NASCAR: Justin Haley joins exclusive club with Talladega win

By Asher Fair | Jun 21, 2020

Justin Haley, Kaulig Racing, Talladega, NASCAR, Cup Series (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

Justin Haley’s Xfinity Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway made him the 32nd driver to win at each of NASCAR’s top three levels.

Nearly two years after having what would have been his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in his just second career start at Daytona International Speedway taken from him because he went below the yellow line to make the winning pass, Justin Haley found victory lane at NASCAR’s second highest level on Saturday evening at Talladega Superspeedway.

After starting the 113-lap Unhinged 300 race around the four-turn, 2.66-mile (4.281-kilometer) high-banked oval from the pole position in his #11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, Haley won stage one and led a total of 16 laps en route to a 0.299-second victory over teammate Ross Chastain. He made the winning pass on JR Motorsports’ Jeb Burton on the final lap.

As a result of his victory, which clinches him a spot in the playoffs as the fifth different full-time driver to win this season, Haley has now won at least one race at each of NASCAR’s top three levels.

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In what was his first full season of Truck Series competition in 2018, Haley won three races, one at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, another at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park via a last-lap pass and another at Texas Motor Speedway via another last-lap pass.

Then last year in what was just is third career Cup Series start, Haley pulled off what is widely considered one of NASCAR’s all-time greatest upsets at Daytona International Speedway.

He was running in 27th place when “The Big One” happened in the race’s third and final stage. Several cars came into the pits for repairs, while others came in for new tires and fuel. Haley did not. He was now running in third, behind only Kurt Busch and Landon Cassill.

Busch, Cassill and Haley were banking on bad weather, as there was rain in the area. But because the one to go signal was given, Busch and Cassill abandoned that strategy to make pit stops. Haley stayed out, and moments later, lightning struck.

And over the next few hours, if it wasn’t lightning, it was rain. NASCAR eventually called the race, and Haley, despite the fact that he was running all the way back in 27th place during the final moments of green flag competition. He officially led only the final lap.

By winning Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, Haley becomes the 32nd driver to win at least one race at each of NASCAR’s top three levels and the first since Chase Elliott won his first Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International in August of 2018.

Four of Haley’s first five NASCAR victories, including the last four in a row, have come via last-lap lead changes — and so did his “non-win” at Daytona International Speedway in July of 2018.

Haley is just the sixth driver in this group of 32 whose first Cup Series win came before his first Xfinity Series win. He is the first of these six drivers since Kurt Busch won his first Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in March of 2002 before winning his first Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in April of 2006.

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Nearly two years between drivers joining this group is the longest drought since Denny Hamlin won his first Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway in October of 2011 to become the 23rd driver to win at all three levels and then the 24th driver wasn’t added until July of 2014 when Aric Almirola won his first Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway.