Talladega start time, TV, streaming, lineup

NASCAR heads to Talladega Superspeedway for the second race of the second round of the Cup Series playoffs.

NASCAR’s largest and fastest oval, the sometimes chaotic nature of racing at Talladega – with its tight field and propensity for major accidents involving multiple cars – could play a dangerous role in how the playoffs turn out. Twelve drivers remain in the playoffs and after next weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the field will be reduced to eight drivers.

A win Sunday at Talladega would secure automatic advancement to the third round and remove any pressure from the elimination race in Charlotte. A strong performance this Sunday – or simply avoiding disaster at Talladega – could also provide a big boost – both in points and confidence.

But Talladega could also completely upend the playoff standings and put some drivers in a huge hole if they end up in “The Big One” on Sunday and are eliminated through no fault of their own. At the end of the day, avoiding major misfortune could be your greatest gain.

Who will conquer Talladega on Sunday? Here you will find all the information you need to prepare for the YellaWood 500:

When does the NASCAR playoff race start at Talladega?

The YellaWood 500 starts at 2:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. local time) on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.

What TV station is the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega on?

NBC will broadcast the YellaWood 500 and have a pre-race show starting at 1:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. local time).

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega?

The YellaWood 500 can be streamed live on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app. The race can also be streamed on Fubo.

How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at Talladega?

The YellaWood 500 involves 188 laps around the 2.66-mile oval, for a total of 500.08 miles. The race consists of three sections (laps per stage) – Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 60 laps; Stage 3: 68 laps.

Who won the last NASCAR Cup races at Talladega?

Tyler Reddick led 13 laps on April 21, 2024, including the final six, before defeating Brad Keselowski when the race ended under caution.

And a year ago, Ryan Blaney led eight laps, including the final two, after overtaking Kevin Harvick before trailing William Byron by 0.012 seconds in the Oct. 1, 2023 playoff race.

What are the playoff standings before the NASCAR race in Talladega?

Rank, driver, team, points, gap to the leader. Through four races; The top eight drivers from next weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway advance to the third round.

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports… 3,074
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske … 3,068 (-6 points)
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing … 3,068 (-6)
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports … 3,058 (-16)
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing … 3,051 (-23)
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports … 3,048 (-26)
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports … 3,044 (-30)
Joey Logano, Team Penske … 3,044 (-30)
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing … 3,040 (-34)
Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing … 3,030 (-44)
Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing … 3,019 (-55)
Austin Cindric, Team Penske … 3,015 (-59)

What is the lineup for the YellaWood 500 NASCAR playoff race at Talladega?

car number in brackets; (P)=Playoff driver

1. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford

2. (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford

3. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford

4. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet

5. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford

6. (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford

7. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

8. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota

9. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford

10. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet

11. (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet

12. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet

13. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford

14. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota

15. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota

16. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet

17. (16) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet

18. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford

19. (4) Josh Berry, Ford

20. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford

21. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota

22. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford

23. (48) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet

24. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota

25. (13) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet

26. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota

27. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

28. (51) Corey LaJoie, Ford

29. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota

30. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota

31. (99) Daniel Suarez (P), Chevrolet

32. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet

33. (62) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet

34. (15) Cody Ware, Ford

35. (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet

36. (14) Chase Briscoe (P), Ford

37. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet

38. (78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet

39. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet

40. (44) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet

We may occasionally recommend products and services that may be of interest to you. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may receive an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently and this has no influence on our reporting.