NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega
Talladega Superspeedway — April 17, 2011
Jimmie Johnson
Winner
188
Laps
43
Entries
26
Leaders
Jimmie Johnson won the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega at Talladega Superspeedway on April 17, 2011, leading 14 of 188 laps. Clint Bowyer finished second; Jeff Gordon rounded out the podium. The race featured 26 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Track
Season
2011
Winner
Leaders
26 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | +1 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 2 | 10 | +8 | Clint Bowyer |
| 3 | 1 | -2 | Jeff Gordon |
| 4 | 4 | — | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
| 5 | 38 | +33 | Kevin Harvick |
| 6 | 20 | +14 | Carl Edwards |
| 7 | 17 | +10 | Greg Biffle |
| 8 | 3 | -5 | Mark Martin |
| 9 | 39 | +30 | David Gilliland |
| 10 | 36 | +26 | Joey Logano |
| 11 | 16 | +5 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 12 | 5 | -7 | Paul Menard |
| 13 | 26 | +13 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 14 | 14 | — | David Reutimann |
| 15 | 18 | +3 | Regan Smith |
| 16 | 27 | +11 | Jeff Burton |
| 17 | 30 | +13 | Tony Stewart |
| 18 | 8 | -10 | Kurt Busch |
| 19 | 37 | +18 | Andy Lally |
| 20 | 42 | +22 | Robby Gordon |
| 21 | 21 | — | Jamie McMurray |
| 22 | 40 | +18 | Casey Mears |
| 23 | 29 | +6 | Denny Hamlin |
| 24 | 15 | -9 | Bobby Labonte |
| 25 | 23 | -2 | Ryan Newman |
| 26 | 43 | +17 | Bill Elliott |
| 27 | 35 | +8 | Dave Blaney |
| 28 | 12 | -16 | Michael Waltrip |
| 29 | 28 | -1 | Travis Kvapil |
| 30 | 13 | -17 | Juan Pablo Montoya |
| 31 | 6 | -25 | Landon Cassill |
| 32 | 24 | -8 | Marcos Ambrose |
| 33 | 19 | -14 | Brad Keselowski |
| 34 | 41 | +7 | Terry Labonte |
| 35 | 34 | -1 | Kyle Busch |
| 36 | 25 | -11 | Matt Kenseth |
| 37 | 31 | -6 | Kasey Kahne |
| 38 | 9 | -29 | Brian Vickers |
| 39 | 7 | -32 | David Ragan |
| 40 | 11 | -29 | Trevor Bayne |
| 41 | 22 | -19 | Joe Nemechek |
| 42 | 33 | -9 | Steve Park |
| 43 | 32 | -11 | Kevin Conway |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 8 matched drivers, the model averaged 11.5 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 18.9 | 1 | +17.9 |
| 10 | Joey Logano | 20.5 | 10 | +10.5 |
| 11 | A.J. Allmendinger | 20.1 | 11 | +9.1 |
| 13 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 20.1 | 13 | +7.1 |
| 22 | Casey Mears | 18.5 | 22 | -3.5 |
| 23 | Denny Hamlin | 16.0 | 23 | -7.0 |
| 33 | Brad Keselowski | 16.0 | 33 | -17.0 |
| 35 | Kyle Busch | 15.1 | 35 | -19.9 |
Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.
Historical Context
- Jimmie Johnson: has 39 career starts at Talladega Superspeedway with a 18.5 avg finish (2 wins) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Kyle Busch: was the model’s top pick based on 54 career starts at Talladega Superspeedway with a 18.1 avg finish (4 wins), finishing P35 on the day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega?
Jimmie Johnson won the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega at Talladega Superspeedway.
Where was the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega held?
The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega was held at Talladega Superspeedway on April 17, 2011.