Ice Picks Talladega Superspeedway – Geico 500
Oct 10, 2014; Concord, NC, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) during practice for the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome to my Ice Picks for Sunday’s Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
This weekend will mark the 45th anniversary of the track built on a former WWII airfield deep in the heart of Alabama that we all come to know simply as “Dega”.
I’m not going to get into drivers with stats as wide as Kim Kardashian’s most famous part, but I will somewhat by the time you’re finished reading this post.
You see, this is the most unpredictable track on the NASCAR schedule and throwing in the fact that this is the last chance for drivers to make the “Elite Eight” or the Eliminator Round of the Chase makes it that more challenging.
As I think of the race tracks for my upcoming Ice picks, I think of how the race will play out in my head according to the race team’s history and the year their having. This comes from over 50 years of watching NASCAR races and studying the tendencies of racing teams.
I can honestly say I have no clue how this one is going to end, especially with this new Chase process of elimination.
It’s thrilling that Dega is the last race of the Contender Round of the Chase, but I also think of the ramifications that come with it.
You have to make an accord in order to win at Dega. Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch will have to rely on their equipment operating at its very best to reach the zenith of Sunday’s race. Don’t take this like I’m picking on these two drivers, but they both have burned enough bridges to make a war movie.
I don’t see this race ending with 43 race cars in one piece. This will be the mother of all carnage endings Talledega has ever seen because what is at stake at day’s end. This is what my head has been playing out for Sunday.
Fastest Speeds from todays first practice:
#15 Clint Bowyer – 200.385
#43 Aric Almirola – 200.268
#1 Jamie McMurray – 200.117
#95 Michael McDowell – 199.971
#33 Travis Kvapil – 199.883
#42 Kyle Larson – 199.537
#40 Landon Cassill – 199.284
#2 Brad Keselowski – 199.238
#41 Kurt Busch – 199.197
#18 Kyle Busch – 199.160
Richard Childress Racing leads all active teams with 12 wins, followed by Hendrick Motorsports with 11.
Jimmie Johnson tops the list of active drivers with an average start of 10.5. His teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers in average finish — 15.0 at Dega.
Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in laps led at Talledega — 844 laps lead in 43 starts.
Only 13 of 90 races have been won by the pole and Jeff Gordon leads the active drivers with three victories from the pole.
The front row starters have won 30 races while the top ten has produced 62 winners. Only eight winners have started outside the top 20 in 90 Dega races.
Denny Hamlin won the Spring race at Dega after starting 34th and led 12 laps.
I would stay away from Harvick and Logano competing for a win since they are on to the next round. This is what I don’t like about the new Chase format; it takes the drama out of some of the races.
Here’s my Ice Picks for Talledega:
A List
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Clint Bowyer
Matt Kenseth
B List
Jamie McMurray
Ryan Newman
Denny Hamlin
Brad Keselowski
C List
Austin Dillon
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