Denny Hamlin won the 45th Annual Aaron’s 499; his 24th victory in 300 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races under yellow at Talladega Superspeedway. He is the 8th winner in the 2014 season and this is his first victory and 3rd top-10 finish for the year. With the win, Hamlin is all but locked into the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. This is his first victory and sixth top-10 finish in 17 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
The race had lots of action with an average speed of 152.103 mph, 8 Caution Flags for 31 laps and 48 lead changes among 23 drivers. The thing I find interesting is that 27 drivers finished on the lead lap and for most of the race, 1st and last place were within seconds of each other in this pack racing of Talladega. The Coors Light Pole Award went to Car 33 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet who lead the field to the green and the Sunoco Rookie of the Race was Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet. Without a win and being collected in the big one, Jeff Gordon still leads the point standings by 3 points over Matt Kenseth.
2nd place Car 16 Greg Biffle 3M Window Film Ford his 6th top 10 at Talladega Superspeedway and is his 4th top 10 finish in 2014 followed by 3rd place Car 15 Clint Bowyer PEAK Antifreeze/Motor Oil Toyota, 4th place Car 55 Brian Vickers Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, followed by 5th place Car 47 AJ Allmendinger Bush’s Beans Chevrolet, 6th place Car 27 Paul Menard Richmond/Menards Chevrolet followed by 7th place Car 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, 8th place Car 5 Kasey Kahne FarmersInsurance/Thankamillionteachers.com Chev followed by 9th place Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet and lastly in the top 10 Car 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr Zest Ford in 10th place.
1st Caution Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford cuts in front of Car 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet in turn 1 before he was clear and was spun out the way as she continued. Then on lap 138 4th Caution for Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford being a bunch of laps down spun in front of the field causing the big one in turn 4 collecting 12 cars: Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford, Car 7 Michael Annett Pilot/Flying J Chevrolet, Car 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, Car 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Pretzel Toyota, Car 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota, Car 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, Car 23 Alex Bowman Dr.Pepper Toyota, Car 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, Car 26 Cole Whitt Scorpyd Crossbows Toyota, Car 27 Paul Menard Richmond/Menards Chevrolet, Car 33 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet (Coors Light Pole Award), Car 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stop Ford, Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s/Valspar Reserve Chevrolet , Car 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. Lap 176 Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s/Valspar Reserve Chevrolet spun in turn 4 collecting 8 cars: Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s/Valspar Reserve Chevrolet, Car 3 Austin Dillon Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, Car 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr Zest Ford, Car 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford, Car 34 David Ragan KFC Go Cup Ford, Car 36 Reed Sorenson Golden Corral Chevrolet, Car 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet, Car 95 Michael McDowell Jordan Truck Sales Ford. Lap 184 Car 99 Carl Edwards Fastenal Ford spun collecting 3 cars: Car 99 Carl Edwards Fastenal Ford, Car 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr Zest Ford, and Car 26 Cole Whitt Scorpyd Crossbows Toyota. Last lap 188 was the last and 8th caution coming out after the leader took the white flag for Debris (bumper) on the front stretch freezing the field giving Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota the win.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Number 10
Unofficial Race Results for the 45Th Annual Aaron’s 499 – Sunday, May 4, 2014
Talladega Superspeedway – Talladega, AL – 2.66 Mile Paved Total Race Length 188 Laps 500.08 Miles Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 17 Mins, 16 Secs.
Position Car # Driver Team Laps Status
1. Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota, 188, Running
2. Car 16 Greg Biffle 3M Window Film Ford, 188, Running
3. Car 15 Clint Bowyer PEAK Antifreeze/Motor Oil Toyota, 188, Running
4. Car 55 Brian Vickers Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, 188 Running
5. Car 47 AJ Allmendinger Bush’s Beans Chevrolet, 188 Running
6. Car 27 Paul Menard Richmond/Menards Chevrolet, 188 Running
7. Car 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, 188 Running
8. Car 5 Kasey Kahne FarmersInsurance/Thankamillionteachers.com Chev, 188 Running
9. Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet, 188 Running
10. Car 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr Zest Ford, 188, Running
11. Car 40 Landon Cassill Hillman Racing Chevrolet, 188 Running
12. Car 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Pretzel Toyota, 188 Running
13. Car 43 Aric Almirola Logan’s Roadhouse/Gwaltney Ford, 188 Running
14. Car 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet, 188 Running
15. Car 3 Austin Dillon Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, 188 Running
16. Car 7 Michael Annett Pilot/Flying J Chevrolet, 188 Running
17. Car 78 Martin Truex Jr Furniture Row Chevrolet, 188 Running
18. Car 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet, 188 Running
19. Car 9 Marcos Ambrose DeWalt Ford, 188 Running
20. Car 98 Josh Wise Dogecoin/Reddit.com Ford, 188 Running
21. Car 26 Cole Whitt Scorpyd Crossbows Toyota, 188 Running
22. Car 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet, 188 Running
23. Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s/Valspar Reserve Chevrolet, 188 Running
24. Car 32 Terry Labonte C&J Energy Services Ford, 188 Running
25. Car 66 Michael Waltrip Blue/DEF Toyota, 188 Running
26. Car 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr National Guard Chevrolet, 188 Running
27. Car 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Professional Agriculture Chevrolet, 188 Running
28. Car 23 Alex Bowman Dr.Pepper Toyota 187 Accident
29. Car 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Chevrolet 187 Running
30. Car 99 Carl Edwards Fastenal Ford, 182 Accident
31. Car 83 Ryan Truex VooDoo BBQ & Grill Toyota, 182 Accident
32. Car 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford, 174 Accident
33. Car 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet, 174 Accident
34. Car 36 Reed Sorenson Golden Corral Chevrolet, 174 Accident
35. Car 34 David Ragan KFC Go Cup Ford, 174 Accident
36. Car 95 Michael McDowell Jordan Truck Sales Ford, 174 Accident
37. Car 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota, 171 Running
38. Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford, 160 Running
39. Car 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet 156 Running
40. Car 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stop Ford 150 Engine
41. Car 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, 136 Accident
42. Car 33 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet, 136 Accident
43. Car 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, 136 Accident
Next Race: May. 10, 2014 – Kansas Speedway NASCAR Integrated Marketing
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