Stenhouse triumphs at Talladega in tight finish over Keselowski and Byron

The Chevrolet driver secured his first victory since 2023 in an intense race that included a massive crash and multiple lead changes. Stenhouse, who is not part of the Playoffs, stayed in the fight during the final laps and seized the opportunity in overtime to take his fourth superspeedway victory.

A close finish

The race's end was complicated by a crash involving 27 cars, including several Playoff contenders. The accident occurred when Austin Cindric, who needed the win to keep advancing, was hit from behind by Keselowski. This triggered a chain reaction that took out several competitors.

Despite the chaos, Stenhouse held firm. In the final laps, the JTG-Daugherty driver led 19 of the 195 laps, including the decisive ones. Keselowski and Byron finished second and third, respectively, in one of the closest finishes of the season.

Playoff consequences

With Byron's third-place finish, the Hendrick Motorsports driver secured his spot in the next Playoff round. Meanwhile, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe, and Joey Logano were affected by the accident, finishing outside the top 30 and in a difficult position ahead of the final race of this phase in Charlotte.

Chase Elliott, who finished 29th after suffering damage from the incident, still has a chance to advance, although he only holds a 13-point advantage over Logano, his closest competitor.

Suárez fights to stay in the race

Daniel Suárez had a challenging race in Talladega, finishing 26th after spending most of the day recovering from a pre-race penalty for team violations. Despite the difficulties, Suárez managed to avoid getting caught up in the massive crash that affected many Playoff cars, keeping his chances of advancing alive. However, with a 20-point gap behind Chase Elliott, Suárez will need a strong result in the next race at Charlotte to remain in the championship fight.

Next stop: Charlotte

The final race of this Playoff round will be the Bank of America ROVAL 400 in Charlotte. A.J. Allmendinger will defend his win from last year, while several Playoff drivers will need solid results to advance.