NASCAR warned nearly the full field at Talladega for minimum speed violations

NASCAR warned nearly the entire field during the first stage of Sunday's Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway for failing to meet minimum speed requirements. Drivers slowed significantly to save fuel, prompting race control to send a warning message across pit road threatening black flags if competitors did not increase their pace. Everyone except the three RFK Racing drivers had dropped below the required threshold, but teams sped up after the warning, preventing any disqualifications.

NASCAR vice president of racing communications Mike Forde addressed the incident on the Hauler Talk podcast, also explaining race control's ruling on Kyle Larson's race-winning pass on Todd Gilliland. Officials determined Larson did not completely cross below the double yellow line. Forde also dismissed fan speculation that fellow Chevrolet drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and William Byron intentionally backed off to assist Larson's victory.