The NASCAR industry heads to Talladgea Superspeedway this weekend for the third-to-last race this season.
Five drivers, Sheldon Creed (O’Reilly Auto Parts Series), Corey Day (NOAPS), Carson Hocevar (NASCAR Cup Series), Ryan Sieg (NOAPS), and Ryan Preece (Cup) have won their first race at a drafting tracks this season. In this article, I will outline three drivers in each series that could join this list as first-time winners this weekend.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Before Corey LaJoie moved to the Craftsman Truck Series, he earned a reputation as a strong superpseedway racer in the NASCAR Cup Series. While the results have not shown up on the stats-sheet, LaJoie has looked strong in his limited Truck Series starts at the track type. This combined with the fact Ram is on an upswing will give LaJoie the strongest chance of any Truck Series driver to earn his first win.
On the topic of upswings, Andres Perez de Lara has been strong the past two races. Perez de Lara is consistently in the top-20 of superspeedways and has shown plenty of speed the past two weeks. The Truck Series rate at Talladega is known for chaotic finishes and first career wins. If the 2024 ARCA Menards Series Series champion survives until the finish, he could very well be a contender to join Gio Ruggiero as first-time winners at Talladega.
Cleetus McFarland was one corner away from winning the ARCA race at Talladega earlier this season. While his only drafting start in the Truck Series ended rather early, McFarland has shown improvement as he returns to tracks and vehicles and real strength in the draft. McFarland will likely need a chaotic race, but if there is one, the 31-year-old could shock the world.
O’Reilly
Before Ryan Sieg won at Daytona, it looked like Rajah Caruth was in position to earn his first win. The 24-year-old earned 18 stage points in that race and was in contention for the lead before a wreck relegated him to 32nd-place. Additionally, Caruth earned three top-10s in the other four superspeedway races. The strength of JRM cars and Caruth’s impressive runs mean he is a strong contender to win his first race.
Three of the five superspeedway races in O’Reilly have seen first time winners. Two races, the season opener at Daytona and the summer race at EchoPark Speedway, could have gone to Brennan Poole. Poole has gotten close to a first win several times in the O’Reilly Series at superspeedways, including at Talladega in 2016 and 2024. The 35-year-old’s impressive stint at Alpha Prime will end in three weeks, and a first win for first parties would be a perfect way to end it on a high note.
The Viking Motorsports team-mates of Anthony Alfredo and Parker Retzlaff place third and fourth on my list. But due to his stronger resume at Talladega and more consistent speed in the Chase, Alfredo will be the final O’Reilly driver spotlighted. The 27-year-old has two top-5s on drafting tracks this season and, like Poole and Caruth, have come close to victories multiple times at the track type in recent seasons.
Cup
For the Cup section of this article, I want to spotlight one team: Front Row Motorsports. All three of their drivers are strong superspeedway racers, and it is likely at least one will be in contention on the final lap.
Zane Smith was in contention late in the running of both Daytona races and has back-to-back top-10s at Talladega. Smith has shown the brightest flashes of the FRM trio this season, but has also had low lights at Iowa Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. If Smith can focus on the goal, and so long as Carson Hocevar isn’t in the picture late, the 2022 Truck Series champion could join Chase Elliott, William Byron, and ironically enough Hocevar as first-time winners in their third full season.
Todd Gilliland finished runner-up in the 2025 fall Talladega race. In nine Talladega starts, Gilliland has one top-5 and four top-10s. The In Season Challenge winner will have a strong chance to add a first race win to his 2026 trophy case.
Finally, Noah Gragson has two top-5s and three top-10s in eight Talladega starts. 2026 has been a rough season, with his best finish of ninth coming in the track’s spring race. A victory would erase a lot of the disappointment of Gragson’s 2026 season.
