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2021 YellaWood 500

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2021 YellaWood 500
Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Race 31 of 36 in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series
Date October 4, 2021 (2021-10-04)
Location Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama
Course Permanent racing facility
2.66 mi (4.28 km)
Distance 117 laps, 311.22 mi (500.859 km)
Scheduled Distance 188 laps, 500.08 mi (804.8 km)
Average speed 130.218 miles per hour (209.566 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Joe Gibbs Racing
Grid positions set by competition-based formula
Most laps led
Driver Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing
Laps 16
Winner
No. 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing
Television in the United States
Network NBCSN
Announcers Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Radio in the United States
Radio MRN
Booth Announcers Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace
Turn Announcers Dave Moody (1 & 2), Mike Bagley (Backstretch) and Kyle Rickey (3 & 4)

The 2021 YellaWood 500 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on October 4, 2021, at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Originally scheduled for 188 laps on the 2.66 mi (4.28 km) asphalt superspeedway, the race was shortened to 117 laps by rain.[5] It was the 31st race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, the fifth race of the Playoffs, and the second race of the Round of 12. The race was postponed from Sunday, October 3 to Monday, October 4, due to rain. Bubba Wallace took his first victory in the NASCAR Cup Series. It was the first time since the development of the 2014 NASCAR Playoffs format that a driver not in either level of playoffs had won a race, and the first non-playoff driver to win a race since the 2013 Talladega playoff race, as well the first win for an African-American driver in the Cup Series since Wendell Scott's win in 1963.

It was the shortest Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, and only the fourth Cup Series race to be shortened at Talladega (the May 1974 race was shortened to 170 laps due to the Energy Crisis, the May 1987 race was shortened to 178 laps by darkness after catch fencing had to be repaired, and the July 1996 race was shortened to 129 laps because of a long rain delay and subsequent darkness). It was the third of five national series races to be shortened in 2021 at Talladega.

Report

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Background

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Talladega Superspeedway, the track where the race was held.
The 2021 YellaWood 500 program cover.

Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4 km) tri-oval.

Entry list

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  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
  • (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
No. Driver Team Manufacturer
00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet
1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford
7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford
14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
15 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
16 Justin Haley (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford
22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota
24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford
37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford
41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet
47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet
52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford
53 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford
66 James Davison MBM Motorsports Ford
77 Justin Allgaier (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford
96 Landon Cassill (i) Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
Official entry list

Qualifying

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Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole for the race as determined by competition-based formula. [4]

Starting Lineup

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Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer
1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
4 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford
5 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
7 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
8 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
9 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
10 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
11 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
12 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
13 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
14 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
15 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford
16 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
17 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
18 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
19 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota
20 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
21 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
22 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford
23 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
24 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford
25 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford
26 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet
27 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
28 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
29 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
30 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford
31 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet
32 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford
33 77 Justin Allgaier (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
34 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford
35 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet
36 53 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford
37 15 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
38 16 Justin Haley (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
39 66 James Davison MBM Motorsports Ford
40 96 Landon Cassill (i) Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
Official starting lineup

Race

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Denny Hamlin was the pole sitter for the race. The race was forced to be delayed until the following day due to rain. The next day, NASCAR would be able to get the race started at 1PMET, 12 PM local time. Chris Buescher won Stage 1 for his 2nd stage win of the season and the first since February at Homestead-Miami Speedway. At the end of Stage 2, rain hit the area. And the race was past its halfway point (Lap 94), so whoever was leading could possibly win the race. Bubba Wallace was leading when the rain hit. After a long red flag, NASCAR declared the race official and Wallace won his first career Cup Series race along with Stage 2 of the race. It was also the first win for 23XI Racing, the new team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan which debuted this season.

Stage Results

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Stage One Laps: 60

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Points
1 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 10
2 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 9
3 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 8
4 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 7
5 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 6
6 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 5
7 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 4
8 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 3
9 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2
10 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1
Official stage one results

Stage Two Laps: 57

Pos Grid No Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points
1 19 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 117 50
2 7 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 117 52
3 8 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 117 51
4 14 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 117 42
5 12 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 117 38
6 24 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 117 46
7 1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 117 34
8 9 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 117 39
9 26 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 117 30
10 30 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 117 28
11 16 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 117 26
12 6 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 117 25
13 28 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 117 24
14 17 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 117 23
15 4 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 117 27
16 21 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 117 21
17 22 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 117 20
18 3 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 117 23
19 35 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 117 18
20 38 16 Justin Haley (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 117 0
21 25 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 117 16
22 29 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 117 15
23 18 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 117 14
24 40 96 Landon Cassill (i) Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 117 0
25 36 53 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 117 0
26 20 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 117 11
27 2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 117 10
28 31 51 Cody Ware Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 117 0
29 37 15 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 117 0
30 32 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 117 0
31 34 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 117 6
32 27 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 116 5
33 23 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 116 7
34 39 66 James Davison MBM Motorsports Ford 116 3
35 15 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 115 2
36 10 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 115 1
37 5 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 113 1
38 11 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 97 2
39 13 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 97 1
40 33 77 Justin Allgaier (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 55 0
Official race results

NOTE: The final stage was cancelled. By NASCAR rule, the top ten earned stage points at the point the race was terminated late in the second stage.

Race statistics

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  • Lead changes: 35 among 19 different drivers
  • Cautions/Laps: 5 for 27
  • Red flags: 2 (1 for weather, 1 for 18 minutes and 20 seconds)
  • Time of race: 2 hours, 23 minutes and 24 seconds
  • Average speed: 130.218 miles per hour (209.566 km/h)

Media

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Television

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NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and six-time Talladega winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the race from the broadcast booth. Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast handled the pit road duties from pit lane. Rutledge Wood handled the features from the track.

NBCSN
Booth announcers Pit reporters Features reporter
Lap-by-lap: Rick Allen
Color-commentator: Jeff Burton
Color-commentator: Steve Letarte
Color-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dave Burns
Parker Kligerman
Marty Snider
Kelli Stavast
Rutledge Wood

Radio

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MRN had the radio call for the race, which was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace called the race for MRN when the field races thru the tri-oval. Dave Moody called the action from turn 1, Mike Bagley called the action for MRN when the field races down the backstraightaway, and Kyle Rickey called the race from the Sunoco tower just outside of turn 4. Steve Post, Kim Coon, and Hannah Newhouse called the action for MRN from pit lane.

MRN
Booth announcers Turn announcers Pit reporters
Lead announcer: Alex Hayden
Announcer: Jeff Striegle
Announcer: Rusty Wallace
Turns 1 & 2: Dave Moody
Backstretch: Mike Bagley
Turns 3 & 4: Kyle Rickey
Steve Post
Kim Coon
Hannah Newhouse

Standings after the race

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References

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  1. ^ "2021 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  2. ^ "Talladega Superspeedway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  3. ^ "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Starting Lineup". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "YellaWood 500 Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.


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2021 South Point 400
NASCAR Cup Series
2021 season
Next race:
2021 Bank of America Roval 400