Aric Almirola saved enough gas and took the lead from his teammate Kurt Busch when the No. 41 ran out of fuel exiting Turn 4 on the last lap. His win advances him to Round 3.
Dover winner Chase Elliott almost spun when Alex Bowman brought out a caution with three laps remaining in regulation. He pitted for fresh tires. He spun on the final lap and finished 31st, one lap off the pace.
Kevin Harvick won Stage 2. He was forced to pit as the green flag waved in the overtime finish. Despite running in the top four most of the afternoon, he finished 28th.
Kyle Busch struggled with handling issues most of the afternoon. Mired in the pack, he sustained damage during the last-lap crash and finished 26th.
Joey Logano entered Talladega with a two-race streak of top fives on this track. He extended that streak with a fifth-place finish.
Kurt Busch won the pole and Stage 1. After the race, he was critical of NASCAR for two calls that impacted the finish. Busch finished 14th.
Clint Bowyer claimed to need a win at the beginning of the weekend, but a good points day was enough. He finished second in both stages and the race.
Martin Truex Jr. ran in the back half of the pack for much of Stages 1 and 2. He complained about something “banging in the rear” during the second stage. He was involved in the last lap crash, but continued around the track to finish in 23rd.
Below the cutoff line
Brad Keselowski did not score any playoff points. He fell to 27th on the last lap and fell 18 points below the bubble.
Ryan Blaney faltered as the field came to green during the overtime attempt. He finished 29th.
Kyle Larson battled an ill-handling car during the first two stages. He spun with seven laps remaining in Stage 2 and tore up his right front fender. Larson finished just outside the top 10 in 11th.
Alex Bowman spun with three laps remaining and collected JJ Yeley and William Byron. Bowman sustained significant damage and finished two laps off the pace in 33rd.