PREVIEW: Massive opportunity for Yeley among the Entry List Storylines for Talladega
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
IMAGE: Spire Motorsports, @SpireMotorsport
Friday, October 17, 2025 (Green Flag 4:23 P.M. ET, FOX)
TRUCKS Race 23 of 25
Round of 8: Race 2 of 3
Love’s RV Stop 225 at Talladega
2024 Last-Place Finisher: Bayley Currey
ENTRY LIST
There are 36 trucks for 36 spots, so all will qualify.
DRIVER CHANGE: #1-TRICON Garage
Welcome back Bret Holmes, who crossed the line first at Talladega in 2022, only to be classified 3rd by a last-minute caution flag. Holmes returns to the Truck Series for the first time since this race last year, when he finished 9th in his last start as the owner-driver of the #32 Chevrolet. This time around, he drives TRICON’s “all-star” #1 entry, taking the place of Brent Crews, who himself had a career day at the “Roval.” Crews avoided the first-lap, first-corner pileup to lead most of the day, lost the lead by running out of fuel, and still charged back to 2nd behind Corey Heim’s record-setting 10th win of the season.
DRIVER SWAP: #2-Reaume Brothers Racing
DRIVER CHANGE: #22-Reaume Brothers Racing
Jason M. White completes his near-exclusive superspeedway schedule for a 15th series start across eight seasons, marking his second start of the season and first since a career-best 8th in this season’s opener in Daytona. White will pilot the #22, bumping team owner Josh Reaume – 33rd on the “Roval” – to the #2. Reaume, in turn, takes the place of 34th-place “Roval” finisher Carter Fartuch, who climbed two positions after mechanical issues prevented him from starting the race.
RETURNING: #6-Norm Benning Racing
Norm Benning has long circled the superspeedways on the calendar for the same reason as dirt tracks, knowing his underfunded team has a chance to compete for a top finish. Last season, in his first Talladega start in three years, Benning drove a former Henderson Motorsports truck to a 21st-place finish. He’s finished better than that five other times, including a track-best 12th in 2013.
DRIVER CHANGE: #7-Spire Motorsports
Although he’s made 395 starts in the Cup Series and another 393 in XFINITY, J.J. Yeley has been a relatively infrequent competitor in the Truck Series, making just 36 starts and none since August 21, 2020, when he finished 26th at Dover. In that time, he’s earned just two top-ten finishes in the Truck Series – both at Daytona – with a best finish of 9th for AM Racing in 2017. His only Truck Series start at Talladega came in 2011, when he finished last for former driver Stacy Compton, and in so doing completed the LASTCAR Triple Crown. But this week, Yeley climbs into his best ride in years when he pilots Spire Motorsports’ #7 entry, the same team with which Connor Zilisch finished 5th on the “Roval” and won Atlanta in the hands of Kyle Busch.
MISSING: #20-Young’s Motorsports
Randy Young’s team will not field his part-time #20 entry with which Will Rodgers finished 15th last time out on the “Roval.”
DRIVER CHANGE: #33-Reaume Brothers Racing
Frankie Muniz returns for the first time since his 32nd-place showing in Richmond, after which he fractured his wrist in an incident at his home in Phoenix. He will again pilot Josh Reaume’s #33, this week taking the place of 28th-place “Roval” finisher Mason Maggio. More Core will also return as sponsor.
RETURNING: #35-Greg Van Alst Motorsports
Greg Van Alst and his owner-driver operation are back in action for the first time since his 29th-place showing under the lights at Bristol. This time, Van Alst looks for retribution after a brutal accident at this Talladega track in 26th left him on the sidelines with a fractured vertebra. Today marks his first Truck Series start at the track since that day.
MISSING: #41-Niece Motorsports
The Al Niece team will not field their part-time #41 entry with which Josh Bilicki kicked off his triple-header run on the “Roval” with a 6th-place finish.
MISSING: #56-Hill Motorsports
Also not joining the action this week is the Hill Motorsports effort following Timmy Hill’s 16th-place showing on the “Roval.” This same team nearly won Talladega in 2021, where Timmy’s brother Tyler tangled with race winner Tate Fogleman as both slid across the finish line.
MISSING: #62-Halmar Friesen Racing
The Halmar team has likewise not fielded their second entry, the #62, which on the “Roval” finished 27th in the hands of Wesley Slimp.
RETURNING: #66-ThorSport Racing
One competitor who is returning to the circuit this week is Luke Fenhaus, who will make his 15th career start and first since his 22nd-place showing in Richmond, which was also the most recent race for ThorSport’s part-time #66 effort. This marks Fenhaus’ first NASCAR start at Talladega.
RETURNING: #74-Mike Harmon Racing
Also rejoining the action is Mike Harmon’s team, which fields Caleb Costner for the first time since his early crash in Turn 1 at Loudon. While this marks Costner’s first Truck Series start on a track larger than Darlington, he’s started the last three ARCA Menards Series races at the track, finishing better each time. Just this year, he finished 12th, improving on his 13th from last season.
DRIVER CHANGE: #02-Young’s Motorsports
“Byrdman” Nathan Byrd rejoins the Truck Series garage for the first time since his 27th-place finish in Darlington, again behind the wheel of Randy Young’s #02. He takes the place of Ben Maier, who came home 25th on the “Roval.” This will likewise be Byrd’s first NASCAR start at Talladega.
CUP INVADERS: None
Saturday, October 18, 2025 (Green Flag 4:10 P.M. ET, CW)
XFINITY Race 31 of 33
Round of 8: Race 2 of 3
United Rentals 250 at Talladega
2024 Last-Place Finisher: Sam Mayer
ENTRY LIST
There are 38 drivers entered for 38 spots, so all will qualify.
RETURNING: #5-Alpha Prime Racing
Superspeedway racing means the return of Caesar Bacarella, co-owner of Alpha Prime Racing, this time in the team’s part-time #5 entry created after the closure of Our Motorsports. Bacarella drove this car in his most recent start in the summer race at Daytona, where he finished one lap down in 28th.
DRIVER CHANGE: #11-Kaulig Racing
The #11 team at Kaulig’s effort cycles back to Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, marking his third series start and first since a career-best 9th in Kansas. This year’s ARCA winner in Daytona takes the place of Daniel Hemric, ho finished 16th in Las Vegas.
MISSING: #17-Hendrick Motorsports
Not among this Saturday’s entrants is Corey Day, who enjoyed a strong 4th-place finish in the competitive Las Vegas race last week. The Hendrick team is likewise not entered in tomorrow’s race.
MISSING: #24-Sam Hunt Racing
Sam Hunt’s team has likewise not fielded its part-time second team, the #24, one week after Trevor Bayne finished 22nd in Vegas.
DRIVER CHANGE: #32-Jordan Anderson Racing
Austin Green will not be racing this Saturday following his 31st-place showing in Las Vegas, but team owner Jordan Anderson will climb back behind the wheel of the #32. This marks Anderson’s third start of the season and first since Gateway, where an early crash left him in last place. For this, Anderson’s seventh XFINITY start at Talladega, the passenger side of his car will carry the name of his newborn son Banks.
DRIVER CHANGE: #35-Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen
DRIVER SWAP: #45-Alpha Prime Racing
DRIVER SWAP: #91-DGM Racing x JIM
Saturday will mark David Starr’s 270th series start and third of the season, his first since his 29th-place showing at Indianapolis. As at Indy, Starr will pilot Joey Gase’s #35, this time in place of Mason Maggio, who finished 33rd in Las Vegas Maggio is also entered, this week piloting the #91 of the Gosselin team in place of 23rd-place Vegas finisher Josh Williams. Williams will likewise run tomorrow’s race as he returns to the #45 at Alpha Prime, taking the place of 37th-place Vegas finisher Mason Massey. Massey will not compete this weekend.
DRIVER CHANGE: #70-Cope Family Racing
Leland Honeyman, Jr. showed impressive speed in each of the superspeedway races this season, including an 8th-place finish in Atlanta and a challenge for the lead during the closing laps of the August return to Daytona. Honeyman will again pilot the #70 this week, one week after transmission issues handed the Cope team its first last-place finish with Thomas Annunziata driving.
RETURNING: #74-Mike Harmon Racing
The Harmon team runs double-duty this weekend with the Truck Series, and on the preliminary entry list did not have a driver listed to run the #74 Chevrolet. The team last attempted a race in Daytona in August and hasn’t started one since earlier that month Iowa, where Dawson Cram finished last with an early vibration. UPDATE: Carson Ware will drive the car this week with returning sponsorship from Costa Oil. This will be Ware’s fifth start of the season and first since a 33rd-place finish for Bobby Dotter under the lights at Bristol.
DRIVER CHANGE: #99-Viking Motorsports
News broke on Monday that Connor Mosack will drive Viking Motorsports’ #99 these final three races in place of Matt DiBenedetto, whose best run with the team this entire year came at Talladega, site also of his Truck Series win in 2022. With sponsorship form Apave, Mosack will instead run double-duty with his full-time effort in the Truck Series. This marks Mosack’s fourth XFINITY start of the year and first since a season-best 5th for JR Motorsports on the “Roval.”
CUP INVADERS: None
Sunday, October 19, 2025 (Green Flag 2:28 P.M. ET, NBC)
CUP Race 34 of 36
Round of 8: Race 2 of 3
YellaWood 500 at Talladega
2024 Last-Place Finisher: Ross Chastain
ENTRY LIST
There are exactly 40 drivers entered for 40 starting spots, marking just the sixth “full” field in 2025 and the first since the regular season cutoff race at Daytona eight races ago.
RETURNING: #33-Richard Childress Racing
Pulling double-duty with the XFINITY Series is Austin Hill, who makes his 15th career Cup start and first since a 25th-place showing under the lights at Bristol. Hill has one previous Cup start at Talladega, which came in this race two years ago, yielding a 24th-place finish for Beard Motorsports. Hill won his first XFINITY race at Talladega this past spring after a last-lap caution froze the field.
MISSING: #44-NY Racing Team
J.J. Yeley isn’t entered in Sunday’s race following his 30th-place showing in Las Vegas as he will focus on his Truck Series effort with Spire Motorsports. John Cohen’s team is likewise not among the entrants.
RETURNING: #62-Beard Motorsports
This past spring at Talladega, Anthony Alfredo enjoyed the best run of his young Cup career, leading 19 laps in this same Beard Motorsports entry before late-race pit strategy stranded him a distant 28th at the checkered flag. Alfredo looks to build on this with his first Cup start since that day, this time with his longtime backer Dude Wipes promoting their “Lil’ Dude Wipes Bubble Bum” product.
RETURNING: #66-Garage 66
Casey Mears has made 27 Cup starts at Talladega, but none since 2016, when a crash left him next-to-last while driving for the now-shuttered Germain Racing. He’s scored fie top-ten finishes at the track, most recently in 2014, with a best of 6th driving for Hendrick Motorsports in 2007. He’s perhaps best known for his last-lap challenge in 2012, when he was pushing Michael Waltrip to the lead, only to wreck after a block by Tony Stewart. Mears didn’t get a chance to compete in his latest Cup start at Daytona this past August, where early damage left him 29th, four laps down. He hopes for a better result as he drives for team owner Carl Long with S I Yachts as sponsor once more.
DRIVER CHANGE: #78-Live Fast Motorsports
Another underdog to watch will be B.J. McLeod, who takes the place of 31st-place Las Vegas finisher Katherine Legge in his own #78. Although overheating issues sent him behind the wall midway through this past spring’s race, McLeod has time and again showed impressive speed on the superspeedways – particularly at Atlanta, where he ran 16th this past summer. McLeod has also led at least one lap in four of his last seven starts at this track. Sunday will mark his first Cup start since Daytona in August, where crash damage left him 32nd.
TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (October 17, 1993): Shawna Robinson picked up the 4th last-place finish of her NASCAR Busch Series career in the Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville when her #35 Polaroid Captiva Pontiac lost the engine after 39 laps. This was the same race that marked Chuck Bown’s 11th and final career Busch Series victory.
