The second race in the Round of Eight in the NASCAR Playoffs is a big opportunity for post-season drivers to either win big or lose big.
The 1000Bulbs.com 500 will take place at the Talladega Superspeedway. It is a track that can afford anybody the chance to win the race. However, it equally provides the chance that any driver can have their day (and possibly championship hopes) devastated by being caught up ion the “Big One.”
The “Big One” is when a driver racing in a drafting pack of cars makes a mistake causing an accident collecting many others in a massive crash. The number of cars involved can be in the double digits and has been more that half the field in the past. It is the danger that comes with racing at a track that has cars racing side-by-side and bumper-to-bumper at around 200 mph and above.
The only NASCAR driver still in the Playoffs that will sleep easy this week is Kyle Larson. His win at Dover last Sunday (10/6) has locked him in the next round of the post-season. The other 11 drivers that still have a shot at the championship can see their chance to advance improve, get harder or all but end in the race this weekend.
Here is what all of the drivers will be dealing with no matter if they are in the Playoffs or not.
Talladega Superspeedway Data
Track Size: 2.66-miles
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 33 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 33 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 16.5 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 4,300 feet
Backstretch Length: 4,000 feet
1000Bulbs.com 500 Data
Season Race #: 31 of 36 (10-13-19)
Race Length: 188 laps / 500 miles
Stage 1 & 2 Length: 55 laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 78 laps
Here is a look at the active drivers that have performed well at Talladega Superspeedway during their Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series careers.
Top 10 Active Driver Ratings at Talladega
Chase Elliott ………………………… 93.4
Kurt Busch……………………………. 90.5
Joey Logano…………………………. 89.8
Brad Keselowski……………………. 89.0
Jimmie Johnson…………………….. 87.1
Ryan Blaney…………………………. 86.7
Daniel Hemric……………………….. 85.5
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ………………. 83.5
Denny Hamlin……………………….. 83.2
Kyle Busch…………………………… 81.8
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2019 races (29 total) among active drivers at Talladega Superspeedway. Driver names in RED above are currently in championship contention in the playoffs.
Active Drivers with Talladega Wins
Brad Keselowski – 5 Wins
Joey Logano – 3 Wins
Clint Bowyer – 2 Wins
Jimmie Johnson – 2 Wins
Aric Almirola – 1 Win (this race in 2018)
Chase Elliott – 1 Win (April 2019 race)
David Ragan – 1 Win
Denny Hamlin – 1 Win
Kevin Harvick – 1 Win
Kyle Busch – 1 Win
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 1 Win
Driver names in RED above are currently in championship contention in the playoffs.
Kyle Larson can apply maximum pressure on the other 11 Playoff drivers by winning back-to-back races in the Round of Eight.
One of the 11 drivers not locked can clinch their spot by claiming the win at Talladega this week.
A non-playoff driver can play spoiler and make things more interesting in the elimination race at Kansas October 20th.
We will find out if there is a good or bad “Big One” (or both) Sunday, October 13th starting at 1 PM central time (2 PM eastern time) in the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
By: Buck Stevens
