GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (⏰ 2 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s race, the 10th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season.

Where: Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66-mile oval located in Talladega, Alabama
Green flag: 2 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Partly cloudy, with a high near 73. Calm wind becoming north around 8 mph in the morning, according to NOAA.gov
National anthem: Army 313th Band, based in Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama
Grand marshal: Tag Team, Hip-Hop Duo
Race Distance: 188 laps, 500 miles
Stages: 60 | 120 | 188
Pit-road speed: 55 mph
Caution car speed: 70 mph
Talladega 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: See the full lineup
Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where | Expert breaks down pit selections

Five to watch

Here are five big story lines we’ll be following at Talladega Superspeedway.

1. Ryan Blaney has won two of the past three races at Talladega, winning both by .007 seconds. After four straight finishes in the top 10, this year’s Atlanta Motor Speedway race winner will be looking to get back on the streak after a pair of 11th-place results at Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway. The No. 12 Team Penske squad has spent a lot of time up front throughout the season so far, showcasing top-notch speed at each track we’ve visited. Expect more of the same on Sunday from Talladega’s version of James Bond.

2. Denny Hamlin has done everything but win a race in 2021. The series points leader has led the most laps out of any driver and spent 90 percent of 2,594 laps running in the top 10 so far this season. But it has been inside the final 20 laps that has given the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver problems. Hamlin was passed by teammate Martin Truex Jr. in the closing laps at Martinsville and by Alex Bowman at Richmond. Hamlin won at Talladega last fall and is the odds-on favorite at 13-2 this weekend — for good reason. You have to think his time in Victory Lane is coming soon, potentially Sunday.

3. It truly comes down to the last lap at superspeedways. The race-winning driver has only led one lap — the white-flag one — in five of the last 13 superspeedway events. The latest driver to do so is Michael McDowell in this year’s Daytona 500. Speaking of McDowell, The Great American Race champion’s only finish inside the top 10 in 20 starts at Talladega is a fifth-place finish in the fall of 2019.

4. Another driver who surprisingly has yet to win this year is our defending champion Chase Elliott. The No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports driver could give the likes of Blaney and Hamlin a run f0r their money Sunday. Elliott won at Talladega in the spring race in 2019 and finished fifth in the series’ last stop here. He also owns five top 10s in 10 starts at the Alabama superspeedway.

5. Kevin Harvick‘s luck appeared to be turning around with a ninth-place finish two weeks ago at Martinsville, but a 24th-place result at Richmond last Sunday squandered their slight momentum. Talladega could also be a struggle for the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing driver to right the ship. In 40 starts at Talladega, Harvick only has seven top fives and only two finishes inside the top 10 the past eight races. Anything can happen at Talladega and, for Harvick’s sake, hopefully it works out in his favor when the checkered flag flies Sunday.

Race-day staples

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.
• Power Rankings: Matt DiBenedetto emerging from slump | Scope the ranks
• Paint Scheme Preview: Check out the designs taking on Talladega | See the schemes
• Fantasy Fastlane: See which drivers to use, avoid | Full Fantasy advice | Set your roster
• Preview Show: Jonathan Merryman and Alex Weaver preview the race | Watch the show

Get in on the action

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.
• Betting odds for Talladega race | See the odds
• Talladega betting: A pair of intriguing teammates for the superspeedway | Learn who
• Talladega puts sportsbooks in unenviable position | Find out why
• Denny Hamlin running really well, somehow still missing first win | Full analysis
• Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot
• Full guide to 2021 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ

Track history

Every track has a story to tell. Here’s what we’ve seen go down at Talladega Superspeedway in the past.

•First timers: Drivers who have earned first career win at Talladega | See the list
•Surprise!: Drivers who have unexpectedly won at Talladega | See the list
•Spring has sprung: Talladega’s all-time spring race winners | See the list
• Front of the pack: Top 10 lap leaders at Talladega | See the list

Fast facts

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
• Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney are the only drivers with multiple wins in the last 15 superspeedway races.
• The final lead change came in the last two laps in 12 of the last 17 superspeedway races, including the last four.
• Four different organizations won the last four superspeedway races.
• Eleven of the last 19 superspeedway races had an overtime finish, including four of the last five races.
• The race winner led only one lap in five of the last 13 superspeedway races, including 2021 Daytona 500.

Catch the pack

Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.
• Penske pow-wow: Ryan Blaney said Team Penske drivers had ‘really good’ talk before Talladega | Read more
• Lights, camera, action: Bubba Wallace to star in new Netflix docuseries | Read more
• ‘I’m here:’ Harrison Burton excited for his first Cup Series start at Talladega | Read more
• Unveiled: Patriotic logo revealed for the 2022 Daytona 500 | Read more
• Watermelon man: Ross Chastain having humbling first year with Chip Ganassi Racing | Read more
• Sad news: Cup Series winner Charlie Glotzbach passes away at 82 | Read more

Say what?

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

“I think having friends on the race track doesn‘t really benefit you, except for this week going to Talladega. I respect everybody I race with. There are a few guys in the Cup garage that I would consider friends, but I‘m not there to make friends. I‘m there to do the best I can. I have a pretty small circle of friends as it is; it‘s not just an in-racing thing. I have a small group; I keep to myself and do my own thing. I think being selfish is definitely rewarding in the Cup Series. But this week, I need all the friends I can get. So, everybody be my friend and push me to the front.” — Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

“I don‘t really always have a set full game plan. I feel like when you have those game plans and you try to stick to it, especially at speedways, it can be a detriment to the decisions you make on the race track. So, I‘m more of a feel guy. One that goes out to the race track and that‘s me, my spotter, and that‘s also (crew chief) Brian Pattie watching from the pit box. I feel like we do a really good job of just kind of watching what‘s going on.” — Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Chevrolet

“I‘ve always enjoyed speedway racing. You go into those races, any speedway race at Talladega and Daytona, understanding what can happen — kind of the unpredictability of those places on, ‘Hey, I could get tore up lap two‘ and just kind of get caught up in someone else‘s mess, but I like the racing. It‘s just a different kind of racing. It‘s kind of a chess match, sort of what lane you think is coming at the right time and you jumping in it and trying to work lanes and things like that. It‘s a neat style of racing, so you love it when you win there and run good and survive it, and you hate the place when you get wrecked.” — Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford

“To me, superspeedway races and Talladega, just as much as Daytona is, are such a coin flip. There‘s no way of really knowing the right place to be at the right time all the time. I feel like there are guys that seem to have a better feel for it than others and know when to be in certain positions and know when something doesn‘t feel right. I‘ve tried to learn that over the years. I haven‘t done a great job of it, but it‘s just about positioning yourself in the right place at the right time. Also, having patience and taking runs when you have the opportunity.” — Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet