2021 GEICO 500
The 2021 GEICO 500 was the tenth race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series, held on April 25 at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. The race was 191 laps on the 2.66-mile tri-oval, extended from 188 laps because of an overtime finish, totaling about 508 miles.
Brad Keselowski won in the No. 2 Penske Ford. It was his 35th career Cup win, his sixth at Talladega (tying Jeff Gordon for the most at the track), and his last win with Team Penske before moving to RFK Racing in 2022 to drive the No. 6 car. Denny Hamlin started on the pole (determined by a competition-based formula) and led the most laps, 44.
Key numbers
- Pole: Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing), decided by competition-based formula
- Winner: Brad Keselowski (Team Penske), No. 2
- Laps led by most: Denny Hamlin, 44
- Distance: 191 laps, 508.06 miles
- Average speed: 147.62 mph
- Stages: Stage 1 – 60 laps; Stage 2 – 60 laps; Stage 3 – 68 laps
- Broadcast: Fox, with Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon, and Clint Bowyer
- TV rating: 2.8 Nielsen, about 4.7 million viewers
- Radio: MRN (Alex Hayden and Jeff Striegle in the booth; Dave Moody, Mike Bagley, and Kurt Becker on turns; Steve Post, Dillon Welch, and Kim Coon on pit road)
Talladega Superspeedway is known for its steep banking and is the longest NASCAR oval at 2.66 miles. Built in 1969 on the site of a former air force base in Lincoln, it hosts NASCAR’s Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series races.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:34 (CET).