HFT Weekend Preview: Talladega Superspeedway.
By Haas Factory Team
Saturday O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Action:
Date: Saturday, October 24th at 3:30 p.m. ET
Track: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, AL
Race Distance: 94 laps / 250.04 miles
Broadcast: CW | MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Sunday Cup Series Action:
Date: Sunday, October 25th at 2 p.m. ET
Track: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, AL
Race Distance: 188 laps / 500.08 miles
Broadcast: NBC | MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
On-Track Activity:
Saturday:
11 a.m. ET – O’Reilly Qualifying
CW App | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
1 p.m. ET – Cup Qualifying
TruTV | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
3:30 p.m. ET – O’Reilly Race
CW | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Sunday:
2 p.m. ET – Cup Race
NBC | MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Race Weekend Quick Hits:
- Talladega Superspeedway hosts its annual fall race date this weekend for the seventh race of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase.
- Sheldon Creed dropped to fourth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series standings after an engine issue at Phoenix left him with a 32nd-place finish, putting him 59 points behind Jesse Love with three races remaining in the Chase.
- Through 30 races, Creed has put together a breakout campaign, ranking second in average finish (10.2) and top-five finishes (13) while tying for the second most top-10s (20) in the series.
- Creed has posted an 8.7 average finish through the first six Chase races, including four top-three finishes and a pair of victories.
- Sam Mayer remains sixth in the NOAPS standings, 86 points behind Love, after a runner-up finish at Phoenix marked his second top-five and fifth top-10 result of the Chase.
- Mayer led eight laps and contended for the victory this spring at Talladega, before an incident on the backstretch on the final lap left him with a 25th-place finish.
- Cole Custer has led laps in four of his nine career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega and finished a career-best fifth in last season’s fall race.
Cup Driver Lineup:
No. 41 Driver: Cole Custer
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, CA
Crew Chief: Aaron Kramer
Partner: Sysco / Eggs Up Grill
Custer’s Talladega Cup Series History:
Starts: 9
Wins: —
Top-10s: 2
Poles: —
Key Numbers:
- Custer makes his 10th Cup Series start at Talladega this weekend, where he has a 20.2 average finish, and finished a career-best fifth last fall. His other top-10 finish came in April 2021 when he finished 10th.
- He qualified 12th in both races last season and he boasts a 23.2 average starting position.
- Custer has made six O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Talladega, recording three top-10 finishes. He also has a pole in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series back in October 2016.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Driver Lineup:
No. 00 Driver: Sheldon Creed
Hometown: Alpine, CA
Crew Chief: Jonathan Toney
Partner: Road Ranger
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase Standings: 4th, -59 points
Creed’s Talladega O’Reilly Auto Parts Series History:
Starts: 8
Wins: —
Top-10s: 5
Poles: —
Key Numbers:
- Creed is set to make his ninth O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Talladega on Saturday, where he has five career top-10 finishes. Earlier this season, he led seven laps and battled for the win on the final lap before finishing third.
- He has started inside the top 10 in six of his eight career starts at Talladega, and he boasts an average starting position of 6.9.
No. 41 Driver: Sam Mayer
Hometown: Franklin, WI
Crew Chief: Jason Trinchere
Partner: Starkey
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase Standings: 6th, -86 points
Mayer’s Talladega O’Reilly Auto Parts Series History:
Starts: 9
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: —
Key Numbers:
- Mayer is in line for his 10th O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Talladega this weekend, a track where he has finished in the top 10 once, a P2 finish in October 2022.
- His best career starting position is second earlier this season, and he holds an average qualifying effort of 14.6.
HFT Phoenix Recap:
Sam Mayer mounted a late-race charge for the win, closing to within three-tenths of a second on Jesse Love before settling for a runner-up finish, his fifth top-10 result of the Chase. Sheldon Creed showed front-running speed early before an engine issue derailed his night, leaving him multiple laps down and with a 32nd-place finish. Cole Custer worked his way through the field during Sunday afternoon’s Cup Series race, using strong long-run speed to finish 27th.