This might be it — the competition that causes the most nerves amongst chase drivers, as well as the one that could also determine the 2013 Sprint Cup championship.
Talladega is where championship and dreams are washed away, where they’re swept into a heap of crumpled sheet steel, or towed away on the back of a vehicle.
Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m., ESPN) is the wild-card race of the Chase, the one that could vastly alter the championship standings and determine whom makes it to the finish still with title hopes.
Matt Kenseth leads five-time winner Jimmie Johnson by four points with five Chase events left. Kevin Harvick is behind by 29 points, Jeff Gordon by 36 and Kyle Busch by 37.
Johnson has won two out of three restrictor-plate events this season and completed fourth at Talladega in May. But he understands that means nothing this week-end. He completed just one of the four restrictor-plate events this season and had been among the final-lap crash in that one.
“Really, I’ll be anxious to get out of there (laughs),” Johnson stated. “I’m simply prepared for it to take place, and get on, and compete from there.”
Harvick has won at Daytona and Talladega and drives for one of the best restrictor-plate groups in the sport. But he understands there isn’t any strategy for Talladega.
“Don’t wreck. That’s the ideal strategy,” he stated. “Just how you choose to do that? we don’t mind, but I’m hoping we have the fortune we require to be sure that we don’t have any major problems this week-end.”
Every motorist enters Talladega with the hope of avoiding the inescapable crash that wipes out a dozen or even more vehicles. The previous year’s Chase race had been fairly uneventful — until a 24-car crash on the last lap!
The May competition showcased two big crashes that took out a total of 26 cars.
“You need to go into this competition with a good mindset,” said Jeff Gordon, a six-time winner at Talladega. “With the big-pack racing, there’s constantly the possibility of the ‘Big One.’ But you have to approach this race with a good mindset; battle to prevent whatever may happen and hope you come out of it with a racecar.
“It doesn’t also have to be in one single piece. It simply has to get across the (finish) line with a decent finish.”
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Matt Kenseth — He won this competition last season, and then led a competition-high 142 laps here in May. He additionally led 86 laps in the Daytona 500, which he has won two times, before blowing a engine. Kenseth will do his best to get to the front side and remain there.
Jimmie Johnson — Johnson has been the class of restrictor-plate tracks this season, winning both events at Daytona and completing 5th at Talladega in May. He dominated the final plate competition, leading 94 laps at Daytona in July. If Kenseth is out front side, Johnson numbers to be shadowing him. Or vice-versa.
Brad Keselowski — Keselowski has become one of the sport’s best restrictor-plate motorists, particularly at Talladega, where he has won two times. He won here in springtime and completed seventh in this competition last season. He additionally completed fourth in the Daytona 500. Coming down his very first win of the period final week at Charlotte, Keselowski will be brimming with self-confidence and searching to play the part of spoiler once again.
Jeff Gordon — Gordon snuck into the Chase but has raced into contention. Today he’s going to be attempting to catapult himself into title contention. He has 12 job restrictor-plate wins, nevertheless the final one emerged at Talladega in 2007. He completed third here in 2011 and 2nd in this competition last season. If he can stay away from the crashes, he could be a big contender.