Talladega Superspeedway is Earnhardt country and you can expect the debauchery to be running at all-time highs as Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes his second-to-last appearance as a driver at the 2.66-mile Alabama track.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Junior (six) are responsible for 16 wins at NASCAR’s longest track but the only thing to expect at Talladega on Sunday is the unexpected.
This has been true at restrictor-plate tracks where surprise winners sometimes emerge from the field in the crash-filled races. With the advent of the win-and-you’re-in playoff format, a surprise Talladega winner would get more than just the thrill of winning, he/she would likely earn a spot in the playoffs.
This weekend the Xfinity Series joins the Cup Series at the second restrictor-plate track, a rules package dominated by Fords in recent years (13 wins in the last 25 races).
Here’s the weekend schedule.
NASCAR at Talladega schedule, TV channel info
(All times ET)
Friday, May 5
11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Xfinity Series practice, FS1
1:30-2:25 p.m.: Xfinity Series final practice, FS1
2:30-3:25 p.m.: Cup Series practice, FS1
4:30-5:25 p.m.: Cup Series final practice, FS1
Saturday, May 6
10:30 a.m.: Xfinity Series qualifying, FS1
1 p.m.: Xfinity Series Sparks Energy 300 (113 laps, 300.58 miles), Fox
4 p.m.: Cup Series qualifying, Fox
What TV channel is the NASCAR race at Talladega on?
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Geico 500 begins Sunday at 2 p.m. ET and can be seen on Fox and the Fox Sports Go app.
What are the stage lengths for NASCAR at Talladega?
The Geico 500, which is 188 laps and 500.08 miles, will be broken into three stages. Stage 1 ends on Lap 55, Stage 2 ends on Lap 110 and the final stage ends on Lap 188.
The Xfinity Series race at Talladega will be broken into three stages: Lap 25, Lap 50 and Lap 113.
Which NASCAR drivers are racing at Talladega?
There are 42 Cup drivers entered in the Geico 500, meaning two drivers will fail to qualify on Friday for Sunday’s race. Here is the list of participating Cup drivers in alphabetical order:
