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!

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