Ryan Blaney snags a clutch victory at Talladega Superspeedway and advances to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 on Sunday.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Alabama to race at Talladega Superspeedway. This race often brings large momentum swings in the playoffs. Teams either have extremely poor finishes costing them a chance to advance on, or they strike some luck to have great finishes. This exact playoff race each year can end a team’s championship run early.  

Front Row drivers, Aric Almirola, and Joey Logano Lead the Field to the Green Flag

Aric Almirola and Joey Logano both led the field to the green flag, and the two drivers exchanged leads frequently during the opening laps. Joey Logano took sole possession of the lead on lap 11 and led for nearly 12 more laps.

Ryan Preece took over as race leader, and shortly after the green flag pitting cycle began. Austin Cindric cycled into the race lead after the pitting cycle. Cindric was passed by Ryan Blaney on a hectic final lap of the first segment with Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, and Christopher Bell all taking damage from one another.

Ryan Blaney avoided all this to win the first stage of the YellaWood 500. 

With Several Leaders, Keselowski Wins at the End of the Second Stage

The second stage was a lot less dramatic throughout with Ryan Blaney taking the early lead off the restart. Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, Erik Jones, and Riley Herbst all had a chance to lead the race within the first 20 laps of the segment.

Drivers began coming down pit road once more under the green flag. The Ford drivers all had great stops and were able to cycle into the lead with Brad Keselowski leading the charge.

Keselowski had to battle with Joey Logano to maintain his lead. Keselowski did receive some good help from behind to win the second stage. 

A Quiet Third Stage Until the End

The third stage remained calm until the end of the race. Joey Logano restarted with the lead and was able to control most of the laps in the segment.

As the race came to a close drivers began to be more aggressive, fighting for position. On lap 162, Brad Keselowski pushed Carson Hocevar and sent him spinning into Ty Gibbs. Austin Dillon was also clipped in the wreckage.

Another quick caution came out due to debris on the backstretch. This brought the field together one final time with 13 laps remaining. Alex Bowman restarted with the lead.

Bowman was doing his best to block both lanes, but it was too much to handle. Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick moved forward to lead. Kevin Harvick tried to block the bottom lane with three laps remaining. As he moved down the track, Ryan Blaney was able to pull alongside Harvick in the top lane.

Ryan Blaney Snags a Clutch Victory at Talladega and Advances to the Round of 8

Blaney took the white flag with the lead, and the race was on. Ryan Blaney and Kevin Harvick were even coming around the trioval, but Harvick did not have any help. Ryan Blaney received a large push from William Byron to win at Talladega Superspeedway and advance to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

The YellaWood 500 Results

The NASCAR Cup Series Point Standings

Ryan Blaney sat outside the cutline coming into Sunday’s race at Talladega. This win propels him into the next round of the playoffs.

For some of the other playoff drivers, the standings near the cutline are tight. Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, and Tyler Reddick all sit within ten points of the cutline. Each one of these drivers has a chance to advance with a solid finish at the Charlotte Roval next weekend.

However, Kyle Busch sits 26 points off the pace. He does not necessarily have to win this Sunday, but he will need a great finish with some luck on the side. Another big shakeup can happen at the Charlotte Roval, and we are bound to see another big race this weekend.