NASCAR TV schedule this weekend, quick facts about the Talladega playoff race

CONCORD, NC – Who's ready for another drafting track in the? NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?

Yes. Download the NBC Sports app for online coverage. Fans can also keep up with the action on X by following @TeamHendrick.

Talladega driver averages, stats for Hendrick Motorsports drivers

Data provided by Racing Insights

Larson, team No. 5

There are no two ways to put it. Talladega and Larson have mixed like oil and water throughout the couple's relationship. Despite leading 54 laps around the 2.66-mile track, Larson's 6 DNFs and average finish of 22.84 are far from ideal. However, Sunday's main event offers a fresh start. In a year where he has yet to post a top-10 draft finish, Larson will look to conquer the beast that is Talladega and defend his 15-point lead with a solid run this weekend.

Elliott, team #9
On the other hand, the stats for the driver of the No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet at Talladega are pretty impressive. In the Next Gen era, Elliott has scored 31 more points than the next closest driver. This includes his victory in the 2022 playoff race. He also led the last eight Talladega races, which is the longest active streak in the Cup Series. Sitting four markers above the cut line, Elliott will have to rely on that consistency to increase the gap before heading to Charlotte Motor Speedway's ROVAL to complete the lap.

Byron, team #24
The Kansas Speedway main event appeared to be a turning point for Byron and the No. 24 team. With a stage win and a second place finish, Byron currently leads the points standings by 34 points at the cutline. While Talladega certainly offers unknowns, the team has shown speed on the draft track in the past, highlighted by a second-place finish in last year's playoff race.

archer, No. 48 team
Bowman's “Linsanity” run in the 2024 playoffs continued with a stage win and a sixth-place finish in Kansas. Because of this, the No. 48 Ally Racing team jumped from 7 points below the cut line to eight points above it. In a race where chaos is imminent, Bowman will look to build on a Cup Series-best 53 stage points in the playoffs and a top-five finish at Talladega in the spring to increase his gap to the cutline.

Hendrick Motorsports

This season, Hendrick Motorsports won ten races for the fourth time in a row. Combine that with 59 total playoff wins, and the Rick Hendrick-led team has experienced some success in the postseason. This weekend, the team aims to win a second race at a Windspiel track this season and extend Byron's 2024 DAYTONA 500 crown.

Watch the Cup Series main event at Talladega at 2:00 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).