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In The Know – Talladega

NASCAR CUP SERIES OVERVIEW:

●  Event:  YellaWood 500 (Round 31 of 36)

●  Time/Date:  2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 1

●  Location:  Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway

●  Layout:  2.66-mile oval

●  Laps/Miles:  188 laps/500 miles

●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps

●  TV/Radio:  NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

SHR FAST FACTS:

Kevin Harvick:

Kevin Harvick has made 45 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, collecting eight top-fives and a series-best 19 top-10s among active drivers. Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski lead the series with 10 top-fives apiece at Talladega while Joey Logano has the second-most top-fives with nine. The all-time leader at Talladega in every statistical category is Dale Earnhardt. The Intimidator won 10 races in 44 career starts and tallied 23 top-fives and 27 top-10s with 1,377 laps led.

Aric Almirola:

 In 27 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Almirola has one win, nine top-10 finishes, five top-fives, and has led 107 laps. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series on the 2.66-mile oval, Almirola visited victory lane in May 2017. Statistically speaking, Talladega is the track where he’s shown the most consistency. With his third-place finish in the June 2020 race there, Almirola tied the record of eight consecutive Talladega top-10s set by Dale Earnhardt Jr., from April 2001 to October 2004. Despite seeing his streak come to an abrupt end thanks to a multicar accident on lap 57 of the October 2020 race, followed by his 15th-place finish there a year ago this weekend, Almirola’s average finish in his last 10 Talladega outings is 14.4.

Chase Briscoe:

Life will imitate art at the 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway oval where Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will field two Ford Mustangs in Wonder Bread and Old Spice liveries. The championship-winning NASCAR team co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and Haas Automation founder Gene Haas will have Ryan Preece behind the wheel of the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang while Chase Briscoe drives the No. 14 Old Spice Ford Mustang.

Ryan Preece:

Preece heads to Talladega on Sunday for the eighth time of his Cup Series career. His first start at the Alabama track was in 2019 for JTG-Daugherty Racing, when he started 30th and finished third. The finish marked his first and only top-five at the track. He has two top 10s, 14 laps led and has completed 99.4 percent of laps attempted there. In his previous Talladega outing this past April, Preece started 16th in his No. 41 Ford Mustang but was involved in an accident that took him out of the race on lap 189. Preece has one NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Talladega – in 2016. He ran for JD Motorsports and started 26th and finished 15th. Preece also has one NASCAR Truck Series appearance at the track that came in 2022 for David Gilliland Racing. He started 10th and finished fourth.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS:

WHAT OUR DRIVERS ARE SAYING:

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Camo Ford Mustang:

Do you need to be lucky to be good at Talladega?

“With the way that superspeedway racing has evolved, especially with this particular car, you have to be aggressive because track position is so important. If you’re going to win the race, you need to maintain your track position all day. You can make up ground, but it’s definitely more difficult than it has been. All those pieces you can probably control, but the luck part is definitely a part of the equation. You have to be able to get lucky, miss some of the wrecks, and be in the right place at the right time to not get gathered up in the mess, because there are going to be some wrecks, there are going to be some situations, you’re going to have to be aggressive, you’re going to have to push, you’re going to have to shove, you’re going to have to do all of those things. You’re going to have to block in order to have a chance to keep yourself up front. But in the end, you’re going to have to have some luck.”

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang:

How does the intensity ramp up when you head to Talladega?

“Talladega is always intense, but it’s even more intense at the end of the season and in the playoffs. Everyone knows they have a shot to win at Talladega if they can be there at the end. It levels the playing field, so you have all the guys racing for a playoff spot and all the guys who want to get a win in the 2023 season that aren’t in the playoffs. The stakes are high and a lot of aggressive racing happens. I love Talladega and have always seemed to find my way up front. The 10 team always brings the speed to superspeedway races and they give me a great-handling car to make it happen. A lot of guys have Talladega circled on the calendar and a lot of guys don’t love it in the playoffs. It could either make or break your playoff run. I’m excited to just get out there knowing we’ll have a shot to run up front and bring home the bacon like we did in 2018.” 

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Old Spice Ford Mustang:

This is a really special moment for fans of Talladega Nights and NASCAR. How does it feel to be involved in bringing such iconic movie schemes to life?

“Talladega Nights is one of my all-time favorite movies. If you’re a NASCAR driver or fan and you can’t watch it and appreciate the how funny it is, then you’re missing out. I think the movie has really been embraced by fans and it probably brought some news eyes to our sport. I’m excited to be able to embrace the story and have some fun living out my Talladega Nights moment with Ryan.”

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang:

What’s your excitement level for this weekend at Talladega, having Wonder Bread on your car and representing such an iconic brand?

“This weekend is going to be so awesome. To have Wonder Bread on my car at Talladega is just such a cool opportunity. Not only is the brand one that is very well known in the NASCAR industry, it’s also well known among the fan base, too. The Talladega Nights movie is one that most people have seen and laughed at, and these really cool paint schemes will bring back memories. Getting to have my teammate Chase Briscoe in the Old Spice car just makes it all come together. Talladega is a historic track, and the movie is one that’s so popular and everyone embraces. There’s no better track to work with your teammates at than these superspeedways. We’re going to have so much fun this weekend and I hope we get the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang to victory lane.”

Talladega Scheme Unveil:

Two iconic brands are joining the SHR fleet for a fun weekend in Talladega! Ryan Preece + Wonder Bread and Chase Briscoe + Old Spice will be racing into the weekend ready to go fast on the banks of Talladega Superspeedway.

Talladega Commerical Reads:

Who doesn’t love a good commercial? Ryan Preece and Chase Briscoe ran through some ad reads for their favorite products to prepare for their big race at Talladega