Talladega Superspeedway: A Potential Championship Gateway for the Xfinity Series
With the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship field yet to be finalized, Talladega Superspeedway is poised to play a pivotal role in the upcoming United Rentals 250. The race, set for 4 p.m. ET on the CW Network, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, could be the deciding factor for the final four positions.
The 2017 Talladega winner, Aric Almirola from Joe Gibbs Racing, secured a spot for his No. 19 Toyota in the owner's championship at the Phoenix grand finale on November 1. However, the drivers' title race remains a thrilling contest, especially as Talladega enters the final round for the first time.
Connor Zilisch, the championship leader and 10-race winner from JR Motorsports, finished second to Almirola in the Las Vegas opener, extending his lead to 82 points above the cutoff line and 38 points ahead of his teammate and reigning series champion, Justin Allgaier.
Richard Childress Racing's Jesse Love and Haas Factory Team's Sam Mayer are also in strong positions, with Love 20 points above the cutoff and Mayer eight points ahead.
However, the battle is far from over. Brandon Jones from JGR is the first driver below the cutoff, eight points behind Mayer. Sheldon Creed, Carson Kvapil, and Sammy Smith from Haas Factory Team and JR Motorsports, respectively, are separated by just two points, with Creed at -21, Kvapil at -22, and Smith at -24.
Love, Allgaier, and Creed have all achieved top-10 finishes at Talladega, with Creed holding the record for consecutive top-10 finishes at the track with four. Love and Sammy Smith, the defending Fall race winner, are the only current Playoff drivers with Talladega victories.
Talladega has been the stage for dramatic last-lap passes in three of the last five races. Austin Hill, Love's RCR teammate, has proven himself a drafting track master, becoming the only driver to win at all three drafting tracks (Atlanta, Daytona, and Talladega).
Interestingly, no driver has ever won Race 2 of the final round and gone on to claim the championship.
The Kennametal Pole Qualifying will take place on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET, with Love starting from pole position last year. Only three times in the series' 38-race history at Talladega has a driver won after starting from pole, with Justin Haley achieving this feat in 2020.
This weekend's race at Talladega promises to be a thrilling contest, with the championship on the line and the potential for dramatic last-lap passes. The CW App will broadcast the action, and fans can tune in to witness the final stages of the Xfinity Series championship.
