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Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Alabama 500

The Place: Talladega Superspeedway

The Date: Sunday, Oct. 15

The Time: 2 p.m. ET

TV: NBC, 1:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio                   

Distance: 500.08 miles (188 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 55),

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 110), Final Stage (Ends on lap 188)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Travels To Talladega

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs travel to the second race of the Round of 12 – Sunday’s Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Martin Truex Jr. speaks to the media. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Truex Advances To Round Of 8 With Charlotte Win

Martin Truex Jr. continued his dominant season with a win in the Round of 12 opener at Charlotte. With the victory, he automatically advances to the Round of 8, which begins at Martinsville on Oct. 29.

Truex will carry at least his 64 playoff points – 30 for his six wins, 19 for his 19 stage wins and 15 for his regular season championship – into the Round of 8. He can still earn even more in the upcoming races at Talladega and Kansas.

Truex’s victory was his fifth at a 1.5-mile track this season, tying Carl Edwards (2008) for the most in a year. He still has races at Kansas, Texas and Homestead to break Edwards’ mark.

The No. 78 Toyota driver has led 1,977 laps this season – 23 away from 2,00. If he accomplishes the feat, he will become only the fourth driver since 2000 to lead 2,000 or more laps in a single season, joining Kevin Harvick (2015 – 2,294 laps led and 2014 – 2,137 laps led), Jimmie Johnson (2009 – 2,238 laps led) and Jeff Gordon (2001 – 2,320 laps led).

In the Modern Era (1972 to Present), only 11 drivers have led 2,000 or more laps in a single season.

Truex leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in wins (six), top fives (14, tied with Kyle Larson), top 10s (21), stage wins (19), average running position (7.3), driver rating (115.7), fastest laps run (1,143, 16.4%) and laps led (1,977, 22.7%).

The crew of Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, work on the car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 13, 2017 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)

Elliott Scores Another Runner-Up Finish

Chase Elliott scored his second consecutive runner-up finish and third of the Playoffs in Sunday’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. As a result, he shot up from ninth on the Playoff leaderboard to fourth (16 points above Matt Kenseth on the cutoff line).

The runner-up marked the sixth career second-place showing for Elliott, who is still trying to win his first race.

Elliott will try to tackle Talladega this weekend, where he has a career-best finish at the track of fifth (spring 2016). He finished 12th (fall 2016) and 30th (spring 2017) in his other two starts at the 2.66-mile behemoth.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Mountain Dew Chevrolet, drives during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 13, 2017 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Stenhouse Goes For Third Restrictor-Plate Win Of The Season

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is trying to establish himself as the new restrictor-plate ace in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season. He took the checkered flag in the May Talladega race and the July Daytona contest.

He’ll go for the Talladega sweep and his third restrictor-plate win of the season in Sunday’s Alabama 500.

Stenhouse’s success at Talladega shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. He has three top fives, five top 10s and a 10.4 average finish at the Alabama track.

A win on Sunday would automatically advance Stenhouse to the Round of 8. Currently, he sits last on the Playoff leaderboard, 10 points behind Jamie McMurray on the cutoff line.

Talladega has been swept seven times by six different drivers: Pete Hamilton (1970), Buddy Baker (1975), Darrell Waltrip (1982), Dale Earnhardt (1990, 1999), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2002) and Jeff Gordon (2007).

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Mountain Dew Chevrolet, prepares to drive during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 13, 2017 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Talladega Knight: Earnhardt Jr. Takes Final Ride At Alabama Track

No driver is more beloved at Talladega than Dale Earnhardt Jr.

On Sunday, the restrictor-plate ace will make his last start at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.

In 34 starts at Talladega, Earnhardt boasts six wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s and a 15.6 average finish. His 91.0 driver rating at the Alabama track leads active drivers who have more than three starts there.

Earnhardt ranks sixth all-time in career superspeedway wins with 10 (six at Talladega and four at Daytona). Every eligible driver in the top 11 is in the NASCAR Hall of Fame: Dale Earnhardt (13 superspeedway wins), Cale Yarborough (12), Jeff Gordon (not yet eligible, 12), Richard Petty (12), David Pearson (11), Bobby Allison (10), Earnhardt Jr. (not yet eligible, 10) Fireball Roberts (seven), Bill Elliott (six), Buddy Baker (six), Dale Jarrett (six).

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, drives during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 13, 2017 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Keselowski Can Produce Another Wild ‘Dega Finish

Brad Keselowski is no stranger to success at Talladega. In fact, he’s had some wild finishes at the 2.66-mile Alabama track.

In 2009, the No. 2 Ford driver won his first career race at Talladega for Phoenix Racing, turning Carl Edwards on the final lap to take the checkered flag.

In 2014, Keselowski entered the Talladega Playoff race in a “win or go home” situation following a run-in the previous weekend with Matt Kenseth at Charlotte. Keselowski blocked out the distractions and won the race to make the Round of 8.

The Team Penske driver will attempt to muster some of the same magic for Sunday’s Alabama 500. He is currently 10th on the Playoff leaderboard – two points behind Jamie McMurray on the cutoff line.

Keselowski boasts four wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s and a 14.9 average finish in 17 career starts at Talladega.

Media Center Interviews:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. –

Chase Elliott – 

Joey Logano – 

Matt Kenseth – 

Ricky  Stenhouse Jr.  –