Pit Road Week 10: Talladega

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Week 10

By Richard Tix

The Big One, Talladega. NASCAR finish its 10th race of the season on Sunday after running at Talladega for the first time in 2014. The next time NASCAR is back drivers will be narrowed down and the Chase will have started.

The summer months are quickly catching us and that means each week it becomes harder and harder for me to catch the full race. This weekend I was in Milwaukee, WI to visit some good friends. Most of these friends are not the biggest NASCAR friends, but on Sunday we did catch some of the race (side note, the Wild playoff game was also on, and the friends I was with are big Wild fans, as am I, so it also created a Talladega delima). None the less, I still got to watch about half the race all total, including the last 15 laps.

From what I got to see the racing was pretty good much of the race and then the ending left fans wanting more. I wanted more as well, but as some fans were not understanding of the decision to end the race, I was.  Unfortunately the spin/crash happened about 2 seconds before Denny got to the White flag, but the way I saw it the cars were all down towards the infield grass at first and looked like they would all be out of the way, which is why I think NASCAR didn't throw the yellow right away.

Once NASCAR saw the bumper, unfortunately they had no choice but to call the race. Now, I think we have been spoiled with late race restarts and dramatic finishes this season as it is. Was it the finish we wanted? No, but can we for one week just enjoy racing? NASCAR will never win with the fans anymore because we will find something to criticize anyways. 

On a side note. I get people who are mad at Brad Keselowski because he had bad luck in the middle of a pack while 6 laps down, but he was also one of the fastest cars at the time. I didn't see/hear anyone complaining about him being in the pack helping people draft before the crash. If you don't want him there, don't draft with him and let him lose the draft. Do I think he was too aggressive? Yeah. But guys want to win and get back in things. Did he have a good chance of making it back in the race? Not really, but until I was in the situation I can't judge, I would want to keep racing if I had a good car too. Do I understand why most people are upset? Heck yeah, your driver was taken out, people get upset even if it was there drivers fault.

Another side note also involving Brad. I love how right away when Danica and BK were involved the Fox cast all said, oh man BK came right down on Danica. Really? It sure looked to me like Danica came up into BK. Same thing Gordon saw as well. Now I don't mind if it was BK who came down, but man these broadcasters are all in on the Danica mania!

So if you missed it, here are the full race results from the Aarons 499.

Pit Road: Power Rankings Week 10 (Week 9)

1. Kyle Busch (LW-4)- Its Talladega, this race really throws a huge wrench in Power Rankings. I thought about leaving Gordon and Kenseth up here, because really it was just a crash that took both guys with pretty good cars out of contention. But, Kyle managed a 12th place finish and avoided a big crash, so nod to him.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-7)- Since Darlington Happy has been much more consistent. Harvick stayed out of trouble on Sunday and brought home a 7th place finish. With a lot of top drivers going down in crashes, Harvick moves up a bit in the rankings.
3. Jeff Gordon (LW-1)- Well his run on top of the rankings was fun, and heck he only fell because of being a crash, but its tough to leave a guy at #1 after a 39th place finish even if it is bad luck. That was JG's only finish higher than 13th this season. Gordon still sits #1 in the points standings after 10 races.
4. Matt Kenseth (LW-2)- See above. ^ Kenseth moved down due to some bad luck, but he still sits #2 in the standings. He had a pretty good car Sunday so who knows where he would have ended up?
5. Greg Biffle (LW-11)- Biffles last 4 races have been quiet but good. He has one finish outside the top 10 (15th) with 3 top 10's and 2 top 5's in that span. 5th spot is the highest Biffle has been all year.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-5)- As I am typing this Dale Jr is still hanging in back waiting for the next crash to happen. Sorry Jr Nation, not a shot at Jr but rather the dumb Fox crew who just kept acting like he was waiting to pounce. Jr just waited to long on Sunday and couldn't catch back up resulting in a disappointing finish.
7. Joey Logano (LW-3)- Another driver in the rankings (high in the rankings last week) taken out by a crash at Talladega. It is what it is and JoLo will have to move down because of it. Really all season he hasn't had a bad finish unless he is involved in a wreck or a car malfunction. 
8. Kyle Larson (LW-12)- Check out his last 7 races, no seriously just do it. 5 top 10's and 2 top 5's in those 7 races. One of his lone two outside the top 10 was a quality 16th place finish (which is about where fellow rookie Austin Dillon normally finishes). That 16th place finish was at Richmond after he was fastest in practice which lead to a "Pole" after qualifying was rained out. Then he was spun out by Bowyer and went to the back.
9. AJ Allmendinger (LW-NR)- Some people haven't been paying attention, but in the last 6 races AJ has been pretty good including his last two which were almost both top 5 finishes (6th and 5th). In those 6 races he has 3 top 10's and a top 5. The other three finishes were a respectable 11th, 15th, and 23rd. 
10. Carl Edwards (LW-6)- Add Carl to the long list of guys in my top 6 last week that were effected by a crash at Talladega. I was fair in the rankings and they all moved down. Carl's was unique in the fact that he was the one who got loose and lost it. 
11. Brian Vickers (LW-NR)- Guess who is 10th in NASCAR Cup points this week? If you guessed Vickers you must be really smart! Or just realize I wouldn't bring it up in Vickers spot if it wasn't him, but lets just go with smart. In his last 7 races he has 4 top 10's and two of them were top 5's (both 4th place finishes). Vickers is really having a great season story after finally looking to be back from all of his health problems in the past.
12. Denny Hamlin (LW-NR)- Denny gets the last spot in the rankings because of a win this week at Talladega. But just take a look at all the drivers who dropped out, Johnson, Keselowski, and Newman. If you look at JJ's last 7 races and you realize he was mostly in the top 12 because of his name (true a lot is bad luck, but bad luck and fast car's kept Kurt out of the rankings a bunch in 2013). So its time, he needs to earn his way back in. BK has been down here all year trying to earn his way back to a hot start. Onto DH, he hasn't done too much right in 2014, but with a win he now has time to smooth things out.

Dropped Out: Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Newman

Just Missed: Kasey Kahne

Honorable Mention: Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Landon Cassill, Aric Almirola, and Casey Mears

Well Talladega bit a lot of drivers in the behind this week and left some guys out of the top 12. When you have Gordon, Jr, Kenseth, Carl, and Logano all falling in one week its tough. Not to mention guys like Johnson and Keselowski out of the top 12.  But Talladega is an out liar and the cream of the NASCAR crop will find there way back up to the front if they truly should be there. It is cool to see guys like Larson, AJ, and Vickers all thriving and making spots in the Power Rankings. This past week I never sent out any Tweets asking fans/followers who they thought would win, so this week we have no Tweets to post. Sorry folks, I will remember this week so you can have another chance to featured on the Power Rankings!

Talladega: The Big One

Talladega Superspeedway Crashes

By Richard Tix

NASCAR once again is heading to Talladega (Edit: This is a throwback article and gets edited over time). For a lot of fans Talladega is a must see event that they circle on there calender's every year. Whether it is the fast speeds, the pack racing, or the big wrecks, fans flock to this track two times a year.

So in honor of Talladega and "The Big One," NASCAR Behind the Wall is going to throw together a few videos (mostly of past crashes) to get you through the week until the race!

1987: Bobby Allison

After this race NASCAR introduced the restrictor plate racing at Daytona the following year. This crash was the main reason.

2009: Carl Edwards

This wreck was part of the Carl Edwards v Brad Keselowski feud in 2009 that sparked both drivers to end up in huge memorable wrecks during the season. Also, for all my Brad Keselowski fans, this race is know for his first Cup win.

2012: Tony Stewart

Blocking? Tony Stewart hates blocking! Well unfortunately when Smoke tried to "block" after the white flag things got ugly and started a 25 car pile up. This is the race many Jr Nation fans will remember, as he was sidelined by a concussion after this.

1996: Ricky Craven

Craven gets loose and ends up taking a ride. flipping and collecting a bunch of other cars along the way.

1996: Dale Earnhardt

Dale Sr won 10 times at Talladega but in 1996 he got caught up in the mess started by Sterling Marlin and Ernie Ervan. Dale wouldn't win again until his 1998 Daytona 500 win that has gone down in history as one of his most memorable moments

2002: Johnny Sauter

This one was a big one. The wreck included about 30 cars all total.

2003: Elliott Sadler

Wow. Lets just say Sadler went for a ride during this 2003 Talladega race. Flying, bouncing, sliding, rolling, and slamming, Elliott did it all.

2000: Dale Earnhardt

Enough with the wrecks, here is one of the most memorable Talladega finishes for many fans in NASCAR. This race would prove to be Dale Sr's last NASCAR win.

2001: Dale Earnhardt Jr

Well I guess we will follow up Dale Sr's last Talladega win with Dale J'rs first Talladega win.

2011: Jimmie Johnson

One of the closest finishes in NASCAR history, Jimmie Johnson gets pushed across just in front of Clint Bowyer.

2010: Kevin Harvick

This win snapped a 115 race win less streak for Harvick. The race ended up going to a third green white checker before Harvick finally won. Harick pushed McMurray around the tri-oval before going around him for the win.

Well there are a bunch more wrecks or close finishes that NASCAR Behind the Wall could have picked, but at some point you have to limit the videos in one article. So, let me know what your favorite finishes or moments have been from Talladega on Twitter. As always, thanks for checking out the blog. While you are here check out race previews and reviews, Power Rankings, Paint Schemes, and much more!

Week 10 Preview: Talladega

Talladega Superspeedway

Aaron's 499

By Richard Tix

Richmond International Speedway gave NASCAR fans some fireworks! Literally we got to see some fire a few times with right front tires going down all night. Fans also got to see a little smoke when Brad Keselowski got upset after the race and may have let his emotions get the best of him (I will still argue that driver should let it out, right or wrong).

Also on Saturday fans got a UFC bout (no not the Jon "Bones" Jones fight) but the one between Ambrose and Mears.

Now NASCAR heads to Talladega for the first time in 2014. Dega is not the kind of track drivers look to get back at others at, so we should see some cool down in that aspect, but plate racing still brings out the best (or worst) in people. New tempers may fire and guys may find tough luck. Dega also brings a sense of excitment because this is a track where the little guy always seems to have a shot.

So, will a small team steal a win and create a story line for the remaining regular season? This Sunday we will find out. Want to go back in time? Check out last years Preview and Review, also check out the old Tweets of the Week from Dega week.

The Good, Middle, and Bad

(This is just a review of each drivers recent past performance, generally about 5-10 past races)

The Good:

• Clint Bowyer- His last three have been a little up and down, but before that he Bowyer had 5 straight top 10's, with two wins and a runner up finish. To go with that, he has the best average finish of any driver who has run the last 10 races here (11.9).
• Brad Keselowski- Its only fitting that BK makes this list, after all his first career Cup win was at Dega. I will note, last year BK did not have good finishes here, but none of 2013 went BK's way. He and Clint Bowyer are the only two drivers to have 6 top 10's in the last 10 races here, two of which are wins.
• David Ragan- Yes, Ragan had the improbable win last year at Talladega during the Spring, but no that is not the only reason he is on this list. He also has a run of 4 straight top 10's, two of which are top 5's. In his last 10 starts he has 5 top 10's, not bad for a little guy.
• Extra Credit- Ricky Stenhouse Jr

The Middle:

• Aric Almirola- Really, this spot belongs to just about every Cup driver. Dega is so unpredictable it is tough just looking at finishing position. But NBTW will go with Aric this week with career finishes of 20th, 12th, 19th, 10th, and 22nd. Last time here, during the Chase, Aric ended up starting the race 1st. 
• Extra Credit: Almost everyone fits in this category

The Bad (or this week, the bad luck category)

• Paul Menard- One way or another, Paul Menard just cant seem to finish in the top ten by the end of a Talladega race. In his last ten starts he has one top 10. I will say this for every driver, this is just the nature of the beast so finding yourself on the bad list this week isn't near as bad as most.
• Denny Hamlin- His last two finishes at Dega have not been pretty. The first time around he finished 34th and the second time he had engine issues and finished 38th. DH will look to bounce back from his bad luck this week. Only 3 top 10's in his last 10 starts here.
• Marcus Ambrose- One top 10 in his last 10, and that was 10 races ago (4th). Since then he has only two finishes inside the top 15 and only 3 inside the top 20 (last 9 races). Bad luck or whatever, its hard to say he will be near the top 10 when the checkered flag falls.

Talladega Weekend Information:

• TV/Race Schedule
• Driver Entry List
• Juan Pablo Montoya Returns to NASCAR
• Social Media Review: Richmond
• This Week in NASCAR: 4/28
• Talladega Fantasy Info- Head over to ThisSportz, they have you covered in fantasy plus much more!

2014 Talladega Superspeedway Entry List

NASCAR Driver Entry List for Talladega

By Richard Tix

NASCAR heads to the "Big One," Talladega Superspeedway after an exciting night in Richmond. A few notable drivers still do not have a win in 2014, starting with Jimmie Johnson. Also on this list is Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, and Kasey Kahne (just to name a few). Will one of them stay away from all the mayhem on Sunday and come away a winner? Well a good start is to be on this list:

More from Dega:

• Power Rankings
• TV/Race Schedule
• This Week in NASCAR: 4/28
• Fantasy Preview- From ThisSportz. Jeff Nathans
• Fantasy Sleepers and Busts- From ThisSportz. Garry Briggs

2014 Talladega Schedule (Race One)

By Richard Tix

**All Times are Eastern**


Thursday May 1, 2014

• 3-4 pm- Nationwide Practice
• 4:30-6 pm- Nationwide Final Practice

Friday May 2, 2014

• 2-2:50 pm- Sprint Cup Practice- Fox Sports 1
• 3:30-4:25 pm- Final Sprint Cup Practice- Fox Sports 1
• 6:40 pm- Nationwide Qualifying- Fox Sports 1

Saturday May 3, 2014

• 1:20 pm- Sprint Cup Qualifying- Fox
• 3 pm- Nationwide Race: Aaron's 312 (117 laps, 311.2 miles)- ESPN

Sunday May 4, 2014

• 1 pm- Sprint Cup Race: Aaron's 499 (188 laps, 500.08 miles)- Fox

Pit Road: Week 10

Aaron's 499 Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday the race started and then we waited, and waited, and waited some more. Finally after a long break and the Air Titan doing its job Nascar got the cars back on the track just in time to get the race in before darkness hit. As normal, drivers were trying to beat more then the darkness, but they were also trying to avoid the wrecks that end many drivers days.

Talladega was no different this year taking out Kahne, Kyle Busch, Harvick and more early on. Towards the end of the race promising runs by Kurt Busch, Newman, and Bowyer were all diminished. In the end it was Front Row Motor sports vs Edwards and Kenseth and "David" won. Not just the David vs the Goliath but David Ragan. It was a huge win for him and his team. But lets not go too long on about the race, I'm sure you sat long enough through the rain delay. Here is full results of the Aarons 499.

David Ragan celebrates in Victory Lane @talladegasupers #NASCAR #Aarons499 @mrnradio @frontrownascar twitter.com/JWackerlin/sta…
— Jeff Wackerlin (@JWackerlin) May 6, 2013

Rising, Coasting, and Falling drivers after Talladega.

Rising:

• David Ragan- The list has to start with him. Talladega sure is a place where a small team can come up big but still no one saw that finish coming. Him and his team mate, Gilliland, made there way to the front on the last lap to finish 1 2. Great win for Front Row.
• Aric Almirola- If you are keeping count, that is his 4th top 10 in a row. Don't look now but he is getting into position to get a Richard Petty Motorsports car into the Chase. I also think he is in line to finally get a win this year.
• Carl Edwards- He is making a huge push this year with 5 top 5's in 10 races. Plus he has a 6th place finish that he almost notched another top 5. He had a rough year last year, is this the year he makes a run in the Chase again? Maybe get a Championship?

Coasting:

• Matt Kenseth- Seriously when is he going to get comfortable at JGR? He hasn't missed a beat with his new team, in fact he has been running out of his mind. I'm sure he is disappointed with an 8th place finish after running so well all day and looked to be the guy to beat.
• Jeff Gordon- He had a terrible day, yet he finished 11th and is on the cusp of a Chase spot. Gritting through Dega may be a race he looks back at as on that would have been much worse but didn't.

Falling:

• Kyle Busch- He was part of the first crash at Dega. He is on a bad luck streak right now and it isn't pretty.
• Kasey Kahne- Another guy bit early by the crash and bad luck bug. A guy who was one of the hotest drivers a few weeks ago has had back to back disappointing weeks.
• Greg Biffle- 36th is not the finish he is looking for, yet he has two of them in a row. He is slipping as of late and needs a solid run to get it turned around

Pit Road (Week 10 Power Rankings)

1. Jimmie Johnson (LW-1)- Well another top 5 in his 2013 belt. He was in the running down the stretch but was quiet compared to Ragan getting the win so people will forget he was up front.
2. Matt Kenseth (LW-2)- No change here. May have fallen back to 8th at the end but he was the car to beat most of the race, and it has been that way in a majority of the races.
3. Carl Edwards (LW-4)- After a huge jump last week up the rankings, Carl continues his steady rise with a 3rd place finish. He was first robbed a win when they got the cars back out after a rain delay, and then again when Ragan and Gilliland came out of no where to take the top 2 spots over.
4. Brad Keselowski (LW-3)- He finished 15th and wasn't much of a factor Sunday, but no one under him can really make much of a point to be higher then him after Dega.
5. Clint Bowyer (LW-5)- Going no where and staying 5th, Bowyer finished 18th after he got caught up in a late race wreck. He was having a very good day which he has been known for on plate tracks. Tough finish for him though.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-7)- Not a great day for Jr, but he got what he could out of his very average car finishing 17th. One of these weeks he will turn it back around and make another stretch run, but when?
7. Aric Almirola (LW-11)- Aric now has 4 top 10's in arrow and every week putting himself in better position for a Chase spot. Petty sure would love to get a car into the Chase again.
8. Kasey Kahne (LW-6)- What are you suppose to do with the rankings when power houses like Kahne, Busch, Harvick, and Biffle all go out early? Even Menard had a rough week. Kahne gets the draw because he was the highest last week and the wreck wasn't his fault.
9. Kevin Harvick (LW-9)- Jumping Busch? Well he won last week, that's all I have got. Plus Kyle was the cause of the wreck that took many out early. (He did apologize for coming up too quick on Kahne).
10. Kyle Busch (LW-8)- He is in a dry spell. He got up on Kahne too fast and gave him too much of a push and it ruined his day. Not what Kyle needed to get it turned around. He has a Chase spot on lock so he has time to get it figured out.
11. Martin Truex Jr (LW-NR)- If you take out his 17th last week he has 3 top 20s in his last 4 (two of those top 5's).
12. Paul Menard (LW-10)- Menard gets the nod over Gordon because this was his worst finish of the season, and its only 26th. In fact in the 10 races his other "bad" finishes were 21st, 20th, and 19th. He is still sitting with a Chase spot.

Dropped Out: Greg Biffle
Just Missed: Jeff Gordon

Man! I really hate it my car & @kaseykahne cars don't get along @ plate races. I just misjudged by a little. Sorry to all those wrecked!
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) May 6, 2013

On to Darlington! If you didn't check it out, take a look at the Nascar Quarter Season Review from this past week that looks at the first 9 races.  Also make sure to come back and check out the race preview for Darlington later in the week. Also follow me on Twitter for up to date Nascar Driver stats!

Nascar 2013 Quarter Season Review

Let's get to a review of the top half of the drivers standings.

On Vacation (Drivers In)

• Jimmie Johnson- It is the Quarter mark to the Nascar 2013 season and JJ has already amounted a 43 point lead in the point standings. In that time he has 2 Wins, 4 top 5's and 6 top 10's while finishing every race. On top of that, guys like Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth have been hit with fines from Nascar and also ran into some bad luck that has left JJ by himself at the top. Nothing to see here, just JJ already marking his spot in the Chase. The rest of the way him and Chad will be just fine tuning.
• Carl Edwards- He started the season off by getting a win week two and ever since then has been very consistent. He also has 4 top 5's and 5 top 10's in those 9 races. It is hard to see at this point Carl not staying in the top 20 and not getting a Chase spot.
• Kasey Kahne- Kasey had a hot stretch where no one could touch him, well except for Matt Kenseth (finishing 2nd to him twice). Kahne also has an early season win that should help him keep a Chase spot at the end of 2013
• Kyle Busch-Well the last two weeks have been ugly for Kyle, but he has his hot start of the season to fall back on. He has two early season wins that will at the very least get him the Wild Card spot (most likely). Kyle has been known to fall of once the Chase comes around, so that should start being the focus soon.
• Matt Kenseth- Kenseth is in the same boat as Kyle with two wins almost assuring himself to at least a WC spot. Other then the Toyota Racing incident (50 points deducted) Kenseth hasn't had too many miss steps along the way.

Sitting Pretty (Looking good but can use some more in the next Quarter)

• Dale Earnhardt Jr-I think he is a lock to get into the Chase but he still doesn't have a win and has had a few bad luck cases as of late. 3 top 5's and 6 top 10's have helped Jr stay in 3rd in the standings. Maybe Talladega he can get going again with a Win. Even without the wins he is 3rd so no real worries here.
• Brad Keselowski- Well the current Champ has gone through just about everything a driver could in the past few weeks. Nascar penalties, fantum pit stop penalties, speeding penalties, spies, hitting the wall early, or finishing the race with half the car you started with, BK has done it. That being said he still has 7 top 10's in the first 9 races which is the most in Nascar. What BK needs is to get past the bad luck and get a win to really make sure he solidifies his spot. Can he do it at a track where his first Nascar win came and without his crew chief?
• Clint Bowyer-He is really the third driver in this list that I think will end up in but a win would really help. Like I mentioned, Clint and the previous two drivers have done it all but just need to get that win to get it off there backs and make sure they are in for sure. Then they all can start getting ready for the Chase. Bowyer has only 5 top 10's but 4 of those are top 5's.

Work To Be Done (In the top 12 right now, but need to get moving)

• Kevin Harvick- He is the safest driver in this section. Harvick just got his first win of the season at Richmond after finishing in the 12th-14th spot most weeks early on. The win will help him in the long run as will solid finishes, but if he gets hot watch out he could be sitting well by Chase time.
• Greg Biffle- The Biff has had quite the ride so far this year. He started off with a top 10, then struggled a few races, then back on track, and now lately had two races with struggles.  This is part of the reason he hasn't finished above 3rs in the final season rankings since 2008. He will need to find consistency and at the right time to have a chance in 2013.
• Paul Menard- Can he hold on to a Chase spot? That is the big question with Menard. Mostly because Menard is not normally in this position. He is almost half way to his career mark for top 10's in a season (at four now) but has yet to finish above 16th in the standings. If one thing is on his side, every season he has been getting better.
• Aric Almirola- Who wants a Chase spot more, Aric or Richard Petty? Almirola started off the season on a good note not finishing worse then 16th in the first 4 races. In the middle he had two mis steps but in the last 3 races he has 3 straight top 10's. I would love to see the ole STP car back in a title chase but he needs to keep it up and find his first career win this season to releave some stress.
• Jamie McMurray- If you didn't know the standings would you really think McMurray is in if the season ended after 9 races? Well even though he is in a spot now, his mind set doesn't change because he needs to get going. He has been very inconsistent but has racked up 3 top 10's/ McMurray just needs to find a win in the next quarter and stop riding the roller coaster ride in finishing position.

Sweating It (Guys outside the top 12 who have a decent shot, but better not wait too long)

• Jeff Gordon- Well he had an up and down start to the season, and has had some issues that have held back his run the past few races but he managed a 13th and 11th back to back weeks. Gordon has a good chance with his track record to get into the Chase but it wont be easy. A few wins would really help his chances.
• Martin Truex Jr- Well he made a two week run where he had a chance to break his win less streak but came up short. He sits just outside the top 12 but mostly because of those two races. Truex needs to find some top 10's in the next 9 races to have a shot to get in.
• Ryan Newman- If you take out his bad luck races to start the season and the one other race (Martinsville) he hasn't finished higher then 15th (6 races).  4 top 10's and a top 5 in the early season has shown he still can run. He maybe the only chance for Stewart-Haas to get into the Chace this year. I think he has a good chance to sneak in if he avoids the 30+ finished that have him sitting so low.
• Joey Logano- He would look a lot better with those 25 points back, say in a top 12 spot. Needless to say the Penske Nascar penalty hit this team hard but he has put together a good start to the season. He has been in some races down the stretch and in position to win so he has a shot to make the Chase if he gets really hot.

Starting to Worry

• Denny Hamlin- DH is cleared to get back in the car at Dega. The thoughts are that he will start the race and sit towards the back until he can switch out so he can collect some points. He is 28th in points right now, or 71 points out of 20th. He still has an outside chance but no one really knows how he will come back. If he comes back to a slow start and he doesn't feel comfortable he may just shut it down for the season.
• Kurt Busch- The little team that could. He has been impressive with his small team and has had some nice runs. I just don't know if it will be enough. He has an outside shot if he can stay consistent and in the top 20 and find a win or two.
• Tony Stewart- A terrible season yet he is in 21st. Smoke could find a way to get hot and find some wins in 2013. If he does he could sneak in with a wild card spot and get hot at the right time. But the way he has looked this year it is hard to imagine that big of a turn around. I say he becomes more of the owner for the season and give everything he has to get Newman in and Danica as much advise as she wants.

Pack It Up (Guys who's Chase chances are slim to none)

• Juan Pablo Montoya- Until last week at Richmond JPM hasn't been seen. He has had a dismal season and just doesn't have it this year. He always does have the long shot of getting a win or two because of road courses, but he still has not won on an oval.
• Ricky stenhouse Jr- He has run pretty well for his first full season in Nascar, but I don't seeing it being enough. He will finish the season above fellow rookie and girlfriend Danica Patrick
• Danick Patrick- Speaking of Danica, she doesn't have a chance at the Chase, but no one thought she did. She will just continue this season learning week by week and trying to get some top 10's. (And beating Smoke)
• Jeff Burton- Burton just doesn't seem to have it again this season, so I doubt he will get back into the Chase and may have missed his window to ever have a good chance again. He will be focusing on just getting another win to snap his streak.

Who I like to get in at this point in the season: (Safest drivers towards the top)

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Busch
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr
5. Carl Edwards
6. Brad Keselowski
7. Clint Bowyer
8. Kasey Kahne
9. Kevin Harvick
10. Jeff Gordon
11. Greg Biffle
12. Ryan Newman

Making it close: Tony Stewart, Paul Menard, Kurt Busch, and Joey Logano. We will see how the next 9 races pan out and take a second look at how the Chase will shape up. Until then here are some extra links to take a look at.

Sprint Cup Standings
Latest Power Rankings: Pit Road Week 9
Rest of the Season Nascar Schedule
Talladega Preview

Week 10 Preview

Talladega Superspeedway

Nascar is officially through a Quarter of the 2013 season! 9 races into the season and Nascar heads to Talladega for the first of two times (the next during the Chase). As Nascar left Richmond International Raceway Kevin Harvick finally got hot and into the top 5 for the first time this year with a late race Win.

Some bad luck and bad nights hit some drivers hard in Richmond which could end up being a huge misstep in a Chase spot run with Dega next on the list (known for getting into trouble). Last year's Talladega winners come into this week on different terms. In the Spring race Brad Keselowski got his second career win at Talladega (the other his first ever career win in 2009) and needs to bounce back after he lost a cylinder late in the race at Richmond. On the other hand, Matt Kenseth who was the winner at Dega during the Chase has been on a hot streak again.

Yet both drivers need a good finish this week because both have faced the wrath of Nascar and run into penalties that make every misstep even larger. Here is a look at the Spring race results at Talladega.


The Good:

• Brad Keselowski- BK needs a good week that is mistake free to get past all the bad luck he has been through. Every since Nascar came down on Penske he has seemed to have some bad luck but for the most part fight through it. In his 8 starts he has a 12.2 average finish (best of current drivers), 2 wins, 3 top 5's, and 6 top 10's. Best Chance Forecast: BK has to run into some good luck some where right? Top 5 with a good shot at getting his first win of the season.
• Clint Bowyer- In the last 10 races at Talladega Bowyer has not only the most top 10s (7) but the best average finish (10.5). Add in two wins in his last 5 and you have the ingredients for a good track. Best Chance Forecast: Another top 10 should be a no brainer, a chance at a win is possible.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr- Even though his last 10 races have been just average at Talladega (4 top 10's and no wins) Jr has a long history of great driving here. If you add up the fact he knows the track well and he has a hot start to the 2013 season I think it is safe to say he should have a good weekend. Best Chance Forecast: I'm thinking he will find his way to the top 10, and may find a top 5.

The Middle:

• Matt Kenseth: The guy I will go with this week out of the many drivers to choose from, Kenseth. In the last 10 he has led the second most laps, has a win and 2 top 5's (both last year) but his average finish over those 10 is 21st. 2 of the races he didn't finish because of a crash but something has to give. Best Chance Forecast: the fact that last year he had two top 5's including a win here, plus he has been hot this season, makes me think he can turn around his mediocrity at Talladega.

The Bad:

• Marcus Ambrose- All the way down there at 25.1 average finish position in the last 10 races it Ambrose. In 8 races he has 1 top 5 and that is it (first career start at Dega). He had a rough week last week and Dega will do him no favors, he will have to earn it.
• Jamie McMurray- One driver who has a career win at Dega (in the last 10) who hasn't done well most of the time here is McMurray. He has an average finish of 22.5 in the last 10 with only two top 5's (win and runner up). If you exclude those 2 good races, he has only finished inside the top 16 once in the 8 other races.
• Tony Stewart-Smoke is another driver who has a win in his last 10 races at Dega but overall hasn't had much luck. Only 2 top 10's in that span and an average finish position of 21.4. It doesn't look good for him heading into Dega cold in 2013, but maybe this is the kind of spot where he will surprise?

Laying Low:

• David Ragan- In the last 10 races at Talladega David Ragan had 5 top 10's, yes I said 5. His average finish of 14.1 is 6th best of current drivers in the last 10 (4th best if you take out 1 race drivers Mike Bliss (10) and Kenny Wallace (12). Last year his finishes were 7th in Spring and 4th in the Fall. Not too bad for a guy running on a small team.
• Jeff Burton- Right behind Ragan in average finish in the last 10 is Burton (14.2). He has 6 top 10's and 3 top 5's in those 10 races. He also has posted 3 straight top 10's (3rd, 10th, and 10th).
• Travis Kvapil- Big time sleeper alert. Last year with BK racing Kvapil finished 16th in the Spring and 8th in the Fall. In his 7 career starts at Dega he has 2 top 10's and a pole so anything is possible.

You can be good or bad, hot or cold and it could all change in one lap when Nascar heads to Talladega. When will the big one happen? Who will be a part of it? Dega brings hope to drivers who need to get on a roll because if they stay in one piece and away from the big crash they could have a chance.

Need more? Check out these links and articles:

• Track Details: Talladega
• Talladega Paint Schemes
• Denny is going to start at Dega
• Aaron's 499 Entry List