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NASCAR results: Elliott wins thriller at Talladega, clinches berth into playoff Round of 8

Chase Elliott entered the YellaWood 500 weekend coming off of a disappointing DNF at Texas and just 11 points above the NASCAR Cup Series playoff cut line. The 2020 series champion leaves Talladega guaranteed a spot in the Round of 12 after a daring last-lap gambit propelled him to victory by mere feet over Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell.

YellaWood 500 results

  1. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  2. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

  3. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

  4. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

  5. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  6. Erik Jones (43), Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet

  7. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

  8. Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

  9. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

  10. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  11. Landon Cassill (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

  12. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  13. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

  14. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  15. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

  16. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

  17. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  18. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  19. Noah Gragson (48) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  20. Kyle Busch (18), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  21. Cole Custer (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

  23. Ty Dillon (42), Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet

  24. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

  25. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

  26. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  27. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

  28. Tyler Reddick (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

  29. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  30. Justin Allgaier (62), Beard Motorsports Chevrolet

  31. JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

  32. Daniel Hemric (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

  33. Cody Ware (51), Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet

  34. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

  35. Corey Lajoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

  36. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

  37. Ty Gibbs (45), 23XI Racing Chevrolet

YellaWood 500 starting grid

  1. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  2. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  3. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  4. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  5. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  6. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

  7. Noah Gragson (48) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  8. Tyler Reddick (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

  9. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  10. Ty Gibbs (45), 23XI Racing Chevrolet

  11. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

  12. Erik Jones (43), Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet

  13. Daniel Hemric (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

  14. Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

  15. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

  16. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

  17. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

  18. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

  19. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

  20. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

  21. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

  22. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  23. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

  24. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

  26. Kyle Busch (18), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

  27. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

  28. Cole Custer (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

  29. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

  30. Ty Dillon (42), Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet

  31. Justin Allgaier (62), Beard Motorsports Chevrolet

  32. Corey Lajoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

  33. Landon Cassill (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

  34. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

  35. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

  36. JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

  37. Cody Ware (51), Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet

Bowman out with concussion

Alex Bowman – currently 12th in the playoff standings, 26 points below the cut line – will not race this weekend due to a concussion he suffered in a crash last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Xfinity Series points leader Noah Gragson, who has made 13 cup starts this season splitting time between Beard Motorsports and Kaulig Racing, will substitute for Bowman in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports machine.

Top drivers and best bets for the YellaWood 500

As noted above, an unpredictable race produces very long odds. According to BetMGM six playoff drivers all enter with the best odds at +1200, comprising Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano.

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg suggests finding good mid-tier value in 2021 YellaWood 500 winner Bubba Wallace and six-time Talladega winner Brad Keselowski, who both enter at +1600. He suggests staying away from 2021 series champion Kyle Larson (also +1600) as his expertise lies more on short tracks and road courses.

Oct 4, 2021; Talladega, Alabama, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) during the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports
Joey Logano leads the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings entering Talladega, where he shares the best odds for the race win. (Photo by Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports)

NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings

  1. Joey Logano - 3,071

  2. Ross Chastain - 3,059

  3. Kyle Larson - 3,057

  4. Ryan Blaney - 3,056

  5. Denny Hamlin - 3,059

  6. Daniel Suarez - 3,045

  7. Chase Elliott - 3,045

  8. Chase Briscoe - 3,041

  9. Austin Cindric - 3,034

  10. William Byron - 3,033

  11. Christopher Bell - 3,016

  12. Alex Bowman - 3,015

Weather forecast for the YellaWood 500

It is forecast to be beautiful in northeast Alabama with temperatures in the upper 70s, partly cloudy skies and no chance of precipitation.