CONCORD, N.C. - Who's ready for another drafting track in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?
This weekend, Hendrick Motorsports heads south to Talladega Superspeedway for the middle leg of the Round of 12. Coming into the main event, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers sit above the playoff cutline as the team looks to put all four cars into the Round of 8.
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Hendrick Motorsports leads the Cup Series in terms of Talladega wins with 14. Vice chairman Jeff Gordon's six victories are the most followed by Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson with two apiece. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Terry Labonte, Brian Vickers and Ken Schrader have each earned one victory for the team.
Where is NASCAR this weekend?
The Cup Series main event is at Talladega this Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
NASCAR on TV this week
Saturday, October 5
1:30 p.m. ET: Qualifying - USA Network
There will not be practice this weekend. Cars will all make single-car qualifying runs with the top-10 drivers advancing to the final round.
Kyle Larson will be the 31st driver to qualify followed by Elliott in 34th. Alex Bowman will be 37th while William Byron will be the 40th and final car to make a preliminary run on Saturday.
Sunday, October 6
2 p.m. ET: Cup Series main event - NBC
STAGES
STAGE 1: LAP 60
STAGE 2: LAP 120
END OF RACE: LAP 188
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NASCAR playoff standings Round of 12
- William Byron (+34)
- Ryan Blaney (+28)
- Christopher Bell (+28)
- Kyle Larson (+18)
- Denny Hamlin (+11)
- Alex Bowman (+8)
- Chase Elliott (+4)
- Joey Logano (+4)
9. Tyler Reddick (-4); 10. Daniel Suarez (-14); 11. Chase Briscoe (-25); 12. Austin Cindric (-29)
Will the NASCAR race be on the radio?
Yes, listeners can find the race on MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
Where can I stream NASCAR online?
Yes. Download the NBC Sports App for online coverage. Fans can also keep up with the action on X by following @TeamHendrick.
Talladega driver averages, statistics for Hendrick Motorsports drivers
Data provided by Racing Insights
Larson, No. 5 team
There's no two ways to put it. Talladega and Larson have mixed like oil and water throughout the pair's relationship. Despite having led 54 laps at the 2.66-mile circuit, Larson's 6 DNFs and 22.84 average finish are not ideal by any mark. That said, Sunday's main event provides a fresh start. In a year where he has yet to score a top-10 finish at a drafting track, Larson will aim to conquer the beast which is Talladega and protect his 15-point cushion with a solid run this weekend.
Elliott, No. 9 team
On the other hand, the driver of the No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet's statistics at Talladega are quite impressive. In the Next Gen era, Elliott has scored 31 more points than the next-closest driver. That includes his 2022 victory in the playoff race here as well. He's also finished on the lead lap in the last eight Talladega races, which is the longest active streak in the Cup Series. Sitting four markers above the cutline, Elliott will need to lean on this consistency to increase the gap before heading to Charlotte Motor Speedway's ROVAL to end the round.
Byron, No. 24 team
Kansas Speedway's main event seemed to be a turning point for Byron and the No. 24 team. With a stage victory and a runner-up result, Byron currently leads the points standings with a 34-point cushion to the cutline. While Talladega certainly presents unknowns, the team has shown speed at the drafting track in the past, highlighted by a runner-up finish in last year's playoff race.
Bowman, No. 48 team
Bowman's "Linsanity" run of the 2024 playoffs continued at Kansas with a stage victory and a sixth-place finish. Because of this, the No. 48 Ally Racing team vaulted from 7 points below the cutline to eight markers above it. In a race where chaos is right around the corner, Bowman will look to build off a Cup Series-best 53 stage points in the playoffs and a top-five result at Talladega in the spring to grow this gap to the cutline.
Hendrick Motorsports
This season has marked the fourth-straight campaign Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 races. Combine that with 59 total playoff victories and the Rick Hendrick-led team has seen their fair share of success in the postseason. For this weekend, the team will aim to win a second race at a drafting track this season, building off Byron's 2024 DAYTONA 500 crown.
Catch the Cup Series main event from Talladega at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).