TheYellaWood 500is aNASCAR Cup Seriesstock car raceheld atTalladega SuperspeedwayinLincoln, Alabama,hosting an event in theNASCAR playoffs.The race is one of four NASCAR Cup Series races currently run with tapered spacers, the others being theJack Link's 500in May, theCoke Zero Sugar 400,and theDaytona 500.Through 1996, this race was normally held in early August or late July. In 1997, it was moved to early October due to the uncomfortably hot summertemperatures,and sometimes unpredictable summertimethunderstormsin theAlabamaarea. In 2009, the race moved again, this time to November 1 as part of a realignment agreement withAtlantaandFontana(where Fontana earned a race in the Chase and Atlanta gained the Labor Day weekend race).
 | |
 | |
| NASCAR Cup Series | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Talladega Superspeedway |
| Location | Talladega, Alabama,United States |
| Corporatesponsor | YellaWood[1] |
| First race | 1969 |
| Distance | 500.08 miles (804.801 km) |
| Laps | 188 Stages 1/2:60 each Final stage:68 |
| Previous names | Talladega 500(1969–1987) Talladega DieHard 500(1988–1989) DieHard 500(1990–1997) Winston 500(1998–2000) EA Sports 500(2001–2004) UAW-Ford 500(2005–2007) AMP Energy 500(2008–2009) AMP Energy Juice 500(2010) Good Sam Club 500(2011) Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500(2012) Camping World RV Sales 500(2013) GEICO 500(2014)[2] CampingWorld 500 at Talladega(2015) Hellmann's 500(2016) Alabama 500(2017) 1000Bulbs 500(2018–2019) |
| Most wins (driver) | Dale Earnhardt(7) |
| Most wins (team) | Richard Childress Racing(8) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Chevrolet(22) |
| Circuit information | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.66 mi (4.28 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
In 1998, the name of the race was swapped with that of the Talladega spring race. The fall race became known as the Winston 500 for three years to promote theWinston No Bull 5program.
This race has been on average the most consistently competitive in NASCAR history. The race has broken 40 official lead changes in 1971, 1973, 1975–1978, 1983–1984, 1989, 2000, every year in the period spanning 2003–2013, and once again in 2019-20. In 13 of these, the race exceeded 60 lead changes, most recently in 2012 with 65, and in 2010 the race reached 87 lead changes, one short of the motorsports record set in April. Additionally, the 2000 running of the race is especially notable for being the final career victory forDale Earnhardt,charging from 18th to the lead in the final 6 laps of the race.
Past winners
edit- 1977:Darrell Waltripfinished the race in relief of Allison. Per NASCAR rules Allison is credited with the victory and points.
- 1996:Race started late due to rain, and shortened due to darkness after a lengthy red flag due to the Big One.
- 2005, 2008–2009, 2011–2012, 2014–2016, 2018, 2020, & 2024:Race extended due toNASCAR overtime.
- 2019:Race started on Sunday, suspended after 57 laps due to rain and completed on Monday.[59]
- 2021:Race postponed to Monday and shortened due to rain.[60]
Multiple winners (drivers)
edit| # of wins | Driver | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Dale Earnhardt | 1983–1984, 1990–1991, 1993, 1999–2000 |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 2001–2002, 2004 |
| 2 | Darrell Waltrip | 1979, 1982 |
| Terry Labonte | 1989, 1997 | |
| Jeff Gordon | 1996, 2007 | |
| Dale Jarrett | 1998, 2005 | |
| Jamie McMurray | 2009, 2013 | |
| Clint Bowyer | 2010–2011 | |
| Brad Keselowski | 2014, 2017 | |
| Joey Logano | 2015–2016 | |
| Ryan Blaney | 2019, 2023 |
Multiple winners (teams)
edit| # of wins | Team | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Richard Childress Racing | 1984, 1990–1991, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2010–2011 |
| 6 | Hendrick Motorsports | 1988, 1996–1997, 2006–2007, 2022 |
| Team Penske | 2014–2017, 2019, 2023 | |
| 4 | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 2001–2004 |
| 3 | Junior Johnson & Associates | 1982, 1989, 1994 |
| 2 | Petty Enterprises | 1970, 1974 |
| Bud Moore Engineering | 1975, 1983 | |
| Ranier-Lundy | 1978, 1985 | |
| Morgan-McClure Motorsports | 1992, 1995 | |
| Robert Yates Racing | 1998, 2005 | |
| Roush Fenway Racing | 2009, 2012 | |
| Joe Gibbs Racing | 2008, 2020 |
Manufacturer wins
edit| # of wins | Manufacturer | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Chevrolet | 1977, 1984, 1988, 1990–1993, 1995–1997, 1999–2004, 2006–2007, 2010–2011, 2013, 2022, 2024 |
| 17 | Ford | 1975, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1994, 1998, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2014–2019, 2023 |
| 3 | Dodge | 1969, 1974, 1976 |
| Mercury | 1971–1972, 1980 | |
| Buick | 1981–1982, 1986 | |
| Toyota | 2008, 2020–2021 | |
| 2 | Plymouth | 1970, 1973 |
| Oldsmobile | 1978–1979 |
Notable races
editThe race is famous for the high number ofdark horsesand first-time winners in its history — in the race's first 40 years seven drivers posted their first career win; notable dark horses to win includeJames Hylton,Dave Marcis,Jimmy Spencer,Jamie McMurrayandBubba Wallace.
- 1969:The race was marred by a driver's strike by the Professional Drivers Association over track safety issues, even though officials proved the track was safe for racing.
- 1971:In the 1971 race,Bobby Allisoncollided withRichard PettyandPete Hamiltonon the last lap, sending Hamilton into the inside wall.
- 1972:James Hyltonraced from mid-pack to the win; he was using a year-old tire compound fromGoodyearwhile fast qualifiers got a new compound, includingJoe Frasson;Frasson was involved in an early crash and angrily ripped the new compound ( "These new tires Goodyear brought here weren't worth a damn" ). 32 of 50 starters failed to finish as Hylton led 106 laps and edgedRamo Stottat the stripe. "I was going with the old tire anyway," Hylton said afterward. "I figured it would be better."
- 1973:In 1973Dick Brookssurvived heat and humidity to himself as well as an overheating engine and shot down heavy favoritesBuddy BakerandDavid Pearsonto his only career win. Driving aPlymouth Roadrunner,Brooks started 24th and whipped his way into contention right away; he'd expected to drive aTom PistoneFord in the race but the car never showed up, so Jimmy and Peter Crawford hired him to drive their Plymouth. The lead changed 64 times, a motorsports record that stood until 1978. Tragedy marred the race when sophomore driverLarry Smithcrashed and was killed in his car early in the race.
- 1974:Before the race, crewmen found slashed tires, tampered alignments, and dirt clogging fuel lines in the garage area. NASCAR threw several competition yellows to allow teams to further check their cars for undetected sabotage; two early crashes happened when cars slipped in oil from other sabotaged cars.Richard Pettywon on the last lap by sideswipingDavid Pearsonin the tri-oval and winning by a nose.
- 1975:The race was blackened when formerDaytona 500winnerTiny Lundwas crushed to death in a vicious melee on the backstretch by the spinning car of Terry Link.Dick Brookssurvived a wild tumble down the backstretch later in that race.Buddy BakeredgedRichard Pettyafter 60 lead changes among 17 drivers.
- 1976:The lead changed 57 times asRichard Pettyfell out in the final 20 laps andBuddy Bakerhad to pit late for fuel, allowingDave Marcisto whip to the win, his only Talladega win. It was also the first Talladega win for crew chiefHarry Hydewhose Dodges had won nine poles at the track.
- 1977:Darrell WaltriprelievedDonnie Allisonfor the final 40 laps and grabbed the win overCale Yarborough;it is the most recent time a relief driver won a Winston Cup race.
- 1978:The lead changed a then-record 67 times asLennie Pondstole the win over Allison and Yarborough; it was Pond's only career win and the first win for Ranier Racing.
- 1980:In 1980,Neil Bonnettfought off a hard challenge fromDale Earnhardtto win in a frantic four-car finish. Driving for theWood Brothers,Bonnett pulled off what would be the final win for theMercuryautomobile brand; it was also the brand's seventh career Talladega win.
- 1981:The race was famous for the finish betweenTerry Labonte,Darrell Waltrip,andRon Bouchard.Running third on the final lap, Bouchard darted under both Labonte and Waltrip to pick up his first and only career win.CBS Sports,which televised the event, experienced technical errors in the last laps of the race and showed replays with audio of the finish a week later.
- 1982:The race at Talladega would be the final Talladega start forcountry musicsingerMarty Robbins.Robbins would die later that year on December 8.Darrell Waltripbecame the first multi-time winner of the race.
- 1983:The rivalry between Waltrip andBobby Allisoncame through in a dramatic finish. Allison, two laps down, pushedDale Earnhardtpast Waltrip on the final lap for the win. Waltrip and the Junior Johnson team were upset that Allison was seemingly "blocking" for Earnhardt; Allison claimed he was racingJoe Ruttman,also in the lead pack but laps down, for the position.
- 1984:Dale Earnhardt'sfirst win withRichard Childresscame in 1984 running, for many years considered NASCAR's greatest race. The lead changed 68 times among 16 drivers.Terry Labontestormed to the lead with seven to go in a ten-car pack; crew chiefDale Inmanradioed him to get out of the lead in the final laps so he could counterattack on the last lap, but Labonte stayed ahead.Harry Gantmade a charge to a battle for third with two to go, but could not get up to the leaders, and on the final lap Earnhardt andBuddy Bakerdrafted past on the high side; Labonte fought Baker down the stretch, allowing Earnhardt to blast away by three lengths at the stripe.[61]
- 1986:The 1986 race won byBobby Hillin Jr.saw 26 different leaders, a motorsports record that stood until 2008, and 49 lead changes, a record for the 1986 season. Wrecks eliminated numerous leaders, among themRichard Petty,Geoff Bodine,Darrell Waltrip,andCale Yarborough.On the final lap, a six-car melee erupted whenSterling Marlin,racingTim RichmondandBobby Allisonfor third, hooked Allison in Turn One and Allison slid into the path of traffic.
- 1989:The second-year with Die Hard batteries sponsorship, it was the final year of the classic "Talladega 500" name. The name would be revived in 2001 as the name of the spring event at Talladega, but for only one year before being changed to theAaron's 499.The lead changed 49 times asDarrell Waltripwas involved in a hard crash on pit road with rookieJimmy Spencer;Waltrip rallied from last place and fought for the lead, ultimately finishing second toTerry Labonte,who took his final win withJunior Johnson's team.
- 1991:The race was a frantic affair as the lead changed 31 times officially and some 22 times elsewhere around the track.Dale Earnhardtwas engaged in a non-stop battle withDavey Allison,Mark Martin,Sterling Marlin,andMichael WaltripwithBill Elliottstaying in the fray as well. With four to go Allison squeezed ahead of Earnhardt with Marlin drafting him, but Elliott, Martin, andRicky Rudddrafted with Earnhardt, enabling Earnhardt to seize the win; an enraged Allison broke his wrist punching the wall of his hauler after the race.
- 1993:Dale EarnhardtedgedErnie Irvanby 0.005 seconds, the second-closest finish in Talladega's history since the introduction of electronic scoring loops. The race was marred by two frightening crashes: On lap 69,Stanley SmithandJimmy Hortongot together in turn one, collecting six other cars. Horton's car took the worst hit, as it went up the track and over the outside wall, tumbled out of the racetrack down the embankment, and came to rest on a dirt access road. Though Horton was not seriously injured, Smith suffered a near-fatal basilar skull fracture; he would eventually recover. The incident led track officials to install catch fencing along the entire perimeter of the superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega), rather than just in spectator areas. On Lap 132,Neil Bonnettflew into thecatch fencesimilar to theBobby Allisoncrash in1987.That resulted in the introduction ofroof flapsin1994.
- 1995:A violent wreck unfolded on lap 140 whenJeff GordonclippedKen Schraderon the back straightaway, collecting eleven more cars. Schrader took the worst hit, flipping eight times before landing in the grass.
- 1996:One of the most frightening crashes marred the race. On lap 117, battling for the lead in the tri-oval,Sterling Marlintried to passDale Earnhardton the outside. Ernie Irvan tapped Marlin from behind, sending Marlin into Earnhardt. Both cars slid hard into the outside wall. Earnhardt's car flipped over and was struck again while sliding down the track on its roof. About 6 cars escaped on the inside, while the rest of the field became tangled up in the incident. Ten cars were destroyed, and several more were involved (including some already damaged from an earlier crash). Earnhardt climbed out and waved to the crowd, refusing to be loaded onto a stretcher despite a broken collarbone, sternum, and shoulder blade. A red flag ensued, and because of the late start caused by a rain delay, the race ended with a five-lap shootout on the ensuing restart.
- 1997:Talladega switched its mid-summer race to mid-October starting in 1997 andErnie Irvanwon his final pole for theRobert Yates Racingteam, his 28 Ford sporting the white on the black color scheme used byDavey Allisonon the tenth anniversary of his successful rookie season. The race became the most competitive of the season at 32 official lead changes among 16 drivers. A huge crash erupted on the backstretch after a collision betweenJeff GordonandJohn Andretti;Gordon stated his left rear tire blew out.Terry Labonteswept pastKen Schraderwith two laps to go and edged brotherBobby Labonte;it was Terry's only win of the season and only win for a Chevrolet other than Gordon.
- 1999:A frantic race saw sixteen leaders and 21 cars battling at the finish.Dale Earnhardtcharged from 27th place to 5th place in the opening three laps. He didn’t lead until past halfway but stayed in contention and drafted pastDale Jarrettwith five to go. It was fhis ninth Talladega race win.
- 2000:This was Dale Earnhardt's 76th and last recorded win before his death. With four laps to go,Dale Earnhardt Jr.was leading Earnhardt Sr. was scored in 17th place. In the next four laps, Earnhardt Sr. found an opening and took the lead at the white flag. He then held off the field to win the race, while Earnhardt Jr. went from leading to a 14th-place finish when he was shuffled out of the pack in the last two laps.
- 2001:Dale Earnhardt Jr.won his third race of 2001, and first of four straight at Talladega. The first half of the race was caution-free, with the race's first caution flag not appearing until lap 99, whenKevin HarvicksentTodd Bodineinto the outside wall in turn 3, also collectingElliott SadlerandCasey Atwood.In the last 55 laps, Earnhardt Jr.,Bobby Hamilton,andBobby Labontechanged the lead multiple times. With five laps to go, Labonte took the lead from Earnhardt Jr. He was still leading at the white flag, but heading into turn 1, Earnhardt Jr. moved to the low lane, bringingTony StewartandJeff Burton.Entering turn 2, Labonte drifted up, out of the draft, and tried to block Hamilton. Exiting turn 2, Hamilton tagged Labonte from behind, sending Labonte intoJohnny Benson Jr.andRicky Craven,running in fourth and fifth place. Labonte's car then flipped over onto its roof, while Benson was shot into the inside wall and collected another 14 cars, includingJason Leffler,Sterling Marlin,Ward Burton,Robby Gordon,Mike Wallace,Terry Labonte,andBuckshot Jones.As the wreck occurred, Earnhardt Jr.,Jeff Burton,andTony Stewartcontinued racing towards the finish, followed by another group of cars from the reduced pack, composed ofJeff Gordon,Matt Kenseth,Kenny Wallace,and Hamilton. Earnhardt Jr. rocketed away in the tri-oval to win the race by several car-lengths as Burton and Stewart battled side by side for second place, winning the No Bull 5 $1 million bonus, just as his father had done a year prior. He was docked 25 points after his car failed post-race inspection, due to a shortened rear spoiler.
- 2002:Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s third consecutive Talladega win came in the third and last Talladega race to be caution-free. He won on fuel strategy. This race is also remembered for an unusual accident during the warm-up laps. There was no qualifying due to rain, so the front row starting spots went to points leaderJimmie Johnsonand second-placeMark Martin.Martin suffered an issue with his steering box, causing him to swerve into Johnson and cause significant damage to his front end.[62]As a result of the incident, Martin was black-flagged, while Johnson's crew chiefChad Knausrequested NASCAR to inspect the car and repair the damaged right front fender. Johnson later came into the garage on lap one, ending his day with engine trouble.[63]Jeff Gordonled the first three laps, but on lap 125, he was forced to move the car to the garage after his crew found smoke under the hood, ending his race. To make matters even worse,Terry LabonteandJoe Nemechekalso failed to finish due to engine problems; this meant that none of Hendrick Motorsports’ primary drivers were running at the end of the event.
- 2003:Michael Waltrip's fourth and last win came in this race in 2003. It is also his only non-Daytona race win. He and teammateDale Earnhardt Jr.finished 1–2. With seven laps to go,Elliott Sadler,the third-place finisher from the spring race, went airborne and tumbled down the backstretch into the turn three aprons after being tagged byKurt Busch.As this was the first restrictor-plate race to follow the elimination ofracing back to the caution,the yellow flag and subsequent red flag for cleanup caused by Sadler's accident nullifiedWard Burton's pass on Waltrip into first.
- This was DEI's fifth straight Talladega win, and first with Waltrip, after four straight with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- 2004:Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s win in 2004, his fifth overall at the track, was a dramatic one, as on the last lap of the race,Jeff Gordonbrushed the wall exiting turn two, collecting then-rookieKasey KahneandGreg Biffle.No caution was thrown for the wreck, and the leaders continued to race to the finish line. At the finish,Elliott Sadlerrepeated the tumble of the previous year. This time, he flipped at the start-finish line after making contact withWard Burton,in almost the same location thatRusty Wallacehad taken a very violent airborne crash off Dale Earnhardt's bumper in 1993.
- The race had several wrecks, the biggest one being a hard crash that took out championship contenderJeremy Mayfield.Brendan Gaughantriggered a scary crash that sentBobby LabonteandSterling Marlinhead-on into the outside wall.
- The race was also famous for Earnhardt Jr. using an obscenity during the post-race television interview, when he uttered "...It don't mean shit, daddy done won here 10 times..." during his post-race interview onNBC.[64]He has penalized 25 championship points as a result (in the aftermath of theSuper Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy,NASCAR imposed stiffer penalties for drivers who used obscenities in interviews; a similar one would be imposed whenTony Stewartwon the Brickyard 400 in 2007).
- 2005:Much like the EA Sports 500 the year before, the 2005 UAW-Ford 500 was a wild race. Two cars flipped over in separate accidents.Michael Waltripwas hit byMark Martinand flipped after being involved in a wreck that began whenJimmie JohnsonspunElliott Sadler.Not long after,Ryan NewmanspunCasey Mears,which started a chain reaction resulting in Scott Riggs flipping several times before being hit by Jeff Burton. The race was incident-filled, and Dale Jarrett took his last win in the race. Scenes from this race were used in the movieTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobbyand actors from the movie were introduced in driver introductions.
- 2006:The October 2006 running was the first at Talladega since the track was repaved following the May 1Aaron's 499.The new asphalt proved exceptionally race and the lead changed hands 63 times among 23 drivers. In the final lapsDale Earnhardt Jr.led withJimmie Johnsonand Johnson's teammateBrian Vickersin a charge towards the finish. On the final lap in the halfway mark of the final lap Vickers, trying for his first Cup win, went below Johnson who tried to block but was far too late to defend and just in turn 3 Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. spun around to crash as Vickers charged to the win in a close finish withKasey Kahneunder caution. Although Kahne was briefly in front of Vickers during the charge to the checkered flag during the caution, the video showed that at the moment of caution Vickers was the leader and thus freezing the field in the finish. The fans were furious with Vickers and threw bottles at him. Vickers was emotional about his win since he was leaving Hendrick Motorsports to joinRed Bull Racingand wanted a win to dedicate to the Hendrick family members that died in the2004 plane crashat Martinsville.
- 2007:The 2007 UAW-Ford 500 was won byJeff Gordonin dramatic style. Gordon pulled off a comeback much like Dale Earnhardt had in 2000, working his way from the back in the closing laps, and passed teammate Jimmie Johnson with a push fromTony Stewarton the final lap. It was the first Talladega race for the recently launchedfifth-generation chassis.
- 2008:The newly named AMP Energy 500 in 2008 saw 64 lead changes among a motorsports record 28 leaders (broken in the 2010 spring race). Two accidents (one a ten-car crash that came whenBrian Vickers' right-front tire disintegrated, the other a ten-car melee involvingGreg Biffle,Matt Kenseth,Carl Edwards,Dale Earnhardt Jr.,and others) took a number of contenders out in spectacular fashion.Regan Smithpassed Tony Stewart on the apron of the tri-oval at the finish. The pass was ruled illegal by NASCAR in prohibiting passing under the yellow line; controversy ensued, however, as NASCAR spokesmanRamsey Postonthe year before had commented to the effect that the yellow-line rule did not apply on the final lap, and NASCAR was ridiculed in the media over the decision. The victory was awarded to Stewart, what proved to be his final win forJoe Gibbs Racingand his only win driving anything other than a General Motors vehicle; JGR had switched engine suppliers to Toyota for 2008 after running Chevrolet and Pontiac vehicles since the team was founded.
- 2009:The race was set up in a green-white-checkered finish afterRyan Newmanspun and blew over, landing on top ofKevin Harvickwith five laps to go, in the same place and in an eerily similar matter to Sadler's 2003 blow over. Newman's flip was the direct result of the rear wing on the Car of Tomorrow lifting the car off the ground and rendering the roof flaps useless; this crash, along with Carl Edwards' crash at the spring race and Brad Keselowski's crash at Atlanta the next year, was one of the factors in NASCAR's decision to replace the wing with a more traditional spoiler in 2010. Before the cars got underway some ran out of fuel.Jamie McMurrayled the restart alongsideBrian Vickers;Vickers beat McMurray to the line but was not penalized but McMurray squeezed ahead. When the field came off turn 4,Brad KeselowskispunKurt Buschcausing a chain reaction;Mark Martintumbled on his roof and came back on his wheels as McMurray took the win. It was his 3rd career win and last for Roush as he went on toEarnhardt Ganassi Racingin 2010. The race was criticized because during the pre-race driver's meetingMike Heltontold the drivers "we will have a problem" with tandem drafting in the corners, an issue discovered during the spring race. The drivers spent three periods of 15–20 laps riding single file, but the lead changed 58 times among 25 drivers, both season highs.
- 2010:OnHalloween2010 NASCAR declaredClint Bowyerthe winner after the yellow flew on the start of the final lap forA. J. Allmendinger's blow over just past the start/finish line. Bowyer has ruled ahead of teammateKevin Harvickat a Turn One scoring loop. Due to a brief delay by NASCAR in announcing who was ahead, Bowyer and Harvick were confused as to which one of them had won. Believing he was the leader, Bowyer did his victory burnout prematurely and almost had to be stopped as he drove back down pit road towards victory lane. The race lead changed 87 times among 26 drivers, the second straight Talladega race to break 80 official lead changes.
- 2011:This was the first NASCAR Cup Series race to follow the death of IndyCar driverDan WheldonatLas Vegas Motor Speedway,and several drivers painted tributes on their cars for this race; NASCAR also provided "Lionheart Knight" decals that Wheldon wore on his helmet[65]to be added to the cars'b-pillars.[66]Clint Bowyerdefended his previous win by slingshotting past his Richard Childress teammateJeff Burtonon the final lap and winning by a hood. It was the 100th career win forRichard Childress Racingand it came the following the announcement that Bowyer would move toMichael Waltrip Racingfor 2012 (by coincidence, Bowyer was driving a special 100th Anniversary of Chevrolet paint scheme). The track before the race posted a $100,000 bonus if the race reached 100 official lead changes, the bonus going to the driver who made the 100th pass. The bonus went unclaimed as the race lead changed 72 times.
- 2012:Matt Kensethwon his first Talladega race in a very competitive run that saw 18 different leaders and 55 lead changes. On the final lap, with the entire field four abreast andTony Stewartfighting Kenseth for the win, Stewart tried to block the advancing drafting pair ofMichael WaltripandCasey Mearscoming in to turn 4. The ensuing move and subsequent contact caused Waltrip to spin up the banking in front of the entire field, and Stewart went airborne as Waltrip was tagged by Casey and both went into the outside wall and 23 cars were collected, the most cars to be involved in any single Big One since 2010. 10 of the 12Chasedrivers were involved (the only three not involved were Kenseth,Jeff Gordon,andKyle Busch,the top three finishers).David RaganandRegan Smithescaped the melee to cross the start/finish line 4th and 5th respectively.Dale Earnhardt Jr.,also involved was highly critical of the crash, and was sidelined for the next two races atCharlotteandKansasafter being diagnosed with a concussion, replaced by Smith for those races. Busch and Kenseth had been the runner-up finishers in the spring Talladega race.
- 2013:The race was surprisingly clean, only seeing two caution flags during the first 187 laps. The lead changed 52 times among 20 drivers. The race was dominated byMatt Kenseth,Jimmie Johnson,andDale Earnhardt Jr.On the last lap,Austin Dillonwas running third behindJamie McMurrayand Dillon and was about to push Earnhardt Jr. past McMurray when he was turned byRicky Stenhouse Jr.coming off Turn 2. Dillon spun against the outside wall, then was struck head-on byCasey Mearsand caught air. McMurray's win was the second straight Chase race of 2013 won by a non-Chaser. It also snapped a 108-race winless streak for McMurray that stretched back to October 2010 and also his final career-win.
- 2014:Kyle Larsonspun on the apron of turn 1 and brought out the fourth caution of the race with 14 laps to go. Jeff Gordon was the only car who hadn't pitted and had to give up the lead to stop for fuel.Ryan Newmancycled to the lead, The race went past its advertised distance and went into overtime. The first overtime attempt resulted in another big one on the backstretch that collected 11 cars. It started when David Gilliland tapped Greg Biffle who clipped Dale Earnhardt Jr. and collected nine other cars. Brad Keselowski was ahead of race leader Newman and assumed the lead, Brad Keselowski held off a hard-charging Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth to win the race with the pack behind them, being stacked up.[67]"I can't believe it," Keselowski said. "Talladega is such a wild card and to be able to win here you have to catch breaks and make your own breaks, a little of both. I can't believe we won at Talladega. This race is the scariest of the three in the bracket. To be able to win here is really a privilege, it really is."[68]Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, and Jimmie Johnson were the four drivers who were eliminated.[69]"We had a real good car most of the day," Earnhardt said. "Got real loose, kind of shuffled out.... It's just hard racing. That's the way it goes at the end of these races. We weren't in a good position."[70]It was the first of a long winning streak for Ford and Roush engines at this race.
- 2015:The first 135 laps were run under green-flag conditions, and then the 2nd caution flew with 4 to go withGreg Biffleholding a 38-second lead, setting up a questionable finish. On the only attempt at a green-white-checker (a rule NASCAR mandated for this race afterAustin Dillon's scary crash in July at Daytona),Jimmie JohnsonandKyle Larsonspun coming to take the green, which caused NASCAR to waive off the restart, saying that "it was not an official restart", to the ire of drivers and fans. Then,Kevin Harvickreported to crew chiefRodney Childersthat his motor was going. On the "2nd attempt" at the restart, Harvick hooked the 6 ofTrevor Baynejust after the exit of pit road, causing a crash that ended the race which involved chasersRyan Newman,Denny Hamlin,andMatt Kenseth,among others (the crash ended Newman, Kenseth, and Hamlin's chances at a title). After looking over the scoring and video, NASCAR declaredJoey Loganothe winner overDale Earnhardt Jr.,causing irate fans to shower Logano with beer cans as he did his burnouts. NASCAR did not sanction Harvick for his actions after the race. The controversy over this finish led to NASCAR introducing the overtime line rule for the 2016 season, which was subsequently eliminated in 2017 in favour of unlimited attempts until one legal green flag lap was completed.
- 2016:After the round of stops, Keselowski led from lap 89 to 109.Ryan Blaneytook the lead for a circuit on lap 110 and Hamlin moved back to the front on lap 111. A three-car wreck on the front stretch involving Biffle,Jeffrey Earnhardt,andCasey Mearsbrought out the second caution with 74 laps to go, Past the scheduled distance of 188 laps, the race restarted on lap 190 with two laps to go. Logano drove on to score the victory.[71]
- 2017:Dale Earnhardt Jr.won the pole for the first and final time at Talladega. The race was filled with numerous wrecks, with 10 of the 12 playoff drivers being involved in wrecks.Jamie McMurraywas involved in a 6 car crash on lap 25 during green-flag stops, which put him in a must-win situation.Brad KeselowskiandRyan Blaneywould win the first and second stages respectively. The Big One occurred in Turn 3 on Lap 172 and took out 17 cars, includingMartin Truex Jr.,Jimmie Johnson,Kyle Busch,Kevin Harvick,Matt Kenseth,andRicky Stenhouse Jr.Two more small crashes occurred during the next stretch that ended Blaney and Harvick's day, and another with 5 to go that took outChase ElliottandKyle Larson.On the last restart, Keselowski drove on to victory after an intense battle for the lead withRyan Newman,who finished runner up.Denny Hamlinwas the other playoff driver who was running at the line at a 6th-place finish with no damage, and Earnhardt Jr. finished 7th in his final restrictor-plate start after spinning through the turn 3 grass to avoid the Big One. Only 14 cars were running at the finish, the lowest number of cars to finish in Talladega's history tied with the 1986 race, mainly assisted with a new NASCAR rule to prohibit cars involved in incidents from returning to the track.[72]
- 2019:The race was interrupted after a caution-free stage 1 by rain, postponing stages 2 and 3 to Monday. During the second stage, every one of the playoff drivers was involved in at least one accident, and there were three Big Ones. The first was on Lap 107 in the closing laps of Stage 2, whenJoey Loganoran intoAlex Bowmanfrom behind on the backstretch, causing Bowman to spin onto the apron and then back into the pack in turn 3, collecting nine additional cars. The second was on Lap 163 when, entering turn 3,William Byronwas turned into Logano byKurt Busch,collecting six more cars. Finally, on Lap 181, in the same location as the previous two Big Ones,Kurt Buschtried to give brotherKylea push to challengeRicky Stenhouse Jr.for the lead, turning Kyle intoBrendan Gaughanand collecting 11 cars in all. Gaughan took the worst hit as his car went airborne from contact withMatt DiBenedettoand Kurt Busch and flipped over once before landing upright in turn 3. On the last lap,Ryan Blaneywas leading at the white flag and being trailed by the previous year's winnerAric Almirola.Heading down the backstretch,Ryan Newmangot pushed to the lead byDenny Hamlin.Newman was leading exiting turn 4 and moved up in an attempt to block Blaney. Blaney got Newman loose, went to Newman's inside, and managed to inch ahead of Newman at the finish line by 0.006 seconds, the sixth closest margin of victory in NASCAR history, and securing Blaney a spot in the Round of 8.
- 2020:The most competitive race of the 2020 season - 58 official lead changes among eighteen drivers- occurred in October 2020 and was won byDenny Hamlinunder controversy. A series of late yellows that included three green white checkered finishes erupted into a chaotic last lap. Hamlin fell out of the top five briefly on the final restart;Matt DiBenedettoled at the white flag butWilliam Byron,Chris Buescher,andErik Jonesclawed into contention, DiBenedetto chopped off Buescher while Byron and Jones nearly crashed; Hamlin slid onto the apron of Turn Four but stormed to win by a wheel. Controversy ensued when NASCAR initially held up calling the win because of cars racing below the yellow line and ruled DiBenedetto had shoved Hamlin below the line; Hamlin was declared winner and DiBenedetto penalized from second to 21st.Chase Elliottwas initially penalized as well but reinstated to finish fifth.Bubba Wallacerecently announced to drive a Toyota for Hamlin with backing fromMichael Jordan,draftedRichard Petty Motorsports’ 43 to lead ten laps; he slapped the wall but rallied to sixth before a crash withRyan Preece,Ryan Blaney,and others set up the final restart. This was the second time in history that it took three attempts at overtime to finish the race. Tied the April 2010 event (which also took three attempts) as the longest race run in Talladega's history at 200 laps (532 miles). This race also featured a record-breaking 13 cautions beating out the previous record of 11 from the October 2017 event, and the first Cup race to go over four hours.
- 2021:The race was threatened by rain showers as the race was postponed to Monday. Regular season championKyle Larsonwould get involved in an accident withJustin Allgaierat the end of stage 1 withChris Bueschergetting the stage win. Larson would again have issues with blowing a tire during the second stage, and a brief rain shower halted the race.Alex Bowmanwould crash out from the lead collectingMartin Truex Jr.,Tyler Reddick,andKyle Busch.As the race passed the halfway point, more rain was forecasted to impact the track. With 5 to go before the end of stage 2,Ryan Preecewould get turned into the wall heading into turn 3 collectingWilliam ByronandMatt DiBenedetto.During the caution period, rain would begin to fall on the track withBubba Wallaceleading as the red flag would fall on lap 117, 3 laps short of stage 2. After another rain shower soaking the track and concerns of getting the track dry before sunset, NASCAR called the race official with Wallace earning his first career win as well as giving23XI Racingits first team win. Wallace would become the first African-American to win a NASCAR Cup Series race sinceWendell Scottin 1963, and would mark the first time all 3 national series would have first-time winners the same weekend.
References
edit- ^"YellaWood 500 Announced at Talladega".Talladega Superspeedway.May 26, 2020.RetrievedMay 26,2020.
- ^"GEICO's Partnership Grows with Talladega Superspeedway –" GEICO 500 "Fall Classic Sprint Cup Series Race Set for Oct. 19".Talladega Superspeedway.January 30, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon March 24, 2014.RetrievedMarch 23,2014.
- ^"1969 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1970 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1971 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1972 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1973 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1974 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1975 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1976 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1977 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1978 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1979 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1980 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1981 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1982 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1983 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1984 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1985 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1986 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1987 Talladega 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1988 Talladega DieHard 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1989 Talladega DieHard 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1990 DieHard 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1991 DieHard 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1992 DieHard 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1993 Die Hard 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1994 DieHard 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1995 DieHard 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1996 DieHard 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1997 DieHard 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1998 Winston 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"1999 Winston 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2000 Winston 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2001 EA Sports 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2002 EA Sports 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2003 EA Sports 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2004 EA Sports 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2005 UAW-Ford 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2006 UAW-Ford 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2007 UAW-Ford 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2008 AMP Energy 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2009 AMP Energy 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2010 AMP Energy Juice 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2011 Good Sam Club 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2012 Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2013 Camping World RV Sales 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2014 GEICO 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2015 CampingWorld 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2016 Hellmann's 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2017 Alabama 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2018 1000Bulbs 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2019 1000Bulbs 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2020 YellaWood 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2021 YellaWood 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2022 YellaWood 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2023 YellaWood 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"2024 YellaWood 500".Racing-Reference.NASCAR Digital Media, LLC.RetrievedOctober 5,2024.
- ^Horrow, Ellen J. (October 14, 2019)."Ryan Blaney wins in a photo finish as crashes decimate the field at Talladega playoff race".USA Today.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^"Rain pauses Monday's Cup Series playoff race at Talladega".NASCAR.October 4, 2021.RetrievedNovember 24,2023.
- ^1984 Talladega finish
- ^"40 years of Talladega – Birmingham News special report".The Birmingham News.October 2, 2008.RetrievedApril 3,2013.
- ^"EA Sports 500".Jayski's Silly Season Site.Archived fromthe originalon October 2, 2013.RetrievedApril 3,2013.
- ^"Post-Talladega expletive costs Earnhardt".ESPN.Associated Press.October 6, 2004.RetrievedApril 4,2013.
- ^Newton, David (October 20, 2011)."Wheldon tribute in works at Talladega".ESPN.RetrievedJanuary 12,2014.
- ^"IndyCar: NASCAR drivers to display Dan Wheldon tribute decals at Talladega".Autoweek.October 20, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon December 27, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 12,2014.
- ^Utter, Jim (October 19, 2014)."Brad Keselowski wins GEICO 500 at Talladega to advance in Chase".The Charlotte Observer.Archived fromthe originalon October 19, 2014.RetrievedOctober 19,2014.
- ^Pistone, Pete (October 19, 2014)."Keselowski Scores Must Win".MRN.Motor Racing Network. Archived fromthe originalon October 21, 2014.RetrievedOctober 19,2014.
- ^Fryer, Jenna (October 19, 2014)."Keselowski keeps title hopes alive at Talladega".Associated Press. Archived fromthe originalon October 19, 2014.RetrievedOctober 19,2014.
- ^Ryan, Nate (October 19, 2014)."Keseloskwi wins at Talladega; Earnhardt, Johnson out of Chase".USA Today.Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc.RetrievedOctober 19,2014.
- ^Fryer, Jenna (October 23, 2016)."Logano wins Talladega to advance in NASCAR's playoffs".Talladega, Alabama: AP Sports.Associated Press.Archived fromthe originalon October 26, 2016.RetrievedOctober 23,2016.
- ^"Talladega Superspeedway".ESPN.RetrievedOctober 16,2017.
External links
edit- Talladega Superspeedwayrace results at Racing-Reference