The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway this weekend for Sunday’s 500‑mile race on the iconic 2.66‑mile tri‑oval.

Talladega Superspeedway opened in 1969 on the site of a former World War II airfield and was designed to be one of the longest and fastest tracks in stock‑car racing. The track has produced some of the closest finishes in NASCAR history, including margins as tight as 0.002 seconds.

For Sunday’s race, NASCAR has adjusted the stage lengths:

Stage 1: 98 lapsStage 2: 45 lapsFinal Stage: 45 laps

The changes are intended to allow the final two stages to be run without a fuel stop, reducing fuel‑saving strategies that have slowed superspeedway pack racing.

Last weekend at Kansas Speedway, Kaulig Racing drivers AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon finished 31st and 33rd, respectively.

This weekend:

Grizzly Nicotine Pouches returns as the primary sponsor for both the No. 16 and No. 10 ChevroletsKaulig Racing remains the only Cup Series organization without a technical alliance

📺 Broadcast: FOX
📻 Radio: MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
🕒 Start Time: Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET

AJ Allmendinger – No. 16 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches ChevroletWeekend NotesGrizzly Returns: Grizzly Nicotine Pouches returns as the primary sponsor for the No. 16 at Talladega.The brand debuted with Allmendinger at Bowman Gray Stadium (The Clash) and has also appeared at Atlanta, Darlington, and Martinsville.Allmendinger most recently finished 15th in the Grizzly‑branded Chevrolet.Grizzly will serve as primary sponsor for 14 races in 2026.Talladega in 2025:April: Started 19th, finished 24thOctober: Started 34th, finished 37th (accident while leading the pack on Lap 51)Talladega Cup Career:23 starts1 top‑five3 top‑10sBest finish: 5th (May 4, 2014)O’Reilly Auto Parts & Truck Series:O’Reilly Series: 1 win (Oct. 1, 2022), 3 top‑fives, 4 top‑10sTruck Series: Best finish 5th (2006)Season So Far (2026):Kansas – 31st (pit‑road incident)Bristol – 15thMartinsville – 27thDarlington – 30thLas Vegas – 24thPhoenix – 19thCOTA – 9th (best of season)EchoPark (Atlanta) – 12thDaytona 500 – 19thCareer Highlights:3 NASCAR Cup Series wins22 top‑fives, 88 top‑10s, 5 poles18‑time O’Reilly Series winnerWill make his 500th Cup Series start at SonomaCrew Chief: Trent Owens (joined Kaulig in 2022)AJ Allmendinger Quote

On his Talladega game plan:

“With the new stage lengths, I think the first stage is similar to before, but the second and third stages will be more intense. Track position is going to be huge, especially since there are no pit stops if it stays green. We’ve had fast superspeedway cars all year, including Daytona. The potential is there — it’s about making the right decisions, surviving, and being there at the finish.”

Ty Dillon – No. 10 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches ChevroletWeekend NotesBest Superspeedway Finish in 2026: 14th in the Daytona 500Talladega Cup Career:14 starts1 top‑five2 top‑10s10 top‑20sAverage finish: 16.9Notable finishes: 10th (2019), 11th (2017), 12th (2020)Talladega in 2025:April – 23rdOctober – 20thCareer Highlights:Best Cup finish: 3rd (Talladega, Fall 2020)3 Truck Series winsO’Reilly Series win at Indianapolis (2014)Truck Series: Two starts in 2026 in Kaulig Racing’s No. 25 Ram 1500Crew Chief: Andrew Dickeson, former RCR engineerIn‑Season Tournament Lore:2025 Cinderella run from No. 32 seed to finalsUpsets over Hamlin, Keselowski, Bowman, and Nemechek2026 Tournament Seeding: Locks after June 14 at Pocono RacewayTy Dillon Quote

On racing at Talladega:

“Talladega has always been a strong track for me because I’m comfortable with this style of racing. The key is patience. You have to avoid trouble and make it to the end. If you’re there at the finish, anything can — and usually does — happen.”

Kaulig Racing PR