The second of three second-round races in the 2024 NASCAR Playoffs is Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
After a 13th-place finish at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Trackhouse driver Daniel Suárez arrives in Alabama 10th of the 12 playoff drivers and 14 points behind the eighth and final transfer position.
The second round also includes the Roval at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway on Oct. 13 when four of the remaining 12 drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs. After three rounds the remaining four drivers will race in a winner-take-all championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 10.
Trackhouse driver Ross Chastain arrives in Talladega days after the Kansas race where he earned his fifth career victory and Trackhouse’s eighth victory since its 2021 inception. While he isn’t part of the playoffs, Chastain’s seventh-place average in the first four playoff races is the best of all drivers.
- Busch Light Activation at Talladega: Busch Light, the Official Beer Sponsor of NASCAR, makes its return to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway with activations for 21+ fans in both the midway and infield areas at the track. The midway space will feature photo ops with Ross Chastain’s #1 car, complimentary Busch Light branded giveaways, and a double-decker bar where 21+ race fans can order ice-cold Busch Light. In the infield, the “Buschlevard” space will be conveniently located adjacent to Talladega Boulevard and feature another double decker bar, shaded seating areas, satellite TV, free pizza (Saturday only), a DJ, branded giveaways, and more.
- Busch Light Sweeps: Busch Light will be giving fans another chance to win this week with their #BreakForBusch#Sweepstakes. Follow @BuschBeer on X to learn more.
- Talladega Stats: Chastain has 11 Cup Series starts at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. He drove to victory lane in April 2022 after a thrilling last-lap finish. He’s led a total of 68 laps in Talladega with 46 of those behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet.
- Most Wins for No. 1 Car in Cup Series: The No. 1 car has been to victory lane five times with Chastain since 2022. That marks the most wins by a driver in the No. 1 car. Jamie McMurray previously held the record with four wins in the No. 1 car.
- Season Stats: With six races remaining this season and a victory under his belt, Chastain currently has the third best average finish of 13.4 among fulltime Cup Series competitors, and is eighth in most laps led this season with 294.
- Meet Chastain: On Saturday at 3:30 p.m. local time, Chastain will sign autographs at Walmart, 92 Plaza Lane, Oxford, Ala. Wristband required – distribution begins on Saturday at 9 a.m. CT. On Sunday, Chastain will appear at the Team Chevy Stage located in the Talladega fan midway for a Q&A at 9:30 a.m. CT.
- Winning Weekend at Kansas: Chastain piloted the No. 1 Kubota Tractor Corporation Chevrolet to victory on Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. He led five times for a total of 52 laps, and on the last restart with just over 20 laps to go, he started on the inside of the front row and was able to power past Martin Truex Jr. and get the lead. Once he had clean air, it was smooth sailing for the Florida native who captured his fifth Cup Series win and 12th career NASCAR win. Chastain has driven the Kubota livery five times this season and has finished in the top-10 every time. The win also means a $10,000 donation to Farmer Veteran Coalition as part of the “Geared to Give” program. Donations this season total $50,000 after the Kansas win. Chastain has the opportunity to add another $10,000 if he finishes in the top-10 in the Kubota Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway later this month.
- NASCAR: Full Speed: Catch Chastain in the five-episode docuseries NASCAR: Full Speed on Netflix. The series documented portions of Chastain’s 2023 season on and off the track. All five episodes are currently available on Netflix.
- 2023 Season Recap: Chastain won at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway in June and at the Phoenix Raceway season finale in November. He posted 10 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes in his third full time Cup season. The Alva, Florida native finished ninth in points.
Chastain Quotes:
Some people love Talladega racing and others loath it. Do you fall into either of those categories?
“Obviously I’ve won at Talladega before, but I’ve also been spinning around through the grass backwards. You hope for the best and do everything you can to keep your car together for the end of the race, and if you’re lucky, you’ll probably come away with a good finish. You just can’t have any expectations at a superspeedway like Talladega.”
How excited are you to get to Talladega?
“It sure would be fun to get back-to-back wins. I can vividly remember the last time I drove to victory lane at Talladega and how much fun it was. I’m confident in my team at Trackhouse and I would love nothing more than to celebrate with them and our partners in victory lane again this weekend.”
Suárez Notes
- Playoffs: Daniel Suárez arrives in Talladega 10th of the 12 playoff drivers and 14 points behind the eighth and final transfer position with two races remaining in the second round when four of the 16 drivers will be eliminated from playoff contention.
- Talladega Success: Suárez owns three top-10 finishes in the last four Cup races at Talladega. He’s scored the seventh most points of any driver at Talladega in the last four events.
- Back in 2025: Trackhouse Racing announced in August that Suárez and Freeway Insurance will return to the No. 99 Chevrolet racing team for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, marking their fifth season together. Freeway will be the primary sponsor for one-third of the 2025 season, including the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR All-Star race.
- Married Man/Racer: Suárez married his fiancé Julia Piquet at a ceremony on July 30 in Brazil. Four days later he raced in the NASCAR Brazil race at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, better known as Interlagos. He won one of the three races and battled for victory in the other two races.
- Making History: Suárez now has the unique accomplishment of winning in NASCAR Mexico and Brazil in addition to all three American series.
Suárez is Now a Dual Citizen of Mexico and the United States:Suárez took the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony on June 18 in front of media, friends, the NASCAR industry and NASCAR President Steve Phelps who gave the keynote address to the 48 new citizens from 28 countries who joined Suárez at the ceremony. The 32-year-old, Monterrey, Mexico native came to America about 13 years ago without speaking English. He passed the United States Citizenship test on April 29 in Charlotte before taking the final step on June 18. He is now a dual citizen of Mexico and the United States.
- Atlanta Victory: At Atlanta, he and runner-up Ryan Blaney were separated by 0.003 seconds at the finish line. It was the fourth-closest finish in series history, and with third-place Kyle Busch just 0.007 seconds behind the winner, it also stands as the closest finish among three cars in the history of auto racing.
- Mexico Series Victory: Suárez won the 150-lap Mexico Series race at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Feb. 3. It was his 11th victory.
- First Mexican to Win in Cup: Suárez became the first driver from Mexico (Monterrey) to win in the NASCAR Cup Series on June 12, 2022, at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.
- International Driver: He is one of six drivers not from the United States to win a NASCAR Cup Series race: Shane van Gisbergen (New Zealand), Marcos Ambrose (Australia), Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia), Earl Ross (Canada) and Mario Andretti (Italy). Ambrose, Montoya, and Suárez own two victories each.
- Cup Career Highlights: Suárez owns two victories (Sonoma 2022 and Atlanta 2024) and three Busch Light Pole Awards – Pocono (Pa.) Raceway July 2018, Kentucky Speedway July 2019, and on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August 2023.
Suárez Quotes:
How will you race Talladega?
“We will race hard. We want bonus points and need a good finish. We race intending to win. We want to have a big party at Tootsie’s Sunday night in Nashville. We aren’t going to do anything crazy or wild. We will be smart about everything. It will just come down to execution, and because it is Talladega and little bit of luck wouldn’t hurt.”
Is it too early to points race?
“A lot of things can happen in two races, as you very well know. We just have to go out there and execute our race; maximize the potential of our racecar. I’m pretty sure that’s going to be pretty good. We’ve been good here in the past and I expect we will be again this weekend.”
Do you take inspiration when you see Ross win at Kansas?
“Of course. The No. 1 guys had a great day. They have had a great year. I know they were disappointed not to be in the playoffs, but they have been one of the best cars every week. At Trackhouse we believe when one car has success we all have success. I was very proud of Ross. We have a great relationship and work together really well. We celebrated with them in victory lane Sunday and it would be nice if they could join us there this weekend and a few more times in 2024.”
Trackhouse Racing PR
