Which organizations have overachieved as the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action at Talladega?

With the NASCAR Cup Series set to return to action at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, some organizations have overachieved through nine races.

Through improved speed, consistent finishes, a win or combination of the three, these three organizations have surpassed expectations early in the season and will look to build off that success as cars return to the track.

Wood Brothers Racing

Let's start with the only organization of the three to find Victory Lane so far this season. With his win at Las Vegas on March 16, second-year Cup Series driver Josh Berry picked up his first series win and the 101st for the famed Wood Brothers team.

Having only won two races in the last decade prior to this season and a total of one top five and two top 10s last season for the Wood Brothers, Berry has one win, two top fives and two top 10s, not to mention an average start of 14.3, which is 10 spots higher than where Harrison Burton qualified in 2024 (24.5). 

Berry's average finish has dipped to 21.1 due to a pair of 30th or worse finishes in his last three races. Still, the organization has clearly found some speed through the season's first nine races.

Kaulig Racing

The Kaulig Racing organization came into the 2025 season after a frustrating 2024 campaign that featured a season-worst 23.2 average finish. Not only has that mark improved to 20.6 this season, but the averaging starting position (18.9) would be the best in the organization's six seasons as a Cup Series team.

That uptick in performance is clear from the team's veteran driver, AJ Allmendinger, who is 16th in points, ahead of drivers like Berry (17th), Joe Gibbs Racing's Ty Gibbs (20th), Team Penske's Austin Cindric (22nd) and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing's Brad Keselowski (31st). He has three top-10 finishes and was one of only nine drivers to finish on the lead lap at Bristol in ninth.

The organization's other driver, Ty Dillon, has not had the same success as Allmendinger, but he has put together some solid finishes. While he sits 29th in the standings, Dillon has quietly recorded four finishes of 16th or better. Most importantly, he has zero DNFs, which shows he is running all the laps and putting his car in position for decent finishes.

With only five laps led combined, don't expect to see either of them pacing the field on a weekly basis. The first nine races, though, show the potential for solid finishes is there and potentially a win if the right scenario presents itself.

Hyak Motorsports

Coming off an inconsistent 2024 season that featured one win at Talladega, but only three top-fives and an average finish of 22.1, Hyak Motorsports (formerly known as JTG Daugherty Racing) was rebranded and has made some improvements on the track.

Driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who is 18th in points, has a fifth-place finish at Atlanta and five top-20 finishes in nine races. While that is not eye-opening, the Hyak Motorsports organization was one of two in the Cup Series (Legacy Motor Club) without a single DNF through eight races, and that continued following the ninth race at Bristol.

For comparison, Stenhouse had seven DNFs last season, so his ability to finish each race to begin the 2025 season has the organization in a solid position coming out of the break. Not to mention, the series' stop at Talladega this weekend is the site of his only win last season and two of his four career wins.