Category: Featured Stories

After a moment of silence in memory of Dan Wheldon, who rode with every car at Talladega Speedway, and a hearty rendition of the National Anthem sung by the 82^nd Airborne Chorus, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 43^rd running of the Good Sam Club 500.

[media-credit name=”Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”257″][/media-credit]Surprising:  It was surprising that the number 100 played such an important role in the restrictor plate race at ‘Dega this weekend. Clint Bowyer’s No. 33 race car, adorned in celebration of Chevrolet’s 100^th anniversary, also scored team Richard Childress Racing its 100^th win in the sport.

This was Bowyer’s fifth win in 213 Cup races and his first victory in 2011. Bowyer, who seems to have mastered racing at Talladega, scored his second victory and sixth top-10 finish in twelve races at the Superspeedway.

“What an awesome point scheme,” Bowyer said. “This is Richard’s (Childress) 100^th race that he has won in the Cup Series.”

“I told him congratulations and I guess I am going to have to race his ass for the 101st,” Bowyer continued. “It meant a lot to me to get all these guys back in Victory Lane before we cap of this season.”

Not Surprising:  To no one’s surprise, Bowyer had not just a little bit, but a great deal, of help from a friend to secure the win. Jeff Burton, who has had one of the most miserable seasons to date in his No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet, pushed Bowyer to victory and scored a close but second place finish for his efforts.

This was Burton’s 14^th top-10 finish in 36 races at Talladega. But it was just his second top-10 finish in 2011.

“Well, that is plate racing,” Burton said. “We put ourselves in position to win the race.”

“Clint did a great job,” Burton continued. “We had a great day and anytime you leave here and the car is in one piece, you should be happy.”

“Part of me wants to cry and part of me wants to cheer, but to come that close after the year we have had is pretty disappointing.”

Surprising:  Thanks to one of the most surprising finishes, as promised, kids will eat free at Golden Corral. Dave Blaney scored that top ten required for the free meal, bringing his No. 36 Golden Coral Chevrolet home in third.

Blaney was most grateful to Brad Keselowski, who worked with him all day at ‘Dega.

“I can’t thank Brad Keselowski and that whole team enough,” Blaney said. “Man, he could really push me well.”

“It turned out good,” Blaney continued. “I’m happy for Golden Coral, finally get to feed a lot of kids on Monday and that is big for us.”

Not Surprising:  While Blaney may have been playing the part of fairy godfather, the Cinderella story continued for that driver who worked so well with him at ‘Dega. Brad Keselowski, behind the wheel of the Blue Deuce, continued his fairy tale run with a finish of fourth, hoisting him up three spots to third in the Chase point standings.

“This is exactly how we needed to leave Talladega, with a strong finish,” Keselowski said. “I gained points on the leader; gained points on really all the Chase cars.”

“We put ourselves in contention.”

Surprising:  In spite of having its windows confiscated on Friday after failing to pass inspection, the MWR teams, including Michael Waltrip, Martin Truex, Jr. and David Reutimann, rallied to finish ninth, tenth and thirteenth respectively.

“We were right where we needed to be,” Truex, Jr., the driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry said. “We’ve had good cars this season but not a lot to show for it.”

“I’m really happy,” Truex, Jr. continued. “We almost had the win.”

The driver of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, David Reutimann, echoed his teammate’s sentiments.

“We had good stops and a good strategy,” Rooty said. “The entire crew did their part to put us in contention at the end.”

Not Surprising:   Although the Red Bull tandem, especially Kasey Kahne, had some struggles early in the race, the team took flight and finished top-10 at Talladega. Brian Vickers, behind the wheel of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, finished fifth, while Kasey Kahne, piloting the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry, finished right behind him in sixth.

“The Red Bull Camrys did a great job of working together today,” Vickers said. “Kasey and I had to go to the back four or five times, but we always got back to the front.”

“This race is nerve-wracking,” Vickers continued. “It takes about two hours to go to sleep after this because your mind is still going 100 miles-per-hour.”

Surprising:  In spite of being ‘dateless’ for much of the early part of the race, Denny Hamlin actually managed to finally find a dance partner and finish the race in the eighth position.

The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing described his race this way.

“It was one of those races where it was just one of those days,” Hamlin said. “I was the odd one out for the whole race.”

“The best I can describe it is we were stuck without a date to the prom, so I was just hitting on everyone’s mom.”

Not Surprising:  With such strange deals and partnerships evolving throughout the race, to continue Hamlin’s analogy, it was not surprising that some prom dates were left jilted at the end of the dance.

Probably no one was more surprised by a betrayal than four-time champion Jeff Gordon, who had agreed to work with Trevor Bayne at the end of the race, only to be jilted, finishing 27^th.

Gordon, behind the wheel of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, had lost his wingman and dance partner Mark Martin after an on-track spin. Gordon agreed, or so he thought, to partner with his young plate protégé Trevor Bayne, behind the wheel of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford, late in the race.

But to Gordon’s dismay, Bayne, following Ford team orders, ditched the champ, going on to work with Matt Kenseth, another Ford driver, instead.

“I just think it could have been handled better,” Gordon said. “If somebody is going to screw you, you’d like them to say it to your face, you know, or at least on the radio.”

“We already had a history of working well together and I thought it was a no brainer,” Gordon continued. “But I probably should have known better.”

“Politics play out sometimes.”

Surprising:  It was surprising that the seemingly dynamic duo of Hendrick Motorsports teammates Junior and Johnson faded into such obscurity by race end. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., in the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew “Paint the 88”/National Guard Chevrolet, finished 25^th and Jimmie Johnson, in his No. 48 MyLowe’s Chevrolet, finished right behind in 26^th.

“On that last restart at the end, we had some issues with my car overheating,” Johnson said. “We lost our momentum there and got to the outside and kind of stalled out on top and finished far worse than we had hoped to.”

“We raced a little bit but not a whole lot whenever we thought they were getting a little bit crazy,” Junior said. “The cautions kept coming out and we ran over some debris.”

“We just didn’t have the track position at the end to make a run with two laps to go,” Junior continued. “Just not enough time.”

Not Surprising:  Roush dominance, to no one’s surprise, continued to reign in the point standings even after the rough race at Talladega. Cousin Carl, who finished eleventh in his No. 99 Subway Ford, now reigns atop the leader board with a 14 point advantage.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever been so excited about 11^th place,” Edwards said. “Even though it is not a win, it is a big battle in the war and a huge day for us.”

Now nipping at his heels, however, is Edwards’ teammate, steady Matt Kenseth, who finished 18^th in his No. 17 Jeremiah Weed Ford , moving up one position to second place in the points.

“It was frustrating that we ran up there most of the day,” Kenseth said. “David (Ragan) was a great drafting partner but he broke something on the last restart.”

“I had to try to find somebody with two laps to go and that is hard,” Kenseth continued. “We made it through so I guess the damage could have been worse.”

Surprising:  It was blessedly surprising how well all of the safety measures worked at Talladega, one of the sport’s fastest, and most dangerous, superspeedways. Just ask Regan Smith, who took one of the hardest hits of the day.

“Yeah, it was not a fun hit,” Smith, behind the wheel of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, said after crashing so hard into the safer barriers that they had to be repaired before the race could re-start. “It is what we do at restrictor plate tracks and we unfortunately get caught up in other people’s messes.”

To add insult to injury, Smith’s hauler suffered a fire after the race as a result of some fuel spillage.

“It is what it is,” Smith said with a sigh.

Not Surprising:  With the wreck and death of Dan Wheldon in the IndyCar Series last weekend weighing so heavily on everyone’s mind, it was no wonder that many of the drivers were just grateful to come out of the Talladega race unscathed.

“I am alive, so that is good,” Marcos Ambrose, driver of the No. 9 Stanley Ford, said simply. “I am disappointed with the result but with everything that was going on out there and with as much stuff as happened, I am pretty thankful that we were just able to cross the finish line at the end.”

Perhaps Brad Keselowski summed up the Talladega race weekend best.

“It must have had something to do with the memory of Dan (Wheldon) on the back of the car,” Keselowski said. “I just want to say a shout-out to him and his family.”

With the Chase as close as it has been through five races and especially with the new point system, it’s hard for a driver to extend their point lead. It’s even harder to do so after a race at Talladega Superspeedway but Carl Edwards did so on Sunday afternoon.

[media-credit id=2 align=”alignright” width=”227″][/media-credit]Entering the day with a five-point advantage on Kevin Harvick, Edwards like every other Chase driver was just looking to survive. He did so by playing it safe and earning an 11^th place finish. It puts him now 14 points ahead in the Chase lead, the largest it has been, over teammate Matt Kenseth.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever been excited about 11^th place,” said Edwards afterward. “This race was one that is nerve-wracking for everyone. We came in here with a small points lead and we’re leaving with a bigger one. That’s a huge day for us.”

Thanks in part to another teammate, Greg Biffle. The two played possum in the back of the field for nearly all of the races 188 laps. Looking to avoid trouble and be around when it mattered most. Edwards also didn’t want to cause any trouble, something he did in the Chase a few seasons ago which not only ended a few drivers’ championship bids, but earned him a new enemies as well.

Not the case on Sunday. He and Biffle stayed out of trouble and capitalized on other drivers problems. Because of the new two-car drafting Biffle became an important part of Edwards’ day and success. The two stuck together, never leaving each other’s bumpers and worked their plan from start to finish. Something that Edwards was thankful for in the end.

“I cannot believe how much Greg helped us today,” said Edwards. “I owe him a lot. Greg stuck with me all day. The last lap, he was driving my car from back there. We got separated and he was screaming, ‘Go, go, go.’ Then somehow he found me again, pushed us back up through there a little bit. Just a very, very good day. Just really appreciate Subway being onboard. Good to get them a good finish. Even though it’s not a win, it’s a big battle in the war, a huge day for us.”

The series next stop is the paperclip in Virginia, a track that Edwards has never won on. But following his performance and good fortune Sunday, he now says he has never been as excited to get to Martinsville as he currently is. Ready to rock, is what Edwards feels.

But it doesn’t mean that he’ll be breathing any easier. Unlike Talladega where a driver isn’t in control of their own destiny, Edwards knows that anything can happen over the next four weeks.

“No, no,” said Edwards about feeling in good shape and taking a breath. “That would be nice, I’d love that. We’d have to have a hundred-point lead to take a breath. Anything can happen. I’m proud of our team, where we’ve come from, how far we’ve come in the last 18 months. It’s unbelievable.”

Edwards says that it shows how hard everyone has worked. And how much responsibility everyone is willing to take in order to fix what was needed to be fix. It helps Edwards have fun driving what he believes is the best team and best cars in the sport. Yet, he knows he has stiff competition from another driver who has exactly the same thing.

Coming off a win at Charlotte and a 18^th place finish at Talladega, Matt Kenseth is also in championship form and now Roush Fenway Racing drivers sit one-two in points.

“I’m a little nervous about Matt, honestly, ‘cause I know how good he is and how good his team is,” Edwards said. “Having him in second doesn’t make me breath easier competitive wise.”

Neither does the fact that Edwards has been here before. Chasing a championship and being oh so close to holding the trophy. In those cases though, Edwards was left standing on the sideline watching another driver do it. And with some of his best tracks ahead, he still won’t think about what could be for 2011.

Instead he’s content just knowing that his team is competitive every week. Right now, says Edwards, his team is better than they were in years past when they were in this position. Everything is better in fact, the team and the cars.

“Just glad to be in the position I’m in,” he said. “It’s amazing to drive these Fords right now for Jack [Roush, owner]. It’s a lot of fun.”

Trevor Bayne is receiving a lot of flak for “Ditching” Jeff Gordon. And okay. I get it! Giving someone your word and then leaving them out to dry isn’t going to win many “Most Popular Driver” awards. As bad as it was, this is the way of restrictor plate racing. “Ditching,” people has and always will happen.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”249″][/media-credit]Take the 2000 Daytona 500 for example. Late in the running, 2 time Daytona 500 champion Dale Jarrett’s crew chief Todd Parrott walked to Mark Martin’s pit and told them he wanted to stay with Martin and go to the front. Martin and crew chief Jimmy Fennig agreed.

However, later on in the race Mark Martin shot high. Jarrett, who was behind Martin stayed low, leaves Martin out to dry in a long line of cars. Jarrett went on to win the 500, Martin ended up 5th. Jarrett would apologize in victory lane for the incident.

What makes this situation different? Trevor Bayne is a great guy, who apologized for the incident just like Jarrett. Why is he getting flak? Do I believe him he was given team orders? Of course! It’s Jack Roush’s job to put his guys in the best situation and by telling Bayne to draft with Kenseth he did that.

Roush is trying to win a championship with Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. If you’re an owner of a company and one of your employees can help benefit another for the benefit of the organization, wouldn’t you do that? Who wouldn’t?

The problem is simple- The two car draft. NASCAR has done a nice job trying to fix the problem, but so far their steps have been unsuccessful. Expect more steps to be taken as we head closer to the Daytona 500 in February.

Trevor Bayne and Jack Roush are both not at fault. It’s Talladega people! Both did what they should have done. Don’t hate those guys, hate the racing!

Will we see massive two car tandem racing? Will drivers use multiple radio channels to negotiate with draft partners? Will a larger restrictor plate on the engines create more single car passing? Can two cars hook up in a draft without grease on their bumpers? Will there be a big one?

These are just some of the questions we will all be asking when the teams from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series takes the green flag for Sunday’s running of the Good Sam Club 500 at the Talladega Super Speedway. There are so many factors that comes with racing on this massive super speedway that anything could happen by the time the race is over.

Yes, that includes the possibility of a positive or negative impact on the hopes of the group of drivers who are still very much in contention to win the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship. The biggest question of all could turn out to be: will Talladega turn out to be a Chase maker or a Chase breaker?

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THE STORY BREAKDOWN

There are two significant changes, regarding the style of racing we normally see at Talladega, recently handed down by NASCAR. The first is a change in the restrictor plate. The original intent of placing these plates over the engine’s carburetor was to slow the cars down. So it was highly interesting to note that NASCAR decided to issue a plate with larger openings on them. The new plate for Sunday’s race is 1/64th of an inch larger and the openings will now measure 57/64th of an inch in diameter. As minuscule as those measurements seem, it will raise the engine output an additional seven to ten horsepower. That could push average speeds past 200 MPH. It’s also possible that the new restrictor plates could increase the individual passing capability of the cars.

The second major change for the Talladega race involves the pressure relief valves on the car’s cooling system. It will be re calibrated to reduce the pressure by approximately eight pounds per square inch. This change is expected to greatly impact the bumper to bumper two car tandem drafting that has become so prevalent in restrictor plate races at both Talladega and Daytona. The pop off valve change is expected to reduce the number of laps in which the two cars can stay locked together. The change could mean that the two cars will have to swap positions on a more frequent basis. It’s anticipated that the car pushing from the rear may have to pull away every one to two laps to get some badly needed fresh air for the radiator.

While the change in the pop off valve rating could lessen some of the two by two tandem racing we’ve seen lately, the increased swapping of positions between the two cars could create concern regarding a potential crash. That factor leads to a NASCAR mandated change in the team’s policy of lubricating the rear bumpers of their cars. Simply put, they can’t use that procedure anymore. In past restrictor plate races the teams used everything from lubricants, ointments and even cooking spray on the bumpers to prevent the pushing car from accidentally spinning out the lead car in the tandem. The lubricants also prevented the two bumpers from getting locked up after the contact was made.

NASCAR said earlier this year that they would not make any rule changes regarding the multi-channel radio systems the drivers used to set up drafting partnerships with another driver. Many of the drivers have already established partnerships based on successful hook ups during last April’s Talladega race. But if a new partner is needed they will have direct radio connections to a variety of drivers to help them charge to the front of the pack.

Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr once referred to this two by two tandem procedure as “love bug racing.” He’s right, it does resemble two roaches engaged in intimate relations. But that procedure may be a little more difficult during Sunday’s Talladega race. It’s not easy playing love bug without the grease.

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THE LAS VEGAS BREAKDOWN

To determine who’s going to be terrific at Talladega, or terrible at Talladega, we once again turn to the professional number crunchers from the Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, (WSE). Topping their Talladega list is Kevin Harvick at 10 to 1 odds. Let’s face it, Harvick and his Richard Childress Budweiser team, are very good at restrictor plate racing. He’s currently ranked second in the Chase standings and only five points from the top. He’s a previous race winner at Talladega with six top five finishes and ten top ten finishes. He also has a healthy average finish ratio, (AFR), of 14.3. If Harvick can find a way to tag team with his Childress team mate Clint Bowyer this Sunday then look out. This will be a very tough tandem.

Also at 10 to 1 odds is Dale Earnhardt Jr. When it comes to restrictor plate racing, this driver learned his lessons well from his famous father. Junior is a five time winner at Talladega with nine top fives and a 14.6 AFR. He also has seven career super speedway wins. Unfortunately his Chase hopes are pretty much over, ninth at -60 points, so that means he’s free to concentrate on an issue that’s really bothering him: that win less streak that dates back to the summer of 2008. Earnhardt was extremely strong at Talladega last April and was the second half of a tandem that pushed team mate, and race winner, Jimmie Johnson under the checkers. This is actually a very good wager consideration.

At 12 to 1 odds you will find a highly potent quintet featuring drivers Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch.

Kyle Busch’s 12 to 1 ranking is seemingly based on the fact that his Chase racing doldrums is bound to end sooner or later. Despite those doldrums, he’s still fourth in the Chase standings 18 points away. He’s a previous Talladega winner, but his AFR is a very high 24.2. But it’s this driver’s tendency to charge to the front of the field, like the proverbial bull in a china shop, that makes him a solid wager consideration for Sunday’s race.

Tony Stewart, fifth in the points and 24 away, is a previous Talladega winner, with a 15.5 AFR, He also has six super speedway wins. However this team’s performance levels has been up and down since the Chase began five races ago. If they can get control of the car’s handling package at the very beginning of the race, they could become major players next Sunday.

Jeff Gordon, 11th in the standings and 66 points away, is worried about winning that coveted fifth NASCAR championship and he should be. That late race spin at Charlotte last weekend has his title hopes gasping for air. The good news here are the stats he’s managed to collect over the years at Talladega and Daytona. He has a series high six wins at Talladega with 14 top fives and a 16.1 AFR. He also has a total of 20 super speedway wins. His drive for five championship run is not officially over yet, but he needs something amazing out of this Sunday’s race to rejuvenate it.

Jimmie Johnson, eighth in the Chase and 35 points away, is a two time Talladega winner, including last April’s very close finish, with a 16.4 AFR and six super speedway wins. His drive for six consecutive championships took a major hit following that savage wreck sustained at Charlotte last weekend. He’s going to need a strong finish this Sunday to get things back on track again. But let’s now rule out his championship status just yet. No one in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing fully understands the title process like this team does.

Kurt Busch, seventh in the standings and 27 points away, is still looking for that first ever super speedway win. However he does have a healthy 13.9 AFR at Talladega. The line of thinking, behind the 12 to 1 odds rating, may be that this team is due to win at the big tracks. That will depend on the Penske Dodge horsepower factor. It was a little lacking last weekend at Charlotte.

The WSE has series points leader Carl Edwards ranked at 15 to 1 this week. Like Kurt Busch, Edwards is also looking for his first super speedway win and has a very high 20.9 AFR at Talladega. He also may be overdue to rectify this situation this Sunday. But there might be one major drawback in that effort: Ford racing doesn’t exactly have strong numbers at Talladega.

At 18 to 1 you will find Clint Bowyer the defending Talladega race winner from last October. Bowyer has a 17.8 AFR at Talladega but, once again, if he can hook up in a two car tandem with team mate Kevin Harvick he might turn out to be an interesting long shot wage consideration.

At 20 to 1 odds are a quintet of drivers beginning with Jamie McMurray. He’s a previous Talladega winner, with four previous super speedway wins. He’s very good at restrictor plate racing, but this is a driver who has endured a very disappointing season. It’s a safe bet that he will be happen to see New Year’s Eve.

Also in this group is Brad Keselowski who is sixth in the Chase standings and 25 points away. Keselowski won his first ever Cup race at Talladega. If they can get peak horsepower out of that Penske Dodge this Sunday, he might may an interesting long shot wager consideration.

David Ragan is also in the 20 to 1 group and here’s another interesting long shot consideration. In recent years he’s turned out to be rather good at plate racing. He proved that last summer with his first Cup win at Daytona. Ragan needs a strong run at Talladega because he’s auditioning for a sponsor and possibly even a job. Long time sponsor UPS will not be returning after this year and the prospects of finding a replacement are not looking good. Ragan has already been told by Roush Fenway Racing to feel free to talk to other teams because they will not campaign the #6 car next year without funding.

Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne completes the 20 to 1 group. Hamlin, 12th in the Chase standings and 86 points away, has endured a very disappointing 2011 season and is another driver who’s likely looking forward to New Year’s Eve.

Meanwhile Kahne would love to get the beleaguered Red Bull Racing team a win before he leaves them to move to his new ride with Hendrick Motorsports next season. Unfortunately his Talladega numbers, including a very high 22.9 AFR, says not to expect a win this Sunday.

At 22 to 1 you will find the duo of Chase contenders Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman. Kenseth, ranked third in the Chase and seven points away, has the momentum of last weekend’s victory at Charlotte. His team is on fire when it comes to pit road service. He’s still looking for his first win at Talladega, and has a 19.3 AFR there, but considering the performance level of this team since the Chase began, Kenseth is a solid long shot consideration.

The same does not necessarily apply to Newman because there is no strength in his Talladega numbers. Ranked tenth in the Chase standings and 61 points away, it’s time for the #39 team to concentrate on wins and laying the groundwork for 2012.

The WSE’s lower tier begins this week with drivers Greg Biffle and Joey Logano ranked at 25 to 1. Here’s two candidates who are looking forward to having a party on New Year’s Eve. Biffle has been completely snake bit this season and potential wins have been disrupted by harsh luck such as a missing lug nut following a pit stop at the Charlotte race.

Meanwhile Logano spent a significant portion of the season waiting to see if Carl Edwards was going to take over his ride while watching his 2011 performance levels slide down hill. The driver originally referred to as “the best thing since sliced bread” seems to have grown some mold on that bread this year. It’s time to place the focus on rebuilding for the 2012 season.

At 28 to 1 you will find the tandem of Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Burton followed by previous Talladega winners Mark Martin and Brian Vickers at 30 to 1. Drivers Martin Truex Jr and Paul Menard are rated at 35 to 1 while David Reutimann and A J Allmendinger concludes this week’s WSE list at 40 to 1.

Any driver not listed is automatically listed at 15 to 1 odds by the WSE.

Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these numbers are for informational and entertainment purposes. They neither encourage nor condone the placing of wagers on their events.

But, if you’re going to do it anyway, then you may as well carefully examine the numbers provided for you from the professionals at the WSE.

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THE RACE BREAKDOWN

The Good Sam Club 500 is 188 laps/500.8 miles around the Talladega Motor Speedway’s massive 2.66 mile quad oval.

The race has 46 entries. 13 of those entries are on the go or go home list. These teams are not guaranteed a start in Sunday’s race because they are currently outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’ points. They will have to earn a start based on their qualifying speed.

The defending race winner, from October 2010, is Clint Bowyer. Jimmie Johnson won the most recent Talladega race last April.

There has been 84 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, since the Talladega Super Speedway opened in 1969, that has sent 41 winners to victory lane. The first ever Cup race, held in September of 1969, was won by Richard Brickhouse. Dale Earnhardt Sr leads the speedway’s win list at Talladega with ten trips to the winner’s circle. In the modern era Jeff Gordon tops the Talladega win list with six. Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are tied for the team wins with 11 each. Dale Earnhardt Jr holds the track record for consecutive wins there with four from October 2001 to April 2003.

Talladega is known for creating multi-car crashes, referred to as “the big one”, during its races. The most laps ran under caution there is 62. But despite the speedway’s reputation for big crashes, there has been three times over the years when a Talladega race was ran caution free. The last occasion was October of last year.

A Talladega race is also known for massive lead changes. The track record is 88 lead swaps on two occasions with the last one being in April of this year. The speedway is also noted for extremely close finishes. Since the creation of NASCAR’s loop scoring system back in 1993, every Talladega race since then has had a margin of victory of under one half of a second. The track record, for margin of victory, is 0.0002 seconds set last April. That margin also ties the all time NASCAR record set by Ricky Craven’s win at Darlington back in 2003.

The track qualifying record, prior to the use of restrictor plates, is 212.809 MPH, set by Bill Elliott back in 1987. “Awesome Bill From Dawsonville” also holds the speedway’s qualifying record, with the use of a restrictor plate, at 199.388 MPH set in 1990. 13 race winners have started from the pole position, 33 wins have derived from the front row and 23 races have been won from starting positions outside of the top ten. There has been 35 different pole winners since 1969.

The Talladega Super Speedway is a 2.66 mile quad oval that is 48 feet wide with a 12 foot apron. The speedway’s massive turns has 33 degrees of banking. The tri-oval area is banked at 18 degrees. The front stretch, including the tri-oval, is 4,300 feet long with 16.5 degrees of banking. The backstretch measures 4,000 feet but only has a very challenging two degrees of banking. Pit road is 3,000 feet long and 48 feet wide. The pit road speed is 55 MPH. The speedway presently has seating to accommodate 143,231 fans.

Sunday’s Good Sam 500 will be broadcast live by the ESPN Network with the “Countdown” show beginning at 1 pm eastern time. The race re airs will be Monday morning, 12 am et, on ESPN2 and again next Wednesday, 12 pm et, on SPEED.