Talladega today. Everything you could want in a Sunday.
Where It Is:
That beautiful almost-three-mile-long asphalt tri-oval where Bill Elliott turned in a full lap at about 213 mph in a race back in the 80’s. Where cars dance in the air, and not because they’re supposed to. Where chaos reigns and the green-white-checkered scintillates. The best part of Alabama, and that is not an insult to Alabama in the slightest.
When It Is:
Sounds like it’ll start a little bit after 1:00 PM Central Time.
What It Is:
The second race of the Round of 12, where the winner will punch his ticket to the Round of 8 and we’d imagine at least one or two drivers will be put in a win-or-go-home place going into next week on the road course at Charlotte.
How to Watch:
It’s on NBC. Get out your antenna, cord-cutters. It’s time.
Standings Coming In:
Kurt Busch advanced with last week’s win, so we’re listing him at the top.
1. Kurt Busch (won)
2. Kevin Harvick (52 points ahead of Alex Bowman)
3. Denny Hamlin (49 points ahead of Bowman)
4. Brad Keselowski (7 points ahead of Bowman)
5. Martin Truex, Jr (6 points ahead of Bowman)
6. Joey Logano (2 points ahead of Bowman)
7. Chase Elliott (1 point ahead of Bowman)
8. Alex Bowman (0 points ahead of Bowman)
9. Kyle Busch (9 points behind Bowman)
10. Clint Bowyer (2- points behind Bowman)
11. Aric Almirola (27 points behind Bowman)
12. Austin Dillon (32 points behind Bowman)
Who’s Under Pressure:
The tires, am I right? Sorry if I’ve made that one before. It’s actually everyone behind Hamlin, though it’s fair to say Harvick and Hamlin are under some pressure too because an early wreck could knock them into the danger zone. Those two aren’t exactly under pressure, but they’re under the pressure of trying to avoid being under pressure.
Who’s the Favorite:
Looks like Ryan Blaney, who won here this summer, is a co-favorite with Elliott and Logano at 10-to-1, with Hamlin and Keselowski next at 11-to-1. Almirola, Harvick, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (huh) are at 14-to-1. The Busch brothers are at 15-to-1 (Kyle) and 16-to-1 (Kurt). Truex is at 20-to-1. Bowman and Bowyer are at 22-to-1. Austin Dillon’s down at 33-to-1, behind Jimmie Johnson, William Byron, and Erik Jones.
Any Beef?
Nothing noteworthy. Does seem like the music is building towards a Joey Logano incident, though.
How Should NASCAR Rig It? Slash What Does NASCAR Want to Happen?
Alright, Talladega’s one of the few tracks where you probably don’t need a script, but if you want one, NASCAR, here goes. Driver by driver:
Austin Dillon
Crashes early. Very early. Lots of shots of him realizing he’s going to need to win at the Roval to stay alive. Amp up the desperation.
Clint Bowyer
Gets caught in the big one with forty laps to go or so. Again, desperation.
Martin Truex, Jr
Also caught in the big one but able to stay on the track, hoping for a lot of cautions to contend. They come, but he gets caught up in the penultimate collision down the line.
Alex Bowman
Runs quietly in the top ten, as is his custom.
Brad Keselowski
Pit troubles early, but makes his way into contention by the end of the race.
Kevin Harvick
Hangs back, plays it cautious, in contention at the end of the race.
Denny Hamlin
Leads most of the day, loses the lead as the cautions mount down the final string of laps.
Chase Elliott
Racing hard with Logano on one of the last cautions, gets spun and does a little fireballing (but is of course fine). Visibly pissed at Logano. Audibly pissed at Logano. We want to maximize the Logano hate, because what comes next is…
Kyle Busch
Logano slides up to block Kyle Busch on the next restart, and Busch holds no punches, just absolutely teeing off on Logano and unleashing catastrophe upon the front of the pack.
Joey Logano
Dazed but seemingly unperturbed, like the psychopath I am not qualified to diagnose him as being.
Kurt Busch
Starts at the front on the green-white-checkered while the booth frantically asks if Busch can grab a second win here and put himself in a powerful position in the Round of 8. But he gets hung out to dry from the high line when Ryan Newman spins the tires on the restart, and charging on the low line, pushed by a very points-conscious Keselowski and a too-far-back-to-make-a-move Harvick, is our winner…
Aric Almirola
…who does some awkward dad-like celebration that makes us all either uncomfortable or endlessly entertained.
