What drivers have the best chance of winning the Geico 500?

This weekend brings one of the most exciting races of the NASCAR season as the team's head to Talladega for the running of the Geico 500 at the Talladega superspeedway. In a race where anything can and usually does happen. How can you pick a possible winner? Well, there are some drivers who have consistency in this race of uncertainty. 

Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford)

• Three wins, six top fives, eight top 10s
• Average Finish of 14.474, second-best
• Average Running Position of 11.856, second-best
• Driver Rating of 93.4, series-best
• 2,513 Laps in the Top 15 (70.7%), second-most

Kyle Busch (No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)

• Two wins, eight top fives, ten top 10s
• Average Finish of 20.054, 12th-best
• Average Running Position of 16.983, eighth-best
• Driver Rating of 81.4, eighth-best
• 3,864 Laps in the Top 15 (55.4%), seventh-most

William Byron (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

• Three top fives, four top 10s
• Average Finish of 16.083, sixth-best
• Average Running Position of 12.746, third-best
• Driver Rating of 86.5, fifth-best
• 1,423 Laps in the Top 15 (64.2%), third-most

Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

• Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s; two poles
• Average Finish of 14.750, third-best
• Average Running Position of 11.653, series-best
• Driver Rating of 90.5, second-best
• 2,145 Laps in the Top 15 (72.1%), series-most

John H. Nemechek (No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota)

• Two top 10s
• Average Finish of 8.000, series-best
• Average Running Position of 16.947, seventh-best
• Driver Rating of 79.2, 10th-best
• 13 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best
• 173 Laps in the Top 15 (44.2%), 12th-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

• Two wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole
• Average Finish of 16.167, seventh-best
• Average Running Position of 17.156, ninth-best
• Driver Rating of 83.1, seventh-best
• 3,400 Laps in the Top 15 (50.1%), ninth-most

Erik Jones (No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota)

• Two top fives, seven top 10s
• Average Finish of 18.357, 10th-best
• Average Running Position of 17.756, 11th-best
• Driver Rating of 77.3, 12th-best
• 1,259 Laps in the Top 15 (48.5%), 10th-most

Brad Keselowski (No. 6 RFK Racing Ford)

• Six wins, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s
• Average Finish of 15.900, fifth-best
• Average Running Position of 14.977, fifth-best
• Driver Rating of 88.2, third-best
• 3,332 Laps in the Top 15 (59.0%), fifth-most

Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

• One top five, three top 10s
• Average Finish of 23.000, 13th-best
• Average Running Position of 18.228, 13th-best
• Driver Rating of 77.1, 13th-best
• 1,743 Laps in the Top 15 (52.0%), eighth-most

Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford)

• Three wins, nine top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average Finish of 18.500, 11th-best
• Average Running Position of 14.295, fourth-best
• Driver Rating of 88.2, fourth-best
• 3,527 Laps in the Top 15 (62.5%), fourth-most

Ryan Preece (No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford)

• One top five, three top 10s
• Average Finish of 16.875, eighth-best
• Average Running Position of 18.147, 12th-best
• Driver Rating of 77.4, 11th-best
• 588 Laps in the Top 15 (40.3%), 13th-most

Ricky Stenhouse Jr (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet)

• One win, six top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
• Average Finish of 15.762, fourth-best
• Average Running Position of 17.293, 10th-best
• Driver Rating of 79.8, ninth-best
• 1,898 Laps in the Top 15 (48.3%), 11th-most

Let's not forget there is a ton of speed on this track and to this day the fastest lap in NASCAR history was made on this track by Bill Elliott back in 1987 212.809 mph during his qualifying lap. The race record is a bit slower as you could imagine held by Mark Martin at a speed of 188.354 mph back in 1997. Last years pole winner was Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, at a speed of 180.751 mph. the defending race winner is Kyle Busch of Richard Childress Racing in his Chevorlet Camarao. 

Talladega Superspeedway Track Data:

Season Race #: 10 of 36 (04-21-24)

Race Purse: 8,234,125

Track Size: 2.66-miles

Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 33 degrees

Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 33 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 16.5 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  4,300 feet

Backstretch Length:  4,000 feet

Race Length: 188 laps / 500.08 miles

Stage 1 & 2 Length: 60 laps (each)

Final Stage Length: 68 laps

Rowan County Weather will be providing updates before during and after the activities this weekend in Talladega as we prepare for the running of the Geico 500.