How to Watch the YellaWood 500 Cup Series Race at Talladega

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are in full swing, and the stakes are as high as ever. This weekend drivers will compete in the second race in the Round of 12 at the one and only Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. For drivers looking to make it to the next round of playoffs, their performance at this weekend’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega will be critical. Who will persevere?

Watch live with DIRECTV on October 1, 2023, at 2:00pm ET to find out.

CURRENT NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS

As the iconic Ricky Bobby once said: “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” And while that’s not exactly true in this weekend’s upcoming race, the top 12 drivers’ performances at Talladega will make an impact on their chances for the remainder of the 2023 season.

Next week’s race in North Carolina will be the final competition before the bottom four drivers are eliminated from the playoffs. The pressure is on.

Last week’s drama-filled race at Texas Motor Speedway landed William Byron at the top of the current playoff standings after he took the victory on a restart with only six laps left in the race. That final restart allowed Byron to shoot from third to first place, coming in an impressive 1.863-seconds before second place Ross Chastain. 

The win for Byron was a loss for Bubba Wallace, as he was leading for a career-record 111 laps until Byron managed to overtake him in those final few laps. Wallace finished in third, with Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin behind him.

The Hendricks Motorsports organization got its 300th team win thanks to Byron, a historic moment for the team. 300 wins is the most any team has ever reached, and it doesn’t look like the team is slowing down.

The current playoffs standings for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs look like this:

1. No. 24 William Byron (3,083 points)
2. No. 11 Denny Hamlin (3,074 points)
3. No. 17 Chris Buescher (3,059 points)
4. No. 20 Christopher Bell (3,057 points)
5. No. 19 Martin Truex Jr. (3,056 points)
6. No. 1 Ross Chastain (3,049 points)
7. No. 6 Brad Keselowski (3,045 points)
8. No. 5 Kyle Larson (3,039 points)
9. No. 23 Bubba Wallace (3,037 points)
10. No. 45 Tyler Reddick (3,036 points)
11. No. 12 Ryan Blaney (3,028 points)
12. No. 8 Kyle Busch (3,022 points)

The highlighted racers are at risk of elimination after the conclusion of next race, the Bank of America ROVAL 400.

TALLEDEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY SPECS

Not only is Talladega Superspeedway one of the most well-known tracks on the NASCAR circuit, but it’s also the longest, coming in at 2.660 miles.

But that’s not all: Talladega is also the steepest track NASCAR drivers compete on. With 33-degree banking on Turns 1 and 2, and 16.5 degrees on Turns 3 and 4, it’s no surprise that one of Ricky Bobby’s most famous lines is: “I want to go fast.” Because with those turns at Talladega, you do.

The YellaWood 500 consists of 188 laps around the paved superspeedway, and typically ends in seriously close finishes.

Because Talladega is wider than typical tracks, it’s easier for drivers to sneak past one another. At Talladega, “four-wide” is a common occurrence, which means racers need to be more aware of drivers trying to come up and pass. One thing is for sure: the YellaWood 500 is one of the best races of the season, and it’s not one you want to miss.

YELLAWOOD 500 PREDICTIONS

Fan favorite, Chase Elliott took home the prize at the 2022 YellaWood 500. And while Elliott didn’t make it to the playoffs this year, second place finisher, Ryan Blaney, is still in the competition and has two wins at Talladega. Just barely, that is. If Blaney could take the win, it would be an automatic berth into the Round of 8. If he doesn’t perform, it’s likely he will be out of the playoffs for the remainder of the post season.

Bubba Wallace is also on the bubble. After performing well last week but ending in third, that might just give him the determination he needs to get back in front and save himself from elimination.

And as always, racers should watch out for Denny Hamlin, who typically performs well on superspeedways.  

WATCH THE YELLAWOOD 500 AT TALLADEGA ON DIRECTV

Bring the NASCAR race home to you with DIRECTV.

Catch the YellaWood 500 on October 1, 2023, at 2pm ET on NBC (channel 12).

Plus, with DIRECTV you can get pre- and post-race analyses, in addition to every Cup Series race of the season. If you don’t have DIRECTV yet, now’s the time to make the switch.

Along with NASCAR coverage, DIRECTV offers the top sports networks plus national, regional and local sports channels like ESPN, FS1, MotorTrend Network and more. Learn more today to find out how you can get DIRECTV Sports Pack at no cost for your first three months.

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