Kyle Larson carries slim Cup Series edge into Talladega race

Oct 17, 2026; Avondale, Arizona, USA; Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson (5) during qualifying for the Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images The NASCAR Cup Series playoff race shifts east to massive Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, and the stakes could not be any higher for the first seven of the 16 drivers in the postseason. The YellaWood 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC) on the 2.66-mile behemoth will have drivers cinching up their belts at the most harrowing track on the schedule. Talladega's danger is always lurking under green-flag conditions whether it's a tight, three-wide run on the steep banks or an unassuming piece of debris that leads to brake or tire failure -- the latter of which played a key role at Phoenix. Tyler Reddick earned the victory in the desert, vaulted him back into the spotlight. The No. 45 23XI Racing driver for Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin emerged with the lead and raced away to his series-high sixth win. Winning five of the first nine races to start 2026 took Reddick, 30, into rarified territory, but if he could have used the "Wheel of Fortune's" rules from the glory days of the show's shopping-spree era, he would happily have put two of those on account to apply in the Chase to boost his chances of winning a first series title. Oh, if it were only that easy. He became part of history with that start, becoming the first driver to open a campaign by winning at least five of the first nine since Dale Earnhardt captured six of eight to begin the 1987 season, but Reddick faded faster than a viral meme over six months before showing up last weekend. "Making up for lost time," said a relieved Reddick, who remains 56 points out of first after his 14th career win. The Toyota driver remained seventh in the standings, but he was able to trim 58 points off the lead of Kyle Larson, whose previous 49-point advantage suffered a major hit. As haywire as college football was for the top-ranked squads last Saturday, NASCAR kept the theme going as Larson and Denny Hamlin, 1-2 entering the Arizona race, came home 34th and 28th, respectively. Second-place Christopher Bell (-5) slashed 47 off the deficit by coming in fourth at Phoenix, while Chase Briscoe trails by two dozen. While slicing 18 points in a marginally better showing, Hamlin (-31) sounded weary and worn down earlier this week. He led the chase for much of the campaign but has fizzled in the playoffs. "I am mentally drained with the Cup Series. My fun meter is pegged to the absolute fullest," he admitted. That's not encouraging for No. 11 fans as the drivers prepare for their toughest test to date. Now all of the contenders must deal with high-speed Talladega. "Kyle and I have raced each other hard basically our entire career, and I think it's fair to say that we're different people," Bell said. "We hang out with different people. I think we're not friends, but we are acquaintances and will race each other hard." --Field Level Media