Stock car races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series has been held at Talladega Superspeedway every fall since 2020 (except in 2023) as one of two second-tier races at the track. The race, currently known as United Rentals 250 for sponsorship reasons, serves as a support race for the NASCAR Cup Series' YellaWood 500.
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Talladega Superspeedway |
| Location | Talladega, Alabama, United States |
| First race | 2020 |
| Distance | 250.04 miles (402.40 km) |
| Laps | 94 Stages 1/2: 20 each Final stage: 54 |
| Previous names | Ag-Pro 300 (2020) Sparks 300 (2021-2022) |
| Most wins (team) | Kaulig Racing (2) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Chevrolet (4) |
| Circuit information | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.66 mi (4.28 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
The event was created in 2020 as a temporary round after the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course race was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the inaugural running marked the first time that the Xfinity Series raced at Talladega in the fall.[1][2] Justin Haley won the race to complete a sweep of the season's Talladega rounds.[3] The race joined the Xfinity schedule in 2021 and is the second race in the series' playoffs.[4]
Sammy Smith is the defending race winner.
The race was not on the schedule in 2023, as it was replaced by the Chicago street race. However, because of logistics of scheduling the second half of the Xfinity Series season in 2024 as part of NBC Sports' forced two-week break for the Olympic Games in Paris, the race is scheduled to return as part of YellaWood 500 weekend. In 2024, United Rentals became the new entitlement sponsor with both support races cut -- 25 miles for the Truck Series and 50 miles for the Xfinity Series. It will be 94 laps, the first time at the distance. [5]
Past winners
edit| Year | Date | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Race distance | Race time | Average speed (mph) |
Report | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | ||||||||||
| 2020 | October 3 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 300.58 (483.736) | 2:08:24 | 140.458 | Report | [6] |
| 2021 | October 2 | 68 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet | 108* | 287.28 (462.332) | 2:04:55 | 128.486 | Report | [7] |
| 2022 | October 1 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 300.58 (483.736) | 1:53:33 | 158.827 | Report | [8] |
| 2023 | Not held | ||||||||||
| 2024 | October 5 | 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 98* | 260.68 (419.523) | 2:05:12 | 124.927 | Report | [9] |
Notes
edit- 2020: Race moved from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course due to COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2021: Race shortened due to darkness after a lengthy red flag due to track repairs.
- 2024: Race extended due to NASCAR overtime.
Multiple winners (teams)
edit| # Wins | Team | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kaulig Racing | 2020, 2022 |
| 1 | Brandonbilt Motorsports | 2021 |
| JR Motorsports | 2024 |
Manufacturer wins
edit| # Wins | Make | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| 4 |  Chevrolet
|
2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 |
References
edit- ^ Albrecht, Peter (August 6, 2020). "Talladega fall weekend adds Xfinity race". WKRG-TV. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ Weaver, Matt (August 6, 2020). "Here Is Every Confirmed NASCAR Race through the End of the Season". Autoweek. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ Utter, Jim (October 3, 2020). "Justin Haley completes season-sweep of Talladega Xfinity races". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ Crandall, Kelly (October 30, 2020). "33 races on tap for 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series". Racer. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ "United Rentals Named Entitlement Sponsor of Xfinity Playoff Race at Talladega". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ "2020 Ag-Pro 300". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ "2021 Sparks 300". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ "2022 Sparks 300". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ "2024 United Rentals 250". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
External links
edit- Talladega Superspeedway race results at Racing-Reference
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