A quick recap of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase through three races: Tony Stewart’s #20 team is stale, Kyle Busch is toast and Denny Hamlin appears to be getting moldy. Suffice to say, Talladega comes at a good time for the Gibbs cars. Toyota has struggled at other tracks, but the Camry has owned the restrictor plate tracks in 2008. Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch finished 3rd and 4th and the three Gibbs cars led 134 laps. Then the three Gibbs cars led 110 of 188 laps at the spring Talladega race which was won by Busch. While they only combined for 37 laps led at the summer Daytona race, Kyle Busch still prevailed. The Toyota engine package is rumored to have greater horsepower than other manufacturers and it has especially been evident at the restrictor plate tracks.
Other Thoughts
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Everyone likes to talk about Talladega as a wild card. If that’s true then why do the same handful of drivers capture the majority of the wins and top fives? It’s a different discipline than other tracks, but it’s not like the 43 cars begin the race on equal footing, mash the gas and hope for the best. Good plate drivers anticipate crashes and avoid bad situations. The top drivers can also find their way to the front when it’s the right time. Admittedly there are more crashes, but it’s not a pure crapshoot as some believe.
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Earlier this week Kenny Wallace floated the rumor that his brother Rusty was going to return to the Cup tour. It all made perfect sense except for the small detail of where he would go. If Wallace was seriously considering returning to the grind of a Cup ride, he would certainly want to make it worth his time. At this point all of the top rides are filled and Wallace would not settle for a rebuilding team like DEI or even Penske. If a rumor can’t answer the simple “Why”, then it probably lacks substance.
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Two years ago the Truck Series began running a fall race at Talladega on Saturday afternoon. The reason for resisting previously was the fear that fans would favor college football over NASCAR. With Alabama’s football program stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of probation and underachievement, it wasn’t a problem in 2006. This year is suddenly different. The Crimson Tide are currently #2 in the country and host Kentucky this Saturday. Now we’ll really see whether Alabama is big enough for two NASCAR races and a premiere football game on one weekend.
Who Will Win?
Based on the numbers the Gibbs cars seem to have the advantage on plate tracks. Don’t forget about Hendrick, though. Dale Earnhardt Jr has three top tens in plate races and led the most laps at the summer Daytona race. Junior has a great chance to win, but there is one driver with even better Talladega credentials. It’s time for Jeff Gordon to win. Despite no plate top tens this year Jeff Gordon has run very well at Daytona and Talladega. Even better news for Gordon is that his recent struggles at places like Loudon, Fontana and Dover are irrelevant to Talladega. It is unfathomable for Gordon go an entire season without a win. This weekend is his best chance.
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