Event Preview: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in Talladega (April 27, 2018)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series head to Alabama this weekend to compete at Talladega Superspeedway. The ninth race of the Xfinity Series season is scheduled for Saturday, April 28, with the 10th race of the Cup Series season Sunday, April 29.

Here’s a quick look at some interesting statistics and numbers ahead of the Cup Series race.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (GEICO 500; 2 p.m. ET Sunday, April 29)

Statistics – Talladega Superspeedway

- This weekend’s race marks the 117th for the series in the state of Alabama and the 98th at Talladega Superspeedway. Tim Flock, of Fort Payne, Alabama, won the first Cup Series race in The Yellowhammer State, at Lakeview Speedway in Mobile on April 8, 1951. Richard Brickhouse won the first race at Talladega – then known as Alabama International Motor Speedway – on September 14, 1969.

- The winner of the most Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway is Dale Earnhardt, who won 10 races, including the final of his 76 career victories in October 2000. His 10 wins at Talladega were the most of any of the 17 tracks at which he won in his career. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are tied for second with six wins apiece.

- In addition to victories, Earnhardt also holds the record for most laps led (1,377, and record 697 in the spring race)) and races led (38; tied with Jeff Gordon).

- Overall, a total of 47 drivers have won a Cup Series race at Talladega. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. became the 47th driver to reach Victory Lane at the 2.66-mile track, winning the 2017 spring race. It marked Stenhouse’s first career Cup Series victory; he has two wins heading into this weekend’s race (both victories have come on restrictor plate tracks – Talladega and Daytona).

- Only five drivers have won at least one race at Talladega Superspeedway and gone on to win the series championship in the same season: Richard Petty (1974); Cale Yarborough (1978); Dale Earnhardt (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994); Jimmie Johnson (2006); and Brad Keselowski (2012).

- Six drivers have swept the Talladega races since the track began hosting two races a season: Pete Hamilton (1970); Buddy Baker (1975); Darrell Waltrip (1982); Dale Earnhardt (1990, 1999); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2002); and Jeff Gordon (2007).

- The last driver to win consecutive races at Talladega is Jeff Gordon, who swept the two races in 2007.

- Dale Earnhardt Jr. holds the record for most consecutive victories at the track with four (2001 fall to 2003 spring).

- Jeff Gordon is the last driver to win back-to-back spring races at Talladega, when he won 2004 and 2005 spring races at the track.

- Twelve drivers have won a Cup Series race and the Xfinity Series race at Talladega: Dale Earnhardt, Ken Schrader, Terry Labonte, Ernie Irvan, Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, David Ragan and Joey Logano.

- Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with eight consecutive races led at Talladega, having led every race at the track since the 2014 spring race. Hamlin has led 19 races overall for a total of 291 laps; the most he’s led in a race was 48 in the 2007 spring race.

- The average starting position of a race winner at Talladega Superspeedway is 8.01.

- The average number of lead changes per race is 39.62.

- The average number of leaders per race is 14.03 drivers.

- The average number of cars per race is 42.75.

- The record for most lead changes in a race at Talladega was the 2010 spring race, in which 29 of the 43 drivers led at least one lap (that race was also the longest Talladega race in series history, at 200 laps).

- The record for fewest lead changes in a race at Talladega was four, in the 1971 spring race, with Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Dave Marcis and Buddy Baker also spending time up front.

- There have been at least 10 or more drivers that have led at least one lap in 38 consecutive races at Talladega. The last time that less than 10 drivers led at least one lap at Talladega was the 1998 race, in which only nine drivers led.

- A total of 185 drivers have led at least one lap of the 18,228 laps completed at Talladega.

- Thirteen races have gone into overtime, and two races have been abbreviated (both for rain).

- Chevrolet has won a record 40 races at Talladega, including 13 straight from the 1999 through 2005 spring races. Ford is second all-time with 23 race victories, including each of the last five, with Team Penske taking four of those wins (split evenly by Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano).

- Mark Martin holds the race record for average speed, winning the 1997 spring race at 188.354 mph in an event that saw zero cautions. There have only been three races at Talladega that have gone without a caution – the 1997 and 2001 spring races and 2002 fall race.
- Six drivers have won their only Cup Series race at Talladega: Richard Brickhouse, Dick Brooks, Lennie Pond, Ron Bouchard, Bobby Hillin Jr. and Phil Parsons. Additionally, five others have won their first race at the track: Davey Allison, Ken Schrader, Brian Vickers, Brad Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.