NASCAR Cup Series takes the hallowed high-banks of Talladega Superspeedway

TALLADEGA, Ala. (WCYB) — Buckle up.

This Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series gets back into action – greeted by none other than the high speed and packstyle drafting that only Talladega Superspeedway can deliver.

For 188 laps, drivers are primed to shatter records and serve up lastlap mayhem in its return to one of the sport’s most iconic races.

Talladega continues to deliver incredible unpredictability, with nine different winners in the last nine races. On top of that, it’s a track all about strategic positioning and timing as nine of the last 10 winners have started deep in the field.

Plus, it’s a track that never fails to thrill. 12 out of 20 drafting track races being decided by a dramatic pass in the final two laps. Expect nothing less than a nail-biting finish this year, as well.

The last three Talladega races have seen 66 or more lead changes, each ranking among the top 11 all-time for lead changes in Cup Series history, making the action at this track relentless.

While there are many drivers on the board that have a long history of success – such as Brad Keselowski’s six career wins here – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is the most recent winner at Talladega, claiming victory in last Fall’s Playoff race. Before him, it was Tyler Reddick taking the checkered flag in last year’s spring race on a crash-filled last-lap win.

So there’s no way to see what happens this time around. But what we do know it that the No. 38 Zane Smith will be leading the pack to the green flag on the pole – hoping to make a good weekend even more special for his team.

Ford’s are always fast on the superspeedway, so it makes you a little more excited to get to these style races, knowing your car is going to be fast and race good. Ford’s push and work really good together. You look forward to those things, but with that said it’s still Talladega. A lot is going to happen,” said Smith. “You can only execute what you can control. We can control bringing a fast car and we accomplished that and got a pole reward out of it. So, it’s already off to a great weekend. Hopefully Sunday I can say I’m a race winner, but it’s going to be a crazy day.

Want the top sports stories straight to your inbox? Sign up for the News 5 Sports Newsletter: https://wcyb.com/sports/sign-up.