Winners and losers from an exhilarating NASCAR Cup race at Talladega

Two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers are assured a spot within the Championship 4, whereas the remaining six drivers can be left to battle over the ultimate two spots at Martinsville. NASCAR leaves Talladega after a dramatic race from begin to end, that includes an unbelievable variety of lead adjustments and nonstop motion.

Ultimately, Chase Briscoe handed Bubba Wallace on the ultimate lap as Hendrick Motorsports imploded, taking the checkered flag and making certain himself a shot on the title for the primary time in his profession.

This is a glance again on the largest winners and losers from the Yellawood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway:

WINNER: Briscoe and Small will battle for a title of their first 12 months collectively

Watch: Small on unshakeable Briscoe: ‘Nothing phases him … he is a bizarre dude’

Have you learnt what occurs if you take a driver and a crew chief with one thing to show and pair them collectively? You get the No. 19 workforce in 2025. Chase Briscoe and crew chief James Small are going to the Championship 4 after a incredible drive on Sunday, and a powerful season general. Briscoe may legitimately change into a champion in his first 12 months as a Joe Gibbs Racing driver, and it feels deserved. That automobile has been depraved quick and these two have been executing each week.

LOSER: Hendrick 1-2 unravels in additional time

Watch: Larson: ‘Unlucky’ to expire of gas late at Talladega

It could not have gone a lot worse for Hendrick Motorsports on the finish of Sunday’s race. They managed each lanes with William Byron and Kyle Larson, and but, not a single HMS driver positioned increased than twenty fifth. Larson’s workforce miscalculated and he ran out of gas whereas battling for the lead on the ultimate lap. Byron was going to get a prime 5, however he bought spun out mere seconds from the end line. Now Byron is deep beneath the cutline, and Larson is on the bubble in a nervous week forward for NASCAR’s most profitable workforce.

WINNER: The sector for 27 leaders, 77 lead adjustments, and minimal carnage

Watch: Briscoe punches ticket to Champ 4 as Byron, Larson have points on final lap

The race itself was unbelievable. 27 totally different race leaders and 77 lead adjustments locations it among the many prime 5 in each classes in all the historical past of the game. There was nonstop motion and motion all through the sector. Regardless of that, there was just one multi-car accident, which occurred throughout the first stage after a foul bump on the entrance of the pack. Past that, the driving was practically excellent all through the sector.

LOSER: Penske one way or the other loses management of the race
Winners and losers from an exhilarating NASCAR Cup race at Talladega

Ryan Blaney, Staff Penske Ford

Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures

Earlier than Hendrick’s 1-2 fell aside, the Penske duo of Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney have been answerable for the race. Each of those superspeedway aces ought to have been arduous to go, however their line merely bought slowly shuffled again by way of the pack till they misplaced all of their observe place. It was an uncommon displaying from each drivers, who ought to have been contending for the win. Neither driver made it again to the entrance, and now one in every of them must win at Martinsville so as to preserve Penske’s championship win streak alive.

WINNER: Ty Gibbs is a workforce participant at Talladega
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Picture by: Chris Graythen – Getty Pictures

There was some negativity round Gibbs and his incapacity to work along with his teammates. There have been flashpoints within the 2022 Spherical of 8 NASCAR Xfinity Sequence elimination race, and not too long ago in a Cup race at New Hampshire. There, he drew the ire of teammate Denny Hamlin and bought himself wrecked, however Sunday was a really totally different story. He adopted Briscoe intently as he minimize a path to the entrance, sticking with him and pushing him out to the win. He was a real workforce participant, and Briscoe praised him for it throughout his winner’s interview.

LOSER: Chris Buescher crashes out of the lead with lower than two to go
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Picture by: Chris Graythen – Getty Pictures

RFK Racing has had a number of possibilities to go to Victory Lane this 12 months, however they preserve developing quick. Buescher was in an ideal place on Sunday, main the race with two laps to go after taking a monster run from the surface. He then blocked a run from Byron, however an aggressive bump despatched the No. 17 spinning wildly into the within wall, ending his race. He completed thirtieth in a irritating outcome after battling for the win.

Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Todd Gilliland, Entrance Row Motorsports Ford

Picture by: Logan Riely / Getty Pictures

Talladega is the situation of FRM’s best triumph, incomes a stunning 1-2 end there in 2013. For a second, it regarded like historical past would possibly repeat itself as Zane Smith and teammate Todd Gilliland led the race within the closing laps. Whereas they did not in the end hoist the trophy, each automobiles nonetheless completed robust with Gilliland inserting second to race winner Briscoe, and Smith ending ninth. It is the primary double prime ten outcome since March at COTA.

LOSER: Allmendinger’s hatred of superspeedways is bolstered by huge hit
AJ Allmendinger crash, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

AJ Allmendinger crash, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Picture by: David J. Griffin – Icon Sportswire – Getty Pictures

AJ Allmendinger doesn’t like superspeedway racing, though he is gained at such tracks earlier than within the NASCAR Xfinity Sequence. And Sunday’s race solely bolstered his hate, as he was cruising out entrance with the race lead in Flip 1 when he bought hooked into the surface wall. The veteran driver stated the hit knocked the wind out of him, and there have been scary scenes as he lay on the bottom beside his smoldering race automobile. Fortunately, he was okay, however he actually did not acquire any love for Talladega after that one.

WINNER: Casey Mears with a quiet prime 20 within the No. 66
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures

Mears made a shock return to the Cup Sequence this 12 months as he pursues 600 profession begins throughout all three nationwide divisions and 500 in Cup alone. The part-timer was quiet at Talladega, and completed 18th with out a scratch on his No. 66 Ford. It is his finest outcome since competing fulltime within the Cup Sequence in 2016, and the workforce’s finest displaying in any Cup race during the last 5 years!

LOSER: Chase Elliott did not even get an opportunity
Chase Elliott with damage, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Chase Elliott with injury, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Picture by: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures

Elliott wanted to make up factors in Sunday’s race, however he by no means bought the prospect. He was working behind the lead pack when the one multi-car crash happened, and whereas he ought to have been capable of make it by way of, the unfortunate No. 9 bought pushed into the wreck, ending his day. Elliott completed fortieth, scoring only one level. He faces a must-win at Martinsville, and if he desires to advance into the Championship 4, he’ll should battle his teammates for it.

Pictures from Talladega – Race

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota