Tag: Talladega Superspeedway

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 10th at Talladega to keep his streak of top-10 finishes alive. His streak now stands at 10.

“Mine wasn’t the only ‘streaking’ going on a Talladega,” Busch said. “There was the ‘Miss Nude Talladega Infield” contest staged on Saturday night. That’s right, I said ‘Saturday night.’ Sure, it was dark, so the contestants were judged by headlights.”

2. Joey Logano: Logano led 37 laps and finished fourth in the Geico 500.

“I thought I had the race won,” Logano said. “But then Chase Elliott and two other Chevrolets got by me. In the end, Chevy finished 1-2-3 and finally looked like a contender. So, not only did Chevy win and place, but they finally showedup.”

3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was involved in a Lap 11 wreck in the Geico 500 and the ensuing damage eventually ruined his day, forcing him to the garage on lap 80.

“I blame Bubba Wallace for the wreck,” Hamlin said. “He basically ruined any chance I had. Much of the talk at Talladega was of ‘spoiler height.’ Well, my ‘spoiler height’ was 5′ 10,” because that’s how tall Bubba is.”

4. Chase Elliott: Elliott grabbed the lead after a restart with four laps to go and held on to win the Geico 500, which ended under caution. Elliott led a 1-2-3 finish for Chevy as Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman took second, followed by Ryan Preece in third.

“I also led Hendrick to a 1-2-3 finish in Stage 2,” Elliott said. “Up until Talladega, Hendrick Motorsports looked downright incompetent. I doubt competitors thought we could count 1-2-3, much less finish 1-2-3.”

5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex suffered damage in an accident with seven laps to go and finished a disappointing 20th at Talladega.

“One minute,” Truex said, “I’m looking at a sure top-10 finish. The next minute, I’m spinning. Fortunes change in a split second, much like NASCAR’s explanations for when and when not to throw a caution flag.”

6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski came home 13th at Talladega, while Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano finished fourth.

“I’m very surprised NASCAR officials didn’t throw a caution when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun and slammed the wall on the final lap,” Keselowski said. “Stenhouse hasn’t felt less important since Danica Patrick dumped him.”

7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was knocked out early at Talladega, exiting on Lap 11 from damage sustained when contact between Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace triggered a wreck. Harvick finished 38th.

“It was a tough start to the race for Stewart-Haas Racing,” Harvick said. “Right off the bat, Ryan Blaney got bumped, and the next thing you know, SHR teammate, Clint Bowyer, slammed into me. It was downhill from there. I looked at my No. 4 Ford with the flannel paint scheme and said to myself, ‘I see a pattern here.’”

8. Kurt Busch: Busch posted a strong sixth-place finish at Talladega.

“It’s always unpredictable at Talladega,” Busch said. “And I’m talking about what goes on in the infield. Jeremy Mayfield once opined that there’s more ‘speed’ in the infield than on the track.”

9. Aric Almirola: Almirola battled back from an early pit road speeding penalty to post a solid ninth in the Geico 500 at Talladega.

“Congratulations to Chase Elliott,” Almirola said, “and to people who dine at Hooters. Since Chase won, you can get 15 wings and a pitcher of beer or Mountain Dew for just $15. It’s an actual instance of ‘Winner, winner, chicken dinner.’ And, it would feed a NASCAR family of one.”

10. Ryan Blaney: Blaney survived early trouble at Talladega and finished 15th in the Geico 500.

“Stewart-Haas Racing is still winless for the season,” Blaney said. “Word around the campfire is that Joe Gibbs Racing and Penske Racing are calling our 200,000 square foot in Kannapolis, NC the ‘Inferiority Complex.’”

April 30, 2019
Stenhouse Jr. settles with 25th-place finish at Talladega after leading 16 laps

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 28, 2019) – After having to start at the rear for an unapproved adjustment, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. drove his Fifth Third Bank Ford to the front leading 16 laps before blowing a tire coming to the white flag earning a 25th place finish in Sunday’s Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

“Our Fifth Third Ford was sporty all day,” Stenhouse said. “The No. 1 got me loose on the last restart which he was doing what he needed to do to get on the inside so that shuffled us back. It was just a bummer since we had such a great car to end up blowing a tire there at the end and not getting the finish we deserved.”

After advancing to the final round of qualifying on Saturday, the Olive Branch, Miss. native posted the sixth quickest lap in his Fifth Third Ford. Before the race, NASCAR issued a penalty to six cars for an unapproved adjustment forcing them to all start from the rear of the field. When the green flag waved, Stenhouse charged from the back on the outside lane with drafting help from the No. 19 machine picking up 22 positions by lap two.

When the first yellow flag was displayed just shy of the scheduled fuel stop, crew chief Brian Pattie brought the Fifth Third Ford to pit road for fuel only. When Stenhouse exited pit-road, Pattie told him to save as much fuel as possible as they were going to try to stretch fuel mileage to the end of stage one. The strategy worked allowing the Roush Fenway Racing driver to take the first green checkered in the eighth position gaining valuable stage points.

Despite battling a loose-handling machine, the two-time Xfinity champion worked his way into the lead position by lap 79. He held on to the point before bringing his Ford to pit road for a scheduled green flag pit-stop. After the stop, Stenhouse fell out of the top-10 still battling a loose condition causing him to take the second green checkered in the 12th position.

With less than 25 laps remaining, Stenhouse worked his way back to the point position before being shuffled back to third when the caution flag waved on lap 181. After a brief red flag, Stenhouse lined up in the third position behind fellow Ford driver Joey Logano for a four-lap shootout. The No. 1 machine, who lined up behind him on the restart, got him loose as he was making a move to the inside causing Stenhouse to lose his drafting help. As he was battling his way back forward, Stenhouse blew a tire coming to the white flag ultimately ending his day with a 25th-place finish.

Stenhouse and the No. 17 team head to Dover Speedway next weekend for the Gander RV 400. The race is set for Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m. (EST) on FS1.

April 28, 2019
Newman survives for Top-10 at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 28, 2019) — Ryan Newman survived the chaos at Talladega Superspeedway Sunday afternoon, crossing the line seventh in his Acorns Ford Mustang for his third-straight top-10.

“That was crazy,” Newman said after the race. “I took the inside line and stayed there and stayed there. Never had many places to go but either way, it was a good run and a good team effort. Proud of the entire team to be able to keep it together. I think we kept most of the race cars on the race track which was probably a lot of luck. We will go on to Dover.”

Despite getting collected in a very early crash, the No. 6 team was able to make repairs and send Newman back out where he made it through the late-race drama unscathed.

Newman qualified 24th in Saturday’s single-car session, but he began his day from the rear of the field after unapproved adjustments were made to his machine pre-race. He rode 29th just 10 laps in, but that’s when the wrecking began, one that collected his No. 6 machine causing damage to the left front.

Over the course of a few laps, the team made three pit stops to fix the left front, change tires and eventually repair the toe, sending Newman back out with physical damage only. He would restart from the 35th spot but moved his way back up to 20th 14 laps later.

After waiting patiently in the pack, Newman weaved his way through traffic and held off the late chargers, crossing the line sixth at the end of the opening 55-lap stage picking up valuable stage points.

Following service on his Acorns Ford, Newman began the second 55-lap stage in 12th. His next pit stop came under green at lap 90, a fuel-only stop that put him good to the lap 110 break, where he finished 14th in the second segment.

Following additional service on his machine, the 2003 Daytona 500 Champion lined back up 19th for the final stage. The yellow would fly again at lap 131 for debris when Newman comfortably rode in the 24th spot. After a four-tire stop at lap 132, he restarted 19th with 52 to go. The following 45 laps ran caution-free, as Newman stopped for fuel at lap 154.

With seven to go, the field came to a stop as the red flag was displayed after a multi-car incident. Newman made it through with no damage and lined back up 12th with four laps to go. Two separate incidents occurred over the course of the final lap, but he skated through, bringing his machine home seventh.

Newman and the No. 6 team return to action next weekend at Dover International Speedway. Race coverage for Sunday’s race begins at 2 p.m. ET on FS1. Coverage can also be heard on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

April 28, 2019
Ryan Preece captures career-best finish with third at Talladega

It was an exemplary day for the Chevrolet teams as they claimed the top three spots at Talladega but it was especially meaningful for Ryan Preece.

Preece survived three multi-car crashes Sunday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway to claim his best career finish. Driving his JTG Daugherty Racing No. 47 Chevrolet, he claimed the first top five of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career with a third-place finish in the GEICO 500.

It also earned him the title of Sunoco Rookie of the Race. His previous best finish was eighth in the season-opening Daytona 500. It was the rookie’s 15th start and only his second experience competing at Talladega.

“It was awesome,” Preece said. “I was only here one other time and that was in an Xfinity car in 2016 and I was running third with three to go and went for the hole and got flushed.

“So, I wasn’t going to do that today. Ultimately, it was a perfect situation for Chevy there on that restart, being able to line up and push each other and really not give the other manufacturers an opportunity to get by us. So, a great day for Kroger and a great day for JTG and hopefully we can use this momentum moving forward.”

Earlier in the week, Preece spoke with the media about his career and his expectations going forward.

“It’s been full of highs and lows for sure, but something that, you know, hard work and never giving up always prevail,” he said. “So we just have to keep heading in that direction and, I feel like ultimately by the middle of the season, towards the end of the season, we should be hitting our stride and be exactly where I want to be. It’s just, it takes time. We’re working on that and, obviously I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity that JTG Jody and Tad and, and Brad and Gordon that have given me, and Kroger being behind me 110%. I get those texts every single week from all those guys. It’s a good feeling to know that no matter what, at the end of the day, they’re proud of me and we’re just going to keep moving forward.”

If today’s result is any indication, Preece is ahead of schedule and definitely headed in the right direction.

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

April 28, 2019
Menard overcomes early setback to finish 16th at Talladega

Paul Menard and his No. 21 Quick Lane team spent most of Sunday’s GEICO 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway battling back from damage to the nose of the No. 21 Mustang from a chain-reaction fender bender during a Lap 10 crash. The Quick Lane crew used numerous pit stops to repair the damage, and when the laps wound down, Menard found himself back up to speed and squarely in the middle of the race for the win.

With 30 of 188 laps remaining Menard made his strongest charge of the day, drafting his way to as high as second place on Lap 170.

He was sixth in line for a restart with four laps to go but wound up getting stuck behind Kyle Busch, who was slow getting up to speed on the restart.

With no room to get around Busch, Menard fell to the back of the lead pack but had worked his way back to 16th place when the caution flag flew for a multi-car crash on the backstretch, freezing the field at that point.

Eddie Wood said he was proud of the way that Menard, crew chief Greg Erwin and the over-the-wall crew responded to the early set-back.

“They made adjustments on the chassis to compensate for the damage to the nose of the car, but that wasn’t a long-term fix because it adversely affected the handling of the car,” Wood said. “Greg and the crew used nearly every pit stop after that to get the car fixed. Between the repairs and adjustments to the chassis, by the end of the race, the car was good to go.”

Wood also expressed praise for Menard, who had to start from the rear each time the crew used extra time on pit road to work on the car but still drove his way back to the top 10, and did so under stressful conditions.

“Driving 200 miles per hour for 500 miles is commendable for Paul and for all the drivers out there,” Wood said. “We didn’t quite get the finish that Paul and the team deserved but I’m very happy with all their efforts.”

Menard and the No. 21 team will return to the track next week at Dover International Speedway.

About Motorcraft

Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under-hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers are backed by Ford Motor Company’s two-year, unlimited-miles Service Parts Limited Warranty. Ask for Motorcraft by name when you visit your local auto parts store or your favorite service facility. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers

Ford’s Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers routine vehicle maintenance such as oil and filter changes, light repair services including brake repair, and tire replacements on all vehicle makes and models. With more than 800 locations and growing, customers can visit www.quicklane.com to find a center that is closest to them, print savings coupons and review maintenance tips to keep their vehicles running at peak efficiency. This site includes information on how to spot tire wear, how to jump-start a battery and even a series of tips to improve a vehicle’s fuel economy.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Paul Menard in the famous No. 21 racer.

April 28, 2019
Rookie of the Year Contenders Shine in GEICO 500

Talladega Superspeedway has always had a reputation for being a total crapshoot. But with that said, it’s still been a venue reputed for giving drivers career runs and in some cases, giving them first wins as well.

Ryan Preece and Daniel Hemric were just short of becoming the first rookies to win since Joey Logano in 2009, but with Preece’s third-place finish and Hemric’s fifth-place finish, they did take advantage of Talladega’s unpredictable nature. Both rookies ran a conservative race and stayed out of trouble and in the draft, and in the end, they kept their cars in one piece.

Preece’s third-place run seems to be more than just luck; the 28-year-old was also a contender in the Daytona 500 this year before getting shuffled back to finish eighth in the final running order. His top-five solidified the fact that he’s an exceptional restrictor-plate racer.

“It was awesome,” said Preece. “I was only here one other time (2016 Xfinity Series) and I was running third with three to go and went for the hole and got flushed. So I wasn’t going to do that today.”

Something else helping Preece on the superspeedways is his own JTG-Daugherty Racing equipment. Preece’s predecessor A.J. Allmendinger managed to score several strong runs at Daytona and Talladega in the No. 47, finishing in the top-five at both speedways on multiple occasions.

Hemric was also quietly consistent at Talladega, his fifth-place run being a career-best so far in his rookie season.

“That was a day the No. 8 needed,” said Hemric. “First off, it’s great to see Chevrolet and all their drivers and teams put in the effort to communicate in the last few weeks to stay dedicated to each other. We’ve never had such unity on the track like we did today. That’s what led us to ultimately have our best finish as a group.”

A large factor for both rookies was the ability to pass with the new aero package. Instead of the freight-train finishes we’ve seen at Daytona and Talladega in recent years, there was plenty of passing and on-track action, with the product receiving positive reviews following the race.

Both Preece and Hemric have managed to keep low profiles this year, and although JTG-Daugherty hasn’t been an A-List team in 2019 they have kept Preece in a position where he can keep his car in one piece and at the same time keep it as a consistent finisher. With the exception of two crashes at Atlanta and Phoenix, he’s been a steady top-25 finisher in 2019.

Hemric hasn’t been as fortunate, with only three top-20 finishes preceding his Talladega finish. But if there’s any justice in the world he can use this run to build momentum as the season progresses. At the moment it looks like Preece is ahead in the rookie race, so Hemric could use any momentum he can get to catch up with the No. 47 crew.

April 28, 2019

Elliott name back in victory lane at Talladega

With four different crashes in the final seven laps, Chase Elliott emerged victorious in the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series.

“Obviously it could have gone both ways but fortunately everybody stayed together and stayed the course and had some help on that last lap with the caution,” Elliott said. “I just appreciate all the support. This is unbelievable. This is special. This is close to home for me. It feels a little bit like a home race.

“We’ll take it. Unbelievable feeling. The crowd was intense. We’re proud to get it done for them.”

Elliott is the first driver for the 2019 season to break the win streak by Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske. He edged his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman, who was disappointed to not have a chance at the win coming to the line despite scoring his career-best finish.

“I’m not just going to let him win, right?” Bowman asked rhetorically. “I’ve got to try. I knew I could get to his quarter panel. I was pretty confident I could get to his quarter panel through the tri-oval. Who knows who is going to get to the line first? At that point, I thought I could do it. Depends on the car behind you, where he goes.

“It would have been fun to try, but happy for Chase, Nationwide (Bowman’s sponsor), everybody that lets us keep doing this thing. I’m glad to kind of turn the season around. It’s been a rough start to the year. These guys deserve way better than the finishes they’ve had. To come home second, it’s not a win, but headed in the right direction.”

Ryan Preece also scored his best career Cup series finish with a third place run. Upon further video evidence, Joey Logano unofficially finishes in fourth just slightly ahead of Daniel Hemric, who also got his best career finish. The rest of the top 10 finishing positions were Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Brendan Gaughan, Aric Almirola and Kyle Busch. Busch now extends his top-10 finishing streak to 10 for the 2019 season.

Three Multi-Car Wrecks at Talladega

The race officially ended under caution on the final lap as William Byron tangled with David Ragan on the back stretch. The two drivers collected Kyle Larson and Jeffrey Earnhardt. Both Larson and Earnhardt spun toward the inside wall, with Larson beginning to flip moments before impact with the inside SAFER barrier. The No. 42 Chevrolet tumbled and began to flip multiple times before finally coming to rest on the wheels. However, with Stenhouse spinning on the front stretch as the field took the white flag, the combination of debris on the track a few hundred feet before the start-finish line and Larson’s flip on the back stretch, NASCAR had to throw the yellow. Erik Jones spun in Turns 3 and 4 with two laps to go, but was able to continue on right away.

“That was probably the longest flip I’ve ever had,” Larson said after he was checked out of the infield care center. “I didn’t know if it would ever stop. It was a little bit scary, but thankfully I’m all right.”

A separate incident occurred with just seven laps remaining, as Chris Buescher’s No. 37 Chevrolet got turned by Aric Almirola on the backstretch. For the majority of that previous lap, Almirola kept looking to the inside to make a three-wide pass, but tucked back in line. However, on the back stretch, Almirola made contact with Buescher as he fell back in line and started a five-car crash. Buescher’s car hit the outside wall, then was t-boned by Matt DiBenedetto’s No. 95 Toyota, lifting Buescher’s car in the air. Martin Truex Jr. made slight contact, but avoided most of the wreck and was able to continue in the race. Justin Haley, who was making his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut, was not so fortunate and had his great debut end after hitting DiBenedetto in the side.

“We just got turned,” Buescher told FOX. ”Good position there with just a handful of laps to go. Just got turned right, destroyed our race car.”

The red flag lasted for 8 minutes and 47 seconds.

Back in the first stage, another multi-car wreck took out a few other major contenders as well. Just 10 laps into the race, Bubba Wallace had a strong run on Ryan Blaney. While the two bump drafted around, Blaney’s car got sideways but he was able to correct it. Wallace was not, and spun toward the inside across traffic. Clint Bowyer’s car slid up and collected his Stewart-Haas teammate Kevin Harvick. Michael McDowell and Matt Tifft were also collected, and those four retired from the race immediately.

“The No. 22 (Joey Logano) pulled up and he checked up a little bit,” Wallace said of the crash. “I went to go to the bottom, where I was safe. I don’t know if I crossed (Blaney’s) bumper or whatever. But it got him wiggled down and shoved me even farther down than I wanted to go.

“So I went back up just to stay off the apron and it just unloaded. It’s just unfortunate, but I tried not to wreck my buddy, Ryan, and it cost our day and some others’.”

Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota also received damage, and went a few laps down early. After hitting the wall on Lap 83, Hamlin took his car to the garage with mechanical failures and would not return to the race. Jimmie Johnson received damage after running over debris from McDowell’s car. On Lap 25, Johnson hit the wall in Turn 3. He was able to get his Chevrolet to pit road, but was out of contention after finishing nine laps down.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competes next at Dover International Speedway on May 5.

Monster Energy Cup Series Race Number 10
Race Results for the 50th Annual GEICO 500 – Sunday, April 28, 2019
Talladega Superspeedway – Talladega, AL – 2.66 – Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 188 Laps – 500.08 Miles

Fin	Str	No	Driver	Team	Laps	S1Pos	S2Pos	Pts	Status
1	11	9	Chase Elliott	Mountain Dew/Little Caesar’s Chevrolet	188	4	1	57	Running
2	9	88	Alex Bowman	Nationwide Chevrolet	188	2	2	53	Running
3	30	47	Ryan Preece #	Kroger Chevrolet	188	0	0	34	Running
4	8	22	Joey Logano	MoneyLion Ford	188	0	9	35	Running
5	5	8	Daniel Hemric #	Caterpillar Chevrolet	188	0	8	35	Running
6	14	1	Kurt Busch	Monster Energy Chevrolet	188	0	6	36	Running
7	24	6	Ryan Newman	Acorns Ford	188	6	0	35	Running
8	29	62	* Brendan Gaughan(i)	BeardOilDstrbtng/SthPntHtl&Casino Chevrolet	188	0	0	0	Running
9	2	10	Aric Almirola	Smithfield Ford	188	0	0	28	Running
10	22	18	Kyle Busch	M&M’s Chocolate Bar Toyota	188	9	10	30	Running
11	36	32	Corey LaJoie	Schuler Systems Ford	188	0	0	26	Running
12	16	41	Daniel Suarez	Coca-Cola Orange Vanilla Ford	188	5	0	31	Running
13	4	2	Brad Keselowski	Snap On Ford	188	0	0	24	Running
14	1	3	Austin Dillon	Dow Chevrolet	188	3	5	37	Running
15	7	12	Ryan Blaney	Menards/Knauf Ford	188	0	4	29	Running
16	17	21	Paul Menard	Quick Land Tire & Auto Center Ford	188	0	0	21	Running
17	13	13	Ty Dillon	GEICO Chevrolet	188	1	0	30	Running
18	37	27	* Reed Sorenson	Low-T Centers Chevrolet	188	0	0	19	Running
19	27	20	Erik Jones	STANLEY Toyota	188	0	0	18	Running
20	20	19	Martin Truex Jr	Bass Pro Shops Toyota	188	0	0	17	Running
21	25	24	William Byron	Hertz Chevrolet	188	7	3	28	Running
22	33	81	* Jeffrey Earnhardt(i)	Xtreme Concepts Toyota	187	0	0	0	Accident
23	15	38	David Ragan	Shriners Hospital for Children Ford	187	0	0	14	Accident
24	10	42	Kyle Larson	Clover Chevrolet	187	0	7	17	Accident
25	6	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	Fifth Third Bank Ford	187	8	0	15	Accident
26	34	15	Ross Chastain(i)	Chevrolet	187	0	0	0	Running
27	35	96	* Parker Kligerman(i)	TRD 40th Anniversary Toyota	186	0	0	0	Running
28	40	51	Cody Ware(i)	JACOB Companies Ford	184	0	0	9	Running
29	3	14	Clint Bowyer	Toco Warranty Ford	182	0	0	8	Running
30	31	37	Chris Buescher	Tide Pods Chevrolet	181	0	0	7	Accident
31	26	95	Matt DiBenedetto	Procore Toyota	181	10	0	7	Accident
32	38	77	Justin Haley(i)	Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet	180	0	0	0	Accident
33	21	48	Jimmie Johnson	Ally Chevrolet	178	0	0	4	Running
34	32	0	Landon Cassill(i)	Home Town Lenders Chevrolet	154	0	0	0	Running
35	39	52	Stanton Barrett	HUSKI CHOCOLATE Chevrolet	132	0	0	2	Suspension
36	23	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota	80	0	0	1	Accident
37	18	36	Matt Tifft #	Surface Suncreen/Tunity Ford	11	0	0	1	Accident
38	19	4	Kevin Harvick	Busch Beer Flannel Ford	11	0	0	1	Accident
39	28	43	Bubba Wallace	World Wide Technology Chevrolet	10	0	0	1	Accident
40	12	34	Michael McDowell	Love’s Travel Stops Ford	10	0	0	1	Accident

April 28, 2019

Austin Dillon claims Busch Pole award at Talladega

Austin Dillon earned the Busch Pole Award at Talladega Superspeedway and will lead the field to green for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500.

Dillon drove his No. 3 Chevrolet at a lap speed of 192.544 mph winning his first pole at Talladega. It was his second pole this season and the fifth of his Cup Series career.

But it was particularly significant for a number of other reasons. Dillon turned 29-years-old Friday and his team, Richard Childress Racing, is celebrating their 50th anniversary in the sport as Talladega commemorates their 50th year as a NASCAR track.

It was also Richard Childress Racing’s first pole at Talladega in 25 years, since Dale Earnhardt earned the pole for the team in 1994.

“I’m a numbers kind of guy,” Dillon said, “and you correlate all those numbers together – it’s the 50th anniversary for RCR, 50th for Talladega. Talladega is where RCR kind of started in 1969. I’m pumped to be here in the No. 3 car. Danny Stockman (crew chief) and the boys did a great job building a fast car and you want to go out there and make some noise and they did that. I give all the credit to those guys. Tomorrow it’s up to us to keep that car up front and hopefully make a real iconic win for RCR and everyone here at Talladega.”

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola will start second in Sunday’s race after a 192.131 mph lap.

“I think we got pretty close to backing up what we ran in the first round there but I felt like the wind picked up a little bit more. I don’t know if that was it or what the case was. All in all, it was a great run for us,” Almirola said. “I am happy about starting on the front row with good track position to start the race and a good pit stall. All those things matter.”

Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski and Daniel Hemric round out the top five starting positions.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will start sixth, followed by Ryan Blaney, last year’s winner Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, rounding out the top 10.

Tune into the GEICO 500 Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on FOX with radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

April 27, 2019

Tyler Reddick overcomes adversity to win at Talladega Superspeedway

It was a beautiful day for a race at Talladega Superspeedway for the MoneyLion 300, as you could feel the excitement start to build during pre-race ceremonies. Although, for several drivers and crewmembers, their hearts were heavy after the news that Brenda Jackson, the Mother of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller, had passed away earlier this week.

Four drivers were a little more anxious as they were eligible for the Dash 4 Cash, which gives the highest finishing driver of the four an extra $100,000. The eligible drivers were Tyler Reddick, Cole Custer, Justin Allgaier, and Austin Cindric.

One driver overcame a speeding penalty, running over a jack stand, and being involved in an accident that did significant damage to the right side of his car. Reddick, driving his No.2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, would overcome all that adversity and still get his first win at Talladega for himself and for car owner Richard Childress in an Xfinity Series Race. To top that off he also won the Dash 4 Cash money.

“Hell of a job for all our guys at RCR Chevrolet,” Reddick commented. “I tried to take us out of the race so many times and somehow we got back in the mix, and back to the lead.” With a big smile, Reddick added, “We had a good day.”

Stage 1 started with Michael Annett and Reddick on the front row. There was some great side by side racing at the start with everyone jockeying for position. The only caution was for the spinning car of Brandon Jones. Reddick would easily win the stage after leading 21 of the 25 laps.

Stage 2 when the drivers hit pit road before the start Reddick got a little too much of a push from Ross Chastain and both drivers were busted for speeding. When the stage started they were pretty much running single file. There were no cautions in this stage, however, Reddick got loose and tagged the wall causing pretty significant damage to the right side of the car. Noah Gragson went on to win the stage.

The final stage of the race is where patience and probably some tempers wore off. Talladega being known for its “Big One” meant pretty much the only safe drivers were the ones in the front. Reddick once again brushed the wall but didn’t bring out the caution flag. There were several cautions in this stage. One of them took out two of the four Dash 4 Cash drivers, Allgaier and Custer; it also involved Cindric, Stephen Leicht, and Ryan Sieg.

The final caution with only four laps left brought out the red flag for cleanup of the track. Jeffrey Earnhardt got loose and collected Allgaier, Timmy Hill, David Starr, Jeremy Clements, and Alex Labbe. Until this point, Earnhardt was having another great run driving the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The race restarted with two laps to go and Reddick was able to keep his top spot to win the race.

I want to give a great shout out to Gray Gaulding, driving his No. 08 SS Green Light Racing Chevrolet brought his car home in second place. What a great run he had going today.

Bringing his car home in third place was Christopher Bell in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Chase Briscoe and Cindric would round out the top five. John Hunter Nemechek, Justin Haley, Josh Williams, Landon Cassill, and Chris Cockrum finished sixth through 10th, respectively.

Reddick leads the Xfinity Series Standings with 413 points, Bell is second with 381 points, Cindric is third with 339 points, Custer is in fourth with 338 points, and rounding out the top five is Allgaier with 298 points.

The Xfinity Series heads next to Dover International Speedway on Saturday, May 4th.

Xfinity Series Race Number 9
Race Results for the 28th Annual MoneyLion 300 – Saturday, April 27, 2019
Talladega Superspeedway – Talladega, AL – 2.66 – Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 113 Laps – 300.58 Miles

Fin	Str	No	Driver	Team	Laps	S1Pos	S2Pos	Pts	Status
1	2	2	Tyler Reddick	Roland Chevrolet	113	1	10	51	Running
2	8	8	Gray Gaulding	Panini/NASCARRcgExp/WldwdSfty Chevrolet	113	5	0	41	Running
3	10	20	Christopher Bell	Rheem/Johns Manville Toyota	113	7	6	43	Running
4	9	98	Chase Briscoe #	Nutri Chomps/Runnings Ford	113	0	4	40	Running
5	17	22	Austin Cindric	MoneyLion Ford	113	3	0	40	Running
6	15	23	John Hunter Nemechek #	Fire Alarm Services INC Chevrolet	113	10	0	32	Running
7	5	11	Justin Haley #	LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet	113	8	8	36	Running
8	16	36	Josh Williams	StarTron/StarBrite/GnrlFrmltns Chevrolet	113	0	0	29	Running
9	22	4	Landon Cassill	Flex Seal/Contec Chevrolet	113	0	0	28	Running
10	18	17	Chris Cockrum	ADVANCEDCOMMUNICATNGRP Chevrolet	113	0	0	27	Running
11	14	9	Noah Gragson #	ARMOUR Vienna Sausage Chevrolet	113	9	1	38	Running
12	33	0	Garrett Smithley	Flex Tape Chevrolet	113	0	0	25	Running
13	6	8	Brett Moffitt(i)	ISM Connect Chevrolet	113	0	0	0	Running
14	28	52	David Starr	Whataburger Chevrolet	113	0	0	23	Running
15	32	86	Brandon Brown #	Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet	113	0	0	22	Running
16	4	39	Ryan Sieg	Alabama Soda Blasting Chevrolet	113	4	3	36	Running
17	26	5	Matt Mills	J.F. Electric Toyota	113	0	0	20	Running
18	13	19	Brandon Jones	1st Foundation Toyota	113	0	7	23	Running
19	29	78	Vinnie Miller	Pit Viper Toyota	113	0	0	18	Running
20	35	42	Max Tullman	Top Tier Toyota	113	0	0	17	Running
21	34	99	Cody Ware	LORDCO Auto Parts Toyota	113	0	0	16	Running
22	25	15	BJ McLeod	teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet	113	0	0	15	Running
23	31	74	Mike Harmon	Woobies Shoes Chevrolet	111	0	0	14	Running
24	20	1	Stephen Leicht	Flex Glue Chevrolet	111	0	0	13	Running
25	24	90	Alex Labbe	Alpha Prime USA Chevrolet	111	0	0	12	Running
26	7	18	Jeffrey Earnhardt	iK9 Toyota	110	0	0	11	Accident
27	30	51	Jeremy Clements	RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet	108	0	0	10	Accident
28	11	7	Justin Allgaier	Hellmanns/FghtHngrSprkChnge Chevrolet	108	6	2	23	Accident
29	19	66	Timmy Hill	VSI Racing/Overkill Motorsports Toyota	108	0	0	8	Accident
30	3	10	Ross Chastain	Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet	105	2	5	22	Gear Cooler
31	1	1	Michael Annett	TMC Transportation Chevrolet	95	0	9	8	Accident
32	12	0	Cole Custer	JACOB Companies Ford	94	0	0	5	Accident
33	23	93	Josh Bilicki	CMR Construction & Roofing Chevrolet	86	0	0	4	Transmisson
34	36	7	Ray Black II	ISKRNFrplcs&Chmny/ScbaLf Chevrolet	65	0	0	3	Accident
35	21	38	Jeff Green	C2 Freight Resources Chevrolet	52	0	0	2	Engine
36	37	13	Chad Finchum	JamesCrtrAttrnyatLaw/CrshClmsR.US Toyota	36	0	0	1	Gear
37	27	35	Joey Gase	DonateLife/RgstrMe.org/Cmpgn/Gase Toyota	35	0	0	1	Engine

April 27, 2019

Todd Gilliland wins ARCA race At Talladega

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series regular and part-time ARCA driver Todd Gilliland drove the No. 4 DGR-CROSLEY Toyota into victory lane at Talladega Superspeedway Friday evening after dominating the last half of the race.

“That was incredible,” Gilliland told FOX Sports 1. “All around such an amazing race. You know being back with DGR-Crosley, car was incredible. They couldn’t catch me doing all they could. Gotta thank Frontline Enterprises, Toyota obviously, Menards for the series and General Tire for the tire.”

“All the credit to these guys, that was incredible. We were going to destroy them at Daytona. I’m so happy I got to come back here, it was kind of last minute. It’s been a long time since I won and this car is amazing, so I’m just super pumped!”

In what was a relatively clean and unusual race at Talladega for the ARCA Menards Series, there wasn’t that much action to begin with.

Venturini Motorsports continued their dominance in qualifying this year by sitting on the pole again with driver Brandon Lynn. It was the organization’s fourth consecutive pole award this year. However, the Venturini’s were still looking for that first elusive win on a track that surprisingly, they had not won at yet.

It was clean and green from the get-go. There was a single file line that broke out in front and it saw longtime ARCA competitor Sean Corr lead the way after moving up to first place on Lap 6.

There were a few close calls early on. Joe Graf Jr. accidentally got Michael Self sideways, but Self was able to hang on to the car without crashing. On Lap 10, former ARCA Talladega winner Brandon McReynolds came down pit road for an unscheduled pit stop. The report was that he had no oil pressure, but the team, later on, was able to get it back up to speed.

On Lap 30, Natalie Decker was off the pace with a fuel pickup problem, ending her chance at a win early.

The first major incident of the day took place right after halfway on Lap 41 when Thad Moffitt lost control of his car and got into Christian Eckes, sending Eckes up into the track and making hard contact with the wall. This ended Eckes day early, who was back from his illness at Salem.

Previous race leader Sean Corr slid his tires coming to pit road prior to the caution coming out, and he had to come back in to change all four tires. Ultimately, Corr could never rebound to get back into the lead.

Another caution and presumably the final one, came out with 25 to go for Tommy Vigh Jr, who hit the wall hard on the front stretch. Vigh Jr. was not injured from the accident.

After that, the ARCA Menards Series fans saw Todd Gilliland in the lead for the first time prior to the caution with 25 to go. The race went back green with 20 to go and surprisingly enough, it remained green for the rest of the way and saw no major incidents.

As the checkered flag flew on Lap 76, the leaderboard showed Gilliland as the race winner of the General Tire 200.

It has been a tough year so far for Gilliland, who has faced critical comments from his boss owner Kyle Busch, but he found a way to take some of the pressure off.

“Absolutely,” Gilliland told FOX Sports 1. “No matter how small or big the victory, it’s huge. My confidence has never been lower heading into this race, but I have so much confidence in these guys. I need to work on my Truck program myself and my whole team. That’s what it’s all about is teamwork. Now I just need to win a Truck race or a few of them as they are way more important.”

The ARCA Menards Series heads to Nashville on Friday May 3.

April 26, 2019