For the third time this season, the NASCAR Cup Series is heading to a superspeedway. This time, it is the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. A far cry from the short tracks of the past three weekend, Talladega is pedal to the floor board racing and the competition is wide open. Out of the now three superspeedways, Talladega is the widest, allowing for “comfortable” three wide racing throughout. Last year, Talladega easily had the least amount of cautions out of the superspeedway races, with each race only having six. The GEICO 500 last year saw the entire final stage run under the green flag. The chaos of the superspeedway was tame (to a certain extent) in Alabama last year. Will that trend continue this year?
For a majority of the fanbase, Talladega is a marque race. NASCAR should see a second straight week of a ratings boost, especially with Chase Elliott back. If the racing is similar to last year, then there should not be too many complaints about the GEICO 500. As the fans have seen this year, the caution-fests have not been limited to Daytona and Atlanta. Hopefully, Talladega can provide solid pack racing with limited collateral damage.
As usual with this series, picking five drivers to watch on a superspeedway is a bit tough. Outside of LivFast and the 51 Rick Ware entry, every car at Talladega has a chance to bring home the trophy. With that said, there are some drivers who excel more at Talladega, some storylines to keep track of, and some drivers who deserve the spotlight this week. Continue reading below for the five drivers to watch for this weekend’s GEICO 500. If you want a statistical insight heading into Sunday, check out Daniel Smith’s notable starts and statistical outlook articles.
Todd Gilliland
Despite the current situation at Front Row Motorsports, Todd Gilliland has been having a strong season. Through nine races, Gilliland has already matched his Top-10s from last year. Plus, these Top-10s have not been on superspeedways or due to luck. Gilliland has been piecing together solid runs this season. Outside of Las Vegas and Phoenix, Gilliland has been a Top-20 driver, which is significant improvement from 2022. Gilliland could have added a third Top-10 on the year if not for the Anthony Alfredo caution at Martinsville. Prior to that, Gilliland was running in the Top-10.
All of this success has come despite Front Row booting Gilliland out of his ride for multiple races this season, including this weekend. Instead of running in his usual 38 car, Gilliland will be driving Front Row’s third car. Zane Smith will replace Gilliland in the 38 for the GEICO 500. Gilliland has responded to this demotion by putting together a solid sophomore season.
As for Talladega this weekend, Gilliland ran well at the track last year. One of his two Top-10s last year came in the Fall race and Gilliland was able to collected ten stage points before wrecking out on lap 91 in the Spring. If the 36 car is able to perform the same as the two chartered Front Row entries, Gilliland could beat out his Top-10 mark from last year by the tenth race of 2023.
Ryan Blaney
At some point, Ryan Blaney will find his way back to victory lane. What better place than Talladega? Blaney is currently riding a 55 race winless streak. For a driver with Team Penske, that is a significant gap between wins. His last win came at a superspeedway (Summer Daytona of 2021). At Talladega, Blaney has two wins and four Top-5s. Last Fall, Blaney finished runner-up to Chase Elliott.
The longer the winless streak drags on, the more discussion can be had around Ryan Blaney. After the 2021 season, Blaney seemed to be on cusp of breaking into the top-tier of Cup Series drivers. He collected three wins and put together a solid playoff run. 2022 was supposed to be the season where took the next step. While he had a good season, the lack of wins hurt him. This season, Blaney has raced up to expectations. Outside of a couple races, Blaney has not been a race winning threat. For a driver who used to be talked about in the same vein as Chase Elliott, the past 55 races have been less than impressive. Maybe Talladega can be the spark he needs to turn it around.
Bubba Wallace
Superspeedways and Bubba Wallace go well together. While Wallace has proven he is more than a superspeedway racer in recent years, it is clear that his best track type is still the superspeedway. Wallace runs well in the pack, both as a pusher and the lead car in the draft. During the Daytona 500, Wallace was able to be a great pusher despite damage to the nose of his car. This talent makes him a top contender on any superspeedway.
So far in 2023, Bubba Wallace’s season has been rough. Outside of two strong runs (Las Vegas and Martinsville), Wallace has been another Toyota lacking the performance expected. On the season, the 23XI driver has struggled to run within the Top-15. Not since Las Vegas has Wallace ran inside the Top-15 for more than 70% of the race where he ran the full race. However, like Blaney, Talladega is a great chance for Bubba Wallace to build further momentum after Martinsville.
Erik Jones
It seems that the Jimmie Johnson acquisition of Petty-GMS Racing has done more harm than good for Legacy Motor Club. The performance of Erik Jones is a prime example of that. At this point last season, Jones had demonstrated speed, specifically at the intermediates. When he won at Darlington, it was a bit of surprise but not a complete shock. The 42 car last year was a consistent under-the-radar pick each weekend. Fast forward to this year, Jones has been relegated to battling for the Top-20. Where has the speed gone?
To further drive this point home, Erik Jones in the first nine races last year did not have a race where he failed to run in the Top-15. Not only that, but Jones only had two races where he was in the single digits for percentage of laps ran in the Top-15. This season, Jones did not log a single lap in the Top-15 at Richmond and three other races where his percentage of laps in the Top-15 are in the single digits.
Once again, maybe the recipe for success for Jones will include a strong run at Talladega. Jones collected two Top-10s are the track last year. The Legacy Motor Club could desperately use a strong run for both of their drivers. Jones is the better bet between the two.
Austin Hill
Beard Motorsports is making their return to the 2023 Cup Series schedule for this first time since the team attempted the Daytona 500. Austin Hill would have made the 500 if not for Travis Pastrana’s ARCA brakes during a wreck in the middle of the pack. While Beard Motorsports had to go home empty handed, Hill rebounded on the weekend to win the Xfinity Series opener. With less than 40 entries for the GEICO 500, Beard Motorsports will officially qualify for their first race of 2023.
Despite driving for a part time team, Austin Hill could be a longshot bet to win on Sunday. Beard Motorsports has shown previously that they can setup a car that can run in the pack. Meanwhile, Hill might be one of the best pack racers in NASCAR. Should you expect a win from the team? No, but it is not out of the question. Plus, Austin Hill is in the middle of a career season in the Xfinity Series. Adding an upset Cup Series win would be a fitting way to continue his strong 2023.
