27 different drivers led the Talladega Cup race, nearly toppling NASCAR record

If just two more drivers had spent a single lap out in front of the field, Sunday’s 500-mile NASCAR Cup race at Talladega would have matched the record for different race leaders in a single race. This is the first time since the era of the tandem draft NASCAR has seen these kinds of numbers.

The 2010 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega holds the record with 29 different race leaders, followed by the 2008 AMP Energy 500 at Talladega at 28, and this past weekend’s Yellawood 500 at Talladega now sits third overall with 27.

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77 lead changes on Sunday also places it fourth all-time on that list, which is the most for any race so far during the Next Gen era. The previous record for this car was 72, which came in the spring race at Talladega last year.

Sunday’s 193-lap race (five laps beyond the scheduled distance due to overtime) included 40 starters, and of the drivers who actually completed every lap, only six of them failed to take a turn out front. The highest finishing drivers from that group of non-leaders were Cole Custer in fifth, Carson Hocevar in sixth, and Christopher Bell in eighth.

Joey Logano led the most laps at 35, followed by Josh Berry at 27, and Kyle Busch at 26. None of those drivers managed to finish inside the top 15, but race winner Chase Briscoe led 16 laps en route to capturing the checkered flag.

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Pole-sitter Michael McDowell led just five laps in total.

Below is a full list of lap leaders from Sunday’s action-packed NASCAR Cup race, and additional details on the 13 drivers who failed to join the lap leaders club on Sunday.

Photos from Talladega – Race

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

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Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

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Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

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Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

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Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

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Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Toyota, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

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Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing Ford, Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota, Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

General view

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

General view

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General view

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

General view

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

General view

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General view

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

General view

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

General view

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William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Complete list of lap leaders for 2025 Yellawood 500 at Talladega

Custer (5th), Hocevar (6th), Bell (8th), Shane van Gisbergen (11th), Casey Mears (18th), Austin Hill (22nd), Austin Dillon (27th), BJ McLeod (28th), Alex Bowman (29th), Erik Jones (35th), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (38th), Justin Haley (39th), Chase Elliott (40th).

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