Chase Elliott, Ty Dillon take stage wins in GEICO 500 at Talladega
Staff Report
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Chase Elliott survived the see-saw battle at the front to win Stage 2 in Sunday's GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway as manufacturers lined up to work together at the 2.66-mile track. Elliott led a group of three Chevrolets to grab his first stage win of the 2019 season.
Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and William Byron finished behind Elliott, in second and third place, respectively. Ryan Blaney, in the No. 12 Ford, broke up the Chevrolet party by coming in fourth place. Austin Dillon, in the No. 3 Chevrolet, rounded out the top five.
RELATED: Full Stage 2 results
The first two stages featured 26 lead changes with Aric Almirola (27 laps) and Elliott (22 laps) leading the most laps.
Finish
Driver
Team
Points
1
Chase Elliott
Hendrick Motorsports
10
2
Alex Bowman
Hendrick Motorsports
9
3
William Byron
Hendrick Motorsports
8
4
Ryan Blaney
Team Penske
7
5
Austin Dillon
Richard Childress Racing
6
6
Kurt Busch
Chip Ganassi Racing
5
7
Kyle Larson
Chip Ganassi Racing
4
8
Daniel Hemric
Richard Childress Racing
3
9
Joey Logano
Team Penske
2
10
Kyle Busch
Joe Gibbs Racing
1
STAGE 1
Ty Dillon took advantage of fuel issues for the leaders to win Stage 1. Dillon jumped to the lead with six laps to go as Martin Truex Jr. had to conserve fuel to make it to the stage finish on Lap 55. It was Dillon's second stage win of the season.
Truex had taken the lead only after Aric Almirola and Brad Keselowski had to pit for fuel. Almirola, who led the most laps in the opening stage (27 laps), got a penalty for speeding on pit road, knocking him back to 26th place.
RELATED: Full Stage 1 results
Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top five in Stage 1.
Earlier in the stage, there was drama as the caution flag came out on Lap 10 for a six-car wreck that Bubba Wallace ignited when he was trying to move past Ryan Blaney. Wallace collected Denny Hamlin and Michael McDowell and elsewhere in the field Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Matt Tifft were involved.
RELATED: Wallace ignites wreck
Wallace, Tifft, Harvick and McDowell were all knocked out of the race.