2021 YellaWood 500

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The 2021 YellaWood 500 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on October 4, 2021, at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. The race was originally scheduled for 188 laps on the 2.66-mile tri-oval but was shortened to 117 laps due to rain, covering 311.22 miles in total. It was the 31st race of the season, the fifth in the Playoffs, and the second race of the Round of 12.

Denny Hamlin won the pole position based on a competition-based formula. Kevin Harvick led the most laps in the race with 16. Bubba Wallace, driving the No. 23 for 23XI Racing, took the victory, marking his first Cup Series win. Wallace’s triumph was notable as the first win by a driver outside the Playoffs in the Cup Series since 2013 at Talladega, and the first African-American Cup winner since Wendell Scott in 1963. It was the shortest Cup race at Talladega and the fourth Cup race to be shortened there.

The race was postponed from Sunday, October 3 to Monday, October 4 due to rain. Stage One ran 60 laps and Stage Two 57 laps before the final stage was canceled when the race ended early. Under NASCAR rules, the top ten in points at the time still earned stage points as the race terminated. NBC Sports televised the race with announcers including Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., while MRN provided radio coverage.