Stop #10: Talladega
By Ryan Frisco
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| Photo Cred www.examiner.com |
From the short track at Richmond to one of the circuit's longest and fastest tracks in Talladega. Today, every driver in the field has a chance to win the race. It's not about having the best handling or the fastest car. It's about being in the right place at the right time. With restrictor plate racing at Talladega and Daytona, the weekly norm of NASCAR racing takes a break, and let's the excitement of one mistake costing 20 drivers a shot at victory preside. These tracks make winners of average or no name drivers like Derrick Cope, Trevor Bayne, and Brad Keselowski before he was good. Who's gonna be the next start and park driver to pull one out here? Maybe Dave Blaney or Scott Riggs? How bout Danica Patrick or David Gilliland? This track isn't about speed; it's about placement in the last two laps.
Big storyline of the week; Denny Hamlin is returning to race. Choosing to forgo year ending surgery in hopes of making a miraculous comeback, Hamlin is suiting up for the first time since a vicious crash at California ended with a compression fracture in his lower spine. He's not running the whole race (Brian Vickers is on hand to swap when Denny's ready) but at least starting means he'll earn the points for the race. At this point, his only chance at making the Chase is to work his way into the Top 20 in points and win at least 2 races, probably 3. I think it's possible, but definitely not easy. He definitely won't be winning this week.
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| Photo Cred www.autoweek.com |
I'm not going to talk about the starting lineup, because it really doesn't matter here. You can be 30th on one lap, then lead the next. As long as you're running 43rd in the final turn, there is a chance that the 42 cars in front of you will crash, leaving you to win the race. That's restrictor plate racing. 43 cars driving together within one second of each other. It's a recipe for excitement! It's also a recipe for disaster. The Big One, they call it.
So who will win? Why do I even try at a track like this. Let's get crazy on this predictions...Danica Patrick! Ha, how's that for bold?
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