YellaWood 500
Talladega Superspeedway — October 4, 2021
Bubba Wallace
Winner
117
Laps
26
Entries
19
Leaders
Bubba Wallace won the 2021 YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 4, 2021, leading 5 of 117 laps. Brad Keselowski finished second; Joey Logano rounded out the podium. The race featured 19 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Monday, October 4, 2021
Track
Season
2021
Winner
Leaders
19 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | +22 | Bubba Wallace |
| 2 | 10 | +8 | Brad Keselowski |
| 3 | 15 | +12 | Joey Logano |
| 4 | 7 | +3 | Kurt Busch |
| 5 | 16 | +11 | Christopher Bell |
| 6 | 18 | +12 | Chris Buescher |
| 7 | 6 | -1 | Denny Hamlin |
| 8 | 1 | -7 | Kevin Harvick |
| 9 | 29 | +20 | Erik Jones |
| 10 | 27 | +17 | Anthony Alfredo |
| 11 | 12 | +1 | Austin Dillon |
| 12 | 4 | -8 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 13 | 20 | +7 | Cole Custer |
| 14 | 24 | +10 | Chase Briscoe |
| 15 | 26 | +11 | Ryan Blaney |
| 16 | 17 | +1 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 17 | 5 | -12 | Michael McDowell |
| 18 | 8 | -10 | Chase Elliott |
| 19 | 36 | +17 | Quin Houff |
| 20 | 25 | +5 | Justin Haley |
| 27 | 14 | -13 | Kyle Busch |
| 28 | 32 | +4 | Cody Ware |
| 35 | 30 | -5 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 37 | 3 | -34 | Kyle Larson |
| 38 | 9 | -29 | Alex Bowman |
| 39 | 11 | -28 | Tyler Reddick |
Stage Results
| Driver | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Keselowski | 1 | 2 | — | 19 |
| Denny Hamlin | 4 | 3 | — | 15 |
| Ryan Blaney | 3 | 5 | — | 14 |
| Alex Bowman | 5 | 6 | — | 11 |
| Chase Elliott | 2 | 10 | — | 10 |
| Kyle Larson | 12 | 1 | — | 10 |
| Christopher Bell | 6 | 7 | — | 9 |
| Martin Truex, Jr. | 10 | 8 | — | 4 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | 8 | 12 | — | 3 |
| Joey Logano | 9 | 14 | — | 2 |
| Kyle Busch | 14 | 9 | — | 2 |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 22 matched drivers, the model averaged 10.6 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bubba Wallace | 16.0 | 1 | +15.0 |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | 16.0 | 2 | +14.0 |
| 3 | Joey Logano | 20.5 | 3 | +17.5 |
| 5 | Christopher Bell | 17.4 | 5 | +12.4 |
| 6 | Chris Buescher | 13.6 | 6 | +7.6 |
| 7 | Denny Hamlin | 16.0 | 7 | +9.0 |
| 9 | Erik Jones | 18.5 | 9 | +9.5 |
| 10 | Anthony Alfredo | 23.7 | 10 | +13.7 |
| 11 | Austin Dillon | 23.4 | 11 | +12.4 |
| 12 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 20.1 | 12 | +8.1 |
| 13 | Cole Custer | 23.4 | 13 | +10.4 |
| 14 | Chase Briscoe | 21.7 | 14 | +7.7 |
| 15 | Ryan Blaney | 13.9 | 15 | -1.1 |
| 16 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 18.5 | 16 | +2.5 |
| 17 | Michael McDowell | 20.0 | 17 | +3.0 |
| 18 | Chase Elliott | 10.4 | 18 | -7.6 |
| 20 | Justin Haley | 23.4 | 20 | +3.4 |
| 27 | Kyle Busch | 15.1 | 27 | -11.9 |
| 28 | Cody Ware | 27.9 | 28 | -0.1 |
| 37 | Kyle Larson | 18.5 | 37 | -18.5 |
(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
- Bubba Wallace: has 23 career starts at Talladega Superspeedway with a 18.3 avg finish (1 win) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Chase Elliott: was the model’s top pick based on 22 career starts at Talladega Superspeedway with a 14.3 avg finish (2 wins), finishing P18 on the day.
- Joey Logano: was the biggest surprise, finishing P3 vs predicted P21. Track history: 42 starts, 18.0 avg finish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2021 YellaWood 500?
Bubba Wallace won the 2021 YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway driving for 23XI Racing.
Where was the 2021 YellaWood 500 held?
The 2021 YellaWood 500 was held at Talladega Superspeedway on October 4, 2021.