GEICO 500
Talladega Superspeedway, April 29, 2018
Joey Logano
Winner
188
Laps
40
Entries
16
Leaders
Joey Logano won the 2018 GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018, leading 70 of 188 laps. Kurt Busch finished second; Chase Elliott rounded out the podium. The race featured 16 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Track
Season
2018
Winner
Leaders
16 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | +8 | Joey Logano |
| 2 | 2 | — | Kurt Busch |
| 3 | 5 | +2 | Chase Elliott |
| 4 | 1 | -3 | Kevin Harvick |
| 5 | 7 | +2 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 6 | 12 | +6 | David Ragan |
| 7 | 40 | +33 | Aric Almirola |
| 8 | 11 | +3 | Alex Bowman |
| 9 | 18 | +9 | Ryan Newman |
| 10 | 14 | +4 | Daniel Suarez |
| 11 | 25 | +14 | Chris Buescher |
| 12 | 16 | +4 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 13 | 19 | +6 | Kyle Busch |
| 14 | 4 | -10 | Denny Hamlin |
| 15 | 29 | +14 | Ty Dillon |
| 16 | 15 | -1 | Bubba Wallace |
| 17 | 26 | +9 | Kasey Kahne |
| 18 | 23 | +5 | Ryan Blaney |
| 19 | 33 | +14 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 20 | 31 | +11 | D.J. Kennington |
| 21 | 36 | +15 | Cole Whitt |
| 22 | 30 | +8 | Brendan Gaughan |
| 23 | 32 | +9 | Timothy Peters |
| 24 | 37 | +13 | Gray Gaulding |
| 25 | 35 | +10 | Ross Chastain |
| 26 | 3 | -23 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 27 | 34 | +7 | Joey Gase |
| 28 | 27 | -1 | Jamie McMurray |
| 29 | 17 | -12 | William Byron |
| 30 | 13 | -17 | Paul Menard |
| 31 | 8 | -23 | Clint Bowyer |
| 32 | 20 | -12 | Michael McDowell |
| 33 | 10 | -23 | Brad Keselowski |
| 34 | 28 | -6 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 35 | 24 | -11 | Austin Dillon |
| 36 | 39 | +3 | Timmy Hill |
| 37 | 38 | +1 | Reed Sorenson |
| 38 | 21 | -17 | Trevor Bayne |
| 39 | 6 | -33 | Erik Jones |
| 40 | 22 | -18 | Kyle Larson |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 22 matched drivers, the model averaged 10.2 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joey Logano | 18.5 | 1 | +17.5 |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 13.6 | 3 | +10.6 |
| 5 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 18.5 | 5 | +13.5 |
| 8 | Alex Bowman | 17.4 | 8 | +9.4 |
| 10 | Daniel Suarez | 15.1 | 10 | +5.1 |
| 11 | Chris Buescher | 13.6 | 11 | +2.6 |
| 12 | Jimmie Johnson | 20.0 | 12 | +8.0 |
| 14 | Denny Hamlin | 15.1 | 14 | +1.1 |
| 15 | Ty Dillon | 22.9 | 15 | +7.9 |
| 16 | Bubba Wallace | 16.9 | 16 | +0.9 |
| 18 | Ryan Blaney | 10.4 | 18 | -7.6 |
| 25 | Ross Chastain | 16.0 | 25 | -9.0 |
| 26 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 20.5 | 26 | -5.5 |
| 27 | Joey Gase | 23.7 | 27 | -3.3 |
| 29 | William Byron | 13.9 | 29 | -15.1 |
| 32 | Michael McDowell | 19.2 | 32 | -12.8 |
| 33 | Brad Keselowski | 18.5 | 33 | -14.5 |
| 34 | A.J. Allmendinger | 22.9 | 34 | -11.1 |
| 35 | Austin Dillon | 21.1 | 35 | -13.9 |
| 36 | Timmy Hill | 22.8 | 36 | -13.2 |
(showing top 20 finishers)
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
- Joey Logano: has 42 career starts at Talladega Superspeedway with a 18.2 avg finish (5 wins) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Ryan Blaney: was the model’s top pick based on 28 career starts at Talladega Superspeedway with a 17.3 avg finish (3 wins), finishing P18 on the day.
Explore More
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2018 GEICO 500?
Joey Logano won the 2018 GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway driving for Team Penske.
Where was the 2018 GEICO 500 held?
The 2018 GEICO 500 was held at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29, 2018.