The NASCAR Cup Series shifts from three straight short tracks to the largest speedway on the circuit as it takes to Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway. The race will be the 52nd annual GEICO 500 and second superspeedway event of the year.
Forty cars are entered for the 500-mile race, meaning all will compete in the race barring any last minute changes.
The No. 15 entry for Rick Ware Racing has yet to be announced ahead of Sunday’s race. It was expected that Jennifer Jo Cobb would make her Cup debut, but she wasn’t approved by NASCAR to run the event. Cobb was parked by NASCAR in Saturday’s Camping World Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway after a run-in with Norm Benning on the track.
However, the incident was not the cause of the unapproval.
Jennifer Jo Cobb not approved to run Cup at Dega.
–NASCAR: Decision based on performance/quality.
–NASCAR has been more stringent w/ recent Cup approvals.
–She was yrs ago OK'd for Cup but if don't run in series for a yr, must get re-approved.
–NOT result of Richmond-Norm— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 19, 2021
Meanwhile, Joey Gase will make his fourth start of the year and first since March 21 at Atlanta piloting the No. 28 for Rick Ware Racing. The entry list has the car numbered as No. 53 but Gase will be running a tribute to the late Davey Allison behind the wheel of his famed No. 28 Ford.
Timmy Hill returns to action for MBM Motorsports after missing the last three races due to a lack of sponsorship. Hill will drive the No. 66 Supreme Transportation Toyota for the event. The team recently announced they would return at Talladega and compete on a limited schedule due to the sponsorship woes.
Harrison Burton will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut for Gaunt Brothers Racing. The son of 21-time Cup series winner Jeff Burton will pilot the No. 96 Dex Imaging Toyota.
Kaz Grala will make his second Cup start of the year in the No. 16 for Kaulig Racing.
The GEICO 500 serves as the tenth race of the Cup Series season and will begin at 2:00 p.m. on FOX.
About the author
Luken Glover arrived on the Frontstretch scene in 2020. He has been an avid NASCAR fan for the majority of his life, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who used to help former team owner Junie Donlavey in his garage. Glover covers news for the site and took over "The Underdog House" column in 2021. In addition to being a college junior, his hobbies include volunteering at church, playing basketball and tennis, racing go-karts, and helping at his high school alma mater.
Let me see. Harrison burton approved to run on the longest track in nascar with no previous cup experience. So if you are the son of a nascar race winner you get approved but Jennifer jo not approved based on previous performance and quality. Don’t we already have quite a few poor quality performers at the back of the field?