{
  "id": 9557819,
  "title": "NASCAR Teases Another Rules Change for Talladega",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/nascar-teases-another-rules-change-for-talladega",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-24T13:14:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nascar-teases-another-rules-change-131459779.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Another NASCAR rule modification is on the horizon for Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell hinted at potential adjustments to the superspeedway package prior to the October race during an interview on Kevin Harvick’s podcast. O’Donnell mentioned, “So I think there’ll be another tweak potentially for Talladega, like directionally to kind of continue that and see how that goes.” The current package, introduced in August at Daytona, reduced the rear spoiler from 7 inches to 4 inches and decreased horsepower from 510 to 465 to mitigate drag and reduce the dominance of closely packed packs. O’Donnell’s assessment of the initial implementation at Daytona was mixed, acknowledging that while it was an improvement, it still fell short of expectations. He noted, “At Daytona, did we say, ‘Wow, that was unbelievable in terms of where we’re at?’ No, but directionally, I thought it was better.” “I thought that you at least could pull out. There was some more movement, where it wasn’t just three-wide all the way through, lockdown. You couldn’t move, you know, that’s not, that’s not what we want.” A key concern surrounding the package is qualifying, with NASCAR seeking to address the issue of drivers extending their arms outside the vehicle for extra speed, as seen at the Coke Zero 400. Joey Logano provided a similar explanation at the recent Atlanta race. O’Donnell also hinted at further changes to horsepower in the upcoming season, stating that NASCAR is contemplating long-term adjustments beyond a single race. As Talladega is the final superspeedway race before the 2027 Daytona 500, it serves as the critical test for the revised package. O’Donnell emphasized that NASCAR is considering not only the cars but also the overall structure and format of superspeedway races in the future. The specific details of the Talladega tweak remain undisclosed, as NASCAR has yet to confirm its final form.",
  "summary": "Steve O'Donnell says the superspeedway package moved in the right direction at Daytona but did not get there, and another tweak is likely before Talladega in October. Qualifying speeds, horsepower and even race formats are all on his list.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}