If you’re looking for who won the Talladega race today, January 16, 2026, the short answer is: nobody.
I know, I know. You probably saw a headline or a social media post and got excited. But here’s the deal—it’s mid-January. If you know anything about the NASCAR calendar, you know we are smack-dab in the middle of the off-season. The engines are quiet, the haulers are parked, and the teams are back in North Carolina frantically prepping cars for the Busch Light Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in a few weeks.
The most recent Cup Series winner at Talladega Superspeedway was Chase Briscoe, who grabbed a massive victory back on October 19, 2025.
It's kinda funny how the "Talladega itch" starts hitting everyone right about now. The holidays are over, the weather is miserable in half the country, and we all just want to see 40 cars going 200 mph in a pack. But since there wasn't a race today, let's talk about what's actually happening and when the "Big One" is coming back to Alabama.
The Most Recent Winner: Chase Briscoe's Playoff Statement
To understand where we are, you gotta look at what happened last fall. Chase Briscoe basically shocked the system. Driving the No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing, he managed to outlast an overtime finish that was, honestly, pure chaos even by Talladega standards.
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Briscoe didn’t just win a trophy; he locked himself into the Championship 4. He did it by making a gutsy move on the final lap, getting a massive shove from his teammate Ty Gibbs. He beat out Todd Gilliland by just 0.145 seconds. It was one of those "blink and you miss it" finishes where half the field is sideways and the other half is holding their breath.
Before Briscoe’s fall victory, Austin Cindric took the checkered flag in the spring 2025 race (the Jack Link's 500). That win was huge for Team Penske because it broke a ten-race streak of different winners at the track. Talladega is notorious for being unpredictable, but 2025 showed that the heavy hitters at Joe Gibbs Racing and Penske still know how to manipulate the draft better than anyone else.
When Is the Next Talladega Race?
If you're marking your calendar for the 2026 season—and you definitely should—you have two dates to keep an eye on.
- The Jack Link's 500: Sunday, April 26, 2026.
- The YellaWood 500: Sunday, October 25, 2026.
The April race is usually where the "wildness" of the season really starts to peak. It's the tenth race on the 2026 schedule, sandwiched between Kansas and Texas. By the time the garage rolls into Lincoln, Alabama in April, we’ll already have a good idea of who has the speed this year, but Talladega doesn't care about your "speed." It cares about your luck and your friends.
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The October race remains a pivotal part of the Playoffs. It’s the second race in the Round of 8, which is basically the highest-stakes environment you can imagine. One wrong move and a championship favorite is headed home with a wrecked car and a crushed dream.
Why Everyone Is Searching for Talladega Today
Honestly, there’s a bit of a rumor mill going on. With the 2026 schedule officially released by NASCAR just a few weeks ago, people are scrambling to see if any dates shifted. There was also a press conference earlier this month regarding championship format changes, which has kept the sport in the news cycle even while the cars aren't on track.
Plus, let's be real—sometimes we just lose track of time. It feels like the season should be starting, but we’ve still got about a month until the Daytona 500 on February 15.
What to Watch for in 2026
The 2026 season is shaping up to be a weird one. We've got new driver pairings and a few technical tweaks to the cars that might change how the drafting works at superspeedways.
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Keep an eye on Kyle Larson. He’s the defending 2025 champion, but Talladega has historically been his Achilles' heel. He finished 26th in the last fall race after running out of fuel during the overtime restart. It was a heartbreaker for the No. 5 team. If he wants to go back-to-back in 2026, he’s going to have to figure out how to navigate the Alabama high-banks without getting caught in someone else's mess.
On the flip side, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano are always the ones to watch here. They treat the draft like a chess match. Even if they don't have the fastest car in qualifying, they usually find a way to the front when there are five laps to go.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
Since you can't watch a live race today, here is how you can get your fix and prepare for the 2026 season opener:
- Check the TV Schedule: Make sure you have your DVR set for the Busch Light Clash on February 1st. It's the unofficial start of the year at Bowman Gray.
- Update Your Fantasy Roster: If you play NASCAR Fantasy, now is the time to look at the 2025 stats. Pay close attention to "Average Running Position" at superspeedways, not just the final results.
- Grab Spring Tickets: If you're planning on being at the track on April 26, 2026, buy them now. The spring race at 'Dega has been selling out faster lately because of the improved fan zone experiences.
- Watch the 2025 Rewind: Go to the official NASCAR YouTube channel and re-watch the final 20 laps of the YellaWood 500. It’ll remind you exactly why Chase Briscoe is the man to beat when the series returns to Alabama.
Basically, hang tight. The roar is coming back soon. For now, we're just in the "calm before the storm" phase of the 2026 season.