“There’s a fine line that can get in trouble really easily,” Jeff Gordon commented in 2015. The track he was referring to was none other than Talladega Superspeedway. Known for being NASCAR’s most unpredictable track, Talladega has fiery surprises at every corner for drivers. And its position in the playoff schedule gives it another formidable edge. But now the 2025 predictions offer a more chaotic picture to racers.

With the Olympic break drawing to a close, tensions are already piling up for championship hopefuls. A tough track like Talladega sits in round 2, adding to the pressure. But NASCAR hopes to peak this jittery situation next year.

The playoff format has been in place since 2014 and has received mixed responses from the NASCAR public. After the regular season championship, drivers get into a cutthroat mood, holding brimming hopes for a championship title. Recently, NASCAR celebrated ten years of this format by predicting playoff contenders ten years from now. However, drivers might not be in such a celebratory mood as their most feared track may enter the semi-final round of the playoffs.

Since 2014, Talladega has always been in the second round. Even that spot has drawn criticism from racers, who have little control of their fortunes on the drafting-dependent track where the “Big One” is fairly common. Yet NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck sanctioned this situation, calling it somewhat manageable as he sat down with Dale Jr. for the Dale Jr. Download episode.

Jeff Gluck said, “At least round 3 of the playoffs has been this straightforward round. You have two mile-and-a-halfs and a short track in it. Alright, now that we’ve got the wacky stuff out of the way, Talladega out of the way, Roval…both usually in round 2, we’re all good. Let’s have the true contenders decide this thing as much as possible, and see who gets the round 4.”

But as NASCAR is seeking to add the 2.6-mile Alabama track to Round 3, Gluck is certain that mishaps would proliferate. “Now, we put Talladega in round 3, so you’re inserting even more chaos and more unpredictability, and more chance that the champion is not gonna be the true best driver of the season…I just know what the conversation’s gonna be…You fast forward to it and be like, Oh, two of the top championship contenders got taken out at the Big One at Talladega with only one race left before the playoffs in the final 4.”

Besides moving Talladega up the schedule, NASCAR also plans to make other changes. According to the Athletic, Darlington, Gateway, and New Hampshire will move into the playoffs. NASCAR can justify moving Talladega by citing fan popularity, but New Hampshire will replace Homestead-Miami – the South Florida 1.5-mile oval is a favorite among fans. Further, NASCAR might hold a Cup points race outside US borders, with suspicions narrowed down on Mexico City and Montreal.

However, the Talladega move is bound to capture the maximum attention, given the turbulent nature of the track.

Hard to prepare for Talladega, claims drivers

The Geico 500 race this year held several projected winners. Ryan Blaney topped that list, holding three wins and the best finish in the Next Gen era. Chase Elliott followed closely behind, with one win. However, the race result was wildly different – Tyler Reddick surged to victory after narrowly avoiding a last-lap crash. This unpredictability has been a permanent fixture on the track, where restrictor plates are used for safety but ultimately draw cars together.

Brad Keselowski had a penchant for finishing well on the track, and this year as well, he was the runner-up. In 2018, he and Joey Logano owned a combined six wins out of the previous eight races held there. Yet he could not pinpoint what made him so dominant: “You’re always learning. There’s always a new move, a new technique that develops. Racing is so very dynamic, and you just try to soak it up like a sponge and apply it when it’s time.” 

Even Denny Hamlin echoed the same sentiment in 2015: “I just don’t know the proper way to do it. You always think that there’s going to be a big wreck there that takes out a lot of cars, but there wasn’t last year. … My gut feeling is we’ll probably have to go there and race hard.”

Evidently, moving the Talladega up the schedule to a crucial point of the playoffs might be a wild decision. For now, drivers can find respite in the 2024 situation, where Talladega still sits in Round 2.