Joey Logano scored his first win of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season in the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway Sunday (4/29) afternoon.
The NASCAR race at the track called “Dega” by the fans was fairly tame compared to races in the past. There were only six caution periods including the two at the end of the first and second stages of the race. Brad Keseloski was the leader at the end of the first stage and Paul Menard was the leader at the end of stage two.
The track that often produces accidents that can leave the end of the race with just a couple of handfuls of cars on the lead lap only saw a couple of multi-car wrecks. The first, by “Dega” standards, was barely a brush-up involving just six cars. The second would qualify as “the big one” as it involved a total of 14 cars to some degree.
During the race 16 drivers did exchange the lead 25 times. Throughout the race Joey Logano was either at the front or near the front almost all the time. Joey led a race high 70 laps in the 188 lap contest. Of course the most important lap to lead is the last one and Joey was in position number one on that lap to collect his third win at Talladega Superspeedway and his first win of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Kurt Busch followed Joey across the finish line to claim second place. Chase Elliott finished in third place and Kevin Harvick claimed a fourth place finish. Last year’s winner of this race Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top five in this year’s race. See the complete race results for the GEICO 500 here.
Kyle Busch holds steady at the top of the point standings as Joey also stays put in second place. Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick swap spots again as Kevin moves back up to third with Clint slipping back to fourth. Kurt Busch moves into the top five taking over fifth place. See the complete Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series point standings here.
This week the NASCAR drivers and teams will head to “The Monster Mile.” The AAA 400 Drive for Autism will take place Sunday afternoon, April 6th at Dover International Speedway.
By: Buck Stevens
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2018 GEICO 500
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Fans cheer during the flyover prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Beer Flannel Ford, and Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford, lead the field during the pace laps prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Beer Flannel Ford, leads the field past the green flag to start the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Paul Menard, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, leads a pack of cars during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Josh Hedges/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #14 Haas Automation Demo Day Ford, William Byron, driver of the #24 Liberty University Chevrolet, Paul Menard, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, and Michael McDowell, driver of the #34 Love's Travel Stops/Roller Bites Ford, are involved in an on track incident during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's for Pros Chevrolet, pits during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil/Autotrader Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil/Autotrader Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil/Autotrader Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane with his wife, Brittany Baca, and child and after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil/Autotrader Ford, poses with the winner's decal in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
2018 GEICO 500
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Fans cheer during the flyover prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Beer Flannel Ford, and Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford, lead the field during the pace laps prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Beer Flannel Ford, leads the field past the green flag to start the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Paul Menard, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, leads a pack of cars during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Josh Hedges/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #14 Haas Automation Demo Day Ford, William Byron, driver of the #24 Liberty University Chevrolet, Paul Menard, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, and Michael McDowell, driver of the #34 Love's Travel Stops/Roller Bites Ford, are involved in an on track incident during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's for Pros Chevrolet, pits during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil/Autotrader Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil/Autotrader Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil/Autotrader Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane with his wife, Brittany Baca, and child and after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 29: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil/Autotrader Ford, poses with the winner's decal in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)