At Talladega, every driver has a plan until the inevitable ‘Big One’ (the large, multi-car crashes that are a hallmark of superspeedway racing and a constant threat to contenders) strikes. As the series heads to its most unpredictable track (which creates wide racing grooves and massive drafting packs), survival is as important as speed. With three days of action on tap, here’s the complete breakdown of what to watch for and when at Talladega.

What is NASCAR’s weekend schedule at the Talladega Superspeedway?

As the Truck Series won’t be running, the weekend will kick off past midday on Friday. Here is the detailed schedule for the entire weekend (all times mentioned in ET).

Friday, 24 April

The ARCA Menards Series will host its practice session at 03:30 p.m., but it won’t be live-streamed anywhere. Instead, fans can enjoy the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ qualifying session at 05:30 p.m. the same day. You can catch it on the CW App.

According to The Weather Channel, the weather will be partly cloudy on that day. The temperature will climb to 84° during the day, and there could be a thunderstorm at night.

Saturday, 25 April

The Cup Series drivers will kick off the day at 10:30 a.m. with the main qualifying session. You can catch it on Prime Video, MRN, and SiriusXM. Following this, the ARCA Series will host the Alabama Manufactured Housing 200, its main event of the weekend, at 12:30 p.m. FOX One will stream the race.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will immediately follow this at 04:00 p.m. as the Ag-Pro 300 goes green under the lights at Talladega. You can watch this on CW.

There could be a thunderstorm during the day, which might trouble the drivers. The temperature will be cooler during the day, peaking at 78°, and there could be a thunderstorm at night.

Sunday, 26 April

The track will solely be for the Cup Series drivers on Sunday as the Jack Link’s 500 goes green at 03:00 p.m. You can watch the grand 500-mile event on FOX One, FOX, and HBO Max. This is a much-anticipated race, and the weather should be much calmer according to the current forecast. The temperature could rise to 84°, warming up the asphalt just enough for the race. Expect partly cloudy conditions in the morning, followed by the sun hitting the track later in the day.

Entry list for the Cup Series race

41 drivers running the Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. Here is the complete entry list:

Race odds for the Cup Series at Talladega

Here are the top odds for the Jack Link’s 500:

1. Ryan Blaney (+1000)

Although Toyota has dominated the season so far, Talladega could finally be a race for Ford. Blaney—Ford’s only race winner this season and the driver with the shortest odds—has been excellent on superspeedways, having won at Talladega three times. Although his visit to the Daytona 500 ended in a massive disappointment, he led 12 laps and was in the top 5 before the ‘Big One’ took him out. This time could be different.

1. Austin Cindric (+1200)

Cindric hasn’t become the strongest driver so far this season, but that could change if he takes advantage of Team Penske‘s expected performance on the track. However, he will also have to battle both his teammates to clinch the best position, as he shares the same odds with the #22 Ford driver.

1. Joey Logano (+1200)

Despite setting a top bar early in the season, Logano has struggled in the middle of the pack in most races. However, his long experience of running the peak competition in the Cup Series, combined with Penske’s performance on the track, could change his fortune at Talladega.

This race weekend seems to be rather exciting. It will be interesting to see who wins the race—the driver with the shortest odds, the driver who survived the ‘Big One,’ or the driver who needs fortune by his side.