Tag: Talladega Superspeedway

NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie’s car crossed the Talladega finish line on its side and flipped after a huge wreck

Corey LaJoie is OK after what he described as a “pretty wild ride” at Talladega.

NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie is thankfully OK after going for a wild ride — and a wild sideways finish — at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.

Chaos and big wrecks at Talladega are fairly common at NASCAR’s longest track, and Sunday’s Geico 500 was no different, and the race ended with a huge wreck as Tyler Reddick crossed the finish line for his first win of the year — and 23XI Racing’s first win with team co-owner Michael Jordan in attendance.

On the last lap of the 500-mile race, leader Michael McDowell was throwing multiple blocks while trying to maintain his position, but he ultimately ignited a multi-car crash just as cars were coming to the finish line.

During the wreck, LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet was hit against the outside wall of the 2.66-mile track and turned on its side. The sideways car had so much momentum that it kept sliding around the track and amazingly crossed the finish line for an 18th-place finish.

The car then slowed down, flipped entirely upside down and then rolled upright again.

And here’s LaJoie’s view from inside the car:

LaJoie is thankfully OK, and he explained what happened from his perspective to FOX Sports after being cleared by the in-field care center, calling it a “pretty wild ride” and noting he couldn’t see much beyond smoke.

He said, via FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass:

“Just never could quite get it in the right spot at the right time there at the end, and then you just know you’re just waiting to pile ’em up. Good thing I gave the belts a good ol’ tug with about three [laps] to go so I didn’t bounce around too much. …

“I did a full rotation. So I did like, left side on the ground for a bit. Then it kind of stopped. Then it flipped over, hit the roof and then landed on all fours, and the all-four hit was pretty big. Glad I slipped past the start-finish line though, so I didn’t have to run past it like I was Carl Edwards.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393221]

Bubba Wallace has a surprising key to success at NASCAR’s unpredictable Talladega track: ‘Respect’

“You never try too hard at the wrong time, but you got to be there at the right time,” Bubba Wallace told us about racing at Talladega.

Skill, experience, teamwork and a little good luck are just some of the elements NASCAR drivers need to win at unpredictable race tracks like Talladega Superspeedway — the sport’s longest track at 2.66 miles.

Of course, those pieces are helpful in winning just about any race, but they’re especially true at NASCAR’s longer tracks, where chaos and becoming collateral damage are common. But some drivers seem to have mastered the superspeedways better than others, and their skillsets will be on display again Sunday in the Cup Series’ GEICO 500 (3 p.m. ET, FOX).

Bubba Wallace is among them, and for the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota driver, getting good at NASCAR’s more treacherous tracks begins with one key factor: respect.

“The biggest thing is it starts with respect,” Wallace told For The Win. “So it’s hard for the rookies that come in to have the respect of the guys that have been around for a while just because we know how this race is gonna play out and we know one wrong move can take you out of it. For many superspeedway races just starting out in my Cup career, I was getting left hanging high and dry. And I thought I was making every right move, but apparently I wasn’t.

“But throughout time, you start getting those finishes and consistently finishing those races inside the top five, top 10. Then you see the respect level start to go up, and I think that’s probably the biggest thing. I’ve just been able to finish clean, have no damage or don’t cause any wrecks, and then your stock kind of rises after that.”

[lawrence-related id=1025104]

(Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports)

Wallace’s first career Cup win was at Talladega in 2021. Although that’s his only superspeedway win so far, he’s also shown impressive results at Daytona International Speedway — the comparably chaotic 2.5-mile track — with four top-5 finishes since 2018, including three second-place finishes with two at the 2018 and 2022 Daytona 500s.

Going into Sunday at Talladega, Wallace is hoping for a clean race, which is a massive challenge when anyone’s tiny mistake has the potential to eliminate half the field. But after not finishing three of the first nine races this season, he said he personally, as well as his team, need to execute better.

“Our approach these [next] few races is you never try too hard at the wrong time, but you got to be there at the right time,” Wallace explained.

“And surviving is the key to these races and having the track position there at the end because we’ve obviously seen with this Next Gen car that you’ve kind of taken away the three-wide racing that we’ve had. There’s rarely a third lane now that gets more, and so you’re kind of boxed in with what you got. So you see a lot more aggressive moves of guys trying to shuck the other guy out of line. So I think you just have to play your cards right, and make sure you have a couple Toyotas lined up on your bumper and lead the field.”

[lawrence-related id=1147176,1024319,951698]

NASCAR at Talladega: See the starting lineup for the YellaWood 500 in playoffs Round of 12

Christopher Bell is on the pole for NASCAR’s Talladega playoff race.

The NASCAR Cup Series is in the middle of the most unpredictable and potentially chaotic round of the 10-race playoffs.

After last weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR is at Talladega Superspeedway for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC) before heading to Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval next weekend for the second elimination race of the playoffs. After the Roval race, the playoff field will shrink from 12 to eight drivers still eligible for the championship.

A win for a playoff driver would automatically lock him into the next round, but that’s easier said than done, especially considering the first four playoff races this fall have been won by either non-playoff drivers or a driver already eliminated from the postseason (Tyler Reddick at Texas).

So ahead of the Talladega fall race, here’s a look at the starting lineup.

[mm-video type=video id=01fyf4a279c05ey5wnwx playlist_id=none player_id=01evcfkb10bw5a3nky image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fyf4a279c05ey5wnwx/01fyf4a279c05ey5wnwx-0fd7f217e80d23e7ca39f9928e5962b7.jpg]

Why Bubba Wallace loves racing at Talladega and embraces its chaos and ‘unknown factor’

Bubba Wallace is the defending Talladega Superspeedway winner headed into Sunday’s GEICO 500.

While many NASCAR fans are pumped when drivers get behind the wheel at Talladega Superspeedway, not every driver enjoys the all-but-guaranteed chaos and unpredictability that comes with racing there or at Daytona International Speedway — two of NASCAR’s longest oval tracks.

Bubba Wallace, however, loves superspeedway racing, but that wasn’t always the case.

When recently asked if he looks forward to the superspeedway races now — like Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega — compared with previous seasons, Wallace didn’t hesitate: “Oh, absolutely.”

Sure, his answer follows his first career Cup Series victory at Talladega in October. But, as he explained, his appreciation for racing at NASCAR’s biggest tracks also comes with his mentality of embracing the chaos of races where the tiniest on-track mistake can ignite a huge wreck, known as “The Big One,” and take out a large chunk of the field.

About his strategy for Sunday’s race, the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota driver said, via FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass:

“We fight like hell at the beginning. Wherever we start, if we can get to the lead, get there, and if we lose it, we lose it. It’s fine. We don’t need to be in the eye of the storm to get our spots back because it’s not worth it.

“We would like to get stage points, but at the end of the day, getting a race win is the most important thing for us. So it seems like that’s been our trend. You’ll see us start mid-pack, drive up to the lead, go to the back, ride around a little bit, not be talked about until the last stage and then we’re there. So we just gotta continue to do that.

“We have these meetings and meetings and meetings about what to do and what not to do. And I’m just sitting there like, in one ear out the other because I’m like, doesn’t matter. You can call the game plans. [Expletive] goes through the roof when they drop the green flag starts. So just continue to do what we do. That’s what I tell [spotter] Freddie [Kraft] every time we climb in the cars.”

At Talladega last year, Wallace’s win was, by far, his best finish at the 2.66-mile track, marking his only top-10 finish there in eight Cup starts so far.

[lawrence-related id=1145851]

While he’s still racing for his first Daytona win, his stats there are much better. In 10 career starts, he has four top-5 finishes with three second-place finishes, including in the 2018 and 2022 Daytona 500s.

Wallace said in the past when his cars had speed, he “would make dumb moves and take us out of contention or just be caught up in somebody else’s mess.” The latter cannot be avoided sometimes with common big wrecks, but Wallace said he and his No. 23 team have a plan that works for them.

To improve, he explained he’s learned to be patient — a tactic noticed by other drivers.

“Most of the time, he’s pretty patient on letting the race come to him,” Joey Logano, the No. 22 Team Penske Ford driver, said last week about Wallace. “He used to be a lot more aggressive, make moves, and a lot of times, that didn’t work. They weren’t fully calculated and made him, obviously, fairly easy to beat.

“Now, it’s not quite like that anymore, where he’s upped his game and kind of found his own niche of speedway racing that works for him. And he does a good job of surviving them. … He does a good job of getting to the end.”

[lawrence-related id=1025104]

Avoiding “The Big One” or even smaller wrecks and being in contention to win by the end of the 500-mile race is arguably the greatest challenge Talladega presents.

But Wallace now loves it nonetheless, explaining:

“I remember [at Daytona in] 2015, I wrecked out in the Xfinity [Series] race, and it was a July race. And Warped Tour was going on down in Orlando. I remember my interview, I was like, ‘I hate this [expletive]. I’m going to Warped Tour.’

“I actually love speedway racing now. Actually, I’m excited about it. I love — I’m excited for Talladega and we kick off the season at Daytona. It is out of your control 90 percent of the time, but the unknown factor…

“I climb in the car, and what excites me the most is you sit there, and it’s like, ‘Damn, one of us is gonna win today. Who’s gonna be?’ Then you get to find out, so that just magnifies when you go to the speedway stuff. So that’s why I enjoy so much.”

[mm-video type=video id=01g0pk3a14thc8trkeqn playlist_id=none player_id=01evcfkb10bw5a3nky image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g0pk3a14thc8trkeqn/01g0pk3a14thc8trkeqn-de81483947a950994146c62aec9a0047.jpg]

[listicle id=1845461]

[vertical-gallery id=1146395]

Bubba Wallace shared Kyle Busch’s advice from 10 years ago that helped him win at Talladega

Bubba Wallace on his mindset during his first NASCAR Cup Series race win Monday at Talladega.

After starting back in 19th in Monday’s rain-delayed NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, Bubba Wallace worked his way to the front of the field to win his first race at the sport’s highest level.

He was patient, avoided the huge wrecks the longest NASCAR track is known for and made his way to the leading group of drivers. But rain was returning to the Alabama track, and once the race was more than halfway over, if weather prevented it from continuing, the leader at the time would be the winner.

“Everybody knew it was going to rain,” Wallace said Tuesday after his win. “We knew we had to make a move to get out and the caution came at the right time.”

Wallace’s win wasn’t by chance or a happy accident. He and his No. 23 Toyota team knew the race was more than halfway over and the impact the weather could have on it, so he held onto that lead tight for the checkered flag.

But the 27-year-old driver also had decade-old advice from Kyle Busch — who Wallace used to race for in the third-tier Truck Series – in the back of his mind about controlling his own destiny, he explained.

At his post-race press conference, Wallace recalled:

“I remember [in] 2011, a driver told me that on the grid at New Hampshire [Motor Speedway]. It was Kyle Busch. He said, ‘Control your own destiny.’ And I didn’t know what the hell that meant at the time. I was just pumped to be talking to Kyle. But it comes down to these plate races, you’re controlling your own destiny.

“There’s a lot of teamwork out there you can go by and a lot of team orders. But at the end of the day, you’re controlling your own destiny. You’re trying to do the best that you can for your team, your sponsors, to put yourself in moments like this.”

With rain looming after the race’s halfway point, Wallace made a move. By Lap 109, he was running in the top six. By Lap 113, he was leading one line of cars and fighting with Kurt Busch — his future 23XI Racing teammate next season who was in front of the other line — for the top position.

By the end of Lap 113, Wallace had the lead outright, threw a huge block on Brad Keselowski and stayed in front of the pack with momentum. And then a wreck behind him barely beat the rain, and the yellow caution flag came out, followed by a red-flag halt because it was raining.

“I’m like, ‘Hey, we’re in position here,'” Wallace recalled about the moment right after the final wreck. “The caution is going to come out, we’ll be fine. Just try to do your best at controlling your destiny.”

The weather didn’t clear up, the race couldn’t continue, and NASCAR declared Wallace the winner at his “home” track. The victory was a huge moment for Wallace and 23XI Racing in its debut season, and there were a lot of post-race celebrations.

[vertical-gallery id=1146395]

[listicle id=1017416]

NASCAR world erupts with joy congratulating Bubba Wallace on first career win

From Dale Jr. to the Charlotte Hornets, the congratulatory messages were pouring in.

Bubba Wallace is officially a NASCAR race winner. The driver of the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota won a day-delayed and rain-shortened race at Talladega Superspeedway on Monday for the first checkered flag of his career and the first win for his team, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, in its debut season.

Wallace — currently the only Black driver in the NASCAR Cup Series — also made history by becoming the second Black driver to ever win at the sport’s top level, joining Hall of Famer Wendell Scott, who won in 1963.

After the Yellawood 500 was delayed from Sunday to Monday because of rain, NASCAR made it through 117 laps before having to pause again because of weather. Unable to continue and because the race was more than halfway over, NASCAR declared Wallace the official winner.

And many in the NASCAR world erupted with excitement over 27-year-old Wallace’s first career win. (Sure, there are plenty of haters out there saying nasty and racist things or that he didn’t really win because the race was shortened, but we’re not talking about them.)

From retired drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Tennessee football to racing fans, the congratulating messages on Twitter were pouring in for Wallace’s victory.

Hear Bubba Wallace’s instant reaction to Joey Logano’s car almost flipping on him at Talladega

Joey Logano went airborne and nearly landed on Bubba Wallace at Talladega.

Joey Logano obviously had the most terrifying view of the Talladega Superspeedway track Sunday when his car went airborne and flipped upside down before eventually landing upright again.

But Bubba Wallace had the second-most terrifying view.

As the back end of Logano’s No. 22 Ford flew up into the air before slamming back down to the ground roof first, it was soaring toward oncoming traffic. And Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota was perfectly in its path. It looked like either Logano’s car would land right on top of Wallace’s windshield or Wallace would plow straight into the wrecked 22.

Thankfully for both drivers, neither happened, and Logano was cleared by Talladega’s infield care center not long after the crash.

And, because everyone is OK, Wallace’s instant reaction to almost crashing into Logano’s car was incredible. His exchange with his spotter, Freddie Kraft, begins at the 57-second mark in FOX Sports’ radio highlights from Talladega:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZvEu29pae8

Kraft: We’re in it.

Wallace: No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Just check the right front. Whooo!

After collecting several other drivers’ and teams’ reactions to Logano’s wreck, the highlight video returns to Wallace for another exchange with Kraft (at the 1:20 mark).

Kraft: Your in-car [camera] is pretty impressive.

Wallace: Yeahhhh. Probably [expletive] myself there.

What a wildly scary view. Here’s a complication of multiple drivers’ views of Logano’s flip:

Again, thankfully Logano, Wallace and everyone else involved in this wreck Sunday at Talladega is OK, and Logano was the only driver in this incident who was unable to continue racing.

The next NASCAR Cup Series race is the Buschy McBusch Race 400 — here’s how that race name happened — at Kansas Speedway on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on FS1.

New episodes of The Sneak: The Disappearance of Mario Rossi are out now

 

Kurt Busch’s ‘wild ride’ involved him flying over two cars in scary Talladega wreck

“I saw his tire mark on my roof when I got out, so that was pretty crazy,” Cole Custer said about Kurt Busch’s car.

First Kyle Busch briefly went airborne during Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in a crash that was fairly mild for the famously chaotic track. He was able to continue racing.

Then older brother Kurt Busch’s No. 1 Chevrolet left the ground in a much scarier multi-car wreck, but he’s amazingly OK. And just like Kyle’s wreck, Kurt was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was collected in a huge crash known as “the big one.”

With much of the field running in a pack together on Lap 109 of 188 on the 2.66-mile track, Clint Bowyer in the No. 14 Ford was pushing Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Chevrolet near the start-finish line. It’s unclear if they made contact, but Johnson got loose and turned into Kurt Busch in the No. 1 Chevrolet.

From the inside lane, Kurt Busch’s car turned up the track, and as it smashed into the outside wall, it left the ground and flew over the top of Bowyer’s car and Cole Custer’s No. 41 Ford.

Kurt Busch, Bowyer and Custer were all evaluated and cleared by the infield medical care center, but that means they were done for the day. Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski were also involved in the wreck but were able to continue racing.

After being cleared by the care center, Kurt Busch told NBC Sports it was a “wild ride.” He added:

“That’s the nature of this sport. You’re on top one week with a win and everything’s fantastic. And then this week here at Talladega, was hoping for a nice, smooth run and gain some points. I was just doing my job as a Chevy helper running top-5, and the next thing you know, I’m going for one of the wildest rides I’ve ever been in.”

Kurt Busch and Bowyer are among the 12 remaining playoff drivers competing for the championship. Busch won last weekend’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, so he automatically advances out of the playoffs’ Round of 12 and into the Round of 8.

But Bowyer entered Sunday’s race 20 points below the top-8 cutoff mark and will likely need to win next weekend’s elimination race at Charlotte Motor Speedway to keep his title hopes alive.

Bowyer said he had to be aggressive but didn’t expect to cause a wreck. He said he could see Johnson ahead of him was getting loose, but added: “I was hoping he’d save it, but he didn’t and we all wrecked.”

About Kurt Busch wrecking literally on top of the No. 41 Ford, Custer said:

“I didn’t know he was flipping at first because you’re just kind of looking at what’s in front of you and he was above me. I saw his tire mark on my roof when I got out, so that was pretty crazy.

“Thankfully, he’s OK. Obviously, they have a lot of safe things in these cars, so I can’t thank NASCAR enough for it.”

Although Johnson was able to continue racing briefly, he was furious with Bowyer and said on his team’s radio:

“Oh, I’m destroyed! And I just got drove through like six times by the 14. What the [expletive]’s he thinking?”

[jwplayer N4D2lHT3-q2aasYxh]

[vertical-gallery id=951534]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393221]

Kyle Busch briefly went airborne during multi-car wreck at Talladega

Kyle Busch was in an early wreck at Talladega, but he was able to continue racing.

Kyle Busch was one of several playoff drivers involved in an early multi-car wreck at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday during the YellaWood 500. And for a brief moment, his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was airborne.

While racing down the backstretch of the mammoth 2.66-mile track on Lap 57 of 188, it looked like Alex Bowman in the No. 88 Chevrolet got a push from Joey Logano behind him in the No. 22 Ford. But Bowman had too much momentum and made contact with Aric Almirola, who was ahead of Bowman and leading the pack in the outside lane.

Almirola was turned and hit the wall, triggering a multi-car wreck. Busch was running behind Logano at the time and was collected in the crash, and as his car shot sideways toward the inside of the track, all four tires briefly left the track.

In addition to Almirola, Bowman and Busch, other playoff drivers involved in the wreck included Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Ford and Austin Dillon in the No. 3 Chevrolet were also involved. But only Almirola was unable to continue racing.

The crash happened with three laps remaining in the 60-lap first stage as drivers, particularly those still in the playoffs, were racing to finish the stage in the top 10 for a few extra points.

Busch entered Sunday’s race — the second of three in the playoffs’ Round of 12 — nine points below the top-8 driver cutoff mark. He needed a strong performance to move above the cutoff going into next weekend’s elimination race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, when the playoff field will shrink from 12 drivers down to eight.

Because Amirola wrecked out of the race, he is now in a must-win situation next weekend at Charlotte.

Although Busch and the No. 18 team were able to get the car back on the track, his problems continued. On Lap 68, his left front tire was shredded to pieces and damaged the fender. But Busch was still able to continue racing.

[jwplayer N4D2lHT3-q2aasYxh]

[vertical-gallery id=951534]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393221]

Emotional Bubba Wallace after Talladega race: ‘You’re not going to take my smile’

“I’m proud to stand where I’m at,” Bubba Wallace said after the Talladega race.

At one point, Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. was leading the NASCAR Cup Series race Monday at Talladega Superspeedway. Late in the 188-lap, 500-mile race, he was running third and looked like he might have a chance to win his first race at NASCAR’s highest level.

But his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports was running out of fuel, and the team knew he couldn’t make it to the end of the race, so he had to make a stop on pit road and lose his track position.

Ryan Blaney won his second consecutive race at Talladega, while Wallace came in 14th for his highest career finish at NASCAR’s longest and most chaotic track. But after the race, he said he felt like won Monday anyway.

“This is probably the most badass moment right here,” Wallace told FOX Sports during an on-track interview when asked how he’d describe his emotional day.

“The sport is changing. The deal that happened yesterday — sorry, I’m not wearing my mask, but I wanted to show whoever it was that you’re not going to take my smile. And I’m gonna keep on going.”

Sunday night after the GEICO 500 was postponed to Monday because of rain, NASCAR announced that a noose was found in the garage stall of Wallace and his team. The governing body described it as a “heinous act” and said it launched an investigation to figure out who is responsible for the racist act “and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport.”

NASCAR president Steve Phelps echoed that statement Monday while speaking to reporters on a conference call, saying: “Unequivocally, they will be banned from this sport for life. … I don’t care who they are, they will not be here.”

Wallace told FOX Sports:

“It’s been tough. It’s been hell. Eh, I wouldn’t say hell. It’s just been hectic carrying this weight, carrying this burden. I wouldn’t really say burden either. I’m proud to stand where I’m at.”

The NASCAR community rallied around Wallace before Monday’s race, showing its support on social media, painting #IStandWithBubba on the grass in the infield, pushing his car to the front of the field before the green flag and standing with him and his team during the national anthem.

Blaney, one of Wallace’s best friends, briefly spoke about what their friendship means, especially in tough times.

“It’s a tough couple days for him,” Blaney said in Victory Lane. “I’ve known him for 15 years, and he’s one of my best friends. I support him 100 percent of the way, and I can’t wait to go see him.”

Of the up to 5,000 fans allowed to attend the race, a small group gathered around the catchfence on the frontstretch of the track as Wallace walked toward them after the race. He high-fived the fans, some of whom had “Black Lives Matter” shirts on, and they continued cheering for him and chanting his name.

Wallace also spoke about his career-high finish at Talladega:

“I’ve been a part of this sport for a really long time. I’m still kind of a rookie, starting to figure this place out. We had a good race going today in our Victory Junction Chevrolet, but man, I know I should have won that damn race! We ran out of gas. Just the stars didn’t align for us completely, but all in all, we won today.

“The pre-race deal was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to witness in my life. All the supporters from drivers, from crew members, everybody here, the bad-ass fan base. Thank you, guys, for coming out here. It’s truly incredible, and I’m proud to be a part of this sport.”

NASCAR’s next race is Saturday at Pocono Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX).

[jwplayer D7EoygAN-q2aasYxh]

[vertical-gallery id=928585]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393221]