Talladega 101: Qualifying format, tire info, story lines and more

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are set to roll into Talladega Superspeedway. The YellaWood 500 is the middle race of the Round of 12.

There is no practice scheduled for Sunday’s race. The only pre-race track time teams will have this weekend is qualifying. Teams will be broken into two groups: Group A and Group B. Five fastest drivers from each group will advance to the final round of qualifying, where 10 drivers will each set one timed lap to fight for the Busch Light Pole Award.

Talladega Superspeedway was built in 1969 and cost $6 million. Richard Brickhouse won the inaugural Cup race on September 14th, 1969. The track was last repaved before the fall race in 2006. Mark Martin won Truck Series’ inaugural race at Talladegas. Talladadegas is the largest oval on the schedule at 2.66 miles with steepest banking (33 degrees), longest backstretch (4,000 feet), most lead changes (88, Spring 2010 and 2011), first-time winners (11) and is tied for the closest margin of victory (0.002 seconds, April 2011).

Goodyear is bringing the same tire setup to Talladega that was used at Daytona International Speedway. Goodyear has had good results in the first three races on this setup. It allows teams to use tire strategy throughout the race to limit pit road time.

Nineteen different drivers have won this year, tied for the most all-time. Tyler Reddick has won three of the last 13 races. The last seven races have each been won by different cars. Non-championship-eligible drivers won the four playoff races in a row. Kyle Busch ranks third in laps led in 2022 but 30th in lap completed.

Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano are the favorites at 12-1 odds for this week's Talladega. Bubba Wallace is 18-2, while Austin Dillon is 25-10. The Team Penske duo of Blane and Logana provides a pair of smart plays.

The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Chase Elliott (1,018), Joey Logano (923), and Ryan Blaney (916). NASCAR.com is offering the Playoffs Grid Challenge during the playoffs.

NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more.