Statistical Advance: Analyzing the GEICO 500

Below is a look at the NASCAR Cup Series statistical performances at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, going into the GEICO 500 on Sunday, April 27 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Talladega Qualifying / Race Data

Track qualifying record: Bill Elliott, Ford, 212.809 mph, 44.998 secs. April 30, 1987

Track race record: Mark Martin, Ford, 188.354 mph, (02:39:18), May 10, 1997

2021 pole winner: Due to the pandemic, Qualifying was not held. The starting lineups were set by Metric Qualifying. Denny Hamlin started from the first starting position.

2021 race winner: Brad Keselowski, Ford, 147.620 mph, (03:26:30), April 25, 2021

Talladega Superspeedway:
Season Race #: 10 of 36 (04-27-22)
Track Size: 2.66-miles
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 33 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 33 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 16.5 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees
Frontstretch Length:  4,300 feet
Backstretch Length:  4,000 feet
Race Length: 188 laps / 500 miles
Stage 1 & 2 Length: 60 laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 68 laps 

HISTORY

• 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 Sept. 14, 1969. The race was won by Richard Brickhouse driving a Dodge for car owner Ray Nichels. The average speed of the first race was 153.778 mph.
• The name of the facility changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989.
• Fourth repaving completed on Sept. 19, 2006.
• In total, there have been 105 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, one series event in 1969, and two races per year since 1970.

STARTS

• A total of 482 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway; 338 have competed in more than one Cup race at the track.
• Dave Marcis and Terry Labonte lead the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Talladega with 61 starts each.
• Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in starts at Talladega Superspeedway with 42 each.
• A total of 72 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have made their first career start at Talladega. The most recent was Harrison Burton on April 25, 2021.
• Of the 72 drivers to make their first career Cup start at Talladega, Dick Simon had the best finish with a seventh-place after starting 52nd on May 6, 1973.
• Three drivers entered this weekend will be making their series track debut at Talladega Superspeedway – Todd Gilliland, Noah Gragson and 2022 Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric.
• Bobby Isaac (eight starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Talladega Superspeedway with a 3.625.
• Chase Elliott (12 starts) leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Talladega Superspeedway with a 5.750.

Top 10 in Average Starting Positions at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active)

POLES

• A total of 44 different drivers have won at least one pole at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series; 23 of the 44 pole winners have won more than one.
• Six of the 44 Talladega NASCAR Cup Series pole winners are active this weekend.

Active NASCAR Cup Series Pole Winners at Talladega Superspeedway

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Talladega Superspeedway with eight (1985 sweep, 1986 sweep, 1987 sweep, spring 1990 and fall 1993).
• Kevin Harvick (2005, 2018) and Chase Elliott (2016, 2019) lead all active drivers in poles at Talladega with two each.
• Bobby Isaac won the inaugural pole at Talladega Superspeedway in 1969 with a speed of 199.466 mph. In fact, Isaac won the first three poles at the 2.66-mile superspeedway 1969, 1970 sweep).
• A total of 11 drivers have won consecutive poles at Talladega – none are currently active.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott holds the record for most consecutive poles at Talladega Superspeedway with six-straight from 1985 – 1987.
• Youngest Talladega Cup Series pole winner: Chase Elliott (May 1, 2016 – 20 years, 5 months, 3 days).
• Oldest Talladega Cup Series pole winner: Mark Martin (October 23, 2011 – 52 years, 9 months, 14 days).
• Six drivers have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series pole at Talladega Superspeedway.

First-Time Pole Winners at Talladega Superspeedway

• A total of eight different manufacturers have won the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Speedway; led by Chevrolet with 37 poles; followed by Ford (29), Dodge (12), Mercury (five), Oldsmobile (five), Pontiac (three), Toyota (three) and Buick (two).

WINS

• A total of 50 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Talladega Superspeedway; 25 of the 49 have won multiple times at the 2.66-mile track.
• 10 of the 50 NASCAR Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway race winners are active this weekend.

Active NASCAR Cup Series Race Winners at Talladega Superspeedway

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in wins at Talladega Superspeedway with 10 victories (1983, 1984, 1990 sweep, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1999 sweep, 2000).
• Brad Keselowski leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in wins at Talladega Superspeedway with six victories (2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021).
• Youngest Cup Series Talladega winner: Bobby Hillin Jr. (July 27, 1986 – 22 years, 1 month, 22 days).
• Oldest Cup Series Talladega winner: Harry Gant (May 6, 1991 – 51 years, 3 months, 26 days).
• A total of 11 different drivers have won their first NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega; two are active this weekend – Brad Keselowski (2009) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2017).

First-Time NASCAR Cup Series Winners at Talladega Superspeedway

• Eight different drivers have won consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway – Pete Hamilton (1970 sweep), Buddy Baker (1975 sweep, 1976), Darrell Waltrip (1982 sweep), Dale Earnhardt (1990, 1993-94, 1999 sweep), Sterling Marlin (1995-96), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2001-2003), Jeff Gordon (2007 sweep) and Ryan Blaney (2019-2020).
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. holds the record for the most consecutive races won at Talladega with four straight from 2001-2003.
• A total of 25 different starting positions in the field at Talladega Superspeedway have led to a win in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• 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 (19%).
• 15 of the 105 (14.3%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway have been won from the pole or first starting position; the most recent to accomplish the feat was Denny Hamlin (October 4, 2020).
• 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 race winner has started at Talladega is 34th, by Denny Hamlin in the 2014 spring race.

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Talladega Superspeedway

• Kevin Harvick (18), Aric Almirola (17), Denny Hamlin (16), Joey Logano (13) and Ryan Blaney (10) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Talladega.
• Kurt Busch leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega without visiting Victory Lane at 42; followed by Martin Truex Jr. with 34.
• A total of 30 different owners have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway.

Top Five in Organization Wins At Talladega Superspeedway

• Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins by an organization at Talladega in the NASCAR Cup Series with 13 victories among seven different drivers.

• Nine different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway.

• Chevrolet also leads the NASCAR Cup Series in consecutive wins at Talladega Superspeedway with 13 straight victories among five drivers from April 25, 1999 to May 1, 2005.

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes

• A total of 52 different drivers have finished runner-up in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway.
• NASCAR Hall of Famers Buddy Baker (1973, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1984) and Tony Stewart (April 2001, Oct. 2001, 2002, May 2005, Oct. 2005, 2006) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes at Talladega with six second-place finishes each.
• Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with three runners-up finishes at Talladega (2003, 2004, 2010).

Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active)

Top-Five Finishes

• A total of 121 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished in the top-five at Talladega.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top fives at Talladega with 23 top-five finishes.
• Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Kurt Busch lead all active series drivers in top fives at Talladega with nine each.

Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active)

Top-10 Finishes

• A total of 206 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished in the top-10 at Talladega.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top 10s at Talladega with 27.
• Kurt Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top 10s at Talladega with 22.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active)

Average Finishes

• Pete Hamilton (five starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Talladega with a 5.600.
• Ty Dillon (eight starts) leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Talladega with a 12.0.

Top 20 in Average Finishing Position at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active)

LAPS LEADERS

• A total of 203 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have led at least one lap at Talladega Superspeedway.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Talladega with 1,377 in 44 starts.
• Joey Logano leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led at Talladega with 416 in 26 starts.
• The most laps led by the race winner at Talladega Superspeedway in a NASCAR Cup Series event was 153 laps of the scheduled 188 (81.4%) by Pete Hamilton on August 23, 1970. He started the race from the fourth position.
• The most laps led by a driver that did not win the race at Talladega Superspeedway in a NASCAR Cup Series event was 142 laps of the scheduled 192 (73.9%) by Matt Kenseth on May 5, 2013. He started the race from the sixth position and finished eighth.
• Four times the winner of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway has led only the final lap (one lap) – April 25, 2021 (Winner: Brad Keselowski), October 14, 2018 (Aric Almirola), April 26, 2009 (Brad Keselowski), October 7, 2009 (Jeff Gordon).

Top 10 Series Lap Leaders at Talladega Superspeedway (All-Time & Active)

TRACK/EVENT SPECIFIC STATS

• Qualifying has been cancelled in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway nine times.

• Three NASCAR Cup Series races held at Talladega Superspeedway were not run on their scheduled date: The April 27, 1997, race was postponed due to inclement weather to May 10, 1997 – Mark Martin won the event. The April 26, 2020 race was rescheduled due to the pandemic to June 22, 2020 – Ryan Blaney won the race. The October 3, 2021, race was postponed due to inclement weather to October 4, 2021 – Bubba Wallace won the event.
• There have been 17 NASCAR Cup Series races resulting in NASCAR Overtime at Talladega:

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

Top 10 Closest Margin of Victory in the NCS at Talladega Superspeedway

• Only three of the 105 NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega have been shortened due to weather conditions:

FEMALE COMPETITOR STATS

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

NASCAR IN ALABAMA

• There have been 167 NASCAR national series races held in the state of Alabama among seven different tracks.

• The very first NASCAR national series race held in the state of Alabama was a NASCAR Cup Series event held at Lakeview Speedway (Mobile) in 1951 – the race was won by Alabama native Tim Flock (Oldsmobile).
• The first race held at Talladega Superspeedway was in 1969 – the event was won by Richard Brickhouse (Dodge).

ALABAMA IN NASCAR

• A total of 75 different 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 combining to a total of 205 victories; seven of the 11 winners have won in the NASCAR Cup Series.

• Bubba Wallace became the sixth different driver from the state of Alabama to win at a track in Alabama; joining Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Davey Allison, Neil Bonnett and Tim Flock.

— NASCAR —-