Inexperience has been a recent theme for the Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway, and the trend figures to play a role in Saturday’s 113-lap race.
The 41-car entry list includes 11 drivers who never have made an Xfinity start at Talladega. That seems to increase the odds of a first-time or surprise winner at the 2.66-mile oval. Five of the last 11 Xfinity winners at Talladega earned their first career victory — Jesse Love (2024), Brandon Brown (2021), Jeb Burton (2021), Justin Haley (2020) and Spencer Gallagher (2018).
Among the newcomers in this race, Jake Garcia will attempt to make his Xfinity Series debut, and Katherine Legge will make her first Xfinity start on a superspeedway. Jeffrey Earnhardt and Jesse Iwuji also will be making their first starts this year.
Chevrolet has won the past 11 Xfinity Series races at Talladega, the second-longest series streak for a manufacturer at a track since 16 consecutive for Chevy at Bristol from 1997-2005.
The last six Xfinity races at Talladega also have been won by six different drivers. Perhaps the best bet for keeping the streak alive is Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, who has led 189 laps at Talladega but never finished higher than 14th there despite eight wins on drafting tracks.
RCR has been stellar on drafting tracks, winning 10 of the past 19 while leading a series-best 1,152 laps (no other team has more than 399). RCR also has five consecutive Xfinity poles at Talladega.
Details for Saturday’s Xfinity race at Talladega Superspeedway
(All times Eastern)
START: The command to start engines will be given at 3:58 p.m. … The green flag is scheduled to wave at 4:10 p.m..
PRERACE: The Xfinity garage will open at 1 p.m. … Driver introductions are at 3:20 p.m. … The Appling County High School Choir will perform the anthem at 3:51 p.m.
DISTANCE: The race is 113 laps (300.58 miles) on the 2.66-mile oval.
STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 25. Stage 2 ends at Lap 50.
ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 41 cars entered at Talladega
TV/RADIO: The CW Network will broadcast the race starting at 4 p.m. … Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have radio coverage.
FORECAST: WeatherUndergound — Partly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High of 83 degrees with a 40% chance of rain. It’s expected to be 77 degrees with a 24% chance of rain at the start of the ARCA race and 81 degrees with a 41% chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity race.
LAST TIME: Sammy Smith took the lead from Riley Herbst on the final lap of the Oct. 5, 2024 race, which was extended into overtime by a massive pileup on Lap 92 of a scheduled 94.
LAST YEAR: Jesse Love earned his first career Xfinity victory in the April 20, 2024 race, holding off Riley Herbst by 0.141 seconds.
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