Busch emerges victorious in wild finish in Talladega
The NASCAR Cup Series visited the famed Talladega Speedway once again this past weekend in a race that started calm and ended in calamity. The track, which is one of the biggest wildcards on the schedule, proved to be a huge boost in points for some but also dug a hole for others.
The race was noticeably less aggressive throughout compared to past years. Up until the final few laps, drivers drove with their heads on straight, leaving each other room in the lines of cars and going light on the blocking. One of the reasons behind this was the Xfinity race from the day before.
The race on Saturday was a severe reminder of just how serious crashes this track and the high speeds with them can cause. Both Blaine Perkins and Daniel Hemric’s cars flipped in the race, with Perkins being taken to a nearby hospital where he was later released. Luckily, the Cup race was much more tame.
Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney was one of the most dominant drivers of the day. The driver of the No. 12 car led 47 laps and stayed up front with the help of fellow Ford drivers. Blaney, however, would wind up finishing runner-up after battling for the win before the last lap caution came out.
Another driver with a notable performance on the day was Chase Elliott. Elliott, who many speculated would need a driver replacement during the race, was able to complete the full race. The Hendrick driver even captured a Stage One win.
Strategy through the race was pretty straightforward: four tires at the stage break and fuel only during green flag pit stops in the middle of the stage. However, toward the end of the race, a pair of late cautions changed everything.
The race was forced to go into overtime after Noah Gragson’s car spun at the front of the field to cause a small pile-up. Drivers were then forced to wager whether it was worth it to pit and fill up with gas, or stay out and risk running out.
Kyle Busch, who already had a win in the bank for the season, elected to stay out. The driver of the No. 8 car’s aggressive strategy wound up paying off.
When the race restarted, he dueled with Bubba Wallace and Ryan Blaney for the overtime win. However, as the white flag waved, a push from Blaney to Wallace went afoul, creating yet another pileup to end the race. Busch emerged from the wreckage as the leader to take the win under caution.
From the high banks of Talladega, the Cup series takes a trip up north to the Monster Mile of Dover Motor Speedway. The race will start at 2 p.m. on FS1.
Ethan Ellis is a second-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email ece5133@psu.edu.
