NASCAR Rumor: Talladega crap shoot to ruin drivers title chances

Talladega, where pure lucks wins out over skill every time, is rumored to become the 7th of 10 NASCAR Cup Series playoff races in 2025.

According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, the 2.66 mile Talladega Superspeedway could play host to a race in the Round of 8 in 2025, potentially making the annual fall date at the Alabama track the third-to-last race of the season.

With Talladega being the only ‘crashfest’ track that will appear in the 2025 NASCAR playoffs, the way drivers approach their championship hunt will now have to be modified. Drivers still with a chance of winning the title will have to hang way back to avoid the inevitable big wrecks. In other words, instead of racing to win, drive to survive.

Superspeedways such as Daytona, Atlanta and Talladega are seen as wild card races due to the intense pack racing and high likelihood of crashes that can wipe out half the field in an instant. The drafting element of these races also serves as an equalizer for smaller teams with less resources, as well as underdog drivers looking to steal a win.

If Talladega does move into the Round of 8 as Bianchi reports, it will certainly make Talladega’s second race of the year must-see TV, as the constant threat of the ‘Big One’, underdog stories and intensifying postseason pressure will be sure to have the entire field on edge.

Talladega is already known to be a wild venue, but making it the third-to-last race of the season could make next year’s edition of the track’s playoff race the most intense iteration to date.