The Talladega Superspeedway is one of the most unpredictable tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. For the promotion to place it in the Round of 8 is a dirty trick that makes the entire game immensely interesting and chaotic. When the Cup Series field returns to Alabama this weekend, the stakes will be mountain high for every playoff driver.
But one non-playoff driver will be giving it his all to tame the wild track and take home the win for himself. 29-year-old Cody Ware declared in a recent interview that he feels confident enough to go for the win this weekend, after leading 23 laps at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona back in August.
Daytona and Talladega are similar tracks by multiple parameters. They're both high-banked D-Shaped ovals, with Daytona spanning 2.5 miles and Talladega extending to 2.66 miles. Ware believes he has uncovered the secret to racing well on these superspeedway surfaces over his last few visits to them.
He said, "In years past, I took a much more cautious approach to these races. But the last handful of times we've been to Daytona and Talladega, I've ramped up my aggression level without putting myself in bad spots. I've got the confidence to just race hard, get up front, and stay up front."
Ware’s Warning to Playoff Drivers
Only three more races are left in the 2025 Cup Series season. While playoff drivers in the Round of 8 will be looking to secure a championship over this stretch, the non-playoff drivers will be gunning to secure a visit to the Victory Lane.
So, there will be no dearth of ambition on the field. Ware stated the same, "You can definitely feel the tension at Talladega. Whether it's a playoff driver trying to earn their spot in the Championship 4, or any one of us in the field, we all know it's one of the last opportunities to win before the season is over."
He expects the aggression levels to be really high with playoff drivers doing everything in their power to win the race, or at least stop a competitor from winning it. It is in the middle of all the chaos that he desires to be the one with the prize at the end of the day.
He said, "We finished 12th there last year when we ran the playoff race, so I have no doubt that we can be up front. But again, I'm making the mental shift of not just collecting a good result and being up front, I'm there to win the race." Ware's best result this season was 13th place at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The unpredictable nature of Dega means any driver on the field can end up in Victory Lane if the fates decide to favor him. Will Lady Luck smile down on the No. 51 driver? It remains to be seen.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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