Talladega Superspeedway results from April 29, 2018 featuring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Today, NASCAR throws the green flag in Talladega, Alabama. The GEICO 500 will host the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on the 2.66-mile oval.
View full Talladega Superspeedway race results below.
The speeds were high in Friday practice, too high. Since, the cars were slowed down ahead of qualifying yesterday via a larger restrictor plate.
Related: NASCAR introduces a new restrictor plate ahead of Talladega qualifying
Talladega Menu: MENCS
TV | Qual | Race
It’s an all Stewart-Haas front row. Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead them to the green flag. 55 laps in stage 1, 55 in stage 2 and 78 in stage 3 will complete the 188 lap race.
Kurt Busch has radio issues as he heads off the pit lane. The crew rushes to swap out helmets, the team radio and the steering wheel.
Stage 1
April 29, 2018
Green, Harvick leads by a car length at the line. He slots down to the inside line ahead of Kurt Busch as they build speed down the back. Harvick comes around to lead lap 1.
Lap 14, the first wave of green flag pit stops are underway. All of the Ford camp pitted together, including the leaders. The Toyota camp follows the next lap. All these guys can make it to the end of the stage from here. Too fast entering for Kurt Busch, pass through penalty! Busch was skipping the rear tires under braking.
Lap 27, Alex Bowman leads a group of 10 cars that have yet to pit. They all run single file around the bottom. A few others have yet to pit behind this group.
Lap 40, Alex Bowman attempted to lap Erik Jones. It didn’t work out for the leader. McDowell was behind Bowman, McDowell went with Jones and they both pushed by Bowman. Bubba Wallace slips by with them, he’s the new leader.
12 to go in stage 1, every car that has yet to pit heads for pit road. 15+ cars at once. Larson is sideways on the brake pedal.
Keselowski cycles to the lead. Kurt Busch leads the pack, he’s on the tail end of the lead lap after serving the pass through penalty.
Stage 1 Results: 1. Brad Keselowski; 2. Joey Logano; 3. Martin Truex Jr; 4. Kyle Busch; 5. Paul Menard; 6. Denny Hamlin; 7. Ryan Blaney; 8. Ricky Stenhouse Jr; 9. Kevin Harvick; 10. Jimmie Johnson;
Stage 2
April 29, 2018
The field returns to the pit lane. Brad Keselowski is first in and first off. William Byron is +16 with a two tire stop. Kevin Harvick’s crew cranked 6 rounds of wedge in both rear wedge bolts to jack the whole rear end higher for more grip. Martin Truex Jr’s crew had to jack the car twice.
Green, Keselowski gets the jump. Logano lets him in on the bottom. But, Keselowski has to swing back to the top of block a run from Byron. He does but back drops to the bottom too soon. Byron has help from McMurray, Byron is pushed to the lead on the outside. Byron begins blocking both lanes.
Byron pulls up to block McMurray on the top once more. Keselowski pokes his nose under him into turn 1. Logano pushes Keselowski to the lead.
Lap 67, all the Ford drives head to pit road, including the leaders. Pass through penalty for Keselowski, Stenhouse, Suarez and Bowman. The Toyota group heads to the pit lane on the next lap.
Lap 71, big crash! Erik Jones got into the apron, he gets loose on the bottom and skates it up the hill into McMurray. He’s hooked by McMurray and sent into Bayne. Harvick and DiBenedetto split the wreck as Bayne, Truex, Larson and several more get collected. 5 or 6 cars are involved.
“I’ve been fighting a loose car all day. I feel bad about ruining everyone’s day that was around me,” Erik Jones tells FS1.
Pit road is open. DiBenedetto pits from the lead. He’s the only car from the top 10 to hit the pit lane. Joey Logano cycles to the lead with Menard in 2nd.
Logano leads into turn 1. Menard slots in behind him on the bottom.
14 to go in stage 2, Denny Hamlin has a run on Logano into turn 1. Hamlin looks high, Logano comes up to block and Hamlin shoots to the bottom. Hamlin is through on the bottom. Logano is trapped on the outside. Hamlin and Menard begin blocking both lanes, the front two run single file.
7 to go, Hamlin has pulled out by 5 car lengths. That’s too far. Menard reels him back in heading into turn 1. Menard looks to the high side, Hamlin pulls up to block but here comes the bottom lane. Hamlin pulls down to block a run from Kurt Busch. Menard pulls even on the outside lane.
4 to go, Menard pulls ahead on the outside lane with a push from Logano. Menard chases the car all the way up the hill into turn 3 but he holds the lead. Top 4 run single file.
Paul Menard wins stage 2! That’s the first stage win for Menard. 6 Fords worked together to dominate the finish in stage 2.
Stage 2 Results: 1. Paul Menard; 2. Joey Logano; 3. Ryan Blaney; 4. Kevin Harvick; 5. Ricky Stenhouse Jr; 6. David Ragan; 7. Jimmie Johnson; 8. Kurt Busch; 9. William Byron; 10. Kyle Busch;
Stage 3
April 29, 2018
“They’re pretty much all out of control. Just some less than others,” Kevin Harvick radio.
Chase Elliott missed his pit stall. Byron takes gas only. Ryan Blaney wins the race off pit road of the 4 tire takers. Kyle Busch was too fast entering.
Green, Byron gets the launch on the outside. He slots in front of Blaney on the bottom lane.
Lap 125, Kurt Busch has a run on the outside line. He’s returned to the lead after his stage 1 speeding penalty.
Lap 129, the caution is out for debris.
The field hits the pit lane. Stenhouse takes zero tires. 8 more take 2 tires. Paul Menard was hit with a penalty for an uncontrolled tire. Then, NASCAR retracted the call. Chase Elliott was penalized as well.
Green, Stenhouse wins the race on the bottom. Hamlin slots into 2nd.
The bottom and outside lane have a simultaneous run. Stenhouse tried to block them both, instead he’s stuck in the middle, they split him. Hamlin leads the bottom lane as he becomes the new leader.
51 to go, Hamlin has opened up a gap from the rest of the pack. They’re coming in a hurry. Logano and Keselowski have a run on the outside lane. Hamlin doesn’t attempt a block. Logano and Keselowski are clear.
48 to go, Logano pulls off the bottom to block an outside run from Hamlin. Keselowski sticks to the bottom with help from Blaney. Keselowski and Logano run side by side for the lead.
46 to go, Hamlin pulls to the outside of Blaney. Thay stalls the inside lane. Logano swings from lane three to the bottom heading into turn 1 as Keselowski’s partner was side drafted, it killed Keselowski’s momentum. Logano is back to the lead. They run 3 wide for 8th on back.
44 to go, most of the leaders hit the pit lane. Hamlin does a better job under braking, Hamlin leads them into the pits. Only 7 cars that are on the lead lap elected to stay out. Hamlin is hit with a speeding penalty as are Suarez and Stenhouse. Everyone else pits the following lap. Hamlin gets another penalty while serving his pass through.
Logano has cycled back to the lead. The top 5 are all Fords and they run single file around the bottom.
34 to go, Timmy Hill is up in smoke. The caution is back out.
Green, Logano leads into turn 1 on the bottom. However, Almirola has a big push from Kyle Busch on the outside lane. Almirola gets too far ahead, Logano side drafts him with a push from Harvick. Logano is back to the lead and they’re 4 wide for 6th on back.
24 to go, William Byron skipped up the hill. He never made contact with Johnson but the air sucks Johnson around in front of the field. They’re wrecking everywhere. Keselowski, Menard, Bowyer and more are involved.
Green, Logano gets the jump. He leads into turn 1.
14 to go, the top 10 run single file around the bottom.
12 to go, Chase Elliott is trying to form a 2nd lane. They line up behind him. Top 5 are still single file. Stenhouse pulls up to block a run from Elliott. He does, they both pull in line on the bottom. Top 6 are single file led by Logano, Harvick, Kurt Busch and Stenhouse.
7 to go, everyone is single file.
2 to go, the top 3 have broken away by a car length. Stenhouse has a run. Busch pulls up to block. Stenhouse pushes Busch to 2nd around Harvick.
1 to go, Stenhouse leads the outside lane. Logano and Busch lead on the bottom. They pull up to block the top lane. Busch has momentum on the outside, Logano drifts high to block.
They come to the line. Logano holds them off and wins Talladega Superspeedway!
View full NASCAR Talladega results below.
Talladega Results
April 29, 2018
NASCAR Cup Series
Pos | Driver
1. Joey Logano
2. Kurt Busch
3. Chase Elliott
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
6. David Ragan
7. Aric Almirola
8. Alex Bowman
9. Ryan Newman
10. Daniel Suarez
11. Chris Buescher
12. Jimmie Johnson
13. Kyle Busch
14. Denny Hamlin
15. Ty Dillon
16. Darrell Wallace Jr
17. Kasey Kahne
18. Ryan Blaney
19. Matt DiBenedetto
20. DJ Kennington
21. Cole Whitt
22. Brendan Gaughan
23. Timothy Peters
24. Gray Gaulding
25. Ross Chastain
26. Martin Truex Jr
27. Joey Gase
28. Jamie McMurray
29. William Byron
30. Paul Menard
31. Clint Bowyer
32. Michael McDowell
33. Brad Keselowski
34. AJ Allmendinger
35. Austin Dillon
36. Timmy Hill
37. Reed Sorenson
38. Trevor Bayne
39. Erik Jones
40. Kyle Larson
