Ryan Blaney wins in photo finish over Kevin Harvick; updated playoff standings

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YellaWood 500 results

  1. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

  2. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  3. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  4. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  5. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

  6. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

  7. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

  8. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  9. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  10. Riley Herbst (36), Front Row Motorsports Ford

  11. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

  12. Chandler Smith (13), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

  13. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

  14. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  15. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  16. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  17. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

  18. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  19. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  20. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

  21. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

  22. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

  23. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

  24. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

  25. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

  26. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

  27. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

  28. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

  29. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  30. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

  31. Brennan Poole (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

  32. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

  33. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

  34. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

  35. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  36. Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

  37. J.J. Yeley (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

  38. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Updated NASCAR Cup Playoff points standings

1. William Byron – 3,135* (-)
2. Ryan Blaney – 3,078* (-)
3. Denny Hamlin – 3,107 (+50)
4. Christopher Bell – 3,079 (+22)
5. Chris Buescher – 3,076 (+19)
6. Martin Truex Jr. – 3,074 (+17)
7. Kyle Larson – 3,072 (+15)
8. Brad Keselowski – 3,059 (+2)
______________________________ Cut line
9. Tyler Reddick – 3,057 (-2)
10. Ross Chastain – 3,050 (-9)
11. Bubba Wallace – 3,050 (-9)
12. Kyle Busch – 3,033 (-26)
*Clinched entry in Round of 8

YellaWood 500 TV/streaming schedule

All times Eastern

Saturday
4:30-6 p.m.: Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports app)

Sunday
2-5:30 p.m.: YellaWood 500 (USA, NBC Sports app)

YellaWood 500 race details

Track: Talladega Superspeedway (2.66-mile high-banked tri-oval) in Alabama
Length: 188 laps for 500 miles
Banking: Turns – 33 degrees | Tri-oval – 16.5 degrees | Backstretch – 3 degrees
Stage lengths: Stage 1 – 60 laps | Stage 2 – 60 laps | Stage 3 – 68 laps
2022 winner: Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

YellaWood 500 starting grid

  1. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  2. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

  3. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  4. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  5. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

  6. Riley Herbst (36), Front Row Motorsports Ford

  7. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

  8. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  9. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

  10. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

  11. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  12. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  13. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

  14. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

  15. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  16. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  17. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

  18. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

  19. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  20. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  21. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

  22. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  23. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  24. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

  25. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

  26. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

  27. J.J. Yeley (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

  28. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

  29. Brennan Poole (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

  30. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

  31. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

  32. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

  33. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

  34. Chandler Smith (13), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

  35. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

  36. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

  37. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

  38. Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

YellaWood 500 top drivers and best bets

Due to Talladega’s particularly perilous nature – “The Big One” lurks around every corner – no driver enters the weekend at better than 10-to-1 odds. Among the 10 drivers with the best odds going in, just one, Chase Elliott, is not in the playoffs. Brad Keselowski boasts the most Talladega wins of anyone in the field with six victories, the last coming in the spring 2021 race.

Best odds to win
• Denny Hamlin +1000
• Brad Keselowski +1000
• Ryan Blaney +1200
• Joey Logano +1200

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg wrote earlier in the week about the betting outlook and, given the anything-can-happen nature of this race, recommends spreading the money around rather than banking on one or two heavy favorites. In the mid-tier, he likes Christopher Bell (+2200) and Tyler Reddick (+2500), two playoff drivers who are likely at such long odds due to the fact that Toyota hasn’t won at Talladega in the Next Gen car.

TALLADEGA, ALABAMA - APRIL 23: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #6 Castrol Carbon Neutral Ford, drives during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 23, 2022 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Brad Keselowski is the Cup Series’ winningest driver at Talladega, with six career victories at the track. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) (Sean Gardner via Getty Images)

YellaWood 500 entry list

Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chandler Smith (13), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Brennan Poole (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Riley Herbst (36), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
J.J. Yeley (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Weather for the YellaWood 500

The weekend forecast calls for warm temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s and partly cloudy skies with no chance of precipitation. That’s about 10-15 degrees cooler than last week, which will make Talladega seem to the drivers like a tropical oasis compared to Texas.

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