Racing Insights: William Byron will finally visit Victory Lane at Talladega

After a thriller in Texas, the Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for what is shaping up to be a sensational GEICO 500 this Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).

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The advance metrics predict another Hendrick Motorsports win, with William Byron projected to earn his fourth victory this season.

It’s wild to think Byron has yet to find Victory Lane at Talladega. The No. 24 Chevrolet finished in the top 10 at both races there last season, with a runner-up to Ryan Blaney in the fall. In addition, all of Byron’s finishes at Talladega in the Next Gen era have been in the top 15, suggesting he could visit Victory Lane soon at the famed superspeedway.

Following Byron in the projections is his teammate and most recent Cup Series victor Chase Elliott, Team Penske’s Blaney, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace. Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, and Martin Truex Jr. complete the projected top 10.

Plenty of playoff spots are still up for grabs this weekend. Talladega is known to produce surprise winners, which leaves the door open for another wild Cup race.

OTHER DRIVERS TO WATCH

CHASE ELLIOTT: After returning to the mountaintop and breaking a 42-race winless drought last weekend at Texas, and with Talladega on tap, signs point to the No. 9 Hendrick driver to have another stellar weekend. Before last Sunday, Elliott’s last win came at the Alabama circuit, and he owns the fourth-best all-time average finish at Talladega (13.63) with a minimum of six starts.

RYAN BLANEY: Blaney is the only repeat Talladega winner in the last nine races. He’s finished in the top 10 in seven of the last nine drafting races, with his last three Talladega finishes being in the top two. In the Next Gen era, drafting tracks have been Blaney’s second nature, with the 2023 champ earning six top fives and nine top 10s and owning an average finish of 10.9.

JOEY LOGANO: After a slow start to the 2024 campaign, Logano has found his way back into the playoff mix. While his recent numbers at Talladega don’t jump off the page, one can’t discount the two-time champ whenever the Cup Series shifts to superspeedways. His last win came at a drafting-style track in last year’s Atlanta race, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him in the mix this weekend as he aims to end a drought of his own.

CHRIS BUESCHER: Both RFK Racing cars have a chance to turn in solid results this weekend. Buescher, to match his champion teammate’s prowess, has become a savvy superspeedway racer over the past several years and won at Daytona last season. He is already off to another great start in 2024, with five top 10s through the first nine races. Plus, Buescher finished third at Talladega last fall.

DANIEL SUÁREZ: Suárez landed a top-five finish last weekend at Texas for his first top-five finish since the Atlanta win earlier this year. Suárez also has three consecutive top-10 finishes at Talladega and should be carrying some extra momentum this weekend after turning in a result that reflects the speed the No. 99 has shown all season.

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE GEICO 500

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.