Geico 500 Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor After a three-race stretch of short tracks, the second quarter of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule begins with a visit to Talladega Superspeedway for Sunday’s running of the GEICO 500. The first nine races of the season have embodied unpredictability, with eight different winners in the first quarter of the season. That trend is likely to continue this weekend as superspeedway racing, especially at Talladega, is all about unpredictability. Since opening its doors in 1969, the 2.66-mile track just off Interstate 20 in Eastern AlabamaRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Since the discovery of a noose hanging in the garage at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, NASCAR has been in the process of conducting its own investigation into the matter, releasing the findings in a Thursday teleconference. As NASCAR President Steve Phelps detailed, the timeline of events between Sunday and the conclusion of the investigation is as follows: The noose is found by a member of the No. 43 team sometime between inspection and pre-race on Sunday. Sunday, 4:30 pm: NASCAR is alerted to the presence ofRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The FBI Office in Birmingham, Alabama has wrapped up its investigation into the noose found in the garage area of Bubba Wallace’s No. 43 car at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, concluding there was no hate crime committed. In a statement released by the agency Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr. summarized the results of the investigation, noting the noose had been present in that garage stall since last year. “On Monday, fifteen FBI special agents conductedRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor After an emotional 24 hours, Bubba Wallace was all smiles after climbing out of his Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet at the conclusion of Monday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Not even the heinous act of an unknown person or persons placing a noose in Wallace’s garage stall late Sunday, which shook the sport to its core and made waves far and wide across the sports landscape, could deter Wallace from the path he has been on as of late. Instead of being a deterrent, Sunday’s discoveryRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was just 0.007 seconds shy of capturing his first NASCAR Cup Series win since 2017 while Aric Almirola took a wild slide to cross the line in third during Monday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Both drivers played a pivotal role on the overtime finish, but ultimately ended up tangling each other while fighting for the win. Not only that, but also trying to save fuel. It took a backseat once the field took the white flag, as the new word became charge. KevinRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service An event that began with a massive show of support for Bubba Wallace ended with one of Wallace’s best friends, Ryan Blaney, celebrating in Victory Lane for the second straight race at Talladega Superspeedway. In a frenetic overtime dash, Blaney won Monday’s GEICO 500 by .007 seconds over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as crashing cars bounced of each other and the outside wall behind the top two finishers. The victory was Blaney’s first of the season, second straight at the 2.66-mile track and the fourthRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Lightning strikes and persistent rain forced postponement of Sunday’s GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway until Monday afternoon. The 13th race of 2020—marking the halfway point of the Cup Series’ regular season—has been rescheduled for 3 p.m. ET Monday, to be broadcast on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. By the luck of the draw, Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch will lead the field to green from the top three spots on the grid.Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor When the NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Talladega this weekend for the GEICO 500, it will be a bit of a throwback to the days when the 2.66-mile superspeedway was a mainstay on the summer schedule. Originally scheduled for late April, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the race to June and the heat of the Alabama summer. Since opening its doors in 1969, Talladega has been a wild card on the schedule with the unpredictable nature of superspeedway racing on full display over the past half-century,Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Multi-time Indianapolis 500 starter James Davison’s much talked about NASCAR Cup Series debut will have to wait another time. The Australian confirmed Thursday that he’ll no longer pilot the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports for this Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Instead, the ride will now be piloted by B.J. McLeod, who forgoes his own No. 78 Chevrolet to make the switch possible. Due to this, Garrett Smithley will run McLeod’s own car after getting the okay from Rick Ware Racing. Wow! This wasRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer A sense of normalcy will begin to unfold at both Homestead-Miami Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway as NASCAR announced Tuesday they’ve approved those tracks to bring guests at the races under strict guidelines. Beginning with the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead June 14, invites will be given up to 1,000 South Florida service members as honorary guests who can see the race from the grandstands. Notably, representing the Homestead Air Reserve Base and U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Florida. “The ability to host these esteemed guests forRead More