Talladega, AL – The GEICO 500 starts at 2 p.m. at Talladega Super Speedway, with Denny Hamlin on the pole and Aric Almirola on the outside; click and refresh for updates
By Joe Medley
Somebody told me there was a car race going on today. Anybody spreak #vroomvroom? Will do upates here, so refresh at your leisure.
PRE-RACE CHECKS:
These cars sent to the rear
2 – Unapproved adjustments
16 – Unapproved adjustments
36 – Unapproved adjustments
FIRST CAUTION:
34 appears to cut tire in Turn 4. Everybody else OK.
Michael McDowell said something broke on the back end. Some cars make fuel-only stops during caution.
Incident Lap 1. Back to green in Lap 6
LEADERS, LAP 14:
Bubba Wallace and Chase Briscoe holding it down, Wallace on the outside. Solid two lines front to back.
LAP 24:
Wallace on point of lower row, which is pushing out in front. Field about to encounter McDowell’s lapped car.
LAP 31:
Daniel Suarez gets push to the front on the outside row. Wallace still leading the inside row.
LAP 34:
Fuel pits starting. 45 loses it, hits wall, crosses into grass coming into pit road, but no caution. No contact with any other car. Ross Chastain to the front.
LAP 40:
More pit road mayhem. Briscoe stopped in middle of pit road. Can’t get going. Caution finally called on Lap 42. Briscoe’s wheels spun and spun, but all he could achieve were very visible donuts tracks. Wrecker now pushing him to stall. Report: right front cut down.
LAP 43:
Briscoe back on the track during caution.
LAP 46:
Chase Elliott to the front.
LAP 48:
Back to green.
LAP 77:
Joey Logano to the front, followed by Martin Truex, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin.
LAP 83:
Things have been calm on the track today. All of the mishaps have happened on pit road or entering pit road. That’s bound to change, but the racing has been uneventful. Logano still up front.
THRU 94 LAPS (HALFWAY):
Truex the leader.Third lane forming on the outside. Wallace on the point of that third lane.
LAP 98:
Wallace takes the push on the outside line, now leads on the low line.
LAP 102-105:https://youtu.be/UkXi2dZt7Gc
Pits getting active. Chevys come in first. Other makes follow, get some gas. Logano gets penalty for exiting too fast.
LAP 108:
Top cars so far today seem to be Hamilin, Elliott, Truex, Wallace, Logano.
END STAGE 2:
STAGE 2 NOTE:
Chase Elliott was close to sweeping the first two stages, but Almirola got him from the center line right at the finish.
LAP 132:
Harrison Burton to the front.
LAP 138:
Ryan Blaney takes the lead on the outside line. Burton still has the inside line.
LAP 141:
Caution: Noah Gragson turns Burton, down to the apron, saves it. Chain reaction catches 38, 62, 3. Gragson was on Burton’s back bumper on low line, wobbled up track slightly and made contact, turning Burton down.
LAP 148:
Back to green. Bubba Wallace back to the front, has been contending all day.
LAP 154:
Three-wide throughout the field. Ty Gibbs to the front.
20 TO GO:
Blaney holding firm up front. Gibbs, Almirola and Wallace challenging.
10 TO GO:
Still Blaney, followed by Gibbs, Wallace and Almirola and Hamlin.
LAP 183:
Caution: Logano gets turned, draws in LaJoie and Stenhouse. Suarez bumps Logano from the middle lane. Logano, LaJoie and Stenhouse were in the outside lane. Burton’s day is done.
OVERTIME RESTART,189:
Caution again: 5, 41, 42, 5, 1. The 1 tried to split the inside and outside lines, made contact with 42 on the outside,going into Turn 1. 5 takes big hit on passenger side from 42 after sliding down the apron then coming back up the track.
Blaney in lead, followed by Almirola, Kyle Busch and Wallace and Allmendinger. Blaney fuel situation tight.
FINISH:
Gibbs runs out of gas.
Caution: Big wreck in Turn 1. Wallace tries to block as Blaney attempts to power by. Blaney turns Wallace, who was leading. Incident comes after white flag, and Kyle Busch is leader on yellow.
KYLE BUSCH WINS GEIGO 500.
Top 5: Busch, Blaney, Briscoe, Buescher, Jones. [read more sports stories…]
