Since Sunday’s race at Talladega a lot has happened within our sport, so let’s take a look back at the racing at Dega’!. The Geico 500 at Talladega last weekend was one of the most exciting and closest finishes we have seen in a while. In case you missed it or need a reminder, here’s a recap of what happened leading up to the wild finish.
Geico 500 at Talladega – Stage One
Teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin have the front row.
Truex drops down in front of Hamlin and he stays on the bumper of the #19 Toyota Camry, as it sounds like this was a planned move.
On lap 5, Hamlin takes the lead.
Hamlin moves up to block the outside lane, but they move around him and Joey Logano becomes the new leader.
Hamlin and Logano are now side by side for the top spot. Logano’s teammate, Brad Keselowski, gives him a push sending him out to the lead.
The competition caution is out.
Logano leads at the restart, but Ricky Stenhouse Jr. takes over. Logano peeks around to the outside and Stenhouse attempts to block. Stenhouse gets loose and drops outside the top 20. Joey Logano leads again.
Hamlin now leads, but Kyle Busch is leading the outside lane. They are just a little bit faster and Busch moves to the lead. Not even 10 laps later, Hamlin takes the lead back!
Hamlin and Logano are side by side again for the lead! THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST STAGE! Logano wins the battle.
Hamlin has a flat tire and must surrender to go to pit road.
5 to go! Tyler Reddick takes the lead…and now it’s raining. Red flag is out. Maybe that’s why Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano were racing like it was the last lap of the Daytona 500!
The green flag returns and Tyler Reddick wins stage one!
Geico 500 – Stage Two
Kyle Busch pushes Alex Bowman to the lead.
Now, Kyle Busch drops from the top to become the new leader.
Penske teammates, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, hook bumpers and Blaney pulls out to the lead.
Bubba Wallace is leading the middle lane.
John Hunter Nemecheck spins through the grass and the yellow flag is out.
Blaney continues to lead.
Stenhouse now leads the middle lane with Busch on his bumper. He is even with leader, Ryan Blaney, as the outside lane led by Wallace is trying to fight their way to the front.
Stenhouse takes the lead!
Blaney is sitting in 2nd in front of Keselowski, he gets loose and almost sideways, but somehow saves it and takes the lead! What a save at almost 200 mph!
With only 6 laps to go in stage two, the caution is out for debris.
William Byron has momentum on the outside lane, but Blaney blocks them.
Kyle Busch pushes Stenhouse coming out of turn three. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins stage two by just a couple inches!
Stage Three at Dega’
Chris Buescher and Denny Hamlin restart on the front row.
Buescher leads, but he then attempts to block and gets shuffled back. Kevin Harvick now leads then it’s Chase Elliott to the front!
Ryan Blaney to the lead now!
Keselowski turns Elliott and the caution is out.
Green flag! Ryan Blaney leads again.
Brennan Poole spins and the caution is out again.
Kevin Harvick leads! Christopher Bell forces Erik Jones below the double yellow line and is penalized.
Joey Logano has moved to the lead!
The top-five are now running single file and behind them it’s four wide on back. William Byron is the leader.
There’s now less than 30 laps to go in the Geico 500 at Talladega!
Hamlin is the current leader.
Bubba Wallace is now out in front of the field, but with no help. He quickly falls back and Logano takes the lead.
Alex Bowman now moves to the lead!
Hamlin is on the bumper of Tyler Reddick. The #8 Chevrolet Camaro from Richard Childress Racing is in the lead!
Stenhouse helps Ryan Blaney to the lead!
3 TO GO!
7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson, is running down the leader.
Harvick moves to the inside and Johnson attempts to block, but it’s too late. Johnson spins and the caution is out!
At the green flag the inside lane is slow and on the outside Kevin Harvick leads.
Blaney leads and Erik Jones is right behind him! Blaney blocks and Jones moves to the outside. To the inside of Blaney is Stenhouse.
The checkered flag is waving! Blaney and Stenhouse are side by side at the line!
Ryan Blaney wins the Geico 500 at Talladega by .007 seconds!
Top 10 Results
1. Ryan Blaney
2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
3. Aric Almirola
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Erik Jones
6. Chris Buescher
7. Alex Bowman
8. John Hunter Nemechek
9. Kurt Busch
10. Kevin Harvick
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