Jack Link's 500
Location: Talladega, Ala.
Course: Talladega Superspeedway
Format: 2.66-mile tri-oval
Laps: 188
Jack Link's 500 Race Preview
Tyler Reddick kept his race-winning momentum alive last week at Kansas, securing his fifth victory of the season and remaining the only driver to have won multiple races so far. The 23XI Racing driver now holds a commanding 105-point lead over Denny Hamlin in the championship standings, and he has his sights set on this week's trip to Talladega Superspeedway as a place to keep the magic going. Reddick claimed a win at the giant Alabama speedway in 2024 and started the current campaign with back-to-back superspeedway victories at Daytona and Atlanta. While Kyle Larson and his Chevrolet challenged Toyota once again last week, it was Reddick's Toyota that ultimately made its way to Victory Lane.
The upcoming race at Talladega could offer a bit more parity, though. All three manufacturers won races at Daytona in February (either the 500 itself or one of the qualifying races) and 25 different drivers led at least one lap. Talladega's wider surface and steeper banking could provide more room for drivers to race, while the draft keeps cars in contention to battle for the win at the finish.
Key Stats at Talladega Superspeedway
- Number of races: 113
- Winners from pole: 14
- Winners from top-5 starters: 57
- Winners from top-10 starters: 77
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 9
- Fastest race: 188.354 mph
Previous 10 Talladega Winners
2025 fall - Chase Briscoe
2025 spring - Austin Cindric
2024 fall - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2024 spring - Tyler Reddick
2023 fall - Ryan Blaney
2023 spring - Kyle Busch
2022 fall - Chase Elliott
2022 spring - Ross Chastain
2021 fall - Bubba Wallace
2021 spring - Brad Keselowski
Talladega Superspeedway is a long, wide tri-oval featuring steep 33-degree banking in the turns and features the superspeedway-style pack racing fans truly enjoy. The track's layout allows drivers to stay at full throttle throughout the entire lap and offers a wider racing surface than at Daytona. That extra space can encourage drivers to be more aggressive. Like Daytona, though, drafting nose to tail is the key to speed. Since moving through the field requires drafting partners, teammates often team up, working together by pushing and pulling each other through the traffic and synchronizing their pit stops. This teamwork ensures a group of cars can quickly regain momentum after heading down pit road. However, as the laps wind down and the stage and race finishes approach, alliances tend to dissolve. In the closing miles, every driver is out for himself, battling for position where a single wrong move can cost spots or trigger chaos.
Despite Reddick's Toyota winning both superspeedway races this season, at Talladega anyone has shot at victory regardless of manufacturer or starting position. The unpredictable nature of the track means the outcome is never certain, and drivers can make their way to the front from anywhere in the field. Success on Sunday will hinge on avoiding mistakes, though. With cars packed tightly together and speeds always high, even the smallest slip-up is magnified. Errors on pit road can leave a driver without drafting help, while poor decisions in the pack may result in losing several positions. Picking the right line off the final turn could be the difference between winning and losing.
RotoWire NASCAR Cup Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Jack Link's 500
Based on Standard $50k Salay Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Tyler Reddick - $10,500
Ryan Blaney - $10,200
Joey Logano - $10,000
William Byron - $9,800
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Elliott - $9,300
Denny Hamlin - $9,000
Bubba Wallace - $8,800
Brad Keselowski - $8,600
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Chase Briscoe - $8,500
Austin Cindric - $8,200
Christopher Bell - $8,000
Carson Hocevar - $7,700
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $7,500
Ty Gibbs - $7,400
Josh Berry - $7,100
Todd Gilliland - $6,400
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Jack Link's 500
Ryan Blaney - $10,200
Bubba Wallace - $8,800
Brad Keselowski - $8,600
Austin Cindric - $8,200
Carson Hocevar - $7,700
Todd Gilliland - $6,400
Were it not for Tyler Reddick's success thus far in 2026, Ryan Blaney (DK $10,200, FD $14,000) would likely have the highest salary cost at Talladega this week, and that gives fantasy players a bit of a discount on one of the best superspeedway racers. Blaney finished in the top three in both stages of the Daytona 500 in February before a crash took him out of contention in the final stage. He is also a three-time race winner at Talladega who spends most of his time running in and around the top contenders at this track. If he can avoid the crashes that took him out of this race early last season, Blaney should be one of the faces in the mix for victory on Sunday, which would be his second of the season if he is successful.
With his head-scratching Martinsville incident firmly behind him, Bubba Wallace (DK $8,800, FD $13,000) is regaining his early-season momentum and could be a factor this Sunday. He is a former Talladega winner who frequently puts himself in position to race for the win at the end of superspeedway events. He won the second stage in this race last season and is hoping to extend his run of three consecutive Talladega top-10 finishes. To get Wallace at this price point this week as his stock is on the rise again feels like a big bargain for cost-conscious fantasy players.
Another driver with momentum on his side is Brad Keselowski (DK $8,600, FD $10,500). He enters the weekend ninth in points with another top-10 finish a week ago at Kansas. At Daytona, he finished fifth and he is a six-time Talladega winner. Last season, Keselowski crashed out of the spring race but started 20th and finished 10th in the fall. Keselowski has had a knack for racing in the draft since his arrival in NASCAR, and this season he looks like he has the car to add another victory to his storied career.
Austin Cindric (DK $8,200, FD $12,500) is the defending winner of this race. The Team Penske driver frequently moves to the front at these tracks and has led laps in each of his last five Talladega starts. With teammates like Blaney and Joey Logano, along with Ford allies such as Keselowski, Cindric will have plenty of support to keep his car among the contenders. Once again, avoiding mistakes and crashes could be the key to his success this week.
Aggressive Carson Hocevar (DK $7,700, FD $6,000) should also be on the radar this week. At Atlanta, he pushed his way to a fourth-place finish despite starting 15th, and Atlanta can be a tougher place to move forward than the likes of Talladega. Last season, Hocevar scored stage points in the second segment of this race and went on to finish sixth. He again finished sixth in the fall, and both of those results came from starting spots outside of the top 25. With improvement this season from Spire Motorsports, this should be a track where Hocevar can maximize his results.
Todd Gilliland (DK $6,400, FD $6,800) should also not be overlooked. The Front Row Motorsports driver has four top-10 Talladega finishes from eight series starts, and he finished second in the fall race last season. Gilliland is another driver that has consistently shone brightly in superspeedway races, and his low cost this week makes him a bargain add to rosters with some significant upside potential.
NASCAR Cup Series Betting Picks for the Jack Link's 500
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 12:30 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Brad Keselowski +1600
Top-Five Finish - Christopher Bell +320
Top-10 Finish - Todd Gilliland +235
Top Chevrolet - William Byron +425
Races at Talladega often give bettors plenty of options, with higher-than-usual odds for the favorites and a deep pool of longshots to choose from. One of the top picks to win, offering better odds than the outright favorites, is Brad Keselowski. The veteran has elevated his performance this season with RFK Racing and appears poised to capture his first win as an owner/driver. Talladega provides him with a great opportunity to do so. He is a six-time winner at this track, finished second in both 2024 races, and placed 10th last fall. Keselowski performs better at this superspeedway than at Daytona, and despite that, he still finished fourth and fifth in his qualifying race and the Daytona 500 this past February. Keselowski is a master in the draft, and his improved 2026 form could open the door to Victory Lane for him.
Christopher Bell is a driver looking for a breakthrough. He hasn't matched his teammates 2026 success just yet, and has had some bad luck holding him back. However, this week's race at Talladega could be one where he begins turning things around. In the last four Talladega races, if Bell didn't crash, he finished in the top 10. With Toyota's speed so far this season and their improved ability to work together in the draft, Bell will have plenty of friends to work his way forward and protect the top finishing positions. If he can get over his recent bad luck, this could be the race that begins Bell's 2026 rise.
One of the more confident wagers to look at this week is Todd Gilliland to claim a top-10 finish. His average finish from eight series starts at this track is 13.1, and he finished in the top-10 in half of those. Only twice in those eight tries did he finish outside of the top 20. These odds aren't what we typically get for a regular top-10 contender, which make this option a nice bargain play.
One last play to consider is William Byron as top Chevrolet. Byron has never won at Talladega, but he has been at the front frequently. He enters this weekend with four top-10 finishes from the last five races, and he finished seventh or better in five of the last six Talladega races. Momentum is heading Byron's direction and his ability to consistently make it to the finish of these races make him a worthy contender to be Chevrolet's highest finished on Sunday.
Mapping out your wagers for the Jack Link's 500? Check out the latest Sportsbook Promo Codes to get special offers and make the most of your bets.
