It isn’t necessary to lead a load of laps to win a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Here are the winners of the past five Xfinity races at NASCAR’s biggest track and the number of laps each led: Justin Haley, 2; Jeb Burton, 20; Brandon Brown, 8; Noah Gragson, 7; and AJ Allmendinger, 3.
MORE: The most (and least) accident-prone drivers at Talladega
It often is necessary, however, to run a fierce final lap. In last October’s race, Allmendinger edged second-place Sam Mayer by .015 of a second, the third-closest Xfinity finish in track history.
Chances are good Saturday’s 300-mile race will produce another tight finish.
Here are details for Saturday’s race:
Details for Saturday’s Xfinity race at Talladega Superspeedway
(All times Eastern)
START: The command to start engines will be given by Timmy Hiers of Ag-Pro at 4:08 p.m. ... The green flag is scheduled to wave at 4:20 p.m.
PRERACE: Xfinity garage opens at 1 p.m. ... Driver introductions begin at 3:30 p.m. ... The invocation will be given by Tony Roberts of Abundant Life Church in Alabaster, Alabama at 4 p.m. ... The national anthem will be performed by the Oak Grove High School Band at 4:01 p.m.
DISTANCE: The race is 113 laps (300 miles) on the 2.66-mile track.
STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 25. Stage 2 ends at Lap 50.
STARTING LINEUP: Talladega Xfinity starting lineup
TV/RADIO: FS1 will broadcast the race at 4 p.m. ... NASCAR RaceDay airs at 3 p.m. on FS1. ... Motor Racing Network coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. and can be heard at mrn.com. ... SiriusXN NASCAR Radio will carry the MRN broadcast.
FORECAST: Weather Underground -- Mostly sunny with a high of 73 degrees and no chance of rain at the start of the race.
LAST TIME: AJ Allmendinger won last October’s Xfinity race at Talladega, outrunning Sam Mayer by .015 of a second. Landon Cassill was third.
