The 2025 NASCAR season has been full of exciting races and big wins from fan favorites. But this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, something shocking happened. Several drivers who’ve already won races this year couldn’t even make it past the first round of qualifying for the Jack Link’s 500.
Some of NASCAR’s biggest stars struggled badly during qualifying. Denny Hamlin, who’s already won twice this year, only qualified 13th. Christopher Bell, with three wins under his belt, landed in 11th. William Byron, who won the Daytona 500, ended up 16th. And Kyle Larson, another multiple race winner, wound up way back in 25th position.
Denny Hamlin Among Big Names Who Couldn’t Make the Cut
For Hamlin, a two-time winner already this season at Martinsville and Darlington, the inability to crack the top 10 in qualifying was a major surprise. The same goes for Bell, who has three wins already this year.
Notable drivers not advancing:
Christopher Bell (11th)
Denny Hamlin (13th)
William Byron (16th)
Chase Briscoe (17th)
Alex Bowman (18th)
Bubba Wallace (20th)
Brad Keselowski (22nd)
Kyle Larson (25th)
Tyler Reddick (26th)
Chase Elliott (30th)
Ross Chastain (32nd)#NASCAR https://t.co/xDD5hBxlwf— Joseph Srigley (@joe_srigley) April 26, 2025
Talladega’s unique 2.66-mile, high-banked tri-oval is notorious for its unpredictability. Qualifying at superspeedways is often a game of inches with drafting partners, weather conditions, and minute setup changes making the difference between advancing and an early exit.
With so many heavy hitters starting deep in the field, Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 is primed for chaos. Talladega’s reputation for wild, multi-car wrecks and last-lap drama means that no one, regardless of starting position, is ever truly out of contention.
What makes this so embarrassing is just how good these drivers have been everywhere else. They’ve won at some of the toughest tracks on the circuit this season — Martinsville, Darlington, Daytona, Homestead — yet found themselves outpaced by up-and-comers and mid-pack teams at Talladega.
While the big names struggled, others stepped up. Zane Smith grabbed his very first Cup Series pole position with a blazing fast lap time of 52.565 seconds. Joining him at the front will be Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Ryan Preece, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Josh Berry, Chris Buescher, and Ty Gibbs.
For Hamlin and the other race winners starting in the back, Sunday’s race will be tough. They’ll need to carefully work through traffic, avoid the big wrecks Talladega is famous for, and come up with smart strategies if they want any shot at winning.
For NASCAR fans, this mix-up means Sunday’s race should be extra exciting. Underdogs have a real shot at glory while the season’s top drivers will have to fight their way forward in what’s already been an action-packed 2025 season.
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
