The NASCAR Chase for the Cup Series Championship comes into focus at Talladega.
Six drivers are within 59 points of points leader Kyle Larson heading into the YellaWood 500 on Oct. 25.
How intense will the racing be? Will non-championship contenders like RFK and Spire push the envelope, especially in the lengthy first stage?
Avoiding a possible Big One will be key for Larson and the drivers in pursuit — Christopher Bell (-5 behind Larson), Chase Briscoe (-24), Denny Hamlin (-31), Ryan Blaney (-40), Joey Logano (-44) and Tyler Reddick (-59).
Follow along with the Tennessean's NASCAR race updates below:
NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega live updates, highlights, live leaderboard for the YellaWood 500
LIVE LEADERBOARD: Full field leaderboard of NASCAR Cup Series Freeway
Insurance 500
Chase Briscoe on the pole; full NASCAR Cup Series Talladega starting lineup
The top 10:
- Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
- Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
- Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Find the full starting lineup here.
NASCAR race radio coverage: How to listen to NASCAR Cup race at Talladega
The YellaWood 500 will be aired on the radio by the Motor Racing Network. MRN has affiliates all across the country, including 102.5-FM in Nashville, and their feed can also be streamed on NASCAR.com as well as the NASCAR app. The race can also be heard on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
NASCAR Talladega TV schedule, start time
- Green Flag Time: Approx. 1:25 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 25
- Track: Talladega Superspeedway (2.66-mile oval) in Talladega, Alabama
- Length: 188 laps, 500 miles
- Stages: 98 laps, 45 laps, 45 laps
- TV coverage: NBC
- Radio: MRN (102.5-FM The Game in Nashville)
- Streaming: HBO MAX app for in-car cameras (subscription required | Fubo (sign up for a free trial) | NASCAR.com and SiriusXM on Channel 90 for audio (subscription required)
The YellaWood 500 will be broadcast nationally on NBC. Other streaming options for the race include HBO MAX for in-car cameras for each driver.
Recent NASCAR Cup Series Talladega winners
- 2026 spring: Carson Hocevar
- 2025 fall: Chase Briscoe
- 2025 spring: Austin Cindric
- 2024 fall: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Cup Series Talladega race live updates, highlights, leaderboard for YellaWood 500
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