Wait. What is that this?
Clear racing late at ?
The situations felt ripe for mayhem throughout Sunday’s — No. 1, as a result of situations are all the time ripe for mayhem at ’Dega, and No. 2, as a result of the Cup Collection drivers may’ve been slightly rusty and slightly antsy after final week.
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It was aggressive. Twenty-three vehicles led laps.
However the Massive One by no means arrived, and the ultimate minutes went off with no hitch. Austin Cindric beat Ryan Preece by a foot or two to take the checkers.
And a third-place end at a superspeedway?
Let’s speak about it.
1. Austin Cindric wins at Talladega
TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – APRIL 27: Austin Cindric, driver of the #2 Menards/Quaker State Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Cup Collection Jack Hyperlink’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. (Picture by Logan Riely/Getty Photographs)
In his No. 2 Ford, Cindric claimed the lead after the quickest pit cease within the final cease of the race and prevailed by 0.022 seconds over Preece. He fronted the pack for seven whole laps.
The 26-year-old additionally snapped a 30-race winless streak courting again to his victory in final June’s Get pleasure from Illinois 300 at World Broad Expertise Raceway. His first profession win got here within the 2022 Daytona 500.
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Previous to Sunday, he had tallied two top-10s in six profession Cup Collection begins at Talladega.
“We speak about in each single a kind of conferences why we haven’t received certainly one of these races,” mentioned Cindric, who started seventh. “Simply actually happy with the hassle.”
2. turns in trend-bucking superspeedway efficiency
TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – APRIL 27: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Leidos Toyota, and Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, race throughout the NASCAR Cup Collection Jack Hyperlink’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. (Picture by Sean Gardner/Getty Photographs)
Larson gave Cindric a rear bump on the ultimate lap, making an attempt to create a window for a profitable transfer.
It didn’t work. Larson trailed Cindric on the within and settled into third. However it was a step in the correct course.
Larson, who , entered this weekend with 42 Cup Collection begins at Talladega and its sister observe, Daytona Worldwide Speedway.
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With zero wins and simply two top-fives.
Sunday, he secured his first profession stage win at Talladega, capturing Stage 1, and submitted his finest end ever on the observe. Not too shabby.
3. From Talladega to Texas for NASCAR
TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – APRIL 27: Austin Cindric, driver of the #2 Menards/Quaker State Ford, celebrates in victory lane after profitable the NASCAR Cup Collection Jack Hyperlink’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. (Picture by Sean Gardner/Getty Photographs)
It would not decelerate subsequent week as NASCAR turns left and heads west to Texas Motor Speedway.
The observe in Fort Price is 1½-miles round, greater than a mile shorter than Talladega, however get this: It is quicker. Why? No restrictor-plate guidelines.
Anyway, all three sequence — Cup, Xfinity and Vans — waltz throughout Texas subsequent week. And whereas it’s going to be quicker in a miles-per-hour sense, it’s going to be slightly extra sane with out the plate-racin’ guidelines package deal.
— Ken Willis contributed to this story.
