Jonathan Davenport's NASCAR Saturday - Stages 1 to 5

NASCAR Saturday got underway at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a doubleheader event featuring the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 and NASCAR Xfinity Series Clash on the fast track.

There were plenty of surprises and drama throughout the race, as Chase Briscoe took ninth place to secure her spot in the Round of 8!

Stage 1

Stage one of Jonathan Davenport's NASCAR Saturday was a disaster, but the race is back on track with just two laps remaining. A massive crash that involved seven drivers left Austin Cindric and Kyle Busch out due to injuries sustained in the hit that sent them into the wall.

On the restart, Jones held onto a commanding lead until Allgaier, Berry and Mayer attempted to make it work. In the end, Berry emerged ahead of all three as he held off Jones' furious charge to take command at the end of the stage.

Ford Performance driver James Mangold maintained his top five position during an extended and eventful second stage, but an air pressure adjustment, four tires and fuel during the break allowed him to climb into second place before the race concluded.

With the track still relatively new, it can be difficult to predict how often cautions will occur. But there are a few things to keep in mind:

Hamlin remains the favorite for the race after his two stage victories last week. As the defending winner at Talladega, he has led more laps this season than any other driver and boasts five stage wins to his credit.

Elliott, Logano and Truex all have road course wins this season, so they should all be considered contenders in this race. It could be an interesting test to see which of them can make the most of their time at a high-speed track.

Hailie Deegan had to adjust to the new track, but she still managed to qualify in 10th and raced within the top-10 for most of Stage 1. Unfortunately, a penalty on pit road for crew member over the wall too soon dropped her back into the pack for Stage 2.

Stage 2

Stage 2 of the DoorDash 250 saw an exciting battle for the lead between two JR Motorsports drivers. Berry led the first 25 laps, but was challenged by Stefan Parsons who spun and brought out a caution flag.

Berry eventually took the stage ahead of Jones, John-Hunter Nemechek, Gibbs, Allmendinger, Gragson, Herbst and Creed to take command of the race leaderboard for this week's Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Ford teams have had a history of dominance at Talladega, winning 10 out of the last 13 races there. That success should be taken into account when making your predictions for this week's stage.

Hamlin has been unbeatable to this point of the season, and his two stage wins at Richmond last week helped him extend his season-leading lead. Coming off of a strong win at Talladega in October, Hamlin now has two wins and nine Top 5s from 30 starts there this year.

Truex is another excellent option to consider, as he has had an outstanding year on road courses with five wins and four podium finishes this year. Furthermore, Truex boasts an impressive track record at Talladega; five of his last six starts have seen him finish in the Top 10 there.

Billy Torrence (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) all have the chance to double up this weekend at Texas Motorplex. All three teams boast impressive resumes, so look for them to finish in the Top 10 this week.

Stage 3

Stage 3 is an integral part of every NASCAR weekend, when drivers must decide if they want to race hard for victory or try another strategy. With race points on the line and playoff bonus points for winning stages, this decision could make or break their weekend.

Help the top drivers of NASCAR reach victory with FOX's Super 6 Stage 2 contest! It's free and requires picking six correct answers about Stage 2 of this week's Geico 500 - and if you make it all right, you could win $25,000 from Clint Bowyer plus a brand-new RV 6 from Camping World!

For the second week in a row, Toyota had three cars among the top 10 of stage two in Phoenix; Hamlin (second), Bell (seventh) and Truex (eighth).

On the opening stage, Busch started in third position but his car proved too tight for him to handle. As the event progressed, however, Busch made some bold moves and moved into second place.

On lap 75, Toyota pitted for four tires and adjustments to address handling issues. After the restart, Busch remained on the lead lap and went on to win the stage.

This week's race takes place on a long and winding track that may not have as many cautions as shorter tracks, though that could be beneficial. That also means drivers don't have as much experience with this type of track. That said, you can't ignore the speed of these cars or those who know how to lead laps at this type of venue - that's where Hamlin, Logano and Keselowski come into play.

Stage 4

Stage 4 was an intense stage with two pit stops and numerous lead changes. Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher took the early lead, but then it became a race between them until one finally edged past the other.

On the restart, a Toyota came to the front and then it was back down to three: Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott were vying for that position. William Byron made up some ground on pit road by picking up some spots to move into contention at the front.

This season, The Fords have had a remarkable run at Talladega; winning 10 of 13 races and placing in the top five multiple times. With such an impressive pedigree, it's no surprise they are so successful here.

Joey Logano has demonstrated some speed at Talladega this year and is a likely favorite to win the stage as well. He ranks second in laps led this season and has three victories at Talladega out of 24 attempts.

Aric Almirola is another viable option, having cracked the top 10 in each of his last six races and running strong in Stage 2. However, Martin Truex Jr. has always finished in the top five when running Stage 2, coming off an impressive win in Phoenix.

As always, FOX Super 6's free app has all the Stage 2 action covered - just download it now and make your picks! If you're correct, you could win $25,000 and a brand-new RV 6 from Camping World! Plus, stay up to date on Jonathan Davenport's race updates!

Stage 5

Stage 5 began with a series of yellows and restarts. On the initial restart, Rhodes pulled away to win from Ty Majeski, Joey Logano and Stewart Friesen by a wide margin.

On the next restart after Andrew Gordon's spin with 13 laps remaining, Rhodes again took control of the race from Majeski and pulled away for victory - his fifth of the season and first in the Truck Series.

With the race still green, Cole Custer experienced a tire blowout. Luckily he was able to push his car around without injury but then got into some trouble several laps later when something broke inside of it; fortunately he was able to escape without further harm.

Toyota has had a remarkable run at Talladega, with six cars finishing in the top five each of the last four Stages. It appears they may be on track for another victory this week!

Hendrick Motorsports boasts a remarkable road course track record and William Byron made the top 10 in Phoenix; many predict he will do the same this weekend as well.

There are other drivers who could make the cut this week as well. AJ Allmendinger has had a remarkable run at Talladega, winning three times there; Ryan Blaney is another driver worth watching out for this week.

Denny Hamlin boasts an impressive track record at Talladega and leads the NASCAR Cup standings by only a few points, even without having won a race this year. Additionally, Hamlin has recorded four top-10 Stage 2 finishes this year.

Hopefully, one of these drivers can make history and take home the big prize in the Geico 500. But if you're betting on Martin Truex Jr., his odds appear to be the best in town.