Best of the Rest: Talladega

As NASCAR continues on towards crowning a champion, the teams arrived at the monster known as Talladega last weekend. Always unpredictable, this year did not disappoint and provided some strong finishes.

Craftsman Truck Series (Love’s RV Stops 225)

1. Grant Enfinger (#9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet): Enfinger is an annual playoff contender, however this season Enfinger rejoined CR7 Motorsports after his team last year closed up shop. The CR7 crew did a great job of keeping the black and yellow #9 Silverado up front the entire race, which concluded with Enfinger scoring CR7’s first career win (and Enfinger’s first this season).

   

2. Ryan Reed (#91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet): A former full-time series competitor, Reed returned in Talladega to make his first Truck start since 2021. Wheeling MHR’s third #91 Chevrolet, Reed made his presence felt during the event and came home 7th after qualifying 22nd.
3. Spencer Boyd (#76 Freedom Racing Enterprises Chevrolet): Boyd and the #76 entry have had a somewhat rough go in their first season. Sitting 27th in the standings, Boyd’s 10th place finish was a pleasant surprise. Not only did the finish bump Boyd to 25th in points, but it was his first top 10 since a 5th in Daytona.

   

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Xfinity Series (United Rentals 250)

1. David Starr (#14 SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet): Veteran David Starr has had a presence in the Xfinity Series since 2000, and has gained a reputation as a solid on call driver for many seasons. Starr made the most of his ninth start this season, bringing Bobby Dotter’s #14 Chevrolet home in 8th.
2. Jeb Burton (#27 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet): Burton and his #27 team have not had the season they hoped for in 2024. Talladega however, offered a bit of a respite for the Jordan Anderson team as Burton finished 7th. This was only the duo’s second top 10 this season, which came also came at Talladega in the spring.

   

3. Tommy Joe Martins (#45 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet): Team co-owner Martins hopped in the #45 Camaro, making his first start since making six starts in 2022. Starting 38th, Martins drove the Alpha Prime entry to a strong 13th place finish filling in for Caesar Bacarella.

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Cup Series (Yellawood 500)

1. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (#47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Chevrolet): Stenhouse and his #47 Chevrolet are usually considered a threat at superspeedways to score a surprise win. This came true yet again in Talladega, as Stenhouse survived a wild finish to score his fourth career win. Stenhouse also owns another Talladega win, coming in 2017.

   

2. Justin Haley (#7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet): Haley reunited with his former Spire team last weekend, and the weekend yielded yet another strong finish. This time wheeling Spire’s Gainbridge-sponsored #7 entry, Haley finished 7th after starting 35th. Haley and Spire Motorsports also have one former win together, coming at Daytona in 2019.
3. B.J. McLeod (#78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet): Now running a part-time schedule, McLeod and his own #78 Chevrolet returned this past weekend. McLeod’s plain black Chevrolet had a presence throughout the race, and survived the end of the event to finish 22nd. McLeod only has six other Cup starts this season, with a season best 19th in the summer Daytona event.