NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega results: Kyle Busch steals wreck-filled GEICO 500 finish
Kyle Busch did not lead a lap until the first lap of second overtime, but that is all he needed to seal his 62nd-career NASCAR Cup Series victory in a wild finish of the GEICO 500 at Talladega. Bubba Wallace led out of turn two on the green-white-checker scenario finish, trying desperately to block Ryan Blaney, but eventually went around, collecting Blaney and others, allowing Busch to coast to victory literal drops of fuel.
GEICO 500 final results
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland (36), Front Row Motorsports Ford
J.J. Yeley (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Hilll (62), Beard Motorsports Chevrolet
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Riley Herbst (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Zane Smith (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
First OT restart results in another wreck
Just one corner into the first overtime restart, Ross Chastain darted underneath Noah Gragson from the outside line to the middle causing the driver of the No. 42 to head into the outside wall and a braking Kyle Larson behind to spin to the inside and come back up the track, collecting Ryan Preece.
First multi-car crash on lap 142
Harrison Burton spun from the lead after contact from Noah Gragson in the draft on lap 142, causing an accident that also collected Austin Dillon, Joey Logano, Zane Smith and Austin Hill.
Almirola's late push foils Elliott to end Stage 2
It looked for all the world that Chase Elliott would gain more valuable playoff points via another stage win — which he desperately needs after missing six races with a leg fracture — up until the final 500 feet of Stage 2. Stewart-Haas's Aric Almirola, who started second on the grid Sunday, got a run on the outside lane and executed a textbook side draft to nip Elliott at the line to win Stage 2.
Elliott wins Stage 1 as Chevys surge late
Despite a disappointing 29th-place starting position after Saturday's qualifying session, Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott claimed Stage 1 at Talladega, leading a late Chevrolet rally. The Toyota teams were dominant early, but as they came in for their first round of pit stops, a Tyler Reddick spin caused them to navigate the pit lane a bit slower than normal, dropping them back in the order.
GEICO 500 starting grid
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland (36), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Austin Hilll (62), Beard Motorsports Chevrolet
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Zane Smith (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Riley Herbst (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
J.J. Yeley (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
GEICO 500 TV/streaming schedule
Saturday, April 22
10:30 a.m. - Noon: Qualifying (FS1, FoxNow, MRN, SiriusXM)
Sunday, April 23
2 - 3 p.m.: Pre-race show (Fox, FoxNow, MRN, SiriusXM)
3 - 6:30 p.m.: GEICO 500 (Fox, FoxNow, MRN, SiriusXM)
GEICO 500 details
Track: Talladega Superspeedway (2.66-mile tri-oval)
Banking:
• Turns 1-2: 33 degrees
• Turns 3-4: 32 degrees
• Tri-oval: 16.5 degrees
• Backstretch: 3 degrees
Length: 188 laps for 500.08 miles
Defending champion: Ross Chastain
Top drivers and best bets for the GEICO 500
The last six races at Talladega have produced six different winners ever since Ryan Blaney went back-to-back in the Fall 2019 race and Spring 2020. That parity along with the unpredictability of superspeedway racing is represented in BetMGM’s odds to win as no driver opened at better than 10-to-1.
Best odds to win
• Joey Logano +1000
• Ryan Blaney +1200
• Chase Elliott +1400
• Denny Hamlin +1400
• Brad Keselowski +1400
• William Byron +1600
• Ross Chastain +1600
Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg suggests you can find good mid-tier value in Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell (+1800) and Hendrick Motorsports' Alex Bowman (+2200), who has won three Daytona 500 poles. Bromberg warns against betting on Martin Truex Jr. (+2800), who has not won in 72 Cup Series superspeedway starts.
Austin Dillon docked 60 points
NASCAR penalized Richard Childress Racing's Austin Dillon 60 points for car setup infractions after he finished 12th at Martinsville last weekend. NASCAR said it found an illegal underwing assembly in post-race inspection. Additionally, Dillon will lose five playoff points if he qualifies for the postseason. The governing body also suspended Dillon's crew chief Keith Rodden $75,000 and suspended him for two races.
GEICO 500 entries list
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Riley Herbst (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (36), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Zane Smith (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
JJ Yeley (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Austin Hilll (62), Beard Motorsports Chevrolet
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Weather for the GEICO 500
Warm temperatures for the ARCA Menards and NASCAR Xfinity support series practices and qualifying Friday will give way to cooler, overcast conditions Saturday and Sunday. The forecast calls for temperatures in the low 60s with a slight chance of rain Saturday and a minuscule chance Sunday. With those cooler conditions, grip and tire degradation will be better, which is always beneficial with high-speed, tight pack racing.