Ryan Blaney wins Stage 1 at Talladega as Ross Chastain crashes on final lap

Ryan Blaney won a frantic, yet almost wreck-free, first stage of the YellaWood 500.

Blaney was leading the pack toward the tri-oval on lap 60 of the 186-lap race when Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain made contact coming through Turn 4, causing Chastain to smack the wall and bring out the caution several thousand feet early. Trackhouse Racing was forced to retire Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet, a big hit to his playoff hopes as he entered the weekend in sixth place, 10 points above the cut line.

Blaney, on the other hand, greatly helped his playoff positioning with the stage points as he entered the weekend in 11th, 11 points off the cut line.

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

NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings

Byron, who had a season-high five wins going into Texas last weekend, notched his sixth victory of the year to clinch a spot in the Round of 8.

1. William Byron – 3,083*
2. Denny Hamlin – 3,074
3. Chris Buescher – 3,059
4. Christopher Bell – 3,057
5. Martin Truex Jr. – 3,056
6. Ross Chastain – 3,049
7. Brad Keselowski – 3,045
8. Kyle Larson – 3,039
______________________________ Cut line
9. Bubba Wallace – 3,037
10. Tyler Reddick – 3,036
11. Ryan Blaney – 3,028
12. Kyle Busch – 3,022
*Clinched entry in Round of 8

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.

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.