Amp Energy 500 Race Preview

Talladega Superspeedway -- 10/05/08

Author: Becca Gladden

Published: Thursday Oct 2 2008 12:11am

Leave it to colorful NASCAR driver Elliott Sadler to come up with the perfect description of the site if this weekend's NASCAR race - Talladega.

"Talladega is Talladega."

I think that just about says it all.

NASCAR fans already know the gig at Talladega - restrictor plate racing at harrowing speeds, the drafting drama, and the inevitable multi-car pileup known as "The Big One."

To be fair, Sadler did elaborate on his description: "It is the wild card of all the racetracks that we visit. You can go from first to fifteenth in less than a second. It is close, exciting racing - literally less than an inch apart at times. One false move and you not only end your day, but could end the day of half the field. It is exciting to watch and always makes for great finishes, but from a driver's perspective it is all about focus, control, and a little bit of luck. It’s a 200 mile per hour chess match, and every move you make counts."

Talladega Superspeedway is a 2.66-mile tri-oval known for its distinct brand of wild racing. The north and south turns at Talladega have 33-degrees of banking, while the grandstands tri-oval is banked at 18 degrees.

There have been 78 Cup races at Talladega dating back to 1969. Looking at the past 20 races, only three have been won by a car make other than Chevy. Those three winners were Dale Jarrett in a Ford in both 1998 and 2005, and Kyle Busch in a Toyota earlier this year.

Five of those 20 races were won by Dale Earnhardt Jr., and another five by Jeff Gordon, though Gordon leads all drivers with six total wins, including his sweep of the track last season.

Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. are head and shoulders above the rest of the fields in terms of 'Dega wins. Single race winners include Brian Vickers, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Michael Waltrip, Ken Schrader and Bobby Labonte.

Perhaps surprisingly, Kurt Busch leads all drivers in the average finish category with an 11.9. He's never won a Talladega race, but Busch has six top 5s and 11 top 10s in 15 starts, though he came in 39th in the spring after getting caught in a late-race crash.

Following Busch in the average finish category are Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Kevin Harvick.

But hold all tickets, race fans. In the past five Talladega races (both spring and fall), the driver who has accumulated the most points including bonus points is … Jimmie Johnson.

Johnson has a win and five top 10s in 13 Talladega starts. He finished 2nd in both 2007 races and 13th this spring.

Of course, Johnson is the current points leader, followed by Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle. In eight starts here, Edwards' best finish was a 5th in 2005. He finished 14th in this race last year and 40th in April. Biffle's best finish was also a 5th in 2006. He finished 20th last fall and 31st in the spring.

Following Jimmie Johnson in the five-race points report are Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman.

At press time, nascar oddsmakers are favoring four drivers, all at +600: Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The Stewart pick frankly puzzles me, as he's winless in 19 'Dega starts, with two DNFs in the last three races and sub-par runs so far in the Chase - though it is rarely appropriate to count Stewart totally out of contention.

Denny Hamlin is at +1250, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick at +1650, and Kurt Busch at +1850.

Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle are currently betting at +2850.