Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NASCAR returns to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend with the Cup and Camping World Truck Series. Cup will hold the second race of the Round of 12 while the Truck Series concludes its first playoff round. Cup teams will only be in action for two days beginning Saturday. Here’s the full weekend schedule with TV and radio info. (All times are Eastern) Friday, Oct. 12 8:30 am. – 8 p.m. – Truck garage open 10:05 – 10:55 a.m. – Truck practice (Fox Sports 2) 11:35 – 12:25 p.m. – Final Truck practice (FS2) 3 – 8 p.m. – Cup garage open 5:35 p.m. – Truck qualifying; two rounds/single truck (FS2) Saturday, Oct. 13 9:30 a.m. – Truck garage opens 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. – Cup garage open 10:30 a.m. – Truck driver-crew chief meeting 11:05 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. – Final Cup practice (NBCSN, Motor Racing Network) 12:30 p.m. – Truck driver introductions 1 p.m. – Truck Series Fr8Auctions 250; 94 laps/250.04 miles (Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) 4:35 p.m. – Cup qualifying; two rounds/single car (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) Sunday, Oct. 14 9:30 a.m. – Cup garage opens Noon – Driver-crew chief meeting 1:15 p.m. – Driver introductions 1:55 p.m. – 1000Bulbs.com 500; 188 laps/500.08 miles (NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)<doc-sep>Any race at Talladega Superspeedway is fraught with nerve-racking drama. But a playoff elimination race where a driver’s championship fortunes quickly and frequently turn course multiple times only amplifies the action and raises the stakes. That is the daunting prospect drivers in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs face in Saturday’s Round of 8 elimination race (1 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Two drivers have clinched a spot in the Round of 6 already. Of the remaining six playoff drivers, two will be eliminated after Talladega. Who absolutely needs a victory to avoid elimination? Because of how tight the standings are between the driver provisionally on the bubble — Matt Crafton (+7 points) — and the two drivers below him on the outside of the cut line — Ben Rhodes (-7) and Stewart Friesen (-10) — there is no one in “must-win mode.” That can change Saturday after the accumulation of stage points and other factors, but at present both Rhodes and Friesen can realistically move forward without reaching Victory Lane. RELATED: Full playoff picture Who should be the most nervous entering the weekend? With the exception of Justin Haley and Grant Enfinger, who have secured their spots in the next round via their wins in previous Round of 8 races, and current points leader Johnny Sauter, who has a comfortable 40-point margin above the cutoff line, the other five drivers all have reason to be apprehensive. This even includes second-place Noah Gragson, who with a poor finish could conceivably fail to advance. If that were to occur, it only would magnify his missteps in the past two playoff races that cost himself several points — a last-lap spin while running second at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and a pit-road penalty that curtailed a strong effort at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. How happy are Haley and Enfinger to come to Talladega and have a worry-free weekend? Incredibly! Being in the playoffs is pressure packed, but that is magnified on NASCAR’s most foreboding track, where drivers often are at the mercy of things outside their control. But Haley and Enfinger don’t have to concern themselves with points or being swept into the “Big One.” This is a giant and well-earned relief. Should anyone besides Haley, Enfinger and Sauter feel even remotely comfortable about their chances of advancing? No. Absolutely not. This is Talladega, and as demonstrated numerous times since NASCAR went to an elimination-style playoff format, this is a race that can flip the points standings around and seemingly erase the biggest of deficits. There is no one else who should feel comfortable. Are Rhodes and Friesen up to the challenge of racing their way out of the Round of 8 and avoiding playoff elimination? Neither Rhodes nor Friesen have won a race on a restrictor-plate track — in fact, Friesen has never won a Truck Series race — but each is capable of finding a way to secure advancement to the next round. Rhodes and Friesen rank third and fifth, respectively, among series regulars in laps led this season and have consistently run near the front of the field. And depending on circumstances Saturday, neither may need a win to advance as accruing stage points with a solid finish may be enough. What is one story line to watch for involving a non-playoff driver? Having a good drafting partner is essential to success at Talladega, someone who will give you a push when you need it or not leave you out to dry in the middle of a pack. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a teammate, though it certainly helps. Working together, however, is something Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates Gragson and Todd Gilliland have had issues with this season, most notably when Gragson attempted an aggressive pass on Gilliland for the lead on the final lap at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, but failed and spun both out. Both drivers have said they have moved on, but it is fair to wonder just how much Gilliland, who is not in the playoffs, will go out of his way to assist the championship-eligible Gragson on Saturday. WATCH: Gragson, Gilliland wreck<doc-sep>With one zany, wild-card race in the NASCAR Playoffs already in the books with the Charlotte road course’s debut, there’s barely time to catch your breath before the next: this weekend’s Monster Energy Series tilt at Talladega Superspeedway. The Alabama speedplant has long been a scrambler for postseason standings, dreams and body panels. The same is expected for the series’ second Talladega visit this season for Sunday’s 1000Bulbs.com 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM). NASCAR.com staff writers Jessica Ruffin and Zack Albert will be trackside for this weekend’s activities. Before they head to the Yellowhammer State, here are three burning questions up for debate ahead of the fifth event in the 10-race playoffs. RELATED: Full schedule for Talladega | Top fantasy plays, sleepers for Talladega 1. Team Penske has won five of the last six Talladega races. Can the organization do it again, and if so, who’s the favorite among their three-car stable? JR: Joey Logano has won half of the last six races at Talladega Superspeedway and has led multiple laps in every race there since 2015. Logano also ranks fourth among active drivers with total laps led at Talladega (266), a number higher than both of his Team Penske teammates. His recent success there bodes well for him, too; in the series’ last trip to Talladega, Logano led a race-high 70 laps to notch the win. With a spot in the Round of 8 on the line, he’ll look to rekindle that Talladega magic again. ZA: Talladega still ranks at or near the top of the list for unpredictability, but Brad Keselowski has made a habit of being a pre-race favorite. His five victories in 19 career Talladega starts makes for an admirable 26.3 winning percentage, and the combination of team (Penske), car (Ford), engine (Roush Yates) and spotter (Joey Meier) has been stellar on restrictor-plate tracks. And that’s not counting the driver, who has been among the most cunning at maneuvering through — and usually leading — the pack. There are no guarantees at Talladega, but Keselowski and Team Penske are as close as it gets. 2. Who is the playoff driver currently outside the cutoff line most likely to rebound from last weekend’s race at Dover? JR: Team Penske may rule Talladega, but Clint Bowyer may be the next best — with two victories there, the No. 14 wheelman is the only non-Penske multi-time winner in the playoff field and has earned 12 top 10s in his 25 Talladega starts. Bowyer’s position outside the cutoff line should cause him to be more aggressive to make up points and go for the win. Teamwork also is crucial at Talladega and Bowyer has a strong stable at Stewart-Haas Racing with two champions among three other fast cars to draft with his No. 14 Ford. ZA: Leave it to the driver backed furthest into the corner to fight his way out. That’s the weekend mission for Alex Bowman, who sits last among the 12 remaining championship-eligible drivers after opening the second round with a crash-related 28th-place finish. Bowman’s best chance at advancing to the Round of 8 comes this weekend at Talladega, where his No. 88 Chevrolet has historically run strong. Mixing a fast ride with the aggressive approach he’ll likely need to adopt could bring a positive result come Sunday. RELATED: Playoff picture | Surprise winners at Talladega 3. Talladega has yielded several surprise visitors to Victory Lane. Who’s an underdog pick outside of the postseason picture who could spoil Sunday’s party? JR: David Ragan is sneaky consistent at a place that’s not so consistent. Looking at the past three races at Talladega, he holds the third-best average finish (8.7), which is better than any other non-playoff driver during that period. It’s also stronger than any of the Big 3 or the Team Penske drivers. Both of Ragan’s wins in the Monster Energy Series have come at restrictor-plate tracks (his most recent at Talladega in 2013), proving he knows how to navigate the delicate draft of ‘Dega. ZA: Digging further down the list of prospective Sunday Cinderellas, Michael McDowell carries some restrictor-plate momentum that could place him in the Talladega record books. The 33-year-old driver led a career-high 20 laps in a breakout showing at Daytona in July, running among the contenders until a late-stage crash thwarted his upset bid. His Front Row Motorsports team has some history with the Alabama track, with teammate David Ragan leading a 1-2 finish for the organization’s only victory in 2013.<doc-sep>
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be in action at Talladega Superspeedway while the NASCAR Xfinity Series is off. The Monster Energy Series heads to the second race of the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs, while the Camping World Truck Series Playoffs enters the final race of the Round of 8. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to changes. Note: All times are ET MORE: How to find NBCSN SUNDAY, Oct. 14 1:45:00 p.m.: Davey Allison & James Hylton Read/Moment of Silence 1:45:30 p.m.: Pledge of Allegiance, Cub Scout Pack 10 from Ellisville, MS 1:46:00 p.m.: Intro Presentation of Colors by Alabama Army National Guard 1:46:20 p.m.: Invocation by Dr. Robert Jeffress, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, TX 1:47:00 p.m.: National Anthem performed by 313th United States Army Band, Birmingham, AL 1:48:15 p.m.: Flyover by (4) F-18s from VFA-213 The World Famous Fighting Blacklions 1:53:15 p.m.: Command to start engines by Kim Pederson, CEO of 1000Bulbs.com 2 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 1000Bulbs.com 500 (188 laps, 500.008 miles), NBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN1, 4) (Results) PRESS PASS (Watch live) 5:30 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race FRIDAY, Oct. 12 10:05-10:55 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice, FS2 (Results) 11:35 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FS2 (Results) 5:35 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS2 (Results) PRESS PASS (Watch live) 1:45 p.m.: Matt Crafton, Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes 2 p.m.: Bubba Wallace 2:15 p.m.: Noah Gragson and Brett Moffitt 2:25 p.m.: Stewart Friesen, Justin Haley and Johnny Sauter 2:45 p.m.: Ty Dillon 3 p.m.: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 3:15 p.m.: Lyn St. James 3:35 p.m.: NASCAR/Talladega Superspeedway 6:45 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying RELATED: VIP experience for Ford fan SATURDAY, Oct. 13 11:05 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN1, 3, 4, 5) (Results) 1 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Fr8Auctions 250 (94 laps, 250.04 miles), FOX (Results) 4:35 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App) (Results) PRESS PASS (Watch live) 9:45 a.m.: Alex Bowman 10 a.m.: Chase Elliott 10:15 a.m.: Aric Almirola 12:30 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr. 3:15 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race 6:15 p.m.: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying