NASCAR cup 2022 Talladega YellaWood 500 - Race
The race was contested over 188 laps of the 2.66-mile-long tri-oval Superspeedway. It marked the 54th annual YellaWood hosted by Talladega Superspeedway in the history of the Cup Series.
The race is divided in three stages of 60 laps for the two first ones and 68 laps for the final one.
Stage 1
Ross Chastain with #1 Chevrolet took the lead 4 times during the 22 initial laps. Denny Hamlin with #11 Toyota was the strongest leader during the next 37 laps leading 5 times during 19 laps. Chase Elliott with #9 Chevrolet was always around.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Talladega 2022.
Ryan Blaney with #12 Ford snatched the Stage 1 victory in the last lap by just .009 seconds over Hamlin with a charge through the outside lane
Stage 2
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Talladega 2022.
Arid Almirola with #10 Ford and Kyle Larson with #5 Chevrolet have been strong animators of the second stage.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Talladega 2022.
Chase Elliott (#9 Chevrolet) snookered Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson (#5 Chevrolet) exiting the tri-oval for the Stage 2 win.
Last Stage
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Talladega 2022.
At the end, there were 57 lead changes among 17 drivers during the race.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Talladega 2022.
Blaney had led the way on the final restart with two of 188 laps to go and still remained out front starting the final lap.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Talladega 2022.
As the field came off Turn 4, Blaney was on the inside with Michael McDowell behind him, while Elliott ran up top with Erik Jones behind him.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Talladega 2022.
Jones (center) gave Elliott with #9 Chevrolet (left) a shove to push him past Blaney with Ford #12 for the lead.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Talladega 2022.
Note Joe Logano top of photo. The #22 Ford driver was betting on a crash in the first group to get a win which obviously didn’t happen.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Talladega 2022.
Elliott and Blaney ended up racing side-by-side to the checkered flag with Elliott winning by a scant 0.046 seconds. His fifth victory of the year.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ Talladega 2022.
Chase Elliott, the 2020 series champion, leaves Talladega guaranteed a spot in the Round of 12.
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