Winners and losers from a frantic NASCAR Cup race at Talladega

This October’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was certainly a memorable one, and pretty much all title contenders encountered issues except for the one already sitting atop the standings.

This race featured a bizarre opening stage where three cars drove off to a 40+ second lead amid fuel-saving shenanigans, a very persistent lapped car that nearly won the race, championship leader Kyle Larson claiming his first superspeedway victory in a stunning last-lap charge, and Joey Logano sliding upside down on his roof.

As you can see, there was plenty to discuss, and a lot drivers feeling sour after another unpredictable superspeedway race. Just two races remain in the 2026 season now, but before we move on to Martinsville, here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from Cup at Talladega:

WINNER: Kyle Larson for delivering a decisive blow in title fight

As Reddick, Blaney, Bell, Briscoe all crashed, and Logano went upside down, Larson enjoyed a nearly perfect day in Alabama. Even Hamlin failed to score any stage points and finished eighth as Larson took a dramatic win in the No. 5 HMS Chevrolet. After losing the lead off of Turn 2 on the white flag lap, he did not give up made a mad dash back to the front, moving from 11th to 1st to claim his first-ever superspeedway win. Larson is now on the cusp of clinching the title a week early, 73pts ahead of Hamlin with two races to go.

LOSER: Austin Hill & Ricky Stenhouse Jr. due to a heartbreaking loss

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet; Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

What could have been for these two drivers … Hill very nearly had his first-ever Cup win in his hands, but stalled out and lost power right as he was attempting to make the pass for the race lead. He crawled across the line as the last car on the lead lap in 14th. Then there’s Stenhouse, who was trying to get his first victory in two years with the small Hyak Motorsports team, but became a sitting duck in the tri-oval as the pack ran him down. He finished third, crossing the line in a three-wide finish with Hendrick teammates Larson and Byron.

WINNER: Ross Chastain and his stunning comeback from one lap down

Kyle Larson wins, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

What a whirlwind day for this driver. Chastain went a lap down after speeding during the very first round of green-flag pit stops. He then spent almost the entire race trapped off the lead lap, but he also spent most of it near the front. Late in the race, he helped pull the third lane forward with Logano, and led the pack with the race leaders behind him. And Logano’s airborne crash with just five laps to go put Chastain back on the lead lap. He restarted 14th at the tail-end of the field with just two laps to go, but quickly found a way through the disorganized pack. On the final lap, he hitched his wagon to Larson and the two of them rapidly charged up through the top ten, with Chastain placing fourth and moments away from taking the runner-up spot with the massive run he had. All that after spending 2/3rds of the race a lap down.