Sparks 300
The Sparks 300 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. It is one of two Xfinity races at the superspeedway alongside the Ag-Pro 300.
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Talladega Superspeedway |
| Location | Talladega, Alabama, United States |
| Corporate sponsor | Sparks[1] |
| First race | 2020 |
| Distance | 300.58 miles (483.74 km) |
| Laps | 113 Stages 1/2: 25 each Final stage: 63 |
| Previous names | Ag-Pro 300 (2020) |
| Most wins (team) | Kaulig Racing (2) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Chevrolet (3) |
| Circuit information | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.66 mi (4.28 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
The event was created in 2020 as a temporary round after the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course race was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the inaugural running marked the first time that the Xfinity Series raced at Talladega in the fall.[2][3] Justin Haley won the race to complete a sweep of the season's Talladega rounds.[4] The race joined the Xfinity schedule in 2021 and is the second race in the series' playoffs.[5]
A. J. Allmendinger is the defending race winner. The race was held in support of the NASCAR Cup Series' YellaWood 500.
When the 2023 schedules were released, it was announced that the race would not return to the Xfinity schedule. But Will come back in 2024
Past winners
| Year | Date | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Race distance | Race time | Average speed (mph) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | |||||||||
| 2020 | October 3 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 300.58 (483.736) | 2:08:24 | 140.458 | |
| 2021 | October 2 | 68 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet | 108* | 287.28 (462.332) | 2:04:55 | 128.486 | |
| 2022 | October 1 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 113 | 300.58 (483.736) | 1:53:33 | 158.827 | |
| 2023 | Not held | |||||||||
| 2024 | ||||||||||
Notes
- 2020: Race moved from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course due to COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2021: Race shortened due to darkness after a lengthy red flag due to track repairs.
References
- "Coming Back Home: Sparks Inc. Partners Again with Talladega Superspeedway for the Sparks 300; Set for Saturday, October 2". 8 September 2021.
- Albrecht, Peter (August 6, 2020). "Talladega fall weekend adds Xfinity race". WKRG-TV. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- Weaver, Matt (August 6, 2020). "Here Is Every Confirmed NASCAR Race through the End of the Season". Autoweek. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- Utter, Jim (October 3, 2020). "Justin Haley completes season-sweep of Talladega Xfinity races". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- Crandall, Kelly (October 30, 2020). "33 races on tap for 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series". Racer. Retrieved January 10, 2021.