NASCAR GEICO 500 at Talladega live updates: Ryan Blaney wins in overtime

Let’s try this again, shall we?

A mixture of lightning, rain and high winds postponed Sunday’s GEICO 500 race at Talladega Superspeedway to Monday afternoon, and the skies still aren’t clear in Alabama.

Though the race is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Monday (TV: FOX), there are more storms in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service. The GEICO 500 is the third NASCAR race this year to move from a Sunday to a Monday due to weather, along with the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600.

Full results will be posted here as soon as possible after the race.

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NASCAR AT TALLADEGA RESULTS

NASCAR at Talladega live updates

Stage 3

7:51 p.m. CHECKERED FLAG: rYAN bLANEY WINS

Ryan Blaney wins the GEICO 500 at Talladega, followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in second. Full results will be posted shortly.

7:42 p.m.: Caution

It wasn’t “The Big One” but with everyone conserving fuel and looking for a caution, Jimmie Johnson got spun out after being clipped by Kevin Harvick -- who was in third place at the time. Ryan Blaney was in first at the time of the caution.

7:36 p.m.: Final stretch

Ten laps to go, here’s the situation. Tyler Reddick, who won the first stage, is out in front. The main strategy concern right now is fuel with how long it’s been since everyone pitted on a caution.

7:23 p.m. Bubba Wallace took a lead, then lost it

With 28 laps to go, Bubba Wallace took the lead for a blink, but fuel conservation is a problem for him at this stage of the race. It didn’t take long for Joey Logano to side draft off him and take the lead. Wallace quickly fell back into the field and is now ninth. Alex Bowman sits up front for now with 24 laps to go

7:11 p.m.: Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano out front

Quick update on the order with 40 laps to go at Talladega. Joey Logano is out front, followed by Denny Hamlin, William Byron and Kevin Harvick. Rookie Christopher Bell was just given a pass-through penalty for forcing a driver below the yellow line.

7 p.m.: Who’s out of the race?

Chase Elliott sustained too much damage to stay in the race. Matt Kenseth ran into an issue with his brakes early in the third stage and is out of the race, along with Austin Dillon and JJ Yeley. And just while typing this, the caution came out for Brennan Poole.

6:47 p.m.: Chase Elliott crashes

Sixth caution of the afternoon as Chase Elliott spins out. Elliott was pushed by Brad Keselowski into rear of Joey Logano and Elliott’s car lost control while going 196 MPH. There were 55 laps remaining at the time of the caution.

Stage 2

6:30 p.m., Lap 120: STENHOUSE WINS STAGE 2

A two-lap shootout closed the second stage won by Stenhouse Jr. after the field cycled through the latest caution. Like Reddick, it was the driver’s first stage win of the season. Stenhouse battled Blaney, in second, for points at the green-and-white checkered flag, followed by Ky. Busch, Keselowski, Bell, Logano, Wallace, Custer and Buescher and Byron in the top-10.

6:19 p.m., Lap 115: CAUTION FOR DEBRIS

The fifth caution of the day is called with just six laps left in Stage 2. Blaney, Stenhouse, Keselowski and Kyle Busch and recent mover, Cup rookie, Christopher Bell, lead the field as drivers decide whether to pit under caution, which was called due to debris on the back stragihtaway.

6:14 p.m., Lap 106: THREE WIDE

Stenhouse Jr. leads the field on Lap 106, but Blaney and Keselowski are close behind in the inside lane. Farther back, a third lane emerges, led by Wallace, who is getting a push from Harvick. Blaney and Stenhouse continue fighting for the lead on the inside and outside lane, respectively. There have been 35 lead changes so far.

6:04 p.m., Lap 97: CAUTION FOR INCIDENT

A caution comes out for incident. Cup rookie Nemechek has a flat left rear tire, so the yellow flag comes out with 24 laps remaining in the stage, forcing teams to make a strategic decision. Many teams pit for two tires, including leader Blaney.

5:57 p.m., Lap 94: OFFICIAL RACE, WALLACE RUNS UP

The race is reaches the halfway point, meaning it’s official, even if rain forces an early finish. Bubba Wallace has entered the picture on the outside lane. He is currently running in sixth as Penske drivers Blaney, Logano and Keselowski lead the field, in that order. DiBenedetto and Custer follow in fourth and fifth place while the field runs two lanes wide

5:43 p.m., Lap 77: TEAM PENSKE PARTY

Although the leader continues to change (there have been 31 lead changes so far), it’s clear Team Penske has found it’s footing, with Blaney leading the pack of Fords. He is closley followed by Penske teammates Logano and Keselowski in the top-five.

5:34 p.m., Lap 64: GREEN FLAG, RACING RESUMES

Bowman and Blaney lead the field to the restart zone as the race goes green after pit stops. The finishing order of the first stage was Reddick, Bowman, Logano, Johnson, Ky. Busch, Blaney, Keselowski, Ku. Busch, Elliott and Byron in the top-10 for stage points.

“I was really unsure how our car was going to drive in the draft here at Talladega, especially in the heat of summer,” Reddick told FOX NASCAR. “But still very competitive. Handling still is a pretty big factor, but I’m having a blast out here. Just continuing to learn.”

Stage 1

5:17 p.m., Lap 58: ENGINES RE-FIRED, REDDICK WINS STAGE 1

Engines are re-fired as the field gets ready to run the end of the stage under caution, then return to green to start the second stage. That means Cup rookie Reddick gets the stage win and points. He’s followed by Bowman, Logano, Johnson, Ky. Busch in the top-five, who were leading the field before the yellow flag came. Gaulding gets the free pass and returns to the lead lap, while Denny Hamlin remains a lap down after pitting before the caution for tire damage. The race is official on Lap 94.

5:05 p.m., Red flag delay: DRIVERS TO CARS

NASCAR tells drivers to return to their cars, but there are still rain cells circling the Lincoln, Ala. superspeedway, according to track meteorologists. NASCAR EVP Steve O’Donnell tweets that the track is drying quickly, though, and projects a 5:15 p.m. command to re-fire engines.

4:41 p.m., Red flag delay: TRACK DRYING

Track drying equipment is deployed and NASCAR EVP Steve O’Donnell says NASCAR is “trying to get us back quickly.”

“More rain in the area,” O’Donnell tweeted. “Will do our best to get an official race in today.”

4:23 p.m., Lap 58: RED FLAG FOR RAIN

Just before the end of the first stage, with three laps left, rain moves over the track and the yellow flag is thrown on Lap 57 followed by the red flag a lap later. Hamlin, who pitted earlier, gets time to check his No. 11 car. But that’ll only help him if the rain moves through and the race resumes. There are reports that there’s a large cell moving in over the track and storms could last hours.

Drivers exit their vehicles with the running order Reddick, Bowman, Logano, Johnson, Ky. Busch in the top-five. Reddick would win Stage 1 under caution if the race resumes. If it is unable to be completed or reach the halfway point, it will resume at 12 p.m. EST Tuesday on FS1.

4:13 p.m., Lap 54: COULD THE ROOKIE TAKE STAGE 1?

With under 10 laps left in the first stage, the running order is Logano, Reddick and Blaney. Cup rookie Reddick is running in the outside lane, and held the lead for at least one lap. He’ll try to close this stage.

Logano and other drivers are complaining about the wind over the radio. Hamlin is forced to pit under green for a tire issue.

3:56 p.m., Lap 35: LEAD CHANGES

Hamlin moves into the top lane on the restart, and Logano continues to lead after the field pits, but the lead changes as the field runs two-wide. Cole Custer takes the lead briefly for the first time this season. Stenhouse Jr. also holds P1 for a moment, but drops back to the bottom 20. Kyle Busch leads on Lap 35 on the outside lane followed by William Byron in P2. Logano and Blaney are taking the inside lane.

Meanwhile, outside the track, storms are reported 15 miles out over the NASCAR radio.

3:45 p.m., Lap 25: COMPETITION CAUTION

All three Team Penske drivers Logano, Keselowksi and Blaney are running in a line leading the outside lane, while Hamlin controls the inside lane. At the caution, Logano leads in the order. Chris Buescher has also moved into fourth in the running order, but keep an eye on Stenhouse, who’s still running in the top-10 and already has a win at Talladega.

3:37 p.m., Lap 14: LOGANO MOVES TO P1...BRIEFLY

Logano usurps the lead spot on Lap 9, but everyone is racing close. Hamlin falls back, behind Logano, but regains the lead. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. started 20th and has made a massive jump to the top five. There have been four lead changes already between three drivers.

3:25 p.m., Lap 5: HAMLIN LEADS

Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, who started second, quickly settles into the lead as pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr. drops down from the lead. Teams are running two- and three-wide though and vying for positions. Hamlin, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch are running in the top-three.

Pre-race

3:25 p.m.: RACE GOES GREEN

Balitomore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey waves the green flag to start the second superspeedway race of the season. Drivers are competing without runnning any practice or qualifying laps on the “green” racetrack.

3:13 p.m.: ENGINES FIRED

Stages will be complete on Laps 60, 120 and 188. The competition caution will come on Lap 25, although completion of the race is iffy. “We’re definitely not going to make it to halfway,” the No. 43 radio says about approaching storm cells. The race would be called official on Lap 94.

3:05 p.m.: NASCAR UNITES BEHIND BUBBA

Before the race’s rescheduled start at 3 p.m., the entire NASCAR garage, including all 40 drivers and team crew members, pushed Wallace’s No. 43 Chevrolet to the front of the grid in support of the driver. A noose was found in Wallace’s team’s car garage stall on Monday out of an act of hate against the only Black driver in NASCAR’s Cup Series. Earlier, the message “#IStandWithBubba” was painted on the infiled grass at Talladega Superspeedway.

Wallace, in tears, then received hugs from drivers and team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, who is in attendance at the race to support his driver.

STARTING ORDER FOR NASCAR’S RACE AT TALLADEGA

This story was originally published June 22, 2020 at 3:19 PM.

Alexandra Andrejev

The Charlotte Observer

NASCAR and Charlotte FC beat reporter Alex Andrejev joined The Observer in January 2020 following an internship at The Washington Post. She is a two-time APSE award winner for her NASCAR beat coverage and National Motorsports Press Association award winner. She is the host of McClatchy’s podcast “Payback” about women’s soccer. Support my work with a digital subscription