Last Lap Pass For The Win! | Fuel Saving Has To Change | Panic For Ford? (Talladega Analysis)

You would have thought the Dark Horse Mustangs had the GEICO 500 victory in the bag, right?

Fans witnessed Austin Cindric winning the first stage by a nose, Joey Logano follows in the footsteps of his Team Penske teammate with a victory in the second stage, and a late-race domination by Michael McDowell, which saw the polesitter lead much of the final green-flag stint.

The way things were playing out on Sunday, it looked as though Ford was going to break through and score its first NASCAR victory of the 2024 season. However, when a bad block by the No. 34 triggered a multi-car accident on the final lap, and stunted the momentum of the Ford-led inside line, Tyler Reddick was able to breeze by victorious.

Now that 10 races have come and gone without a victory, is it time to push the panic button for those in the Ford Performance stable? Or, is there still some time to turn things around?

Beyond the concerns for one manufacturer, the greater issue plaguing the entire field on the superspeedways is fuel saving. Though this has been a struggle that began with the introduction of the seventh-generation car, it has become more and more prevalent as time passes.

Why is fuel saving as bad as it is and what is the solution? Join Taylor Kitchen to analyze the race at Talladega on the latest episode of Above The Yellow Line.

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Taylor Kitchen

Taylor Kitchen found her passion for motorsports after watching a NASCAR Xfinity Series race with her grandma in 2016. The following year, she would attend her first race at Kentucky Speedway. The smell of the gas and the roar of the engines filling her ears was enough to solidify her love of the sport. In 2021, Taylor created her motorsports media outlet, “Above The Yellow Line”. On this platform, she produces high-quality videos discussing the latest news and events from the sport. The following year, Taylor partnered with TobyChristie.com to bring her video content to the TC platform. Graduating with a B.S. in Journalism in 2023, Taylor is continuing her reporting duties while also working in the motorsports marketing and PR space. Previously working with Team Hornaday Development and AT Racing Development, Taylor has gathered valuable insight through these roles that have helped her bring unique content to her viewers while also helping drivers at any level bring value to their brands.