Wednesday, October 21, 2015

2015 Week 32 Preview: Talladega

CampingWorld.com 500

Talladega Superspeedway


By Richard Tix

Everyone know's it. The big one is coming. NASCAR heads to Talladega this week which means two things when you say the big one. First, everyone knows at some point a large wreck is possible and it will effect a lot of drivers.

Second, this race in general is a big one for Chase drivers. It is the last one in the round and the last chance to put together a good finish before four more drivers are eliminated. Some drivers are in desperate need of a win, while others just need a quality finish. With so many different strategies and mindsets, along with the nature of superspeedways, the CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega is setting up to be a dramatic race.



The Good
  • Clint Bowyer- Bowyer is a surprising name to this list most of the time, but he find's his way around superspeedways very well. Many times he takes the wait in the back approach, and then he finds his way to the front when it counts. He has 10 top 10's in 19 races here.
  • Kevin Harvick- Over his career Harvick has been streaky at Talladega, but who hasn't. Currently he has three straight top 10's.
  • Kurt Busch- Kurt went through a very rough and long stretch at Dega from 2010-2013, but since then he has two quality finishes. Over his career he has 14 top 10's in 29 starts with a 16.8 average finish (which is 7th best of current drivers and 5th best of current drivers with more than 3 starts).
The Middle
  • Jimmie Johnson- JJ has either finished really well at Dega, or he falls in the middle. Obviously we see this a lot at Dega and Daytona with the nature of the race. Earlier this season JJ finished runner up but last year in this Chase race he finished 24th.
The Bad
  • AJ Allmendinger- In 11 starts he only has one top 10 (a top 5) and an average finish of 22.8. He seems to find trouble most years on superspeedways.
  • Kyle Busch- In 20 Talladega races Kyle Busch only has 5 top 10's! Yes, five. Seems strange for a driver of his talent level. He does have 1 win and 4 top 5's in those 5 top 10's so it isn't like he can't do well.
  • Kasey Kahne- Same as Kyle, in 23 races Kahne only has 5, yes 5 top 10's. Three of those are top 5's, but he still should be better here.

Check out the NASCAR Behind the Wall article: The Big One
  • A look at some NASCAR videos of some past "big ones" at Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Race
Date
Cars
Winner(s)
St
Make / Model
1969-44
9/14/1969
36
Richard Brickhouse
9
'69 Dodge
1970-10
4/12/1970
40
Pete Hamilton
6
'70 Plymouth
1970-35
8/23/1970
50
Pete Hamilton
4
'70 Plymouth
1971-18
5/16/1971
50
Donnie Allison
1
'69 Mercury
1971-37
8/22/1971
50
Bobby Allison
2
'69 Mercury
1972-11
5/7/1972
50
David Pearson
2
'71 Mercury
1972-21
8/6/1972
50
James Hylton
22
'71 Mercury
1973-10
5/6/1973
60
David Pearson
2
'71 Mercury
1973-20
8/12/1973
50
Dick Brooks
24
'72 Plymouth
1974-10
5/5/1974
50
David Pearson
1
'73 Mercury
1974-21
8/11/1974
48
Richard Petty
3
'74 Dodge
1975-10
5/4/1975
50
Buddy Baker
1
'75 Ford
1975-19
8/17/1975
50
Buddy Baker
2
'73 Ford
1976-10
5/2/1976
40
Buddy Baker
12
Ford
1976-19
8/8/1976
40
Dave Marcis
1
Dodge
1977-10
5/1/1977
41
Darrell Waltrip
11
Chevrolet
1977-19
8/7/1977
40
Donnie Allison
2
Chevrolet
1978-10
5/14/1978
41
Cale Yarborough
1
Oldsmobile
1978-19
8/6/1978
41
Lennie Pond
5
Oldsmobile
1979-10
5/6/1979
39
Bobby Allison
12
Ford
1979-20
8/5/1979
41
Darrell Waltrip
8
Oldsmobile
1980-10
5/4/1980
42
Buddy Baker
2
Oldsmobile
1980-20
8/3/1980
41
Neil Bonnett
2
Mercury
1981-10
5/3/1981
40
Bobby Allison
1
Buick
1981-20
8/2/1981
42
Ron Bouchard
10
Buick
1982-09
5/2/1982
40
Darrell Waltrip
2
Buick
1982-19
8/1/1982
40
Darrell Waltrip
2
Buick
1983-08
5/1/1983
42
Richard Petty
15
Pontiac
1983-19
7/31/1983
40
Dale Earnhardt
4
Ford
1984-09
5/6/1984
40
Cale Yarborough
1
Chevrolet
1984-19
7/29/1984
40
Dale Earnhardt
3
Chevrolet
1985-09
5/5/1985
39
Bill Elliott
1
Ford
1985-17
7/28/1985
42
Cale Yarborough
2
Ford
1986-09
5/4/1986
42
Bobby Allison
2
Buick
1986-17
7/27/1986
40
Bobby Hillin, Jr.
13
Buick
1987-09
5/3/1987
41
Davey Allison
3
Ford
1987-17
7/26/1987
40
Bill Elliott
1
Ford
1988-09
5/1/1988
41
Phil Parsons
3
Oldsmobile
1988-17
7/31/1988
42
Ken Schrader
7
Chevrolet
1989-09
5/7/1989
41
Davey Allison
2
Ford
1989-17
7/30/1989
41
Terry Labonte
5
Ford
1990-09
5/6/1990
40
Dale Earnhardt
5
Chevrolet
1990-17
7/29/1990
42
Dale Earnhardt
1
Chevrolet
1991-09
5/6/1991
41
Harry Gant
2
Oldsmobile
1991-17
7/28/1991
41
Dale Earnhardt
4
Chevrolet
1992-09
5/3/1992
40
Davey Allison
2
Ford
1992-17
7/26/1992
40
Ernie Irvan
7
Chevrolet
1993-09
5/2/1993
41
Ernie Irvan
16
Chevrolet
1993-18
7/25/1993
42
Dale Earnhardt
11
Chevrolet
1994-09
5/1/1994
42
Dale Earnhardt
4
Chevrolet
1994-18
7/24/1994
42
Jimmy Spencer
2
Ford
1995-09
4/30/1995
42
Mark Martin
3
Ford
1995-18
7/23/1995
43
Sterling Marlin
1
Chevrolet
1996-09
4/28/1996
43
Sterling Marlin
4
Chevrolet
1996-18
7/28/1996
42
Jeff Gordon
2
Chevrolet
1997-10
5/10/1997
43
Mark Martin
18
Ford
1997-29
10/12/1997
42
Terry Labonte
6
Chevrolet
1998-09
4/26/1998
43
Bobby Labonte
1
Pontiac
1998-29
10/11/1998
43
Dale Jarrett
3
Ford
1999-09
4/25/1999
43
Dale Earnhardt
17
Chevrolet
1999-30
10/17/1999
43
Dale Earnhardt
27
Chevrolet
2000-09
4/16/2000
43
Jeff Gordon
36
Chevrolet
2000-30
10/15/2000
43
Dale Earnhardt
20
Chevrolet
2001-09
4/22/2001
43
Bobby Hamilton
14
Chevrolet
2001-31
10/21/2001
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
6
Chevrolet
2002-09
4/21/2002
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
4
Chevrolet
2002-30
10/6/2002
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
13
Chevrolet
2003-08
4/6/2003
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
13
Chevrolet
2003-29
9/28/2003
43
Michael Waltrip
18
Chevrolet
2004-09
4/25/2004
43
Jeff Gordon
11
Chevrolet
2004-29
10/3/2004
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
10
Chevrolet
2005-09
5/1/2005
43
Jeff Gordon
2
Chevrolet
2005-29
10/2/2005
43
Dale Jarrett
2
Ford
2006-09
5/1/2006
43
Jimmie Johnson
16
Chevrolet
2006-30
10/8/2006
43
Brian Vickers
9
Chevrolet
2007-09
4/29/2007
43
Jeff Gordon
1
Chevrolet
2007-30
10/7/2007
43
Jeff Gordon
34
Chevrolet
2008-09
4/27/2008
43
Kyle Busch
5
Toyota
2008-30
10/5/2008
43
Tony Stewart
34
Toyota
2009-09
4/26/2009
43
Brad Keselowski
9
Chevrolet
2009-33
11/1/2009
43
Jamie McMurray
22
Ford
2010-09
4/25/2010
43
Kevin Harvick
4
Chevrolet
2010-33
10/31/2010
43
Clint Bowyer
2
Chevrolet
2011-08
4/17/2011
43
Jimmie Johnson
2
Chevrolet
2011-32
10/23/2011
43
Clint Bowyer
3
Chevrolet
2012-10
5/6/2012
43
Brad Keselowski
13
Dodge
2012-30
10/7/2012
43
Matt Kenseth
15
Ford
2013-10
5/5/2013
43
David Ragan
19
Ford
2013-32
10/20/2013
43
Jamie McMurray
9
Chevrolet
2014-10
5/4/2014
43
Denny Hamlin
34
Toyota
2014-32
10/19/2014
43
Brad Keselowski
5
Ford
2015-10
5/3/2015
43
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
4
Chevrolet


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