How Richard Childress Racing 'stacks the deck' in NASCAR O'Reilly Series superspeedway races

Richard Childress Racing isn't cheating in NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races at the drafting tracks of Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta — but they sure are hard to beat. 

Austin Hill won the season-opener at Daytona and was in position to win the next week at Atlanta before he spun on the final lap. Two of defending series champion Jesse Love's three career wins have come at superspeedways, and he won the pole for Saturday's race at Talladega on Friday. 

The pole was the eighth of Love's NOAPS career at a superspeedway. Hill will start sixth on Saturday, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the two RCR teammates are nose to tail early in the race.

RCR's superspeedway speed stacks the deck against NOAPS competition

"Our cars are so fast," Love said after his pole run on Friday. "It helps us when we can go to Atlanta and have a bunch of downforce in the car and still qualify good and then come here and have a bunch of raw speed. That allows me to make aggressive moves that would work for me and not for many others."

Love earned his first career win at Talladega in April 2024. He's led a total of 125 laps in four starts at the 2.66-mile Alabama track, while Hill, the winner of the last two 'Dega races, has led 256 laps in eight starts. 

Love is yet to finish outside of the top 10 at what is arguably the most chaotic venue in all of NASCAR. 

"I can get a little bit further out than others and still not get passed," Love said. "I can generate bigger runs, have better restarts, save more fuel. The speed of the car stacks the deck. It's what we try to do here. Even when we don't quality good here, you'll still see me and Austin up front racing for the win."

A win on Saturday would mean a lot for both RCR wheelmen. Despite being the defending series champ and third in the standings through 10 races in 2026, Love is winless on the season, while a victory for Hill could lift him out of a mini-slump that has seen him fall to eighth in points. 

Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.