With six different winners in the first nine races of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, this weekend’s GEICO 500 (Sunday, April 21 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) offers a plethora of opportunity for a seventh different winner to pull into Victory Lane and secure their spot in the Playoffs.
Talladega Superspeedway has seen seven different winners in the last seven races; including this Sunday’s defending winner, Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch, who is still looking for his first win of 2024. The streak began with Denny Hamlin’s win in October 2020, followed by Brad Keselowski (April 2021), Bubba Wallace (Oct. 2021), Ross Chastain (April 2022), Chase Elliott (Oct. 2022), Kyle Busch (April 2023), Ryan Blaney (Oct. 2023).
Thus far, six drives have earned a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs by virtue of the wins this season – William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell and Daniel Suarez.
Speedy History: Talladega Superspeedway
Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968. The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was held on September 14, 1969, and the event was won by Richard Brickhouse, from Rocky Point, North Carolina, driving a Dodge for car owner Ray Nichels. The average speed of the first race at the 2.66-mile track was 153.778 mph.
The name of the facility changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989, and the surface underwent its fourth repaving on September 19, 2006. In total, there have been 109 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway; one series event in 1969, and two races per year since 1970.
NASCAR Hall of Famers hold the qualifying and race records at Talladega Superspeedway. Bill Elliott holds the qualifying record, which he set on April 30, 1987 with a lap at 212.809 mph (44.998 secs.) and Mark Martin holds the race record with his win on May 10, 1997 at an average speed of 188.354 mph (2 hours, 39 mins., 18 secs.).
No matter where you start you got a chance at ‘Dega
One of the best parts about drafting tracks is a driver can move to the front from any starting spot, and this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway should be another showcase of the competitive intensity that is the Cup Series.
Eight different times the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega has been won from starting spot outside the top-20. The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Talladega is 36th, by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon in the 2000 spring race. The deepest in the field that an active NASCAR Cup Series race winner has started at Talladega is 34th, by Denny Hamlin in the 2014 spring race.
Last season’s April Talladega race was won by Kyle Busch, after starting from the 17th position.
Starting position still matters at ‘Dega
A total of 47 different drivers have won at least one pole at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series; 24 of the pole winners have won more than one.
Six of the 47 Talladega NASCAR Cup Series pole winners are active this weekend.
|
Active Pole Winners (6) |
Poles |
Seasons |
|
Christopher Bell |
2 |
2022 sweep |
|
Chase Elliott |
2 |
2019, 2016 |
|
Denny Hamlin |
1 |
2023 |
|
Austin Dillon |
1 |
2019 |
|
Martin Truex Jr |
1 |
2016 |
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr |
1 |
2017 |
A total of 15 of the 109 NASCAR Cup Series races have been won from the pole or first starting position (13.76%).
But 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 (18.3%).
Busch Light Pole Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday, April 20 at 10:30 a.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Drafting Masters: Drivers to watch at Talladega
The 109 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway have also produced a total of 51 different race winners; 27 of the 51 have won multiple times at the 2.66-mile track.
Stat Watch: Upcoming Driver Milestones in the NASCAR Cup Series – This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series will be at Martinsville Speedway, and below are a few of the possible milestones that can be achieved this Sunday and over the next few weeks.
