Odds to win 2018 AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover

Jimmie Johnson's last win came last spring at Dover, the 11th of his career

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK
ODDS TO WIN 2018 AAA 400 DRIVE FOR AUTISM
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2018 - 2:16 PM ET

Kyle BUSCH 3/1
Kyle LARSON 9/2
Kevin HARVICK 5/1
Martin TRUEX JR 7/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 7/1
Chase ELLIOTT 8/1
Denny HAMLIN 15/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 15/1
Joey LOGANO 15/1
Erik JONES 20/1
Ryan BLANEY 25/1
Clint BOWYER 30/1
Kurt BUSCH 40/1
Aric ALMIROLA 50/1
Matt KENSETH 60/1
Alex BOWMAN 80/1
Ryan NEWMAN 100/1
Daniel SUAREZ 100/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 100/1
Austin DILLON 100/1
Jamie McMURRAY 200/1
Paul MENARD 200/1
William BYRON 200/1
Darrell WALLACE JR 200/1
Kasey KAHNE 300/1
AJ ALLMENDINGER 500/1
Ty DILLON 1000/1
Chris BUESCHER 1000/1
Michael McDOWELL 1000/1
FIELD (all others) 1000/1

Joey Logano grabs third career Talladega victory

Joey Logano gets his first win of 2018 at Talladega.

Geico 500 Results

Final Talladega Driver Ratings: 2018 Geico 500

Jamie McMurray had a spectacular wreck Friday during final practice. He was fastest before wrecking. He is using a back-up car in Sunday's Geico 500.

FYI...Unlike most weeks, the final practice speeds in restrictor-plate races mean little to the overall final driver rating equation. This is still a major crap shoot, lottery, dart board or grab bag.

MICAH ROBERTS' 2018 MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER RATINGS
2018 GEICO 400
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2018 - 2:16 PM ET

RATING   DRIVER   ODDS     PRAC 1  PRAC 2   QUALIFIED   DAYTONA 500
 1. Brad Keselowski 6/1          23rd       16th       10th      32nd
 2. Denny Hamlin 8/1                4th       26th          4th        3rd
 3. Joey Logano 8/1                 22nd       14th         9th         4th
 4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr 12/1    29th       18th          7th       29th
 5. Ryan Blaney 12/1                26th       19th       23rd         7th
 6. Kevin Harvick 10/1              21st         9th           1st       31st
 7. Kurt Busch 12/1                   19th       15th         2nd      26th
 8. Clint Bowyer 25/1                28th       17th         8th       15th
 9. Aric Almirola 25/1                20th       10th       40th      11th
10. Kyle Busch 12/1                    3rd        24th       19th      25th
11. Austin Dillon 40/1                 8th       22nd       24th        1st
12. Darrell Wallace Jr 60/1      11th        DNP        15th       2nd
13. Ty Dillon 100/1                      1st          2nd       29th       39th
14. Ryan Newman 40/1              5th          6th        18th        8th
15. Jamie McMurray 40/1        14th          1st         27th      16th

Opening odds courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

Micah Roberts, a former Las Vegas sports book director, has been setting auto racing odds in Las Vegas since 1994.

NASCAR Cup Series Notes at Talladega: 2018 Geico 500

Brad Keselowski has won five times at Talladega.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: GEICO 500
The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
The Date: Sunday, April 29
The Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: FOX, 1:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 500 miles (188 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 55),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 110), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 188)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Keselowski Returns For More Glory At ‘Dega
More typically, the massive in size and excitement Talladega Superspeedway is a huge “have at it” as they say in big-time NASCAR racing. The unpredictability of the sport’s largest track and its restrictor-plate racing have made many competitors consider it a high-speed wild card.

But for Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski, this Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) has been a pattern of consistent glory and this season, presents a huge opportunity for him to score his first win.

A five-time winner at the 2.66-mile track – Keselowski is the winningest driver in this weekend’s field. Four other drivers are next on the list – with only two wins. His Team Penske team – including teammate Joey Logano – has won five of the last seven races – a telling statistic that defies “luck.” Count in last year’s spring winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ford has won six of the last seven races.

All three of the Team Penske drivers – also including team newcomer Ryan Blaney, 24, who’s led at least 100 laps in a race three times this year – have to be considered favorites when they roll into what’s expected to be a sunny, gorgeous Alabama weekend at one of the sport’s most exciting venues.

Keselowski, 34, has 11 top-10 finishes in 18 Talladega starts. He won in his very first start at the track in 2009. Logano, 28, has three top-fives in his last five starts - including the two wins - and he has seven top-10 finishes in his 18 starts. Blaney’s only top-five – a fourth-place finish – came in 2015 in this spring-time race.

On A Run: Kyle Busch Looks For Fourth Straight Win
Last week’s race winner Kyle Busch is on a three-race winning streak coming to one of the most challenging circuits on the schedule. Only eight other drivers in NASCAR’s Modern Era (1972-present) have won four consecutive races. And none of those winning streaks included a Talladega trophy.

Busch has one victory at Talladega – in the spring of 2008 – and his recent record is consistently inconsistent. He finished runner-up in this race in 2016 and was third last year. But he has finishes of 30th and 23rd in the fall races of each year, respectively.

Busch has five top-three finishes in 25 starts here, including two runner-up finishes and the win.

Defending ‘Dega Winner Returns Hoping To Turn Season Around
After an uncharacteristic tough luck start to his 2018 season, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. arrives at Talladega as the defending winner of this race – and on a positive note, collected his first top 10 of the year – a fourth place – at Bristol two weeks ago.

Stenhouse scored his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega from the pole position in 2017 and has five top-10 finishes in 10 starts at the big track – an impressive statistic. Three times he’s finished among the top-10 in the last five races here. And his overall average finish of 12.111 is best in the field.

Darrell Wallace Jr. Is Feeling ‘Sweet Home’ Alabama
This year’s Daytona 500 runner-up Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. has become a fan favorite everywhere the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits, but this week’s stop in Talladega is a favorite for the Mobile, Alabama, native.

It’s home.

He comes to Talladega with two top-16 finishes in the last three weeks, including an eighth-place at Texas Motor Speedway three weeks ago. He’s ranked 22nd in the driver championship standings.

This will be Wallace’s series debut on his home state track. His best showings are a pair of 13th-place finishes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2016 and 2017. And he finished ninth after starting 27th in the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega.

William Byron Is On The Rise
Wallace’s fellow Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender William Byron broke into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series top-16 standings this week thanks to a 12th-place finish at Richmond Raceway on Saturday. He is eight points behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, seven-time Monster Energy Series champion Jimmie Johnson, in 15th position and 17 points behind another Hendrick teammate, Alex Bowman, in 13th.

Byron, 20, scored his first career Cup top-10 finish – 10th at Texas – three weeks ago and he has led twice, one lap at Auto Club Speedway and one lap at Texas. Much of last week, Byron ran among the top-10 at the Richmond short track.

This will be his Monster Energy Series debut at Talladega. In his only two previous starts at the big track, he was 36th in a NASCAR Xfinity Series race last year and 10th in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in 2016.

Talladega Taskmaster
While a lot of attention is on younger brother Kyle Busch this week as he goes for his fourth straight win, his older brother and fellow former series champion Kurt Busch boasts a particularly impressive and often overlooked resume at Talladega because he still hasn’t made it to Victory Lane there.

Busch leads all active drivers with 18 top-10 finishes and his seven top-fives ties only five-time winner Keselowski as best in the field. He has four third-place finishes. His 14.168 average finish is solid, and he has run the most laps in the top-15 (3,233 laps or 65.3 percent) of anyone racing Sunday. Plus, he has five top-10 finishes in the last seven races.

Chase-ing It
Chase Elliott picked up the eighth runner-up finish of his young three-year Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career at Richmond Raceway over the weekend. And while the near-miss – again – may have stung a bit, he does have legitimate momentum when he arrives in Talladega this weekend.

The 22-year old has two top-three finishes and the Richmond result was his best of the season – equaling the best of his career. Talladega Superspeedway may be a challenging place to expect a win, but Elliott – from nearby Dawsonville, Georgia – has proven to be exceptional on restrictor-plate tracks like Talladega. He’s done everything but win.

He’s won the pole twice for the Daytona 500 and started among the top-four in four of his five starts at Daytona International Speedway – the sport’s other “big” track. His 14th-place finish in the 2017 Daytona 500 is his best showing – and that came after he ran out of gas while leading late in the race.

Elliott also has great qualifying statistics at Talladega, including a pole position in his rookie season (2016) and three other top-eight starts. He finished fifth in his series track debut at the superspeedway in 2016 and has led 61 laps but crashed out of the past two races there.

His average running position statistic (10.122) and driver rating (93.4) are a series-best. He’s led 99 laps combined at Daytona and Talladega – pacing the field three of the four races he’s competed in at Talladega and four of the five he’s run at Daytona.

Hendrick Motorsports Talladega Driver Quotes

Chase Elliott on speedway racing:
“I have never disliked it, I think it’s kind of one of those things that we have to do. The races pay the same amount of points as the rest of them, so you might as well embrace it. We have had some really fast cars and led some laps. We have had opportunities, just haven’t had the end results to prove the kind of runs we have had. Just going to keep doing what we have been doing there.”

Elliott on the differences between Daytona and Talladega:
“Talladega is just wider and it’s a little more inviting to be three-wide more often. I feel like people get a little braver there just because it is wider and it looks welcoming.”


William Byron on racing at Talladega:
“I’m looking forward to Talladega just because it’s fun and has a great atmosphere. Plus, when you’re racing there, you can make a lot of moves because it’s so wide. I felt like our car in the Daytona 500 was good and stable – we just kind of got caught up in a few different wrecks – but if we can take what I learned there and apply it and be closer to start the weekend to know what I want in the car, it’s going to be a good weekend. Talladega is definitely more spread out than Daytona – Daytona is really tight in the corners and handling matters a lot more, whereas handling doesn’t really matter as much at Talladega except through the tri-oval. I think it will be different than Daytona, but I can still apply what I learned there.”

Byron on working with his teammates and experience:
“I think there is more opportunity to work with your teammates at Talladega. And Chase (Elliott) has really been good on the restrictor-plate tracks, so if I can lock onto him that’s going to be an advantage. Plus, I just feel so much more comfortable already than what I did in my first (Cup) race (at Daytona) that I think when we get to Talladega, we’ll already be a lot further ahead.”


Jimmie Johnson on rebounding at Richmond:
“Richmond was an amazing effort by my team to stay in the game. We’re taking steps forward. I’d love to take a jump forward, but we’re definitely taking steps forward. As far as drafting partners go this weekend, you always prefer your teammates first, but that’s not always possible. So, if I can’t draft with my teammates, I will try to draft with a car who has a shot to win. If they are behind me I would want to hope that they would be content pushing, but that is not always the case either. The bottom line is when it comes to plate tracks, on the last lap, it's every man for itself.”

Alex Bowman on the differences between Daytona and Talladega:
“Both tracks are a little different. I feel like if you have an ill-handling race car, but it’s fast at Daytona, you can get away with it at Talladega. We had a good-handling race car and it was fast at Daytona, so I think we will be really good at Talladega. (No. 88 team crew chief) Greg (Ives) can put some more speed in it, take a little handling out, probably make me say that I’m loose all day, but it will be fun.”

Top-20 Geico 500 Prediction: Crap shoot, but Ford won past five at Talladega

Brad Keselowski won last fall at Talladega, his fifth there.

As a Vegas bookmaker, Micah Roberts was the first to offer expanded NASCAR betting. Now he hands out NASCAR winners to his followers.

At Bristol Motor Speedway, Roberts said Kyle Busch "owns this track" and would win there for the seventh time. The result? Busch came from behind and crossed the finish line .63 seconds ahead of runner-up Kyle Larson.

Earlier this season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Roberts told SportsLine readers to jump on Kevin Harvick, who had the same 9/2 odds as Martin Truex Jr. and Larson. Harvick dominated, leading for 181 of 325 laps and cruising to victory by 2.69 seconds. Roberts again was all over Harvick at Las Vegas as Harvick delivered another lopsided win. Four weeks ago, Roberts was very high on Clint Bowyer, who snapped his 190-race winless streak in the STP 500.

Roberts' uncanny picks come as no surprise. In the 2017 NASCAR playoffs, Roberts picked nine of the 10 winners. In 2016, Roberts told readers to back Denny Hamlin at 15/1 in the Daytona 500. The result? Hamlin edged Truex Jr. for the checkered flag. This is the same Roberts who nailed Hamlin at 40/1 to win at Watkins Glen later that year.

With the Geico 500 set for 2 p.m. ET Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, Roberts analyzed the entire field and released his Top 20 finishers in order. We can tell you he's not high on Harvick, one of the Vegas favorites at 10/1, noting he has no Top-5 finishes at Talladega in eight starts with Stewart Haas Racing. But Roberts loves a major sleeper who excels in restrictor-plate races. Anyone who bets on this underdog could hit it big... Join SportsLine here to see Micah Roberts' full projected leaderboard, and see which long shot stuns the racing world, all from the nation's premier NASCAR betting expert!

Here is Roberts' writeup:

It's restrictor-plate race time again, which means that up to 35 drivers have a legitimate chance of winning Sunday's Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

All the cars are basically equal with special rules in place for Talladega and Daytona to slow the cars down and make the races safer. Under the same rules in the season-opening Daytona 500, Austin Dillon won and paid out 60-to-1 odds. Runner-up Darrell Wallace Jr finished second and was posted at 80-to-1 odds. Both those drivers are two to consider taking a shot with this week as well.

READ MORE HERE.....TOP-20 PREDICTION ON SPORTSLINE.COM

Martin Truex Jr hopes to improve upon 21st-place Talladega finish

Martin Truex Jr is 18/1 to win Geico 500 at Talladega.

DENVER, Colo. (April 24, 2018) – When asked if he is being overlooked due to his recent finishes, Martin Truex Jr. doesn’t get defensive, flustered, frazzled or angry. Instead, he takes it in stride, knowing there’s more scrutiny that comes with being the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion.

But no matter what others think about his current record, Truex knows where he stands and feels good about the performances of his Furniture Row Racing team.

After winning at California’s Auto Club Speedway in dominating fashion and claiming five straight top five finishes, Truex has experienced bad luck in the past three races with finishes of 37th in Texas, 30th in Bristol and 14th in Richmond.

While running second in Texas, Truex’s race ended early due to heavy contact with the wall after a flat tire on Lap 80. At Bristol, he was collected in a Lap 3 accident.

And last weekend in Richmond, he led a race high of 121 laps and was running a close second with 10 laps to go. But following a caution, a pit stop miscue dropped him out of contention.

“These things happen in racing and honestly as long as we’re happy with our performance and have that confidence I think we’re in a good place,” said Truex, who has captured three poles in the first nine races. “It really doesn’t matter what everybody else thinks. Honestly, we’ve been doing this long enough to know where we stand and what we need to work on and what we need to do. Focusing on yourself is the most important thing.”

Despite his recent troubles, Truex is seventh in the driver point standings.

When Truex gets to Talladega Superspeedway with his No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/5-hour ENERGY Toyota for Sunday’s Geico 500 he will be looking to not only snap his current three-race jinx, but also a three-race jinx at NASCAR’s longest track (2.66 miles).

Truex has not finished a race at Talladega since the spring of 2016. He suffered a blown engine in the 2016 fall race, which knocked him out of the playoffs, and got collected in multicar wrecks at both races last year. He has had12 DNFs (did not finish) in 26 Cup starts at Talladega.

“Talladega is not the most desirable track if you would like to break a jinx or a hard-luck streak,” Truex said. “But we’ve been doing this long enough and understand what this is all about. The outcome at Talladega is not in your hands. You just try to do the best job you can.

“You try to stay near the front and hope to have a little luck on your side to get to the finish. We just haven’t seen the end of a Talladega race for some time. Looking forward to changing that this weekend in our Bass Pro Shops/5-hour ENERGY Camry.”

Truex’s career Cup record at Talladega is: 26 starts, two top fives, eight top 10s, one pole, 52 laps led, 19.7 starting average and 21.7 finishing average.

Chase Elliott is 12/1 to win first career race at Talladega

Chase Elliott wrecked in both 2017 Talladega races.

Chase Elliott on speedway racing:
“I have never disliked it, I think it’s kind of one of those things that we have to do. The races pay the same amount of points as the rest of them, so you might as well embrace it. We have had some really fast cars and led some laps. We have had opportunities, just haven’t had the end results to prove the kind of runs we have had. Just going to keep doing what we have been doing there.”

Elliott on the differences between Daytona and Talladega:
“Talladega is just wider and it’s a little more inviting to be three-wide more often. I feel like people get a little braver there just because it is wider and it looks welcoming.”

NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET: This weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme will grace the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The Atlanta-based company will serve as majority sponsor for Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team for 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this year.

TALLADEGA STATS: Elliott will make his fifth start at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. The 22-year-old driver earned the pole award in his first start at the track in May 2016 and garnered a top-five finish. Elliott has led 62 laps and averages a starting position of 3.8 and finishing position of 15.8 at the track. In his most recent visit to the track in October 2017, Elliott led three different times for a total of 26 laps and ultimately took home a 16th-place finish after he was collected in a multiple-car incident while trying to take the lead in the final 10 laps. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native also has three starts at Talladega in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, collecting one top-10 finish.

RICHMOND REWIND: Elliott started on the outside pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway and ran inside the top five for much of Stage 1 until tire fall-off saw him begin to slip back a few spots. Elliott managed to maintain a top-10 position, finishing the first stage in seventh. The 22-year-old driver continued to race inside the top 10 for the majority of the second stage as well until he radioed to his team that he was battling the handling of the No. 9 NAPA Brakes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, reporting he might have used up the tires too quickly. Elliott fell to 15th before the green-checkered flag waved at the end of Stage 2. He began the final segment in ninth and continued to push inside the top 10 for the remainder of the race. With the help of a few great restarts by Elliott and quick stops by the NAPA Brakes pit crew, the No. 9 team collected a runner-up finish when the checkered flag waved. The finish marks the eighth runner-up result of Elliott’s career – the same number his father, Bill Elliott, amassed before capturing his first NASCAR Cup Series win.

GUSTAFSON AT RESTRICTOR-PLATE TRACKS: Crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 54th Cup Series race from atop the pit box at a restrictor-plate track this weekend at Talladega. In his previous 53 races calling the shots for five different drivers at Talladega and Daytona International Speedway, he collected eight top-five results – three of which were runner-up finishes – nine top-10s, 384 laps led and nine pole awards.

GET YOUR VOTES IN: The All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is quickly approaching and Elliott is among 20 drivers who are not yet locked into the event. In both 2016 and 2017, Elliott was voted into the All-Star field by the fans. This year, fans have the same opportunity to get their favorite driver into the ranks to compete for a chance to win the $1 million All-Star Race purse by voting once a day at www.nascar.com/fanvote. Votes shared via Facebook or Twitter will count double toward a driver's total. Voting is now open and will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, May 18.

CHARLOTTE RACE WEEKEND SWEEPSTAKES: With the help of Hooters, Elliott has put together an amazing Memorial Day race weekend VIP experience like no other. For as little as a $10 donation to the Chase Elliott Foundation, fans will be entered to win a grand prize trip for two to Charlotte, North Carolina, to meet the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and attend not only the NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Sunday, May 27), but also the 22nd Annual Hooters International Pageant the night before the race. Airfare, hotel, VIP tickets to the Hooters Pageant and garage/pit passes are all included. The more you donate, the more chances you have to win the grand prize trip. When you make a donation, you can also receive special rewards like exclusive T-shirts, signed hero cards and die-casts, and even garage/pit passes to your favorite NASCAR race. Click here for more information or to make a donation.

ELLIOTT AT CHEVY STAGE: On Sunday, April 29, Elliott will appear at the Team Chevy Stage in the fan zone at 10:30 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.

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2018 Season 20th in standings 9 starts 0 wins 0 pole positions 2 top-five finishes 4 top-10 finishes 8 laps led     Career 86 starts 0 wins 3 pole positions 24 top-five finishes 42 top-10 finishes 926 laps led     Track Career  4 starts 0 wins 1 pole position 1 top-five finish 1 top-10 finish 62 laps led

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Talladega SuperSpeedway Track Facts: 2018 Geico 500

Expect some more edge of your seat racing at Talladega on Sunday.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2018 Top 16 at Talladega Superspeedway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Kyle Busch	25	0	1	6	7	6	20.8	81.0
2	Joey Logano	18	0	2	5	7	6	18.6	85.6
3	Clint Bowyer	24	0	2	6	12	4	15.5	76.9
4	Kevin Harvick	34	1	1	6	14	3	15.4	81.0
5	Brad Keselowski	18	0	5	7	11	2	14.1	89.0
6	Denny Hamlin	24	0	1	5	9	4	18.3	84.3
7	Martin Truex Jr	26	1	0	2	8	12	21.1	78.9
8	Ryan Blaney	7	0	0	1	2	3	20.9	86.3
9	Kurt Busch	34	0	0	7	18	8	15.9	88.4
10	Kyle Larson	8	0	0	0	2	1	19.0	80.3
11	Aric Almirola	16	0	0	2	4	2	17.9	75.9
12	Erik Jones	2	0	0	0	0	2	34.5	56.2
13	Alex Bowman	5	0	0	0	0	3	31.2	58.0
14	Austin Dillon	9	0	0	1	2	4	20.0	72.1
15	Jimmie Johnson	32	1	2	7	12	9	17.2	88.5
16	William Byron	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0

* – Based on last 26 races at Talladega Superspeedway (2005 – 2017).

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2018 Top Loop Data Leaders

Talladega Superspeedway

Statistical Categories:	Leaders	Loop Data
Driver Rating	Chase Elliott	93.4
Average Running Position	Chase Elliott	10.122
Laps Led	Jimmie Johnson	322 laps (6.5%)
Laps in the Top 15	Kurt Busch	65.3% (3,233 laps)
Fastest Laps Run	Clint Bowyer	139 laps (3.0%)
Green Flag Passes	Kurt Busch	10,630
Quality Passes	Kurt Busch	7,176
Green Flag Speed	Ryan Blaney	194.123 mph
* The above stats are based on Loop Data from 2005 - 2017

Talladega Superspeedway:

History

·        Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968.

·        The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega was held on Sept. 14, 1969 – won by Richard Brickhouse (Dodge).

·        The name changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989.

·        Fourth repaving completed on Sept. 19, 2006.

·        There have been 97 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, one MENCS event in 1969, and two races per year since 1970.

Starts

·        453 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega; 314 in more than one.

·        Dave Marcis and Terry Labonte lead the series in starts at Talladega with 61 starts each.

·        Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active drivers in starts at Talladega with 34 each; followed by Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman with 32 each.

·        Bobby Isaac (eight starts) leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Talladega with a 3.625.

·        Chase Elliott (four starts) leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Talladega with a 3.750.

·        A total of 69 drivers have made their first series start at Talladega; Ryan Reed (10/23/2016) and Jamie McMurray (10/06/2002) are the only two active drivers to make their series debut at Talladega Superspeedway.

Poles

·        Bobby Isaac won the inaugural Busch Pole Award at Talladega in 1969 with a speed of 199.466 mph.  In fact, Isaac won the first three poles at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.

·        42 different drivers have won at least one Busch Pole Award at Talladega Superspeedway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott with eight poles (1985 sweep, 1986 sweep, 1987 sweep, spring 1990 and fall 1993).

·        Elliott Sadler leads all active drivers in Busch Pole Awards at Talladega with three (2003, 2005, 2006).

·        Six active drivers are tied for the second-most poles at Talladega with one each – Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Chase Elliott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

·        11 drivers have won consecutive Busch Pole Awards at Talladega. Bill Elliott holds the record for most consecutive poles at Talladega with six straight from 1985 - 1987.

·        Youngest Talladega pole winner: Chase Elliott (05/01/2016 – 20 years, 5 months, 3 days).

·        Oldest Talladega pole winner: Mark Martin (10/23/2011 – 52 years, 9 months, 14 days).

·        Six drivers have posted their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch pole at Talladega - Brian Scott (05/04/2014); Juan Pablo Montoya (04/26/2009), Travis Kvapil (10/5/2008), David Gilliland (10/8/2006), Stacy Compton (04/22/2001) and Jeremy Mayfield (07/28/1996).   

Wins

·        46 different Monster Energy Series drivers have won at Talladega Superspeedway, led by Dale Earnhardt with 10 victories.

·        Brad Keselowski leads all active Monster Energy Series drivers with five wins; followed by Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson with two wins each.

·        Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are tied for the most wins at Talladega in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with 12 each.  

·        Nine different manufacturers have won in the MENCS at Talladega; led by Chevrolet with 40 victories; followed by Ford with 26 and Toyota with three.

·        The outside front row (second-place) starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Talladega.   

·        The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Talladega is 36th, by Jeff Gordon in the 2000 spring race.

·        The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Talladega is 34th, by Denny Hamlin in the 2014 spring race.

·        Youngest Talladega winner: Bobby Hillin Jr. (07/27/1986 – 22 years, 1 month, 22 days).

·        Oldest Talladega winner: Harry Gant (05/06/1991 – 51 years, 3 months, 26 days).

·        A total of 11 drivers have won their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (5/7/2017), Brad Keselowski (04/26/2009), Brian Vickers (10/08/2006), Ken Schrader (07/31/1988), Phil Parsons (05/01/1988), Davey Allison (04/30/1987), Bobby Hillin Jr. (07/27/1986), Ron Bouchard (08021981), Lennie Pond (08/06/1978), Dick Brooks (08/12/1973) and Richard Brickhouse (09/14/1969).   

·        Kevin Harvick (18), and David Ragan (12) both made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Talladega.

·        Kurt Busch leads the series among active drivers with the most Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega without visiting Victory Lane at 34; followed by Ryan Newman with 32.

Additional Finishing Positions

·        Buddy Baker and Tony Stewart are tied for the series-most runner-up finishes at Talladega with six each.

·        Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick lead all active drivers with three runner-ups each.

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-five finishes at Talladega with 23.

·        Jamie McMurray leads all active drivers in top fives at Talladega with eight. 

·        Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-10

·         finishes at Talladega with 27.

·        Kurt Busch leads all active drivers in top 10s at Talladega with 18.

·        Pete Hamilton (five starts) leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Talladega with a 5.600.

·        Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (nine starts) leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Talladega with a 10.375.

Track / Event Specific Stats

·        A total of 191 different drivers in series history have led at least one lap at Talladega Superspeedway. Dale Earnhardt leads the series in laps led at Talladega with 1,377 in 44 starts.

·        Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in laps led at Talladega with 470 in 32 starts.

·        There have been 13 Monster Energy Series races resulting in NASCAR Overtime at Talladega:

Date	Scheduled No. Of Laps	Actual No. Of Laps	NASCAR Overtime	Race Winners
5/7/2017	188	191	3	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
10/23/2016	188	192	4	Joey Logano
10/25/2015	188	196	8	Joey Logano
10/19/2014	188	194	6	Brad Keselowski
5/5/2013	188	192	4	David Ragan
10/7/2012	188	189	1	Matt Kenseth
5/6/2012	188	194	6	Brad Keselowski
4/25/2010	188	200	12	Kevin Harvick
11/1/2009	188	191	3	Jamie McMurray
10/5/2008	188	190	2	Tony Stewart
4/29/2007	188	192	4	Jeff Gordon
10/2/2005	188	190	2	Dale Jarrett
5/1/2005	188	194	6	Jeff Gordon

·        Only two of the 97 series races at Talladega Superspeedway have been shortened due to weather conditions:

Date	Scheduled No. Of Laps	Actual No. Of Laps	Fewer Laps	Race Winners
7/28/1996	188	129	-59	Jeff Gordon
4/30/1987	188	178	-10	Davey Allison

·        Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway five times: fall of 2002, fall of 2009, spring of 2010, spring and fall of 2013.  

·        Only one Monster Energy Series race held at Talladega Superspeedway was not run on its scheduled date. The April 27, 1997, race was postponed due to inclement weather to May 10, 1997 – Mark Martin won the event.

·        Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway is the April 17, 2011 race won by Jimmie Johnson over second-place Clint Bowyer with a MOV of 0.002 second – the MOV is tied with the 2003 Darlington race as the closest finishes in the MENCS using electronic scoring. 

·        Below are top five closest finishes at Talladega:

Race Winner	Runner-Up	Margin of Victory	Date
Jimmie Johnson	Clint Bowyer	0.002	4/17/2011
Dale Earnhardt	Ernie Irvan	0.005	7/25/1993
Kevin Harvick	Jamie McMurray	0.011	4/25/2010
Clint Bowyer	Jeff Burton	0.018	10/23/2011
Brad Keselowski	Ryan Newman	0.021	10/15/2017

Female Competitor Stats

·        Three female drivers have competed at Talladega in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Patty Moise and Danica Patrick.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	13	21	10/15/2017
Danica Patrick	31	38	5/7/2017
Danica Patrick	30	20	10/23/2016
Danica Patrick	37	24	5/1/2016
Danica Patrick	20	27	10/25/2015
Danica Patrick	25	21	5/3/2015
Danica Patrick	27	19	10/19/2014
Danica Patrick	7	22	5/4/2014
Danica Patrick	23	33	10/20/2013
Danica Patrick	23	33	5/5/2013
Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Patty Moise	36	33	7/30/1989
Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Janet Guthrie	12	29	8/6/1978
Janet Guthrie	9	34	8/7/1977
Janet Guthrie	13	32	5/1/1977

NASCAR in Alabama

·        There have been 152 NASCAR national series races held in the state of Alabama among seven different tracks:

Track Name	City	Monster Energy	Xfinity	Camping World	Total Races
Talladega Superspeedway	Talladega	97	26	12	135
Birmingham International Raceway	Birmingham	8	0	0	8
Montgomery Motor Speedway	Montgomery	6	0	0	6
Lakeview Speedway	Mobile	2	0	0	2
Chisholm Speedway	Montgomery	1	0	0	1
Dixie Speedway	Birmingham	1	0	0	1
Huntsville Speedway	Huntsville	1	0	0	1
Total		116	26	12	154

 NASCAR in Alabama

·        The very first NASCAR national series race held in the state of Alabama was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event held at Lakeview Speedway (Mobile) in 1951 – the race was won by Tim Flock (Oldsmobile).

·        The first race held at Talladega Superspeedway was in 1969 – the event was won by Richard Brickhouse(Dodge).

Alabama Drivers In NASCAR

·        73 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Alabama.

·        11 drivers from Alabama have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; six have won in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Rk.	Driver	MENCS	NXS	NCWTS	National Series Combined
1	Bobby Allison	84	2	0	86
2	Tim Flock	39	0	0	39
3	Davey Allison	19	0	0	19
4	Neil Bonnett	18	1	0	19
5	Donnie Allison	10	0	0	10
6	Red Byron	2	0	0	2
7	Steve Grissom	0	11	0	11
8	Darrell Wallace Jr	0	0	6	6
9	Rick Crawford	0	0	5	5
10	Grant Enfinger	0	0	1	1
11	Cale Gale	0	0	1	1
	Total by Series	172	14	13	199

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Superspeedway All-Time Stats

·        Below is a statistical look at the top 10 most successful drivers in key categories on the superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega) in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series:

Drivers	Wins	Drivers	Runner-Ups	Drivers	Top Fives
Dale Earnhardt	13	Buddy Baker	14	Dale Earnhardt	45
Cale Yarborough	12	Cale Yarborough	10	Richard Petty	39
Jeff Gordon	12	Dale Earnhardt	9	Buddy Baker	37
Richard Petty	12	Dale Earnhardt Jr	9	Cale Yarborough	34
David Pearson	11	Richard Petty	9	David Pearson	33
Bobby Allison	10	Terry Labonte	8	Bobby Allison	30
Dale Earnhardt Jr	10	Tony Stewart	8	Jeff Gordon	29
Fireball Roberts	7	Bill Elliott	7	Darrell Waltrip	27
Bill Elliott	6	Darrell Waltrip	7	Benny Parsons	25
Brad Keselowski	6	Bobby Isaac	6	Bill Elliott	25
Buddy Baker	6	Dale Jarrett	6	Dale Earnhardt Jr	25
Dale Jarrett	6	David Pearson	6	Terry Labonte	25
		Jimmie Johnson	6
		Sterling Marlin	6
Drivers	Top 10s	Drivers	Poles	Drivers	Laps Led	Laps Comp.
Dale Earnhardt	61	Cale Yarborough	18	Dale Earnhardt	2,663	14,684
Richard Petty	55	Bill Elliott	13	Buddy Baker	2,262	13,479
Buddy Baker	51	Jeff Gordon	9	Cale Yarborough	1,845	11,015
Terry Labonte	49	Buddy Baker	8	Jeff Gordon	1,612	15,657
Bill Elliott	46	Bobby Isaac	7	Dale Earnhardt Jr	1,569	12,144
Cale Yarborough	46	Sterling Marlin	7	Bobby Allison	1,551	12,361
David Pearson	45	Dale Earnhardt	6	Richard Petty	1,549	16,320
Mark Martin	44	Donnie Allison	6	Bill Elliott	1,143	19,507
Bobby Allison	41	Ernie Irvan	6	David Pearson	1,081	10,157
Jeff Gordon	41	Fireball Roberts	6	Sterling Marlin	1,043	16,307
		Mark Martin	6

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series - Milestones
STARTS
Driver: Ryan Blaney	Has	Needs
Milestone:	99	1
Blaney will become the 199th driver to make 100 or more Monster Energy Series starts.
Driver: Erik Jones	Has	Needs
Milestone:	48	2
Jones will become the 286th driver to make 50 or more Monster Energy Series starts.
WINS
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	83	1
Tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fourth on the all-time series wins list.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	46	2
Tie Herb Thomas (48) for 14th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	40	4
Tie Bill Elliott (44) for 16th on the all-time MENCS wins list.
Driver: Denny Hamlin	Has	Needs
Milestone:	31	1
To tie Dale Jarrett for 24th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
Driver: Kurt Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	29	2
Tie Denny Hamlin for 25th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins list.
POLES
Driver: Ryan Newman	Has	Needs
Milestone:	51	3
Tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	35	1
To tie Rusty Wallace for 18th on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	29	2
To tie Fonty Flock for 23rd on the all-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series poles list.
Driver: Kasey Kahne	Has	Needs
Milestone:	27	2
To tie Kyle Busch and Ricky Rudd for 25th on the all-time Monster Energy Series poles list.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series - Milestones
Second-Place Finishes
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	46	2
Tie Lee Petty for 11th on the all-time series second-place finishes list.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	43	1
Tie Tony Stewart for 13th on the all-time series second-place finishes list.
Top Fives
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	174	1
Tie Bill Elliott (175) for 20th on the all-time Monster Energy Series top fives list.
Top 10s
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	249	1
To become the 26th series driver all-time to post 250 or more top 10s
Laps Led
Driver: Jimmie Johnson	Has	Needs
Milestone:	18,663	337
Needs 337 laps led to become the ninth driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 19,000 laps.
Driver: Kyle Busch	Has	Needs
Milestone:	14,878	122
Needs 122 laps led to become the 10th driver in the MENCS all-time to lead 15,000 laps.
Driver: Kevin Harvick	Has	Needs
Milestone:	11,619	381
Needs 381 laps led to become the 15th driver all-time in the MENCS to lead 12,000 laps.
Driver: Martin Truex Jr.	Has	Needs
Milestone:	6,783	217
Needs 217 laps led to become the 29th driver all-time in the MENCS to lead 7,000 laps.