NASCAR completed the 1000Bulbs.com 500 Monday (10/14) at Talladega Superspeedway that featured multiple “Big Ones” and a Ryan Blaney winning by a bumper.

The race began Sunday (10/13) with William Byron scoring the win in stage one. The rain came as the pace car gathered the field at the end of the stage. It remained until NASCAR officials had to make the choice to postpone the Playoffs race until the next day.

Stage two began yesterday afternoon and the action came early and often. The lead was exchanged often as the pack raced around the track in two, three and sometimes four-wide packs. Clint Bowyer was the winner in stage two.

The danger of racing at 200 MPH around Talladega is one car can have an issue and collect many other cars in the wreck known as the “Big One.” The “Big One” did happen … THREE times! More than half of the field was involved in at least one of the multi-car accidents including every Playoff driver in the Round of 12.

Some of the Playoff drivers that began the race in pretty good shape to advance to the next round in the post-season. Some of those drivers now face a much larger challenge next week in the Round of 12 Elimination Race. A couple of those drivers are in a must win scenario for next week now. Two drivers are set for the Round of Eight. Kyle Larson’s win in race one of the round in Dover locked him in the next round.

Ryan Blaney spun his car getting on pit road Sunday. Monday he found himself at the front of the pack with just two laps remaining in the race following the final “Big One.” He got a push from the car behind to get out front. Ryan Newman got a push from Denny Hamlin on the last lap to get side-by-side with Ryan Blaney going in to turn three. However, Ryan Newman got loose after talking the lead and gave Ryan Blaney a chance to get back beside him racing through the tri-oval portion of the track.

With two cars wrecking at the back of the pack Ryan Blaney was able to race side-by-side with Ryan Newman coming to the finish line. Ryan Blaney was literally just a bumper ahead of Newman as they crossed the line giving Blaney his first win of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Season. More importantly it gave him an automatic advance to the next round in the NASCAR Playoffs.

Ryan Newman obviously took home a second place finish. Denny Hamlin was scored with third place. Aric Almirola finished fourth and Michael McDowell rounded out the top five. See the complete race results for the 1000Bulbs.com 500 here.

Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney sit at the top of the standings in the NASCAR Playoffs with their “Golden Ticket” wins to the Round of Eight. See where the other post-season and non-post-season drivers rank in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series point standings here.

This week the NASCAR Playoffs drivers will face an elimination race at Kansas Speedway. The four post-season drivers with the lowest point total (and no win in the Round of 12) following the Hollywood Casino 400 Sunday will be eliminated from championship contention.

By: Buck Stevens