William Byron knows that he is safe…for at least a couple more weeks…after his win at Texas Motor Speedway to start off the round of 12 in the Cup Series playoffs.

This week the drivers travel to Talladega where anything can and usually does happen including “the big one”.  Thirty-eight teams have brought cars to the track to race in the YellaWood 500.

With no practice, the first driver on the track to make a qualifying run is Chandler Smith who posts a time of 53.470 seconds around the 2.66 mile track.

Ricky Bobby  – Ryan Preece – comes to Talladega this weekend in the Wonder Bread car.   Cal Naughton -Chase Briscoe – is in the Old Spice car in a tribute to the movie “Talladega Nights”.

Riley Herbst breaks the 53 second mark with a time of 52.716 seconds.

This week the drivers were not divided into groups but are all making a qualifying run together with the top 10 moving on to a second round of playoffs to set the pole.

After an issue with the number 42 car, Carson Hocevar will not make a qualifying run and will start the race from the back of the field.

The drivers moving on to round two of qualifying are:
Riley Herbst
William Byron
Bubba Wallace
Joey Logano
Chase Briscoe
Rayn Blaney
Aric Almirola
Brad Keselowski
Kyle Larson
Austin Cindric

Seven of the 10 drivers are in a Ford but only five of the 12 playoff drivers are in the top 10 for round two.

First on the track in the top 10 is William Byron who posted a time of 52.926 seconds.

With a time of 52.715 seconds Aric Almirola puts his number 10 car on the pole with Joey Logano starting alongside on the front row for an all Ford front row.

The starting lineup for the YellaWood 500:
Aric Almirola
Joey Logano
Chase Briscoe
Kyle Larson
Brad Keselowski
Riley Herbst
Austin Cindric
William Byron
Bubba Wallace
Ryan Blaney
Kevin Harvick
Denny Hamlin
Tyler Reddick
Austin Dillon
Christopher Bell
Martin Truex Jr
Todd Gilliland
Michael McDowell
Ryan Preece
Alex Bowman
Harrison Burton
Ty Gibbs
Chase Elliott
Chris Buescher
Kyle Busch
Erik Jones
JJ Yeley
Daniel Suarez
Brennan Poole
Justin Haley
AJ Allmendinger
Ross Chastain
Ty Dillon
Chandler Smith
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Corey LaJoie
BJ McLeod
Carson Hocevar

Stages one and two are 60 laps each with stage three lasting 68 laps for a total of 188 laps around the 2.66 mile track.  The drivers can run around 42 laps on a single load of fuel; they will have to make a fuel stop in every stage.

Aric Almirola brings the field down for the green flag start of the race from the inside row with Joey Logano alongside.  Almirola gets out in front for the lead as the drivers get up to speed.

Joey Logano and Aric Almirola are side by side in a double file freight train.

Lap three, Joey Logano leads from the outside with Kyle Larson in second; Aric Almirola, Chase Briscoe, and Riley Herbst round out the top five.

Lap four, drivers are beginning to create a third lane of traffic back in the field with Joey Logano leading the race.

Lap five, drivers are three wide with Aric Almirola and Joey Logano swapping the lead back and forth; Kyle Larson, Riley Herbst, and Chase Briscoe round out the top five.

Lap seven, Joey Logano leads the race from the middle lane; Riley Herbst, Kyle Larson, Aric Almirola, and Chase Briscoe round out the top five as positions change by the second.

Lap eight, William Byron gets the lead in the middle lane after Joey Logano drops down to the inside.

Lap eleven, Joey Logano has retaken the lead but is getting a battle from teammate Ryan Blaney;William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Austin ?Dillon round out the top five.  The high lane has fallen way back and are mostly double file.

Drivers will be moving up and back through the field all day.

Lap 15, Joey Logano leads the race with William Byron in second; Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, and Kyle Larson round out the top five.

Teams are preparing to move into position for pit stops with specific groups.

Lap 16, Wiilliam Byron and Joey Logano battle back and forth for the lead; Martin Truex Jr is leading the high line which has reformed the third lane.

Lap 17Joey Logano moves down to block William Byron to hold on to the lead.

Lap 18 William Byron takes the lead from the inside lane.

Lap 19, Joey Logano has retaken the lead; William Byron, Martin Truex Jr, Austin Dillon, and Ryan Blaney round out the top five,

Lap 23, The drivers have gotten double file again up front with Ricky Bobby (Ryan Preece) leading the race.

Lap 25 the top five are Ryan Preece, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, William Byron, and Ryan Blaney.  Only four of the 12 playoff drivers are in the top 10.

Lap 27, Ryan Preece leads the race with Joey Logano right behind him; Austin Dillon, William Byron, and Ryan Blaney round out the top five.

Lap 30, Ryan Preece leads the race with Joey Logano on his bumper; Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, and Erik Jones round out the top five.

The second line has pulled up to near the front led by Ricky Stenhouse Jr battles with Ryan Preece for the lead.

Lap 32, Ricky Stenhouse Jr takes the lead.

Lap 35, Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Ryan Preece continue to battle for the lead.  Stenhouse moves down to the inside lane to block Preece and hold on to the lead. 

Lap 37, drivers begin the jockeying to position themselves to make their pit stops.

Lap 38, aster starting back in the pack, Kyle Busch has entered the top 15. 

Austin Dill has something flapping around.

Lap 39, the first group of drivers come down pit road for service.  Most of the drivers are taking fuel only.

Justin Haley is the new leader as green flag pit stops continue.

Lap 41, Ty Dillon leads the race.

Lap 41 a few more drivers come down pit road including leader Ty Dillon.  Christopher Bell is the new leader.

Lap 42, the next and final group of drivers head for pit road. 

Lap 43, Ricky Stenhouse Jr leads the race with Austin Cindric in second; Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, and William Byron round out the top five.

Erik Jones is making career start 250 in today’s race.

Erik Jones was charged with a crew member over the wall too soon and will have to serve a pass through penalty.

With 14 laps remaining in stage one, Austin Cindric leads the race with Ryan Blaney in second; Ricky Stenhouse Jr, William Byron, and Kyle Busch round out the top five.

Lap 49, with a push from Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr takes the lead.

Ryan Blaney pushes Austin Cindric to the lead.

Lap 50, Ricky Stenhouse Jr retakes the lead.

After serving his pass through penalty, Erik Jones ahs lost the draft and is in danger of being put a lap down.

Lap 51, Erik Jones goes a lap down with Austin Cindric in the lead; Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney,, and  William Byron round out the top five.

Lap 54, Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Austin Cindric continue to battle back and forth for the lead.

Lap 55, drivers have again gotten three wide as the end of stage one approaches.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr leads the race with Kyle Busch in second; Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, and William Byron round out the top five.

Three laps remain in stage one with Ricky Stenhouse Jr leading the way.  Erik Jones and Brennan Poole are the only cars not on the lead lap.

Lap 58, Austin Cindric leads the race.

BJ McLeod and Carson Hocevar go a lapd down.

Chase Briscoe may have a fuel pickup issue.

Ryan Blaney wins stage one as drivers are wrecking.

The top 10 at the end of stage one:
Ryan Blaney
William Byron
Kyle Larson
Chase Elliott
Alex Bowman
Austin Cindric
Justin Haley
Kevin Harvick
Ryan Preece

Ross Chastain and Kyle Busch make contact.  There is some significant damage to Chastain’s car after hitting Kyle Busch.

Reports are that Ricky Stenhouse Jr ran out of fuel and started the melee.

Drivers come down pit road for service with Harrison Burton winning the race off of pit road after taking fuel only.  Wood Brothers have announced that Burton will be returning to the number 21 car next season as the storied team continues to search for the elusive win number 100.

Christopher Bell is on pit road for repairs to a damaged car after being involved in the end of stage wreck.  He has seven minutes under the “crash clock” to get the car repaired and meet minimum speed on the track.  AJ Allmendinger and Chandler Smith also have car in need of repairs.

Ross Chastain has to be towed to the garage with a broken suspension.  He is the first driver out of the race.  Out of the care center, Chastain said he could have done better; adding that he is living the dream.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr reports that when he went to flip the reserve fuel switch, the car stumbled even further; adding it was what started the wreck.

Ryan Blaney brings the field down for the green flag start of stage two on lap 66 with Chase Elliott alongside.  Blaney takes the lead.

The top five  are Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Alex Bowman.

Lap 68, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney swap the lead back and forth with Blaney on the inside lane.

Hendrick Motorsports drivers admit that they need to ensure Kyle Larson continues in the playoffs; but add that they too want to win a race; especially Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman who have streaks going.

Lap 70, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson are the only playoff drivers to earn stage points at the end of stage one.

Martin Truex Jr reports that the Toyotas cannot work together very well.  He states that when they get together in the third lane, they go backwards.

Lap 71, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney continues to battle back and forth for the lead.

Chase Elliott is the leader with Kyle Larson in second; Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Cindric round out the top five.

Lap 73, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman battle for the lead; swapping back and forth.

Lap 74, the top five are Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, and Aric Almirola.

Christopher Bell returns to the race but is unable to push other cars…at least until the end of the race.

Lap 80, back on the lead lap Erik Jones is the new leader as the high line has formed once again.

Lap 80, Alex Bowman takes the lead with Chase Elliott in second; Austin Cindric, Kevin Harvick, and Kye Larson round out the top five.

Lap 82, the high line is falling back once again with the inside lane moving up.

Lap 83, Alex Bowman leads the race on the inside but Erik Jones comes up on the outside line to take the lead.

The top five are Erik Jones, Michael McDowell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Todd Gilliland, and Austin Cindric.

Todd Gilliland has run the fastest lap of the race so far at over 197mph.

Lap 87, Michael McDowell leads the race from the outside line.

Lap 90, Michael McDowell and Riley Herbst battle for the lead with Herbst edging out for the lead on the outside lane.; Tyler Reddick, Todd Gilliland, and Bubba Wallace round out the top five.

Lap 92, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace are the only playoff drivers in the top 10.

Lap 94, Riley Herbst leads the race with Tyler Reddick moving up on the outside to challenge for the lead.

Lap 95, Tyler Reddick and Riley Herbst battle for the lead.

Lap 98, Riley Herbst holds on to the lead as Tyler Reddick continues to challenge on the outside lane.  The third lane up by the wall is trying once again to form and move forward.

Lap 101, as green flag pit stops approach, the drivers are working their way to the bottom in order to make it to pit road.

Denny Hamlin is the new leader but is getting a challenge from Michael McDowell.

Lap 104, Denny Hamlin leads on the inside with Kyle Busch on the outside lane.

Six of the top seven spots are filled by playoff drivers.

Lap 105, the first group of drivers come down pit road for service including leader Denny Hamlin.  Kyle Busch is the new leader.

Drivers are taking fuel only and spending only four or five seconds on pit road.

Lap 106, the next group of drivers come down pit road for service.

Denny Hamlin was caught speeding on pit road and will have to serve a pass through penalty.

Lap 107, the final group of drivers comes down pit road including leader Kyle Busch.

Austin Cindric was caught speeding on pit road and will have to serve a pass through penalty.

Austin Dillon leads the race with Kyle Busch in second.

Lap 108, Bubba Wallace is working to bring the high line back into play.

Brad Keselowski takes the lead with Joey Logano in second; Aric Almirola, Ryan Blaney, and Kevin Harvick round out the top five.

Lap 113, just eight laps remain in stage two, Joey Logano leads the race with Brad Keselowski in second; Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, and Aric Almirola round out the top five.

Austin Dillon says that if he is in front, he is like a boat anchor but he is much better at pushing and is looking just to be a pusher for now.

With five laps to go in stage two, William Byron leads the race with Joey Logano in second.  Denny Hamlin has lost the draft and is in danger of going a lap down.

Denny Hamlin goes to the top and gets “freight trained”.

Three laps remain in stage two with William Byron leading the race.

Two laps remain in stage two, the outside lane collapses.

Brad Keselowski wins stage two.

The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Brad Keselowski
William Byron
Joey Logano
Austin Dillon
Chase Elliott
Daniel Suarez
Chase Brisoce
Kyle Larson
Ty Dillon
Tyler Reddick

Carson Hocevar is the “lucky dog”; leaving Denny Hamlin one lap down.

Drivers come down pit road for service with Joey Logano winning the race off of pit road.

There is a gas can on fire on pit road after Ty Gibbs left his pit box with the gas can still attached.  He will have to serve a pass  through penalty for removing equipment from the pit box.

The crew spends some time working on the nose of Christopher Bell’s car.

Only four playoff drivers earned stage points at the end of stage two.

Kyle Larson and Joey Logano bring the field down for the green flag start of stage three.  Leader Logano is on the outside lane but it is Kyle Larson who edges out in front first.  Joey Logano takes the lead.

Lap 128, the top five are Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, and Chase Elliott.

Drivers are double file through the field with Joey Logano leading the race from the outside lane.

With 59 laps to go, Joey Logano leads the race with Kyle Larson in second; Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.

With 32 cars on the lead lap, Ross Chastain is the only driver out of the race.

Basketball great Michael Jordon is on the pit box of the 23 team for today’s race.

Lap 136, Joey Logano leads the race form the middle lane as the outside lane forms once again.  The top five are Joey Logano Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, and Daniel Suarez.  Austin Cindirc leads the outside lane with Denny Hamlin behind him; bot drivers are one lap down.

Fifty to go, Joey Logano leads the race – the latest of 54 lead changes…so far.

The top five are Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Kyle Busch.

With 46 laps to go, Joey Logano leads the race with Brad Keselowski in second; Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, and Tyler Reddick round out the top five.

Chris Buescher takes the lead from the outside lane.

Joey Logano retakes the lead.

Lap 147 Chris Buescher leads the race with Joey Logano getting back out in front as the drivers continue to shift more aggressively.

Denny Hamlin passes Joey Logano but Hamlin is trying to unlap himself.

Just 40 laps remain in the race, the inside line moves back up to for three full lanes with William Byron leading the race.

The top five are William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, and Brad Keselowski.

With 37 laps remaining in the race, William Byron leads the race but Bubba Wallace comes up on the outside to battle for the lead.

With 36 laps to go, the drivers are now withing their fuel window to make it to the end of the race.

The front fender on Kyle Busch’s car is broken and is coming apart.

Lap 154, Bubba Wallace and William Byron battle for the lead with Wallace taking the lead in the middle lane.

Lap 156, getting a push from the boss Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace is the leader of the race.

Lap 157, Chris Buescher comes up o the outside lane to take the lead.

With 31 laps remaining in the race, the crivers have gotten four wide across the track in a battle for position.

William Byron has the lead on the inside lane with Ryan Blaney in second; Alex Bowma, Kyle Larson, and Aric Almirola round out the top five.

Just 30 to go, leaders are double wide but the drivers are three and four wide back in the field.  Aric Almirola and William Byron battle for the lead back and forth.

Big crash brings out the caution flag with 27 laps to go.  Brad Keselowski and Austin Dillon get into the wall.  Ty Gibbs, Chase Briscoe, AJ Allmendinger, and Carson Hocevar were also involved.  Keselowski pushed Hocevar that begins the crash.  Dillon and Gibbs get hard into the wall.  Keselowski was airborne for a couple of seconds.

NASCAR is red flagging the race in order to repair the “safer barrier” after Austin Dillon and Ty Gibbs hit the wall in almost the exact same place.  Kevin Harvick is listed as the leader of the race.

The “safer barrier” is steel tubing with foam blocks between the tubing and the concrete wall to absorb the energy.

Brad Keselowski is out of the race.  After being checked at the car center, Kes said that he didn’t hit that hard and is fine.  He noted that he believes that Carson Hocevar’s car was not handling very well.

After about a 10 minute red flag condition, the yellow flag is back out and the cars are moving again.

Carson Hocevar said that he had fun; adding that he got to see a lot but it just didn’t work out today.

Austin Dillon said that he didn’t see anything, just got hit from behind.

The drivers come down pit road for service with many taking fuel only.  Joey Logano wins the race off of pit road after taking two tires.

Denny Hamlin is the “lucky dog” and back on the lead lap.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Bubba Wallace nearly crash on pit road.

With just 20 laps remaining in the race, Aric Almirola brings the field down for the green flag restart with Alex Bowman alongside.  Almirola gets out in front form the outside lane after a push.

Alex Bowman and Aric Almirola battle for the lead.  A few drivers are looking to re-establish the third lane in an attempt to move forward.

With 19 to go, the top five are Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, Aric Almirola, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson.

The caution flag comes out with 17 laps to go for debris on the track.

There have been 63 lead changes so far in today’s race with 16 laps to go.

Alex Bowman brings the field down for the green flag restart with just 13 laps remaining in the race with Ryan Blaney alongside.  Blaney and Bowman go side by side with Bowman getting out in front on the inside.

The top five are Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Riley Herbst.

The third line has formed back in the field with the middle and inside lane battling for position.

Kevin Harvick leads the race from the middle lane with a push form Ryan Blaney.

Ten to go, Kevin Harvick leads the race with Ryan Blaney in second; Alex Bowman, Riley Herbst, and Chase Elliott round out the top five.

Alex Bowman takes the lead with Chase Elliott on the inside.

Nine to go, Chase Elliott is the new leader.

Eight to go, Alex Bowman takes the lead from the middle lane.

Kevin Harvick takes the lead from the middle lane after Alex Bowman moved down to the bottom.

Seven to go, Alex Bowman leads the race.

Alex Bowman gets shuffled out with Chase Ellitt taking the lead.  Bowman leads the high line.

Six to go, Chase Elliott leads the race form the inside lane.

William Byron jumps up to the middle lane.

Five to go, Kevin Harvick and William Byron battle for the lead.

Four to go, Kevin Harvick leads the race with William Byron in second.

Three to go, Kevin Harvick has a very narrow lead on William Byron.

Two to go, Kevin Harvick holds on to the lead from the inside lane with Ryan Blaney in a battle for the lead.

Ryan Blaney takes the white flag.

Kevin Harvick passes Ryan Blaney for the lead but Blaney comes up on the inside to take the lead.

Big wreck at the finish line as Ryan Blaney edges out for the win!  Blaney has secured a spot in the next round of the playoffs after a push form William Byron.  The top two drivers were separated by 12 one thousandths of a second.

Coming across the finish line, Todd Gilliland gets turned around by Corey LaJoie which collects several drivers including Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, and Christopher Bell.

There have been five playoff races so far and all five of them have been won by a different playoff driver.

The unofficial results of the YellaWood 500:
Ryan Blaney
Kevin Harvick
William Byron
Denny Hamlin
Corey LaJoie
Austin Cindric
Chase Elliott
Justin Haley
Ryan Preece
Riley Herbst
Daniel Suarez
Chandler Smith
Todd Gilliland
Kyle Larson
Chase Briscoe
Christopher Bell
Tyler Reddick
Aric Almirola
Martin Truex Jr
Chris Buescher
AJ Allmendinger
Michael McDowell
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Bubba Wallace
Joey Logano
Kyle Busch Erik Jones
Ty Dillon
Alex Bowman
BJ McLeod
Brennan Poole
Harrison Burton
Brad Keselowski
Austin Dillon
Ty Gibbs
Carson Hocevar
JJ Yeley
Ross Chastain

The round of 12 ends next week at The Roval.