2021 GEICO 500

The 2021 GEICO 500 was a NASCAR Cup Series race was held on April 25, 2021, at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Contested over 191 laps – extended from 188 laps due to an overtime finish, on the 2.66 mile (4.28 km) superspeedway, it was the 10th race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, as well as the second of the four crown jewel races. Brad Keselowski won the race, his 35th career victory, sixth win at Talladega (which tied Jeff Gordon for the second-most victories at the track), and his last win with Team Penske in the No. 2 as he moved to co-own RFK Racing, as well as drive the No. 6 in 2022.

Report

Background

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

Entry list

• (R) denotes rookie driver.
• (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.

Qualifying

Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole for the race as determined by competition-based formula.^[4]

Starting Lineup

Race

Stage Results

Stage One Laps: 60

Stage Two Laps: 60

Final Stage Results

Stage Three Laps: 68

Race statistics

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

Media

Television

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

Radio

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

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

Manufacturers' Championship standings

• Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.
• . – Driver has clinched a position in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

References

1. ^ "2021 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
2. ^ "Talladega Superspeedway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
3. ^ "Entry List". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
4. ^ "Starting Lineup". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
5. ^ "GEICO 500 Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
6. ^ "Points standings". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
7. ^ Jennifer Jo Cobb was originally scheduled to make her Cup debut in the #15, but was not approved to race.