: William Byron, who won the second round opener at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend. This victory automatically secured the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s place in the round of 8. However, the pressure is on for the 11 other championship contenders.
Here’s all the information you need to prepare for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway:
When does the Cup race start at Talladega?
The YellaWood 500 starts at 2:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. local time) at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.
What TV station is the Talladega Cup race on?
NBC broadcasts the YellaWood 500 and has a pre-race show starting at 1:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. local time), while Peacock has a post-race show at 6:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. local time). will have.
Will there be a live stream of the Talladega Cup race?
The YellaWood 500 can be streamed live on the NBC Sports website and NBC Sports app.
NASCAR PLAYOFFS: Where do the drivers stand after the first race of the second round?
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What are the rankings before the second round in Talladega?
(*-former champion; X-secured place in the round of 16):
How many laps is the Cup race at Talladega?
The YellaWood 500 involves 188 laps around the 2.66 mile long oval, a total of 500 miles. The race consists of three sections (laps per stage) – Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 60 laps; Stage 3: 68 laps.
Who won the last races at Talladega?
Kyle Busch won the April 23, 2023 spring race in double overtime, taking the lead from Bubba Wallace on the final lap before a multi-car accident in Turn 2 brought out the yellow flag and ended the race under caution. It was Busch’s second Cup Series victory at this track.
And a year ago, Chase Elliott led a total of 10 laps in the playoff race and took the lead for the final time after passing Ryan Blaney on the final lap before leaving Blaney behind by 0.046 seconds on October 2, 2022. It was also Elliott’s second career Cup Series victory at the track.
What is the lineup for the YellaWood 500?
(Car number in brackets; P-playoff driver)
1. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
2. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
3. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
4. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
5. (6) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford
6. (36) Riley Herbst, Ford
7. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
8. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
9. (23) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota
10. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
11. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
12. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
13. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
14. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
15. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
16. (19) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota
17. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford
18. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
19. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford
20. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
21. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford
22. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
23. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
24. (17) Chris Buescher (P), Ford
25. (8) Kyle Busch (P), Chevrolet
26. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet
27. (51) JJ Yeley, Ford
28. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
29. (15) Brennan Poole, Ford
30. (31) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
31. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
32. (1) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet
33. (77) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
34. (13) Chandler Smith, Chevrolet
35. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
36. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
37. (78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet
38. (42) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet