GEICO 500: 5 takeaways from NASCAR at Talladega

If you’re not first, are you really last? How important are wheels to NASCAR? Here’s what we learned from the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series fans will be talking about the GEICO 500 for a while. Not only did Ricky Stenhouse Jr. earn his first Cup Series victory in almost 160 attempts with a charge past Kyle Busch on the last lap, but there were plenty of hijinks.

Talladega lured everyone into a false sense of security before unleashing another “Big One” with just 20 laps to go. AJ Allmendinger got to ride sideways. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had another issue, this one not caused by Jimmie Johnson. And Joey Logano probably wants to forget this week after his encumbered win and then Chase Elliott landing on his hood.

If you missed any of the GEICO 500 on Sunday, you can view the complete results from the race here.

Here’s what we learned from the 2017 GEICO 500:

1) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is a winner

Can you imagine the weight that’s been lifted off Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s shoulders right now? He started the GEICO 500 on the pole and fought hard for the win all day, but it seemed as if he was going to lose out to Kyle Busch. But on the final lap Stenhouse got the run he needed and darted around the No. 18 car to get himself to Victory Lane — for the first time. Ever. At all.

We’re so used to seeing the same names in the headlines every Monday that it’s easy to forget that the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series field is bigger than we think. Every now and then it’s nice to see a Stenhouse or a Chris Buescher or someone you don’t expect posing with the trophy. Variety is the spice of life, right?

2) Sometimes, you deserve credit for just surviving

Only one person can win any NASCAR race but winning isn’t everything — especially when a massive wreck happens and takes out a large portion of the field. Those drivers who were somehow able to survive the “Big One” deserve a pat on the back for making it through to the end of the race, regardless of where they ended up, because that’s an accomplishment in and of itself. Watch the in-car camera from Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car during the crash and you’ll see just how much it takes to avoid flying vehicles at top speed:

3) Always make sure your wheels are tightened

Speaking of Dale Jr., he taught us our Important NASCAR Safety Lesson of the Week: always make sure your wheels are properly tightened. Talladega started so promising for the No. 88, starting in second place and running decently well throughout the day. Earnhardt was near the front at the end and somehow able to squeak through the “Big One.” But then his GEICO 500 went downhill face when he discovered he had a loose wheel — and he wound up finishing 22nd.  Still better than wrecking, but he deserved so much better. It’s the little things.

4) Jamie McMurray is a bit fearless

Once again Jamie McMurray pulled his “drive up the middle of the pack and see what happens” move. This time, it actually worked for him and got the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing entry to a second-place finish. McMurray’s tactics haven’t always panned out — and sometimes that’s how he’s prompted accidents — but this time he cut through the competition like a knife through butter. Jimmie Johnson even marveled at his driving in the post-race TV interviews. Kudos to McMurray for a high-risk move that had a high reward.

5) When celebrating, know where your family is

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will never forget the GEICO 500 and not just because he won. After the race, his father Ricky Stenhouse Sr. was so excited to get to Victory Lane that he hopped a fence and was detained, winding up in the back of a squad car. Of course, once it was confirmed that he was the winner’s dad, he was escorted by the police right to the celebration, but that’s the kind of story that’ll get told around the dinner table for a while. Learn more about Stenhouse Sr.’s adventure in the post-race press conference video below:

Next: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings after Talladega

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series now goes to Kansas for the Go Bowling 400 on Saturday, May 13. For the latest news throughout NASCAR, follow the NASCAR category at FanSided here.