Venue & Race Info
Location: Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln, Alabama
Track Specs: 2.66-mile tri-oval, 33° banking in turns, longest oval on the NASCAR schedule
Race Distance: 188 laps / 500 miles
Start Time: Sunday, October 19, 2025, 2:00 PM ET
Broadcast: NBC (TV), Peacock (streaming), MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Weather Update
Forecast: Sunny, 76°F at green flag, light winds (5–8 mph). Perfect superspeedway conditions with minimal weather risk.
Injury / Team Updates
No major driver injuries reported.
Playoff context: Denny Hamlin is already locked into the Championship 4 with his Las Vegas win. Seven other playoff drivers are battling for three spots.
Driver Matchups
Ryan Blaney (Team Penske): 3 career Talladega wins, but enters 31 points below the cut line after a Vegas crash.
Joey Logano (Team Penske): 2-time YellaWood 500 winner (2015, 2016), also below the cut line.
Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports): 2 Talladega wins, fan favorite, needs a strong finish to stay alive.
William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports): Back-to-back Daytona 500 winner, but no Talladega wins yet.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Defending YellaWood 500 champion, all 4 career wins on superspeedways.
Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing): 2 Talladega wins, playoff pressure off after Vegas victory.
Team Recent Form
Team Penske: Historically dominant at Talladega, including Austin Cindric’s spring 2025 win.
Hendrick Motorsports: Byron and Elliott both strong in drafting races, but inconsistent in recent Talladega outings.
Joe Gibbs Racing: 5 career Talladega wins; Hamlin and Christopher Bell both strong in the draft.
Series History
Talladega has hosted Cup races since 1969.
Known for the “Big One” — multi-car wrecks that often eliminate contenders.
Last 5 YellaWood 500 winners: Stenhouse Jr. (2024), Blaney (2023), Elliott (2022), Bubba Wallace (2021), Denny Hamlin (2020).
Betting Trends
Underdogs thrive: Last 3 Talladega fall races won by drivers at +2000 or longer.
Team Penske: 4 wins in last 8 Talladega races.
Stage racing impact: Stage points critical for playoff drivers below the cut line (Blaney, Logano, Elliott).
Overtime finishes: 3 of last 5 YellaWood 500s extended beyond scheduled distance.
DRIVER ODDS
Ryan Blaney + 900
William Byron + 1000
Joey Logano + 1000
Austin Cindric + 1000
Chase Elliott + 1100
Kyle Larson + 1200
Denny Hamlin + 1800
Christopher Bell + 1800
Brad Keselowski + 1800
Tyler Reddick + 2000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. + 2000
Kyle Busch + 2000
Ross Chastain + 2200
Daniel Suarez + 2200
Chris Buescher + 2200
Chase Briscoe + 2200
Bubba Wallace + 2200
Josh Berry + 2500
Alex Bowman + 2500
Ryan Preece + 3000
Erik Jones + 3000
Austin Dillon + 3000
Michael McDowell + 3500
Carson Hocevar + 3500
Ty Gibbs + 4000
Todd Gilliland + 4000
Justin Haley + 4000
Ty Dillon + 4500
Shane Van Gisbergen + 5000
Zane Smith + 5500
Noah Gragson + 5500
John Hunter Nemechek + 6500
Cole Custer + 6500
AJ Allmendinger + 6500
Riley Herbst + 10000
Austin Hill + 10000
Cody Ware + 10000
Anthony Alfredo + 15000
Casey Mears + 20000
BJ McLeod + 30000
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, October 18, 2025
