5 Points to Ponder: Would a Non-Playoff Race Spice Up Talladega?

1. Does a Playoff Race on a Drafting Track Force Drivers To Avoid Taking Chances?

The official record shows William Byron finished third on Sunday (Oct. 6) at Talladega Superspeedway and Christopher Bell was sixth.

In a race that usually amounts to a demolition derby, and Sunday (Oct. 6) was that, taking a chance is not worth it if you’re in a position to advance by way of points to the next round of the playoffs.

The goal for these drivers is not so much to win, but rather to survive. Both did that by probably not forcing the issue. But what if this was not a postseason race? The draw of racing on drafting tracks is that it creates the elements for drivers to be aggressive and take chances, provided that those drivers wish to do so.

But think back to the spring race here at this East Alabama spectacle of speed. If you have already locked yourself in with a race victory, there’s no reason to be conservative.

There are all sorts of ways to walk about how to make racing at drafting tracks like Talladega more exciting. Perhaps one should be to consider running both of its races in the regular season? After all, there was a time when NASCAR decided to simulate racing on the surface of the sun when it staged events at Talladega in July.

2. Want To Cut Costs for Teams? Reduce Drafting-Style Races

It’s questionable how much NASCAR cares about containing costs given the current generation of racecar that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. But if one wants to consider a cost-cutting measure, it needs to not look at the cars finishing Sunday’s race, but all of the ones caught up in the late-race melee that was a bonanza for those auctioning off race-used sheet metal.

Overall, NASCAR races on six drafting-style tracks. Yes, it’s exciting to see cars three-and-four wide. But if it’s a few hours of relying on the draft with a manufactured close victory due not because of driving skill, but all because of a racing package that wants cars to race close together.

Superspeedway-style racing is a lot of things, but it’s not a pure form of motorsports. And when it’s questionable whether or not it constitutes racing and that it tears up lots and lots of racecars, the question needs to be asked whether or not the expense is worth the return…or lack of for teams.

3. Did Kyle Larson Just Win the Championship?

It’s fair to say that restrictor-plate tracks have been unkind to Kyle Larson. When you are trying to chase down a championship, there’s no such thing as a mulligan. Yes, it’s easy to say you can make up ground, but that does not account for another driver’s upset win or an unexpected mechanical issue.

That’s why Sunday’s biggest winner was not Ricky Stenhouse Jr. No, that was Larson. By finishing fourth, there’s no points gap to make up in case Larson has to desperately get to the next round by way of points. As it stands now, Larson is third in the standings, in a good position to make it to the Round of 8 heading to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL this weekend.

If Larson goes on to win the Cup Series title this season, this past Sunday on an old Indian burial ground may be a big reason why.

4. Texas Motor Speedway Has To Change Things Up…Now

There’s plenty of buzz about motorsports in the state of Texas these days.

Beyond the pride of Prosper, Texas in Chris Buescher, the Circuit of the Americas course in Austin appears to be well in place on the Formula 1 schedule. Not only that, but on Monday it was officially announced that in 2026, Arlington, Texas will host an NTT IndyCar Series street course race.

And then there’s Texas Motor Speedway. Remember? The crown jewel of Bruton Smith’s empire of racetrack expansion in the 1990s.

Now, it’s safe to say that the track is an afterthought. Across the Speedway Motorsports swath of tracks, Atlanta Motor Speedway had new energy pumped into it with its reprofile, North Wilkesboro Speedway rose from the dead and Charlotte Motor Speedway will always be special, no matter the layout.

At Texas, the style of racing has been much the same. That may appeal to a core of fans, not to the casual audience. Should the track be massively reconfigured to a short track, road course or a superspeedway?

That may be needed to keep the track relevant in a highly competitive media market.

5. Get Ready for the Most Irrelevant Champion in NASCAR History

It cannot be said any plainer.

NASCAR has had better weeks than it had last week. If the last week in the sport had an episode title like in The West Wing, it would have been “What kind of day has it been?”

There’s no way around it. When two race teams sue the sport and one of its co-owners is one of, if not the most recognizable figures in sports and entertainment, it’s a tough week for anyone involved in the sport, whether their role be large or small.

Until this is resolved, a massive cloud will be hanging over the sport, and no matter how many more race winners there are this season, no matter who the season champion is and how they win it, nobody will be talking about it.

In a perfect world, all of this happens in the offseason so as not to overshadow anything on the track. That ship has sailed now, and this year’s Cup champion may end up being the most forgotten one in the sport’s history.