This Weekend in NASCAR – Storylines – Talladega

• Next Race: GEICO 500
• The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
• The Date: Sunday, April 25
• The Time: 2 p.m. ET
• TV: FOX, 1:30 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 500 miles (188 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 188)

Talladega Superspeedway gears up for the NASCAR Cup Series

Known as the most competitive track on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway is the perfect stage for the wild side-by-side action NASCAR fans love and this weekend’s GEICO 500 (Sunday, April 25 at 2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) should produce just that.

Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968. The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was held on Sept. 14, 1969. The first Cup race was won by Richard Brickhouse driving a Dodge for car owner Ray Nichels. The average speed of the first race was 153.778 mph.

The name of the facility changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989. And the surface underwent its fourth repaving on Sept. 19, 2006.

In total, there have been 103 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, one series event in 1969, and two races per year since 1970.

A total of 44 different drivers have won at least one pole at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series; 23 of the pole winners have won more than one. Six of the 44 Talladega NASCAR Cup Series pole winners are active this weekend.

Active NASCAR Cup Series Pole Winners at Talladega Superspeedway

Due to the pandemic, this weekend’s starting lineups were determined by Metric Qualifying and as a result Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin will start from the pole and Team Penske’s Joey Logano will join Hamlin on the front row. Hamlin is the most recent winner at Talladega taking the checkered flag from the first starting position last October. In total, 15 of the 103 (14.56%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway have been won from the pole or first starting position. But the outside front row (second-place) starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Talladega (19.42%).

The 103 NASCAR Cup Series races have produced a total of 49 different race winners at Talladega Superspeedway; 25 of the 49 have won multiple times at the 2.66-mile track. Nine of the 49 NASCAR Cup Series Talladega race winners are active this weekend.

Active NASCAR Cup Series Race Winners at Talladega Superspeedway

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Talladega Superspeedway with 10 victories (1983, 1984, 1990 sweep, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1999 sweep, 2000). Brad Keselowski leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in wins at Talladega Superspeedway with five victories (2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017).

This Sunday’s GEICO 500 will be 188 laps (500 miles) in length and broken up into three stages. The first two stages will be 60 laps each and the final stage will be 68 laps.

Standings leader Denny Hamlin rides wave of top fives

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin continues to build his massive lead in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings riding a hot streak of top fives that has reached eight straight – the longest streak of top-five finishes of his Cup career.

Now the Chesterfield, Virginia native heads to Talladega Superspeedway, a wildcard event he is the most recent driver to master taking the checkered flag last October, to continue his streak of top fives and try to become the ninth different driver to win consecutive races at the 2.66-mile track; joining Pete Hamilton (1970 sweep), Buddy Baker (1975 sweep, 1976), Darrell Waltrip (1982 sweep), Dale Earnhardt (1990, 1993-94, 1999 sweep), Sterling Marlin (1995-96), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2001-2003), Jeff Gordon (2007 sweep) and Ryan Blaney (2019-2020).

If Hamlin finishes in the top-five for the ninth time in the first 10 races of the season he will become the third different driver to accomplish such a feat in the NASCAR Cup Series; joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Cale Yarborough (1974) and Darrell Waltrip (1979).

NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for the most consecutive top-five finishes to start a season with nine straight in the first nine races of the 1974 season.

This season, Hamlin has made nine starts and has put up eight top fives (series-most among active drivers) and an average finish of 4.2 (series-best among active drivers). He has also led a quarter of the laps run this season (694 laps led; 26.75% of laps run).

At Talladega, Hamlin has made 30 series starts posting two wins (2014, 2020) nine top fives (series-most among active drivers) and 13 top 10s.

• Next Race: Ag-Pro 300
• The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
• The Date: Saturday, April 24
• The Time: 4 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1, 3:30 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 300.58 miles (113 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 25), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 50), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 113)

After break in action, NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Alabama

The NASCAR Xfinity Series was off last weekend as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Cup Series took on Richmond Raceway. Prior to that, the NASCAR Xfinity Series was in Martinsville, Virginia for the Cook Out 250. The race was postponed after weather took over during the originally scheduled start on Friday. The race was rescheduled for Sunday, April 11 and the series crowned another first-time winner in JR Motorsport’s driver Josh Berry.

Berry, who drives part-time this season, took the lead from Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs on Lap 223 of 250 and held onto it the rest of the way in only his 13th series start.

Berry crossed the finish line 0.590-seconds before his JR Motorsports teammate Noah Gragson. Gragson had an extra payday of $100,000 as the highest finisher among the four Dash 4 Cash eligible drivers to kick off the initiative.

Berry led a race-high 95 laps and became the first driver to win a Xfinity race in the No. 8 car since Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Michigan back in 2006.

Daniel Hemric finished third while Ty Gibbs held onto fourth. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Brandon Jones finished fifth. Series leader Austin Cindric finished sixth, followed by Harrison Burton, Justin Haley, Justin Allgaier and Michael Annett rounding out the top 10.

All four of the JR Motorsports Chevrolets and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Toyotas finished in the top 10.

Berry is now eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus at the next event at Talladega Superspeedway along with Gragson, Hemric and Jones.

The Xfinity Series gets back on track this Saturday, April 24 at Talladega Superspeedway at 4 p.m. ET for the Ag-Pro 300 on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The race will be 300 miles and 113 laps.

The starting lineups for this weekend’s race were determined by Metric Qualifying and as a result Austin Cindric will start on the pole with Daniel Hemric joining him on the front row. Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley won this event last season from the first starting position; the third driver all-time to accomplish the feat joining Tony Stewart (2008) and Joe Nemechek (1998).

Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley looks to make it three straight wins at Talladega

Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley swept both Talladega Superspeedway race weekends last season in the No. 11 Chevrolet, and this weekend he’s definitely one to keep an eye on as he tries to become just the second driver in series history to win three consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Talladega Superspeedway; joining Martin Truex Jr. (2004-2006).

The spring race at Talladega last season was 2 hours, 12 minutes and 22 seconds long with an average speed of 136.249 mph. There were six cautions for 22 laps and 22 lead changes. The Margin of Victory was .299 seconds.

There were 4,184 green flag passes (46 per green flag lap). Ross Chastain finished second in this race last year, making it a Kaulig Racing 1-2 sweep. Jeb Burton, who is now piloting the No. 10 Chevrolet for Kaulig in 2021, finished third then driving for JR Motorsports.

Haley has as a good shot as any this weekend at Talladega, the pre-race Loop Data has him listed with the best driver rating at Talladega at 103.0 and Noah Gragson has the second-best driver rating at 97.1.

In total, Haley has made three series starts at Talladega posting two wins, three top 10s and an average finish of 3.0 (series-best).

Taking on ‘Dega
Talladega Superspeedway has had 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series races starting with the inaugural race on July 25, 1992 won by Ernie Irvan. Dale Earnhardt won the second Xfinity Series race run at Talladega in 1993 after starting 22^nd.

The 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Talladega have produced 21 different pole winners and 24 different race winners. The youngest winner was Haley last season at 21 years, 1 month, 23 days. The oldest winner was Max McLaughlin in 2001 at 44 years, 6 months and 15 days.

Mark Martin holds the race record at Talladega from 1997 at 168.937 mph and Joe Nemechek holds the qualifying record at 193.517 mph also in 1997.

Nemechek holds the record for the most races (22), poles (five), top fives (seven), top 10s (nine), lead lap finishes (14), laps completed (2,153) and laps led (202) at Talladega.

Martin Truex Jr. has the most wins at Talladega in the Xfinity Series with three victories (2004,2005, 2006) and Joey Logano is tied with Nemechek with seven top fives. Clint Bowyer still holds the best average start at Talladega in the series at 5.375 and Logano has the best average finish at 5.125.

This weekend’s race, the Ag-Pro 300, will be 113 laps (300.58 miles) and broken up into three stages. The first two stages will be 25 laps each and the final stage will be 63 laps.

Justin Haley is the only active NASCAR Xfinity Series Talladega winner entered in this weekend’s event.

• Next Race: WISE Power 200
• The Place: Kansas Speedway
• The Date: Saturday, May 1
• The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1, 7 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)

source – NASCAR communications