Posted June 22, 2020 by Jonathan Fjeld Cup

2020 GEICO 500: Most competitive Talladega race since October 2011

TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – JUNE 22: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Sylvania Ford, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on June 22, 2020 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Ryan Blaney won at Talladega in Monday’s GEICO 500, which was the most competitive race at the 2.66-mile high-banked superspeedway since October 2011.

The GEICO 500 featured 56 lead changes, the most at Talladega since the 2011 Good Sam 500. That race featured 72 lead changes and a last-lap pass by Clint Bowyer to win in a photo finish over then-teammate Jeff Burton by 0.018 seconds.

Mirroring Bowyer’s efforts in 2011, Blaney made a last-lap pass to win in a photo finish over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by 0.007 seconds.

The finish is tied for the third closest finish in Talladega history with the 2019 1000bulbs.com 500 finish, which Blaney bested Newman for. The Bowyer/Burton photo finish in 2011 is now the sixth closest finish in Talladega history.

In Monday’s GEICO 500, Clint Bowyer drove his no. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to a 24th-place finish in Sunday’s GEICO 500. Bowyer was ninth with one lap to go but was involved in a wreck on the last lap.

Blaney sits third in points, 25 points behind leader no. 4 Kevin Harvick, while Bowyer is 13th in points, 23 points ahead of 17th place no. 20 Erik Jones, heading into the June 27 Pocono Organics 325 (3:30pm EST; TV: FOX, Radio: MRN)

SOURCES:
NASCAR
Racing-Reference.Info