2021 GEICO 500

2021 GEICO 500
Race details
Race 10 of 36 in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series
Talladega Superspeedway.svg
Date April 25, 2021 (2021-04-25)
Location Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama
Course Permanent racing facility
2.66 mi (4.28 km)
Distance 191 laps, 508.06 mi (817.48 km)
Scheduled Distance 188 laps, 500.08 mi (804.64 km)
Average speed 147.62 miles per hour (237.57 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Joe Gibbs Racing
Grid positions set by competition-based formula
Most laps led
Driver Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing
Laps 44
Winner
No. 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske
Television in the United States
Network Fox
Announcers Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer
Nielsen Ratings 2.8/4.7 million
Radio in the United States
Radio MRN
Booth Announcers Alex Hayden and Jeff Striegle
Turn Announcers Dave Moody (1 & 2), Mike Bagley (Backstretch) and Kurt Becker (3 & 4)

The 2021 GEICO 500 was a NASCAR Cup Series race was held on April 25, 2021, at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Contested over 191 laps – extended from 188 laps due to an overtime finish, on the 2.66 mile (4.28 km) superspeedway, it was the 10th race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, as well as the second of the four crown jewel races. Brad Keselowski won the race, his 35th career victory, sixth win at Talladega (which tied Jeff Gordon for the second-most victories at the track), and his last win with Team Penske in the No. 2 as he moved to Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in 2022.

Report

Background

2021 GEICO 500 program cover
Talladega Superspeedway, the track where the race was held

Talladega Superspeedway, formerly known as Alabama International Motor Speedway, is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. A tri-oval, the track was constructed in 1969 by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking. The track currently hosts NASCAR's Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which is 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km).

Entry list

  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
  • (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
No. Driver Team Manufacturer
00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet
1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford
7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford
14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
15 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
16 Kaz Grala Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford
22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota
24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
28 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford
34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford
37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford
41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet
47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet
52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford
66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Ford
77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford
96 Harrison Burton (i) Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
Official entry list

Qualifying

Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole for the race as determined by competition-based formula.

Starting Lineup

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer
1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
3 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
4 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
5 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
7 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford
8 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
9 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
10 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
11 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
12 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
13 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford
14 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
15 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
16 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
17 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
18 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
19 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
20 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
21 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford
22 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet
23 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford
24 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota
25 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
26 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
27 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
28 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford
29 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
30 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford
31 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford
32 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet
33 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet
34 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
35 28 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford
36 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford
37 15 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
38 16 Kaz Grala Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
39 96 Harrison Burton (i) Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
40 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Ford
Official starting lineup

Race

Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole. Kyle Larson suffered a blown engine and fell out of the race on only the third lap. On the final lap of the first stage, Joey Logano spun and went airborne, flipping onto its roof. The car's spoiler scraped the roof of Bubba Wallace before rolling back onto all fours at the bottom of turn 3. Matt DiBenedetto was awarded the stage win. On the final lap of the second stage, Hamlin got turned into the wall and collected Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and Martin Truex Jr. while Wallace was awarded the stage win, the first of his career. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would be spun off the bumper of Quin Houff and nose into the wall coming to pit road during green flag pit stops. Truex would suffer a flat tire, bringing out a caution and sending the race to overtime. Brad Keselowski would drive past DiBenedetto and hold off William Byron as several drivers crashed on the final lap to score his sixth career win at Talladega, tying Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon for second on the all-time Talladega win list behind Dale Earnhardt.

Stage Results

Stage One Laps: 60

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Points
1 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 10
2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 9
3 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 8
4 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 7
5 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6
6 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 5
7 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 4
8 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 3
9 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 2
10 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1
Official stage one results

Stage Two Laps: 60

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Points
1 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 10
2 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 9
3 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 8
4 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 7
5 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 6
6 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 5
7 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 4
8 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 3
9 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 2
10 96 Harrison Burton (i) Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 0
Official stage two results

Final Stage Results

Stage Three Laps: 68

Pos Grid No Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points
1 10 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 191 49
2 4 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 191 41
3 23 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 191 45
4 16 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 191 35
5 13 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 191 42
6 38 16 Kaz Grala Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 191 31
7 20 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 191 30
8 11 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 191 29
9 7 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 191 42
10 27 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 191 27
11 25 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 191 26
12 30 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 191 25
13 28 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 191 24
14 29 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 191 29
15 14 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 191 22
16 18 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 191 21
17 6 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 191 23
18 9 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 191 26
19 24 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 191 28
20 39 96 Harrison Burton (i) Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 191 0
21 21 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 191 25
22 26 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 191 15
23 19 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 191 14
24 8 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 191 21
25 31 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 191 0
26 37 15 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 191 0
27 22 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 190 10
28 33 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 190 0
29 40 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Ford 190 0
30 34 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 190 0
31 3 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 189 6
32 1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 188 12
33 17 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 186 7
34 35 28 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 186 0
35 15 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 185 2
36 36 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 180 1
37 32 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 168 1
38 5 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 123 5
39 2 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 59 1
40 12 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 3 1
Official race results

Race statistics

  • Lead changes: 35 among 17 different drivers
  • Cautions/Laps: 7 for 34
  • Red flags: 0
  • Time of race: 3 hours, 26 minutes and 30 seconds
  • Average speed: 147.62 miles per hour (237.57 km/h)

Media

Television

Fox Sports covered their 21st race at the Talladega Superspeedway. Mike Joy, six-time Talladega winner – and all-time restrictor plate race wins record holder – Jeff Gordon and two-time Talladega winner Clint Bowyer called the race from the broadcast booth. Jamie Little and Regan Smith handled pit road for the television side. Larry McReynolds provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte.

Fox
Booth announcers Pit reporters In-race analyst
Lap-by-lap: Mike Joy
Color-commentator: Jeff Gordon
Color-commentator: Clint Bowyer
Jamie Little
Regan Smith
Larry McReynolds

Radio

MRN had the radio call for the race which was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden and Jeff Striegle called the race in the booth when the field raced through the tri-oval. Dave Moody called the race from the Sunoco spotters stand outside turn 2 when the field raced through turns 1 and 2. Mike Bagley called the race from a platform inside the backstretch when the field raced down the backstretch. Kurt Becker called the race from the Sunoco spotters stand outside turn 4 when the field races through turns 3 and 4. Steve Post, Dillon Welch and Kim Coon worked pit road for the radio side.

MRN Radio
Booth announcers Turn announcers Pit reporters
Lead announcer: Alex Hayden
Announcer: Jeff Striegle
Turns 1 & 2: Dave Moody
Backstretch: Mike Bagley
Turns 3 & 4: Kurt Becker
Steve Post
Kim Coon
Dillon Welch

Standings after the race


This page was last updated at 2023-01-10 23:20 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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