GEICO 500

NASCAR is the celebration of speed and stock car racing. The sheer excitement and nerve wrecking finishes in NASCAR are enough to make any petrolhead swoon. However, there is one special event that no other events of NASCAR, not even the prestigious Daytona 500 can beat. It is the GEICO 500 in Talladega.

The fastest race on the entirety of the NASCAR calendar, the GEICO 500 has no competitors far and wide when it comes to high speeds and sheer displays of performance. It is a race that witnesses many wrecks every year due to the incredible speeds that cars can reach during the race.

The GEICO 500 is often recognised as an unofficial “Crown Jewel” race. While there are four races in the title, GEICO has a special place due to its importance in the series. GEICO 500 was a part of the “Crown Jewel” races before the introduction of Brickyard 400.

In fact, it was the GEICO 500 that introduced the title of “Crown Jewel” races completing the list of four important races of the NASCAR calendar. The 2024 NASCAR season has started off with a bang for both William Byron and Denny Hamlin. They are the only two drivers to have won more than one race, steering miles ahead of the competition.

The defending champion is struggling to gain footing in the victory lane and will be looking forward to qualifying for playoffs in the upcoming races and gaining another chance at the title.

GEICO 500 History

The GEICO 500 was introduced in 1970 under the name, Alabama 500. It formed the second leg of the “Crown Jewel” events which were known as “NASCAR’s Triple Crown” prior to its introduction. The first event was won by Pete Hamilton racing for Petty Enterprises. The event moved under the sponsorship of Winston from the year 1971.

GEICO 500 2024 Schedule

THe GEICO 500 2024 is scheduled to be held on Sunday, 21st April at 3:00 PM Eastern Time. It is going to be a three stage race and the first two stages will be for 60 laps each whereas the final stage will be of 68 laps. The race will cover a total distance of 500 miles in 188 laps. The Practice and Qualifying sessions will be held on Saturday.

GEICO 500 2024 Venue

The GEICO 500 will be held at the famed Talladega Superspeedway. It is the second only Superspeedway on the NASCAR calendar. The track is 2.66 miles long with a paved surface. It has a steep banking of 33 degrees in the turns, two degrees in the frontstretch and 16.5 degrees in the backstretch respectively. Bill Elliot holds the record for the fastest lap at the track with a time of 0:44.998s.

GEICO 500 2024 Drivers Standings

The Drivers Standings are led by Kyle Larson who recently overtook Martin Truex Jr. The Top-10 drivers standings are as follows:

Chase Elliot who was among the Final-four championship contenders in the 2023 Cup Series registered his first victory of the season and is currently in a better position among the other Championship contenders from the previous season.

Drivers with most wins in the GEICO 500

Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski have won the most number of GEICO 500 races. They have won the event four times jointly. As of April 17th, the GEICO 500 in 2021 remains Brad Keselowski’s last victory in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Where to watch the GEICO 500 2024

The race coverage of the GEICO 500 will be handled by FOX as per the NASCAR official site and the radio coverage will be managed by MRN and SiriusXM.

GEICO 500 2024 start times in different Time Zones