Full 40-Car Field to Battle it Out in Talladega Playoff Race

As if Talladega Superspeedway isn’t already enough of a stress-filled game of racing roulette, 40 cars will head to Alabama this weekend to battle it out in the YellaWood 500.

Denny Hamlin, who locked his place in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 with a stirring 60th career win last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, is the lone Playoff contender not ingesting antacids heading into Sunday’s race.

Next. Playoffs. NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Grid. dark

The other seven have to weigh out avoiding ‘The Big One’ while also trying to capture a Championship 4 berth-sealing win. It’s going to be one stressful afternoon, as the other 33 drivers in the field, Hamlin included, will know in their heart that they can truly win the race as the draft at the 2.66-mile superspeedway serves as the ultimate equalizer.

Notable drivers in the field for this race include Casey Mears, who continues his quest for 500 career NASCAR Cup Series starts. Mears, a native of Bakersfield, California, will drive the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse with primary sponsorship from SI Yachts in his 492nd career start.

Austin Hill, who was bounced from the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff field at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, will make his fifth NASCAR Cup Series start of the season. The native of Winston, GA, is among the best superspeedway racers in NASCAR Xfinity Series history.

Hill has amassed nine victories in superspeedway events in the Xfinity Series, including a win in the race at Talladega earlier this year.

Anthony Alfredo, who has always had a knack for being in the mix at superspeedways, returns to the NASCAR Cup Series for his second start of the season behind the wheel of the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet.

BJ McLeod will be the fourth notable entrant in the field, as he will pilot his own No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet.

Here is the complete entry list for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Race 34 of 36 of the 2025 season.

Car

Driver

Team

Sponsor

Manufacturer

1

Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing

Busch Light Camo

Chevrolet

2

Austin Cindric

Team Penske

Discount Tire

Ford

3

Austin Dillon

Richard Childress Racing

TBA

Chevrolet

4*

Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports

Rush Truck Centers

Ford

5

Kyle Larson (P)

Hendrick Motorsports

HendrickCars.com

Chevrolet

6

Brad Keselowski

RFK Racing

BuildSubmarines.com

Ford

7

Justin Haley

Spire Motorsports

Gainbridge Assists

Chevrolet

8

Kyle Busch

Richard Childress Racing

Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen

Chevrolet

9

Chase Elliott (P)

Hendrick Motorsports

NAPA Auto Parts

Chevrolet

10

Ty Dillon

Kaulig Racing

Grizzly Nicotine Pouches

Chevrolet

11

Denny Hamlin (P)

Joe Gibbs Racing

National Debt Relief

Toyota

12

Ryan Blaney (P)

Team Penske

TBA

Ford

16

AJ Allmendinger

Kaulig Racing

Black’s Tire

Chevrolet

17

Chris Buescher

RFK Racing

Kroger / Thomas’ High Protein Bagels

Ford

19

Chase Briscoe (P)

Joe Gibbs Racing

Bass Pro Shops

Toyota

20

Christopher Bell (P)

Joe Gibbs Racing

DEWALT

Toyota

21

Josh Berry

Wood Brothers Racing

eero

Ford

22

Joey Logano (P)

Team Penske

Shell Pennzoil

Ford

23*

Bubba Wallace

23XI Racing

Columbia

Toyota

24

William Byron (P)

Hendrick Motorsports

Raptor

Chevrolet

33*

Austin Hill (i)

Richard Childress Racing

United Rentals

Chevrolet

34*

Todd Gilliland

Front Row Motorsports

TBA

Ford

35*

Riley Herbst #

23XI Racing

TBA

Toyota

38*

Zane Smith

Front Row Motorsports

Benebone

Ford

41

Cole Custer

Haas Factory Team

Sysco RaceTrac

Ford

42

John Hunter Nemechek

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Pye Barker Fire & Safety

Toyota

43

Erik Jones

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Dollar Tree

Toyota

45*

Tyler Reddick

23XI Racing

The Beast

Toyota

47

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

HYAK Motorsports

JackLinks Non-Vegan

Chevrolet

48

Alex Bowman

Hendrick Motorsports

Ally

Chevrolet

51

Cody Ware

Rick Ware Racing

Arby’s Steak Nuggets

Ford

54

Ty Gibbs

Joe Gibbs Racing

Monster Energy

Toyota

60

Ryan Preece

RFK Racing

Trimble

Ford

62*

Anthony Alfredo (i)

Beard Motorsports

LIL’ DUDE Wipes ‘Bubble Bum’

Chevrolet

66*

Casey Mears

Garage 66

SI Yachts

Ford

71

Michael McDowell

Spire Motorsports

Carolina Handling

Chevrolet

77

Carson Hocevar

Spire Motorsports

Modo Casino

Chevrolet

78*

BJ McLeod (i)

Live Fast Motorsports

TBA

Chevrolet

88

Shane van Gisbergen #

Trackhouse Racing

WeatherTech

Chevrolet

99

Daniel Suarez

Trackhouse Racing

Freeway Insurance

Chevrolet

(P) indicates NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Driver
* indicates “Open” entry
# indicates Rookie of the Year contender
(i) indicates a driver ineligible to score points

Recommended Articles