Hendrick Motorsports arrives at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend with high expectations and an intense drive for victory, as the team aims to strengthen its position in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. With standout performances from drivers Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Alex Bowman throughout the 2025 season, the focus keyword “Hendrick Motorsports Talladega preview” is front and center as the storied team pushes for another big win at one of NASCAR’s most unpredictable tracks.
Kyle Larson Marks 400th Start with Dominant Superspeedway Stats
Kyle Larson, who hails from Elk Grove, California, is set to make his 400th NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend at Talladega. Coming off a strong second-place finish at Las Vegas and piloting the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet under the guidance of crew chief Cliff Daniels, Larson holds second in the standings with a 35-point cushion above the playoff cutline.
Larson’s 2025 season has been remarkable. He leads all drivers with 1,100 laps led, making it his third consecutive year with 1,000 or more laps at the front, and his fourth such season with Hendrick Motorsports. On superspeedways this year, Larson owns the best average finish (9.6) among all playoff contenders and has managed to complete every lap run at these notorious tracks.
Earlier in the year at Talladega, the 33-year-old celebrated by capturing stage one, finishing second in stage two, and ultimately coming home second — earning 54 points, the highest single-race total among competitors that day. Across five events on drafting tracks this season, Larson has accumulated 177 points, giving him a significant advantage among the playoff field.
Kyle Larson, reflecting on the upcoming challenge, stated:
Hopefully we can go to Talladega and do what we’ve done on superspeedways for a while now by scoring stage points and get good finishes by getting to the checkered flag like we have been doing this year. We’ll just try to execute again; have a good points day at Talladega and be in a good position heading into Martinsville (Speedway).
— Kyle Larson, Driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet
Chase Elliott Pursues Third Talladega Win to Advance Playoff Hopes
Chase Elliott, a native of Dawsonville, Georgia, enters this weekend ranked sixth in the playoff standings, sitting 23 points below the cutline with two events left in the Round of 8. Piloting the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet for crew chief Alan Gustafson, Elliott’s recent 18th-place result in Las Vegas puts extra pressure on a strong Talladega showing.
This year, Elliott has recorded 30 lead-lap finishes, tying Jeff Gordon‘s 2014 mark for the most lead-lap results by a Hendrick Motorsports driver through 33 races. At Talladega’s spring event, he finished fifth and earned 39 points — the third-highest among drivers still chasing the championship.
With two career victories at Talladega, Elliott has placed in the top 15 in six of his last seven starts at the Alabama superspeedway. Out of the last nine races at the venue, only two have been won by active playoff contenders, with Elliott claiming one of those during October 2022. His average finish at this track (14.05) ranks second best among drivers with at least four starts. Elliott’s consistency extends to drafting tracks overall, where his 173 points this year ranks second, alongside three total wins in the Next Gen era.
Commenting on the Talladega outlook, Elliott remarked:
I don’t see anyone being a standout. Everybody’s just really close and whoever gets themselves in a good spot and positions themselves well and has some good fortune, you know, is going to have a good day.
— Chase Elliott, Driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet
William Byron Relies on Consistency and Drafting Track Success
William Byron, from Charlotte, North Carolina, faces Talladega fifth in the standings and trailing the playoff cutline by 15 points. Piloting the No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet for crew chief Rudy Fugle, Byron is eager to rebound after a rare setback with a 36th-place result in Las Vegas.
Byron’s prowess on drafting tracks is noteworthy. He has collected 150 points on such circuits — third among playoff drivers — and accumulated four of his five career drafting track wins in the Next Gen era, making him the leader for that feat. Across 35 career races on these tracks, he boasts a win ratio that ties him with Jimmie Johnson for second-most superspeedway wins among Hendrick Motorsports drivers, trailing only vice chairman and Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon (12 wins).
Earlier this year at Talladega, Byron racked up 43 points, second only to Larson among the playoff hopefuls, and he’s currently on a five-race streak of finishes seventh or better at the famed Alabama circuit. Consistency is his strength at Talladega, as the 27-year-old’s 15 attempts there have resulted in five top-five finishes, seven top-10s, and back-to-back third-place results in his latest starts.
On his approach for the race, Byron shared:
Obviously last weekend didn’t end the way we hoped. We were going to be in a good position for the rest of this round and that shows how quickly things can change. Talladega is where anything and everything can happen and change quickly. We would like to collect stage points but also strategy will be big when it comes to fuel. Plus, you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where your race could end early all because you pushed too hard for stage points. It’s going to be a very fine balance and all we can do is execute and see where the chips fall at the end.
— William Byron, Driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet
Alex Bowman Seeks Season-Best with Top-10 Momentum
Alex Bowman, representing Tucson, Arizona and driving the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet for crew chief Blake Harris, sits 13th in the championship standings after finishing seventh at Las Vegas. Bowman’s 16 top 10s in 2025 tie his career-best mark through 33 starts, and he’s been especially solid on drafting tracks — with seven top-10s in the last 13 such races.
His Talladega résumé features 19 starts yielding two top-five and six top-10 finishes, with a best result of second in April 2019. Off-track, Bowman and Ally have also championed charitable causes, raising over $725,000 since 2021 for the Best Friends Animal Society with weekly donations to shelters, with this week’s support directed to Crossing Paths Animal Rescue in Cleveland, Alabama.
Previewing the challenge ahead, Bowman commented:
Talladega is unpredictable and all about survival. A lot of it is mental as well. You have to be mentally sharp throughout the whole race and especially towards the end when it gets hectic. We had a decent finish last weekend at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) and hopefully we can keep that momentum going.
— Alex Bowman, Driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet
Hendrick Motorsports Sets the Benchmark at Talladega Superspeedway
As an organization, Hendrick Motorsports boasts a legendary record at Talladega and throughout NASCAR Cup Series history. In 2025, the team’s engine program has powered cars to 23 poles (seven in Cup, 16 in Xfinity) and 27 race wins (including seven Cup victories and a preseason Clash triumph), while accounting for 2,659 laps led in 33 events — 31% of all circuits, outpacing all competitors by 399 laps.
The team’s dominance extends deep into the Talladega record book: 14 wins, 13 poles, 70 top-five finishes, 107 top-10s, and 3,105 laps led — all category benchmarks at the renowned Alabama track. In the current season, Hendrick Motorsports has accumulated 19 stage victories, its second highest total ever through 33 races, and registered more lead-lap finishes (106) than any previous season at this point.
This level of performance is not new for the organization, as it consistently leads the field in key categories thanks to the combined efforts of crew chiefs like Cliff Daniels, Alan Gustafson, Rudy Fugle, and Blake Harris, alongside drivers and a support staff dedicated to maintaining their status as perennial contenders.
What to Watch: Impact and Outlook for the Playoff Picture
This weekend’s Talladega race is pivotal for all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers as they jostle for playoff advancement and championship contention. Larson’s consistent superspeedway strength and sizable playoff buffer offer a platform to maintain or expand his standing, while Elliott and Byron must rely on Talladega success to move closer to, or above, the cutline prior to Martinsville. Bowman, currently outside the playoff mix, seeks to build on recent form and deliver a season highlight.
With the volatility inherent in superspeedway racing, even top contenders like the leader, past champion Jeff Gordon, and current aces such as playoff drivers Jimmie Johnson and William Byron, know that luck, teamwork, and endurance will define the outcome. Crew chiefs and team strategists are preparing for the balancing act of scoring valuable stage points versus avoiding early-race chaos that can upend championship dreams.
As drivers and fans alike anticipate another chapter in the Talladega legacy, Hendrick Motorsports remains focused on adding to its record book and shaping the next twist in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
