Talladega Superspeedway 2025 NASCAR Track Profile

[Editor’s note: The following article is from Athlon Sports’ 2025 Racing Annual magazine. Order your copy online today, or buy one at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.]

Big, bad Talladega Superspeedway may truly be the wildest track on the NASCAR circuit in terms of both racing and the – let’s call it “atmosphere” – in the infield. Like Daytona, it’s known for pack racing, with the draft being the most essential tool used by drivers.

What differentiates Talladega from its sister superspeedway is, at 2.66 miles, it’s longer and wider. But what truly makes it unique from every other oval in NASCAR is that the start/finish line is located closer to Turn 1 as opposed to the center of the tri-oval. Many a ’Dega race has been decided in that extra leg to the checkered flag.

In both races last year, the race winner made the winning pass in the tri-oval. In the spring, Michael McDowell attempted to block Brad Keselowski twice, but they made contact on the second block, giving both momentum and the win to Tyler Reddick. In the fall, William Byron pushed Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by Keselowski, and the trio staged a three-wide finish with Stenhouse winning by 0.006 seconds.

Stenhouse is always one to watch at superspeedways, with all four of his Cup wins coming on the drafting tracks. Statistically, Keselowski is the best active driver at Talladega, having won six times.

Joey Logano has the most laps led at Talladega (509) among active drivers while William Byron has the best average finish (14.4), the result of Talladega’s “big ones” in the draft that can wipe out half the field.

With nine different winners in the last nine races, Talladega remains the most unpredictable track on the circuit. Don’t be surprised if that number reaches 11 for 11 by the end of 2025.

Talladega Superspeedway track info

Site: Talladega, Alabama

Laps: 2.66-mile tri-oval

Banking/Turns: 33 degrees

Banking/Tri-oval: 16.5 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 3 degrees

2025 Dates: April 27, Oct. 19

Distance: 188 laps, 500.8 miles

2024 winners

April: Tyler Reddick

October: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Scouting report

Like Daytona, the current Cup Series product at Talladega is hampered by how much drag the Next Gen cars produce and too much horsepower to compensate for it. In simpler terms, they are locked in place. Barring a rules change, this is why teams will ride around at half throttle, hoping to save enough fuel to gain track position on pit road for the final “stop and go” pit stop to be ahead of the big wreck. Still, Talladega is capable of producing photo finishes and surprise winners, which the fans love most about superspeedway racing.