5 NASCAR drivers who earned their first Cup Series win at Talladega

Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama will host the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link 500 race this weekend, April 25-27. The track is known for its on-track atmosphere and vibe during race weekends. The tri-oval track is 2.66 miles long and is the largest and fastest track on the NASCAR calendar. The track has created a reputation for having a party-like and chaotic environment in the crowd. Here are five drivers who registered their first NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway.

#5. Brian Vickers

NASCAR: Brian Vickers at Kobalt 400 - Source: Imagn

Brian Vickers won his first Cup series race at Talladega in 2006. Vickers won the race in the final stages of the grand prix with Dale Earnhardt Jr. leading the race and his Hendrick teammate, Jimmie Johnson, down in second. Vickers turned into the right-rear of Johnson, turning him into Earnhardt Jr. when they spun together, and Vickers passed them both and took his first chequered flag under caution.

Vickers retired from NASCAR in the 2016 season, with three victories in the Cup series. He won three Xfinity series races and the championship in 2003.

#4. Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski Food City 500 - Source: Imagn

Brad Keselowski won his first NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega in 2009. It was just his fifth career start, and few people knew anything about him in the grandstands and even in the garage. Keselowski started ninth in the race and mostly hung around the top 15. Third on the final lap, Keselowksi ran a wild final lap, the only lap he led that consisted of contact with Carl Edwards.

Keselowski has 36 race wins in the Cup series and also won the 2012 Cup series championship. The 41-year-old driver is currently ranked 31st in the Cup series this season.

#3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at DAYTONA 500 - Source: Imagn

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won his first Cup Series win at Talladega in 2017. The Mississippi driver won the Geico 500 for Roush-Fenway racing. Stenhouse Jr. won his first race after 158 starts in his career. Stenhouse Jr. made progress by securing the pole and leading 14 laps in the race. He beat Jamie McMurray by less than a second.

#2. Bubba Wallace

Bubba Wallace at Goodyear 400 - Source: Imagn

Bubba Wallace won his first-ever Cup Series race at Talladega in 2021. The race was short of its schedule, completing only 117 laps due to rain. Wallace was leading up to lap No. 113 as the weather approached, and the race was red-flagged due to rain. After almost half an hour, NASCAR ended the race, and Wallace was announced as the winner.

#1. Davey Allison

Davey Allison won his first Cup series win at Talladega in 1987; his victory in the 1987 Winston 500 came in just his 14th Cup series start. The driver started third and led 101 of the 178 laps. He beat Terry Labonte by almost a second. Allison won 18 more races in his career, with two more race wins at Talladega. He raced last in July 1993, after which he suffered fatal injuries in a helicopter crash.