The Cup Series continues today as it visits Talladega Superspeedway for the 2024 YellaWood 500. First opened in 1969, Talladega Superspeedway is a 2.66 mile, asphalt tri-oval with 33 degrees of banking in the turns and 16.5 degrees of banking in the tri-oval that has arguably claimed more race cars than any other track in existence. With Talladega being smack in the middle of the Playoffs (second of three races in the Round of 12), there will be 12 drivers holding their breath as they go around the track this afternoon in hopes that their championship aspirations don’t take a massive hit today.
Strategy? There is no fucking strategy. Make sure you have enough gas for the endless Green-White-Checkered finishes that we all know will be happening and pray you make it to the finish line in one piece. These races always seem to turn into fuel conservation/demolition derbies at the end, so the playbook doesn’t really matter today. Raw speed and good handling still go a long way, but with the possibility of a wreck at any given moment, it’s almost a moot point today. We’ve seen plenty of back markers finish in the top 10 at drafting tracks because they avoid the chaos and cruise to a top 10 finish. Because of that, expect the unexpected. Lastly, strap in and pray, that’s all I got for ya.
The YellaWood 500 was first held in 1969 and has produced a variety of winners through the years, including Richard Brickhouse, Pete Hamilton, Bobby Allison, James Hylton, Dick Brooks, Richard Petty, Buddy Baker, Dave Marcis, Donnie Allison, Lennie Pond, Darrell Waltrip, Neil Bonnett, Ron Bouchard, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Cale Yarborough, Bobby Hillin Jr., Bill Elliott, Ken Schrader, Terry Labonte, Ernie Irvan, Jimmy Spencer, Sterling Marlin, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Waltrip, Brian Vickers, Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott, just to name a few.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. has the most wins in this race, finding victory lane seven times. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., has won this race three times, while Darrell Waltrip, Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney each have a pair of wins in this race,
Last year’s edition was won by Ryan Blaney, who took the lead for good on the final restart to take the victory and jump start his championship run. William Byron finished in second, Denny Hamlin in third, Corey LaJoie in fourth and Austin Cindric rounded out the top 5. Joey Logano finished in 24th after leading a race-high 48 laps, while 24 drivers led at least one lap over the course of the race.
Coverage of the YellaWood 500 can be seen on NBC, with pre-race beginning at 1:30 PM EST and green flag coverage beginning at 2 PM EST.
Per usual, I am picking a little-known driver with a high car number to fade this week. I don’t see Carson Hocevar having a strong performance in today’s race.
Bubba Wallace isn’t competing for anything playoff-wise, but that doesn’t mean he won’t show up. A past winner at Talladega, Bubba will surely finish within the top 20.
Ryan Blaney has finished in the top 10 in four out of his last seven races at Talladega. Might as well make it five out of his last eight today.
Denny Hamlin has won before at Talladega, including a thrilling finish in 2020. While he wrecked out in the previous race there this season, we think Hamlin will take the checkered flag this time!
Discover more from Birdies and Burnouts
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.