Geico 500 Betting News and Notes

NASCAR Sprint Cup Odds
By: Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com

LAS VEGAS – There are only five races remaining in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and after Sunday’s race at Talladega, four more drivers will be eliminated from the Chase and only eight will remain eligible to win the 2014 Sprint Cup. Because some heavyweights have their seasons are on the chopping block, there are some prices posted at the Westgate LV SuperBook that we rarely see.

Among the bottom four drivers -- who almost need to win Sunday to move on -- three have eight Sprint Cup trophies collectively, and the fourth has five Talladega wins under his belt. Huge names in desperation mode. With five races to go, six-time champ and preseason favorite Jimmie Johnson is 30-to-1 to win the championship. 2012 Sprint Cup winner Brad Keselowski is 12-to-1, and 2003 champ Matt Kenseth is 15-to-1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the longest shot left on the board, at 40-to-1 odds.

Outside of Matt Kenseth, who is only one point behind Kasey Kahne for the eighth (safe) position in the Chase, the three others are on red alert: they must get out front, lead some laps and try to win the race. The value certainly doesn’t seem like it’s there with Keselowski, a two-time Talladega winner who will be about 12-to-1 to win the race. Earnhardt Jr. won the Daytona 500 in February, so we know he’s going to be good in this restrictor-plate race. He's a five-time Talladega winner, but hasn't won there since 2004.

Then you’ve got Johnson in an unfamiliar situation for a fall Talladega race: he has to win. In the past, he’s coasted in this race, trying to stay out of trouble, get some positive championship points and move on to the next track before going on to win a title. He’s won twice at Talladega, both in the spring, the last time being 2011.Through five races, it’s hard not to give NASCAR a standing ovation for the excitement they’ve created so far with the bold change to the Chase format. If the mild-mannered Matt Kenseth loses his cool for the first time

in a 16-year career, then you know how intense the pressure must be. That translates well to TV and also at the bet windows here in Las Vegas. We have underdog possibilities like never before. Who knew Ryan Newman would be a contender for the title?

Here’s a look at the updated Sprint Cup odds at the Westgate:

2014 SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

JEFF GORDON 5-2
KEVIN HARVICK 5-2
JOEY LOGANO 4-1
KYLE BUSCH 6-1
BRAD KESELOWSKI 12-1
DENNY HAMLIN 15-1
MATT KENSETH 15-1
RYAN NEWMAN 25-1
JIMMIE JOHNSON 30-1
CARL EDWARDS 40-1
DALE EARNHARDT JR 40-1
KASEY KAHNE 40-1

Chase scenarios heading in Talladega

Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick have each clinched a spot in The Eliminator Round via their wins at Kansas Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, respectively.

Below are the finishes each driver needs in Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET on ESPN) to guarantee a spot in The Eliminator Round, regardless of the finish of any other driver:

Kyle Busch: 24th or better; 25th and at least one lap led; 26th and most laps led
Ryan Newman: 19th or better; 20th and at least one lap led; 21st and most laps led
Carl Edwards: 18th or better; 19th and at least one lap led; 20th and most laps led
Jeff Gordon: 16th or better; 17th and at least one lap led; 18th and most laps led
Denny Hamlin: 15th or better; 16th and at least one lap led; 17th and most laps led
Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. only control their own destiny by winning Sunday at Talladega.

GEICO 500 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Last Saturday night’s Charlotte race had some great post-race drama, but wait until you see what happens Sunday in the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway when three former Cup champions (Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have their seasons and championship hopes on the chopping block.

They’re the last four in the Chase standings with five races remaining and Talladega decides who moves on to the next round where only eight drivers will participate.

The only drivers locked in to advance to the next stage of three races are Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick on the basis of their wins in the past two races. Kyle Busch can advance with a finish of 24th or better, Ryan Newmand 19th or better, Carl Edwards 18th or better, Jeff Gordon 16th or better and Denny Hamlin 15th or better. For the bottom four, they’re probably going to have to win to advance. At least that's their only sure way of advancing.

The drivers that have to win to get in have all fared extremely well at Talladega over their great careers, but the deck is stacked up against them like no other track. The edge they hold in the 32 other non-restrictor plate races is completely wiped out. At Talladega, 38 of the 43 cars starting have a legitimate shot of winning like no where else. At Texas for example, there are maybe 20 cars a case could be made for to win where the rest of the field is insignificant other than being obstacles for the elite teams to pass.

The most interesting storyline of all is that two of the drivers that are in the bottom four desperate to get in: past Cup champions Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski, who got into a fight following Saturday’s night’s Charlotte race.

Keselowski showed some frustration on the track with some of his actions, which he was retaliating for on an early instance, and it all boiled over when Kenseth put Keselowski in a head lock, or at least tried to.

This is all so awesome, almost like WWE, but real. Although the WWE could write a script with a 15-year veteran never losing his cool throughout, and actually being pushed around by a few, until he finally snaps and says he’s not going to take it anymore.

That’s what makes Kenseth actions Saturday night so interesting. He’s is as cool and relaxed as any driver in NASCAR history. He never cracks, but with the season on the brink, this new version of the Chase has definitely infused some new heat at this juncture of the season we have never seen before. If it can make Kenseth’s stack blow, it has really struck a nerve.

Even though there are so many other drivers participating that have a chance to win that we never talk about, like David Ragan or David Gilliland, I would expect Kenseth to fare the best out of Johnson, Keselowski and Earnhardt Jr. And if one of those drivers eighth in points or better -- No. 8 Kasey Kahne has a 1-point edge over No. 9 Kenseth -- wrecks early, which is entirely possible, someone can sneak in and Kenseth has the edge.

Not only does Kenseth have a 2012 Talladega win or two Daytona 500 wins under his belt, he’s also with Joe Gibbs Racing that have just a slim advantage over the other equal cars when restrictor-plates are mandated. He led the most laps between the four plate races last season and teammate Denny Hamlin won the first Talladega race back in May.

The most impressive driver in the first race was Greg Biffle who led a race-high 58 laps and finished second. The Roush-Racing program has been very competitive in plate races over recent years with wins by Kenseth, Ragan and Jamie McMurray.

Then you have Earnhardt Jr. who has won five times at Talladega, Jeff Gordon who has won six times and Jimmie Johnson who has won twice. For Johnson, this will be a new experience for him at Talladega where he’s normally laying low trying to point race with no real intention of winning, but rather to just keep the car on the track with no damage. Johnson basically has to win for any chance of winning his seventh Cup title.

Earnhardt Jr. won the Daytona 500 earlier this season, but that car is in the showroom at Daytona USA for the year. He has five Talladega wins, but none since 2004.

Because of his team affiliation and skills at this track, he deserves to be the favorite this week. The crowd would go absolutely nuts if he wins.

Top-5 Finish Prediction:

1) #20 Matt Kenseth (12/1)
2) #11 Denny Hamlin (12/1)
3) #4 Kevin Harvick (12/1)
4) #2 Brad Keselowski (12/1)
5) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10/1)

Geico 500 odds - Junior favored to grab sixth Talladega win
By: Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com

LAS VEGAS -- Five-time Talladega Superspeedway winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook's 10-to-1 favorite to win Sunday's Geico 500 on the massive, high-banked 2.66-mile layout -- the biggest and baddest track on the planet. Junior currently sits last among the 12 drivers in the Contender Round of the Chase, 26-points behind Kasey Kahne, who is currently in the eighth and final position that will transfer over to the next round.

We haven't seen Junior win at Talladega since 2004, but on the basis of his Daytona 500 win in February -- one of four races on the season using restrictor-plates -- there's a pretty good indication that he'll be strong on Sunday and deserves to be the favorite this week. He's almost at a win-or-go-home stage, and between his spotter and crew chief he'll receive updates throughout the race of where he stands and what he needs to do to advance to the next stage. Not many are better at reading the air in the draft than Junior. Because of the fan admiration being stronger at Talladega than any other track, it's almost like a home game for Junior this week.

Having Talladega as the transfer race is kind of cruel punishment for all the quality drivers on the outside of the Chase looking in. Because of the track's volatile nature, and because up to 38 drivers will have a legitimate shot at winning, some of the elite programs in the Sprint Cup series are in serious jeopardy of seeing their seasons end on Sunday should they fail to win. If we were at Texas or Phoenix, maybe 18 drivers would have chance to win. At Talladega, there's a much broader pool of quality candidates. This is why the SuperBook doesn't have any driver lower than 10-to-1, but also has 2013 Talladega winner David Ragan at 50-to-1 when he's normally 500-to-1.

Here's a look at the top candidates to win this week:

Matt Kenseth 12-1: He won the 2012 Talladega race and also has two Daytona 500 wins under his belt. He led the most laps between the four plate races last season and drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, which has shown to have a little edge among all the cars when restrictor plates are on.

Denny Hamlin 12-1: He falls right in line with his JGR teammate Kenseth. The dude flat out dominated during Daytona speed weeks and won his first career plate race at Talladega in May. His strategy for the race is to play it safe, at least until the big one occurs and he's automatically in. Even though he has the ability and car to lead the most laps and stay out front, expect him to be extremely cautious.

Jimmie Johnson 12-1: He's tied with Junior for the least amount of points among the 12 Chase drivers, and he'll probably need to win to get in. He's a two-time Talladega winner, but both came in the spring. In the fall races over his career, he's never had to try and win, instead using a strategy to point race and get out of town without damaging his car or hurting his championship chances.

Jeff Gordon 12-1: No driver has more plate wins than Gordon, and no active driver has more Talladega wins than Gordon's six. His last win there came in 2007 when he swept the season. All he has to do is finish 16th or better and he advances. Look for him to play it slow and wait for the desperate to wreck out until he tries to put on his moves to win.

Kevin Harvick 12-1: Does he really care about this race? He's already in the next round on the basis of his win at Charlotte this week. He has nothing to gain this week, so he could tank it, or he could go all out and try to grab his second Talladega win with nothing to lose.

Brad Keselowski 12-1: If there's one camp that would vote for things to go back to the way they used to be instead of this elimination process of the new Chase format, it would be Keselowski's. They've dominated almost the entire year with five wins, but the 2012 champ is on the verge of being ousted if he doesn't run extremely well on Sunday. He's won at Talladega twice over his career, including his first career Cup win in 2009 while driving for an under-funded James Finch team.

Jamie McMurray 20-1: He won this race last season and he also won in 2009 driving for Roush Fenway Racing. Restrictor plate racing has suited him better than most, and he is probably the most live underdog to win at 20-to-1 odds or higher.

Greg Biffle 25-1: He led the most laps at Talladega in the spring and should be considered a spoiler to the party along with McMurray as drivers not in the Chase that can have a real impact on the championship.

David Ragan 50-1: Two career wins and they both came on restrictor-plate tracks. He won at Talladega last spring and has finished seventh or better in four of his last five starts there. In fact, both he and his teammate finished 1-2 at Talladega last spring which is the ultimate indicator that anyone can win this race.

Here's a look at the complete list of odds offered this week at the Westagte:

DALE EARNHARDT JR 10-1
JIMMIE JOHNSON 12-1
MATT KENSETH 12-1
KEVIN HARVICK 12-1
BRAD KESELOWSKI 12-1
JEFF GORDON 12-1
DENNY HAMLIN 12-1
JOEY LOGANO 12-1
KYLE BUSCH 20-1
JAMIE McMURRAY 20-1
TONY STEWART 25-1
CLINT BOWYER 25-1
KURT BUSCH 25-1
KASEY KAHNE 25-1
CARL EDWARDS 25-1
GREG BIFFLE 25-1
KYLE LARSON 25-1
AUSTIN DILLON 25-1
PAUL MENARD 25-1
BRIAN VICKERS 25-1
MARTIN TRUEX JR 30-1
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 30-1
ARIC ALMIROLA 30-1
RYAN BLANEY 30-1
RYAN NEWMAN 30-1
MICHAEL WALTRIP 40-1
DAVID RAGAN 50-1
MARCOS AMBROSE 50-1
AJ ALLMENDINGER 50-1
DANICA PATRICK 50-1
TREVOR BAYNE 60-1
CASEY MEARS 100-1
JUSTIN ALLGAIER 100-1
FIELD 30-1

NASCAR Driver Capsules,
Sportsexchange.com

Eight drivers will advance to the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup following Sunday's Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, with Dale Earnhardt, Jimmy Johnson and Brad Keselowski each needing a victory to move on.

JOEY LOGANO

Team: Penske Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: With five races down and five more to go in this year's Chase for the Sprint Cup, Joey Logano remains atop the standings heading into this Sunday's race at the always unpredictable Talladega. Logano leads second-ranked Kyle Busch by six points and third-ranked Kevin Harvick by seven points.

TALLADEGA RECORD: 11 career starts, 0 win, 2 top-5s, 4 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: Third in fall 2009. Finished 16th in this race last year and was 32nd (crash) in this year's spring race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Don't look for Logano to go too crazy at the always wild Talladega. He's already locked into the Eliminator Round, which follows Talladega, by virtue of his win at Kansas. All Logano needs to do is drive smart and stay out of tight packs - which oftentimes lead to the proverbial "big one" at 'Dega, and he'll be in good shape. Remember: the points reset again after Talladega, so Logano has nothing really to gain Sunday. All he needs to do is maintain and he'll enter Martinsville for the start of the Eliminator Round in an eight-way tie for first place.

"I think everyone would like to be in the position that we are in and that Kevin (Harvick) is in and know that you don't really have anything to worry about here other than going for the win. That was one of the first things that went through my mind and my crew's mind when we crossed the line at Kansas was how it made (Talladega) easier and less pressure packed. We know now that all we need to do is to go out there and win. We don't have to worry about riding around and staying out of the wreck. We can get up there and go for the win. But we also want to get a good finish out of it. We have five straight top-five finishes to start the Chase, and we'd love to keep that streak going and make it six in a row at Talladega."

LOOKING BACK: After wins in two of the previous three races, Logano did not lead any laps but still came out of Charlotte with a very strong fourth-place finish.

ETC.: Logano has completed 95.8 percent (2,007) of the 2,094 laps contested in 11 career starts at Talladega. His average start there is 21.1, and his average finish is 20.7. He has four DNFs there.

KYLE BUSCH

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: Kyle Busch didn't gain any ground, nor did he lose any ground on points leader Joey Logano after Charlotte. Busch went into last week's race six points behind Logano, and that's exactly where he sits heading into Sunday's race at Talladega. Busch leads third-ranked Kevin Harvick, who won at Charlotte, by one point.

TALLADEGA RECORD: 19 career starts, 1 win, 4 top-5s, 5 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: First in spring 2008. Finished fifth in this race last year and was 12th in this year's spring race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Busch comes into this weekend's race in a conundrum. While he already has one career Sprint Cup win at Talladega, the 2.66-mile superspeedway is one of Busch's worst-performing tracks. He can't be overly-aggressive, lest he may get into a wreck. Honestly, Busch doesn't have much to gain at 'Dega because the points will be reset again heading into the Eliminator Round, which will then begin with an eight-way tie for first place heading into Martinsville the following week.

"It certainly feels good that we're heading in the right direction at the right time of the year," Busch said.

"It's all about peaking at the right time and hopefully we haven't peaked, yet, and we still have a way to climb. I feel like we do anyways. We haven't won (thus far in the Chase); there's opportunity there. ... All the pieces are coming together at the right time and you can do great things. Hopefully, there's still a continuation of that here in the next five weeks."

LOOKING BACK: Busch led 41 laps at Charlotte, but didn't have a strong enough car to get the checkered flag, settling for a still strong fifth-place finish.

ETC.: Busch has completed just 90.0 percent (3,250) of the 3,612 total laps contested in 19 career starts at Talladega. His average start there is 20.7 and his average finish is 21.4. He has five DNFs there.

KEVIN HARVICK

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: Kevin Harvick was the biggest gainer in the standings following his win this past Saturday at Charlotte. By taking the checkered flag, Harvick moved from sixth to third place in the Chase standings. He trails points leader Joey Logano by seven points, is one point behind second-ranked Kyle Busch and leads fourth-ranked Ryan Newman by four points.

TALLADEGA RECORD: 27 career starts, 1 win, 6 top-5s, 11 top-10s, 1 pole. Best career finish: First in spring 2010. Finished 12th in this race last year and was seventh in this year's spring race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Harvick could be the biggest wildcard of the Chase. Now that he has one win under his belt, and given how fast his cars have been virtually every week, who's to say he can't win another one or two more races in the remaining five in the Chase?

"It's going to be an absolutely phenomenal race," Harvick said of Talladega. "It's going to be fun to watch. It's going to be crazy, offensive racing. Talladega is always crazy, but I mean, it's going to be so crazy with everybody in the offensive frame of mind (to try and advance to the Eliminator Round)."

LOOKING BACK: Harvick has been beset by so many problems and mistakes this season, including during several of the first Chase races. That's why it might have seemed liked a surprise that he actually made it all the way through and took the checkered flag, but he did. By virtue of the win at Charlotte, Harvick has now punched his ticket to advance to the Eliminator Round after this weekend's race at Talladega.

ETC.: Harvick has completed 95.2 percent (4,869 laps) of the 5,116 total laps contested in 27 career starts at Talladega. His average start there is 21.9 and his average finish is 15.9. He has two DNFs there.

RYAN NEWMAN

Team: Richard Childress Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: The lone representative of Richard Childress Racing in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Ryan Newman slipped ever so slightly in the standings after Charlotte, dropping from a tie for third into sole possession of fourth. He trails points leader Joey Logano by 11 points, is four points behind third-ranked Kevin Harvick and leads fifth-ranked Carl Edwards by one point.

TALLADEGA RECORD: 25 career starts, 0 wins, 4 top-5s, 9 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: Third in spring 2009. Finished ninth in this race last year and was 18th in this year's spring race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Newman continues his Cinderella-like march through the Chase. Even though he has yet to win a race in the Chase, let alone the entire season to date, Newman is in fourth place heading to Talladega due to consistency at the right time in the playoffs. Newman is confident about his chances to advance to the next round after 'Dega, but isn't as confident about other drivers on the bubble:

"I don't think there is more pressure, I think there are more questions. We saw some guys at Kansas and Charlotte who had some misfortune that are guys who don't usually have issues like the 88 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.), the 2 (Brad Keselowski) and the 48 (Jimmie Johnson). Those guys have their work cut out for them. Talladega is left and you have three guys in trouble. There is going to be some different approaches no doubt at Talladega, but I don't see it as added pressure. I still take the same approach to the first Talladega as I do the second Talladega. You're still racing for points and positions, and obviously a win to keep yourself in the Chase and on to the next bracket."

LOOKING BACK: Newman led one lap en route to a seventh-place finish this past Saturday night at Charlotte.

ETC.: Newman has completed a mediocre 85.0 percent (4,027) of 4,740 total laps in 25 career starts at Talladega. His average start there is 13.2 and his average finish is 21.5. He has eight DNFs there.

CARL EDWARDS

Team: Roush-Fenway Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: Carl Edwards dropped from a tie for third to fifth after Saturday's race at Charlotte. He trails points leader Joey Logano by 12 points, is one point behind fourth-ranked Ryan Newman and leads sixth-ranked Jeff Gordon by two points.

TALLADEGA RECORD: 20 career starts, 0 wins, 2 top-5s, 5 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: Third in spring 2010. Finished 17th in this race last season and was 30th (crash) in this year's spring race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Even though he dropped from a tie for third to fifth after Charlotte, Edwards remains a strong contender to not only advance to the Eliminator Round, but could be a potential dark horse to go all the way to the final round of four drivers entering the season finale at Homestead. However, Talladega is one of Edwards' worst-performing tracks.

Here's his thoughts on this weekend's race: "Our team has done a great job of good finishes the first two races of this round. We've got to finish 19th or better to advance to the next round. We've had some great superspeedway cars. ... As far as the race goes, who knows what's going to happen. I mean, I don't know that it can get any crazier than Charlotte, but it probably will. Talladega, on its own, without all the points implications and the tempers that are bound to be there based on everything that happened at Charlotte, is crazy. Without those things, Talladega is wild. So once you add all of the pressure of people needing to win, grudges, unfinished business from last week, I think it sells itself."

LOOKING BACK: Edwards had another strong and consistent Chase run at Charlotte, leading one lap and finishing eighth.

ETC.: Edwards has completed 90.0 percent (3,420) of the 3,800 total laps contested in 20 career starts at Talladega. His average start there is 13.4 and average finish is 21.0. He has six DNFs there.

JEFF GORDON

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: Jeff Gordon climbed one spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings, going from a tie for seventh to sixth following Saturday's race at Charlotte. Gordon is 14 points behind points leader Joey Logano, is two points behind fifth-ranked Carl Edwards and leads seventh-ranked Denny Hamlin by one point.

TALLADEGA RECORD: 43 career starts, 6 wins, 15 top-5s, 19 top-10s, 3 poles. Best career finish: First in summer 1996, spring 2000, spring 2004, spring 2005, spring and fall 2007. Finished 14th in this race last year and was 39th in this year's spring race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Where he is in the standings, Gordon is far from being guaranteed to advance to the Eliminator Round after Talladega. At the same time, he has to run a conservative race Sunday and can't take too many risks, knowing he could be collected in a big wreck that could take him out of the Chase.

"Staying out of the 'big one, the crash that takes out so many cars, is crucial to having success at Talladega," Gordon said. "So many strategies - like staying in front or staying in the back - can be used during the race, however, there's no perfect strategy to run this race. You just have to hope your car is in one piece at the end of the race. The big one could lead to a big swing in the points."

And yes, Jeff, potentially to elimination, as well.

LOOKING BACK: Gordon gave Kevin Harvick everything he could handle, but was unable to get past, ultimately settling for second place at Charlotte.

ETC.: Gordon has completed 91.6 percent (7,385) of the 8,065 total laps contested in 43 career starts at Talladega, the most of any active driver in the race. His average start is 11.6 and his average finish is 16. 7. He has nine DNFs there.

DENNY HAMLIN

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 7th, 15 points out of first place and 17 points to the good in his bid to be one of the eight drivers that advance of the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Lost two spots last week.

TALLADEGA RECORD: Won the May race.

LOOKING AHEAD: Hamlin knows he needs to finish 15th or better to clinch a spot in the next round of the Chase or 16th if he leads at least one lap. For that reason, he plans to run at the back of the pack "waiting on the wreck to happen, clear it, know that we can get in based on the cars that are out of the race and then try to get a win. It's going to be a different race for everyone. It's just going to be about circumstances and drivers putting themselves in the right spot not to get wrecked and then after that, you have to find your way to victory lane. You (the news media) thought it was going to be wild, but now with the way it's playing out, it's shaping up to be a very epic. Until the last lap, you will not know who is going to be in or out."

LOOKING BACK: Hamlin started third on the final restart, but had to win a three-wide battle with Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch at the finish line to end up ninth at Charlotte. "We were sitting in a decent spot, but we lost six spots when he (Brad Keselowski) ran into us and knocked us up the track. He's out of control. He's desperate, obviously, and it's either four or five of us are wrong or he's wrong because he pissed off everyone. Luckily, it didn't cause us to wreck. If it would have caused us to wreck, I'd be waiting for him right now."

ETC.: Hamlin admitted he brake-checked Keselowski on the so-called cool down lap after the race. Keselowski then ran into Hamlin and the two bounced off each other as they headed for pit road. After Keselowski ran into the side of Matt Kenseth and shoved Kenseth into Tony Stewart, Stewart retailed by backing hard into Keselowski's car. Keselowski then drove his badly-damaged Ford into the crowded garage area with Hamlin in hot pursuit. "He cleared out transmissions and did burnouts in the garage," Hamlin said of Keselowski. "Just acting like a dumbass instead of a champion." After climbing out of his car, Hamlin had to be restrained by his crew to keep from going after Keselowski. Hamlin did throw a towel at his rival as he was pushed past the 2 car by his crew. Hamlin was not fined for his post-race antics at Charlotte.

KASEY KAHNE

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: 8th, 31 points out of first place, but only one point to the good in his bid to advance to the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Gained one spot last week.

TALLADEGA RECORD: Finished eighth in the spring race for fifth top-10 finish including two runner-up finishes in 21 starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: Kahne feels "we are in a spot where we can definitely make it, advance to the next round if we don't wreck (at Talladega), same as a lot of guys. Talladega will be interesting. I think there will probably be a lot of strategies that go on throughout the first three quarters of the race and then there are going to be a lot of guys who just have to race hard at the end. If you wreck you won't make the next round, if you don't wreck, you will advance."

LOOKING BACK: Kahne finished 10th at Charlotte. "It was better than we ran most of the night," said Kahne. "We just struggled. The only way I could get it to turn in the center (of the corner) was to be so loose. Then it would still get tight after 15 laps so we would go slower at that point. So we just tried a lot of things and never really got it going. Tried to stay out there at the end - we were seventh and ended up 10th. We kind of finished where we were running the last 60 laps, but it wasn't a great night for us at all."

ETC.: Kahne said "Talladega is a track I have always liked and look forward to. We have good, fast cars for those types of tracks. Results are kind of all over the board, but I would say that for a lot of people. Sometimes you are in other people's wrecks there and things like that. Sometimes you can't control everything and that is something that will be the same for all of us at Talladega. It will be interesting how it all works out. It will be a lot of pressure on everyone. It will change throughout the entire race -- all the way to the checkers."

MATT KENSETH

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: 9th, 32 points out of first place; only one point out of the top eight that will advance to the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Lost two spots last week.

TALLADEGA RECORD: One win and nine top-10 finishes including five top-five's in 29 starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: Kenseth said, "I think Talladega is going to be a moving target since it really depends on what everyone else has for a game plan this weekend. I wouldn't be surprised if the two guys already locked in to advance (Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick) are up there racing hard at the front of the pack while the other ten (in the Chase) are hanging our near the back for the majority of the race. I don't know that I have that in me though because I can't stand not going as hard as I can all the time. There's so much that is unpredictable and out of our control at Talladega that we'll see what happens."

LOOKING BACK: Kenseth was running fourth on a restart with 64 laps to go. He got a real good jump and went to the outside of leader Brad Keselowski. The two touched with Kenseth bouncing hard off the wall. Kenseth quickly dropped to 19th and that is where he ended the night as he fell out of the top eight in the standings.

"On the restart I just rolled to the outside of him (Keselowski) in the dog leg and he knew I was there and just ran me out of room and ran into the wall because he didn't want to get passed," said Kenseth. "There are a lot of guys that you can race like that and they know you're there and they will give you the room and he's usually one of them. He did it on purpose and just ran me into the wall because he didn't want to be passed."

ETC.: Kenseth is known for his lay-back attitude so everyone was shocked when he went around Keselowski after the race. "When you see Matt Kenseth mad enough to fight, you know that this (the new Chase format) is intense because that's way out of character for him," said Kevin Harvick, who avoided all the post-race antics by winning the Charlotte race. Kenseth went running after Keselowski after Keselowski ran into him on pit road after the race. Kenseth jumped on top of Keselowski and knocked him into the side of a hauler before being pulled off Keselowski by Paul Wolfe, Keselowski's crew chief. "I had my HANS (neck device) off and my seat belts off and everything," said a still livid Kenseth. "He clobbered me at 50 (miles per hour). If you want to talk about it as a man, try to do that, but to try and wreck someone on the race track, come down pit road with other cars and people standing around with seat belts off and drive in the side of me...it's excusable. There is no excuse for that." Kenseth was not fined for his actions Saturday night.

BRAD KESELOWSKI

Team: Team Penske

WHERE HE STANDS: 10th, 50 points out of first place; 19 points out of the top eight that will advance to the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.

TALLADEGA RECORD: Two wins and six top-10 finishes in 11 starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: Keselowski said, "This weekend is going to be interesting for sure. Talladega is a big place, and we need to have a big weekend. We have our work cut out for us. I know this team is going to give it their all as well, and that's all we can do. I've had some big moments at Talladega. My first Cup Series victory definitely stands out in my mind, and then winning there again in 2012 was a significant part of the 2 team earning the championship that year." Adds crew chief Paul

Wolfe, "We are more than capable of winning and we'll do our utmost to make that happen." A win would automatically move Keselowski into the next round.

LOOKING BACK: Keselowski, who led three times for eight laps, was running fifth when the green flag came out of the final time with only two laps to go following the eighth caution flag of the night. Keselowski got into the back of Denny Hamlin on the restart and the two bounced off each other several times with Keselowski dropping back to 16th to put his chances of advancing to the next round of the Chase in real trouble. "I thought we were gonna have a fourth or fifth-place run and just didn't catch a break in so many different ways," said Keselowski after being involved in several post-race incidents that caused NASCAR to invite him to the NASCAR hauler to discuss his actions.

ETC.: On the so-called cool down lap after the race, Keselowski and Hamlin ran into each other after Hamlin admitted he brake-checked Keselowski. After hitting Hamlin, Keselowski then ran into Matt Kenseth on pit road, shoving Kenseth into Tony Stewart. Stewart was so upset with what happened that he backed his car hard into the front of Keselowski's Ford. Keselowski then drove his battered car into the crowded garage area with Hamlin in hot pursuit. To get away from Hamlin, Keselowski peeled rubber. Hamlin had to be restrained by his own crew to keep from going after Keselowski. After Keselowski climbed out of his car and was walking back to his hauler, he was jumped from behind by Kenseth, who was pulled off Keselowski by Paul Wolfe, Keselowski's crew chief. When asked to explain what caused all of the post-race incidents, Keselowski said, "I think the 20 got into the back of me on one of the restarts (with 64 laps to go), it was just a racing deal and I wasn't mad at him. But when the last yellow came out he got the wave around and when he came by he swung at my car and tore the whole right-front off of it. It ruined our day - that gave us a big Chase hurt. For some reason after the race, the 11 (Hamlin) stopped in front of me and tried to pick a fight. I don't know what that was about. He swung and hit my car. I figure if we're going to play car wars under the yellow and after the race, I'm going to play, too. Those guys can dish it out, but they can't take it. I gave it back to them and they want to fight." Keselowski was fined $50,000 and placed on probation for the next four Sprint Cup races. "These penalties (Tony Stewart was fined $25,000 and also put on probation for the next four races) are about maintaining a safe environment following the race," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR senior vice president, competition and racing development.

JIMMIE JOHNSON

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: 11th, 57 points out of first place; 26 points out of the top eight that will advance to the Eliminator Round in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Gained one spot last week.

TALLADEGA RECORD: Two wins and 10 top-10 finishes including six top-five's in 25 starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: Johnson said, "We definitely didn't get the finish we needed in Charlotte and it's forced us into the position of having to win this weekend in Talladega. Our speedway program at Hendrick Motorsports is top-notch and I'll have the equipment I need to make a run at it. But you can't control the rest of the field, and we are just going to need some luck heading into this weekend. If anyone can pull it off, this 48 Lowe's team can."

LOOKING BACK: Johnson is the all-time race winner at Charlotte with seven wins, and he expected to contend for an eighth victory on Saturday night. But it never happened as Johnson spent a very frustrating evening as he battled a car that was not to his liking for most of the night. He and crew chief Chad Knaus even got into several testy conversations as Johnson complained about how poorly his car was handling. But Knaus was finally able to find the right balance as Johnson raced his way into fourth place late in the race. Johnson was running fourth when a yellow flag was waved with five laps to go. He and Knaus debated on whether or not to pit with Knaus saying, "If we don't pit, I think we will get run over on the restart." So Johnson pitted for two right-side tires and started 10th on the final restart with two laps to go. The move backfired when several cars in front of him started bouncing off each other. Johnson ended the night in 17th place to put his hopes of advancing to the next round of the Chase for the Championship in serious jeopardy.

ETC.: Johnson is quick to point out "You just can't predict what's going to happen (at Talladega). That's the wild thing about Talladega. You don't mind crashing if there's five to go; you do if you're trying to get into the championship, but it's just such a risk versus reward management exercise because if you don't have much to lose, you can try to race all day long and try to stay at the head of the pack and out of trouble. But if you cycle to the middle of the field at some point; that's inevitable. And if you cycle into the middle of the field at the wrong time and you're in the big one, then you're kicking yourself for racing. So, it's a tough race to figure out what to do."

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: 12th, 57 points out of first place; 26 points out of the top eight that will advance to the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Lost one spot last week.

TALLADEGA RECORD: Finished second in the October race a year ago. Has five wins and 14 top-10 finishes including 10 top-five's in 29 starts.

LOOKING AHEAD: Earnhardt knows his mission this weekend at Talladega is pretty basic - "go there and win it. We can do it; we have won there a lot of time. I know what we need to do. We will just have to build a fast car and hope that we don't have any gremlins and try to go out there and win it. I just have to go and try to win the race. We are in a situation where we have our backs against the wall. But we are in a situation where we can be aggressive again, like we were when we won the Daytona 500. We can be as crazy as we want to be on pit calls and fuel mileage and all those things. We just have to find a way to get it done."

LOOKING BACK: Earnhardt felt so good about his prospects for the weekend that on Friday he predicted he would win the Bank of America 500. And he ran as high as second in the first 100 laps before disaster struck just before the third caution flag of the night on lap 136 of the 334-lap event. "We had a real bad vibration and broke a transmission shifter off," said Earnhardt. "We only had third and fourth gear and lost a lap trying to get off pit road on a green-flag stop. The vibration issue was causing a lot of balance issues and grip issues. But, we had a good enough car to run in the top 10." But because he was never able to get his lap back, Earnhardt ended the night in 20th place to severely damage his hopes of winning his first Cup championship this year.

ETC.: Earnhardt received a lot of nice gifts last week during his week-long birthday celebration - he turned 40 on Friday. One of the most unique was a replica of a dirt car driven by his grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, one of the top dirt track racers in NASCAR history. Marcus Smith, Charlotte Motor Speedway President, presented Earnhardt with the car last Thursday. Dale also drove a U.S. Legends car with the same design for his first victory at Charlotte at the beginning of his driving career. "This is exactly the way the car looked," said Earnhardt. "Wow! I am very appreciative of this. It's a nice-looing little piece."

Chassis Selections
Jayski.com

#1-Jamie McMurray: chassis not reported on race preview.
#2-Brad Keselowski: Primary Chassis: PRS-657. Last Raced: Daytona 1 (finished 3rd). Backup Chassis: PRS-649. Last Raced: Daytona 2 backup.
#3-Austin Dillon: will pilot Chassis No. 468 in the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. This is the same Chevrolet SS that Dillon raced to a fifth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in July securing his best finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, to date.
#4-Kevin Harvick: The #4 Budweiser team will utilize chassis No. 833 in Sunday's race. Harvick raced this car at Talladega in May and earned a seventh-place finish.
#5-Kasey Kahne: chassis not reported on race preview.
#7-Michael Annett: chassis not reported on race preview.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: chassis not reported on race preview.
#10-Danica Patrick: Chassis No. 10-758: This car was wind-tunnel tested in January 2013 before being used by Patrick in the 55th Daytona 500. Patrick qualified the car on the pole with a speed of 196.434 mph and then started first and finished 17th in the first Budweiser Duel. She started on the pole and led five laps in the Daytona 500 before finishing eighth - the best finish ever for a woman in the "Great American Race." Patrick next drove Chassis 10-758 in May at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, where Patrick started 23rd and finished 33rd after being involved in a late-race accident. The car was rebuilt and wind-tunnel tested throughout the summer and then Patrick drove it in October at Talladega, where she finished 33rd after a pit-road speeding penalty cost her any chance of a good finish. Patrick drove chassis No. 10-758 in January 2014 testing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway before piloting it once again in the non-points-paying Sprint Unlimited at Daytona in February. Patrick, who ran as high as fourth in the early part of the event, was caught up in a multicar accident on lap 35, relegating her to a 16th-place finish. The car has been rebuilt and wind-tunnel tested since that race and was used in May at Talladega, where she started seventh, led six laps and finished 22nd. It was then used in July at Daytona, where she started 29th and finished eighth.
#12-Ryan Blaney: Primary Chassis: PRS-655. Last Raced New Chassis. Backup Chassis: N/A
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-762: This car made its debut during 2013 Budweiser Speedweeks at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. It qualified fifth in time trials for the Daytona 500, which slotted it third in its Budweiser Duel qualifying race. Chassis No. 14-762 ran well in the Duel, finishing sixth to place it 13th in the 55th Daytona 500. But just 34 laps into the season-opening race, Chassis No. 14-762 was collected in a multicar crash. The team made extensive repairs and 82 laps later, returned Stewart to the 2.5-mile superspeedway to log laps and earn the best finish possible, which was 41st in the 43-car field. It served as a backup for the remainder of the 2013 season, but was tested Jan. 9-10, 2014 at Daytona in preparation for the Sprint Unlimited. In that non-points race, Chassis No. 14-762 started ninth and ran as high as third before a multicar crash on lap 35 dropped it to 11th. With fresh sheet metal honed in the wind tunnel, Chassis No. 14-762 returned to Daytona in July for the Coke Zero 400. It qualified 12th and led three laps before being collected in a multicar accident on lap 20. The team repaired the car and Stewart eventually returned to the racetrack where he avoided a DNF (Did Not Finish), but finished a dismal 40th. Rebuilt and refined with plenty of time in the wind tunnel, Chassis No. 14-762 returns to racing for its fifth career start but first at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
#15-Clint Bowyer: Chassis No. 811 serves as the primary chassis for Bowyer at Talladega. This chassis raced at Daytona in July where Bowyer finished ninth. Chassis No. 754 serves as the backup. Bowyer finished third at Talladega in May with this chassis.
#16-Greg Biffle: RK-871 is a brand new chassis for the No. 16 team. Backup chassis RK-852 is the car Biffle drove in this race one year ago. Biffle emerged unscathed as the biggest wreck of the day unfolded coming to the checkered flag. Biffle started sixth in his No. 16 3M Ford and led two different times throughout the 188-lap race, for a total of five laps, culminating in an 11th-place finish.
#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Chassis RK-909 is the same chassis that the No.17 team ran at Daytona where Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had worked his way into the top-five before a multi-car accident on lap 19 sent the Cargill/Winn-Dixie Ford to the garage. Backup Chassis: RK-872 - new chassis.
#18-Kyle Busch: chassis not reported on race preview.
#20-Matt Kenseth: chassis not reported on race preview
#21-Trevor Bayne: chassis not reported on race preview
#22-Joey Logano: Primary Chassis: PRS-658. Last Raced: Daytona 1 (finished 11th). Backup Chassis: PRS-654. Last Raced: Daytona 2 backup
#24-Jeff Gordon: #24 crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-887 for this Sunday's race. This chassis has been raced once with Gordon piloting it to a 12th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in July.
#27-Paul Menard: Menard will utilize chassis No. 445 during the 188-lap event at Talladega Superspeedway. This Richard Childress Racing-prepared chassis is the same Chevrolet SS that Menard drove at Daytona International Speedway in January, starting 10th and finishing 32nd, and at Talladega Superspeedway in May, starting second and finishing sixth.
#31-Ryan Newman: will drive chassis No. 446 on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. Chassis No. 446 was utilized in the Daytona 500 on February 23 at Daytona International Speedway where the No. 31 team finished 22nd after being involved in two multi-car accidents.
#34-David Regan: chassis not reported on race preview.
#38-David Gilliland: chassis not reported on race preview.
#41-Kurt Busch: will pilot Chassis No. 817 in Sunday's GEICO 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Built new for 2014, Chassis No. 817 debuted in the Sprint Unlimited during Budweiser Speedweeks at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February, when Busch started 10th and finished 14th after being collected in a seven-car pileup on lap 35. The No. 41 team brought Chassis No. 817 back to Daytona again in July, when Busch finished third in the rain-delayed, rain-shortened Coke Zero 400.
#42-Kyle Larson: chassis not reported on race preview.
#43-Aric Almirola: chassis not reported on race preview.
#47-A.J. Allmendinger: "Our Talladega Superspeedway car is one that we have had as a backup car this year," Crew chief Brian Burns said. "We haven't raced it and I don't know that it has ever been raced. It was a backup car at Richard Childress Racing that we bought. Its a fresh car for us."
#48-Jimmie Johnson: Crew chief Chad Knaus has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 48-871 for this weekend's event in Talladega. This was last raced at Daytona in July where Johnson finished 42nd due to an early-race crash. The backup car is Chassis No. 48-853, which was the fifth-place finishing Daytona 500 car.
#51-Justin Allgaier: chassis not reported on race preview.
#55-Brian Vickers: Primary: 789 finished fourth at Talladega in May. Backup: 753 finished 30th in the Daytona 500
#66-Michael Waltrip: Primary Chassis : No. 810 Brian Vickers - Fourth (Talladega -1) & Brian Vickers - Second (Daytona-2). Back-up Chassis: No. 749 - Not Been Raced
#78-Martin Truex Jr.: chassis not reported on race preview.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: This weekend at Talladega, crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-872. That chassis made its debut at Talladega in May and was most recently raced at Daytona International Speedway in July.
#95-Michael McDowell: chassis not reported on race preview.
#98-Josh Wise: chassis not reported on race preview.
#99-Carl Edwards: Primary chassis RK-913 was last run in 2014 at Daytona, starting in the 11th spot and finishing 37thafter being involved in an early wreck. Backup chassis RK-925. Hasn't been used in 2014.

Driver Handicaps: Talladega
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com

MRN.com's detailed notes and statistics to help you set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday's GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Who's HOT at Talladega

• Five-time winner and this year's Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished second in this event last year.
• Matt Kenseth, winner of this race in 2012, is the only driver that has led more than 100 laps (281) in the last five races.
• Clint Bowyer, winner of the 2010 and 2011 fall races, leads all drivers that have competed in the last 10 races with an 8.3 average finish.
• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in wins (6) and laps led (844).
• Kyle Busch, winner of the 2008 spring race, has finished in the top five in three of his last five starts.
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has recorded an 8.7 average finish in three starts.
• Paul Menard has the best average finish (5.0) among drivers that have driven in the last two races.
• Greg Biffle is second in laps led (94) in the last five races and has posted a 12.0 average finish in that span.
• David Ragan, winner of the 2013 May race, is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in four of the last five races.
• Denny Hamlin won the spring race and holds a series-leading average finish of 3.0 in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks this year.

Who to Keep an Eye On at Talladega

• Jamie McMurray won this event last year to snap a streak of six consecutive finishes outside the top 10 at Talladega. His teammate, Kyle Larson, finished seventh in his first Talladega Cup start in May.
• Two-time Talladega winner Jimmie Johnson is the only multiple-race winner (both at Daytona) in the seven restrictor-plate races with the Gen-6 car.
• Casey Mears (9.3), Austin Dillon (9.7), Brian Vickers (12.0), Marcos Ambrose (15.7), Aric Almirola (17.7) and Landon Cassill (18.0) each rank in the top 10 in average finish in the three restrictor-plate races this season.
• Series points leader Joey Logano (already clinched Eliminator spot) led 25 laps in May before an accident. His Penske teammate Brad Keselowski is a two-time Talladega winner.
• Kevin Harvick (already clinched Eliminator spot) led 15 laps and finished seventh in May in his first Talladega start with Stewart-Haas Racing.
• Kurt Busch, who ranks third in laps led at plate tracks this season, will be back in the same car he finished third with in the rain-shortened July race at Daytona International Speedway.
• Excluding laps led, Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman will each clinch a spot in the Eliminator Round with at least a finish of 18th and 19th, respectively.
• Kasey Kahne, who currently holds a one-point advantage for the eighth and final transfer spot, is coming off his fourth finish of 12th or better in his last six Talladega starts.
• AJ Allmendinger's only top five on an oval this season came at Talladega in May, fifth place.
• Previous restrictor-plate race winners Michael Waltrip and Trevor Bayne are entered in the GEICO 500. Ryan Blaney is also entered in a third car for Team Penske.

Tire Notes: Sprint Cup teams will have a new right-side tire this weekend compared to what they ran at Talladega in May. The new tire features a compound change for better wear.

MRN.com Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Austin Dillon
Pete Pistone: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dustin Long: Clint Bowyer
John Singler: Denny Hamlin

Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings

Joey Logano: Scored his last of four top 10s at Talladega in the 2011 spring race, when he was driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. Logano, who finished 16th in this event last year, has posted a 20.0 average finish in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks this season. This weekend, Logano will return in the same car (chassis No. 658) that he finished 11th with in the Daytona 500.

Kyle Busch: Finished fifth in this event last year for third top five in the last five Talladega races. Busch won the 2008 spring race in his first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing. Since then, he's led 145 laps and posted a 16.7 average finish. This season, Busch has posted a 19.7 average finish and led 20 laps at the three races at restrictor-plate tracks.

Kevin Harvick: Finished seventh in first start at Talladega with Stewart-Haas Racing in May. Harvick posted one win and an average finish of 16.2 in 26 previous starts with Richard Childress Racing. This season, Harvick has recorded a 19.7 average finish in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks. The No. 4 team will bring the same car (chassis No. 833) to the track this weekend that Harvick raced at Talladega in May.

Ryan Newman: Finished 18th in May at Talladega in first track start with Richard Childress Racing. Newman, coming off a pair of ninth-place finishes in the fall race at Talladega, has posted a 21.3 average finish in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks this season. This weekend, Newman will return in the same car (chassis No. 446) that he finished 22nd with in the Daytona 500 after being involved in two multi-car accidents.

Carl Edwards: Scored his best finish at Talladega in the 2013 spring event, third place. It marked only his second top five and fifth top 10 in 20 starts. This season, Edwards has posted a 28.0 average finish in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks. The primary car (chassis No. 913) Edwards will drive in Sunday's GEICO 500 is the same one he finished 37th with at Daytona in July after being involved in an early accident.

Jeff Gordon: The last of his series-leading six wins at Talladega came in the 2007 fall race when he completed a sweep of both events that season. His last of 19 top 10s was a runner-up finish in the 2012 fall race. In the three restrictor-plate races this season, Gordon has posted an 18.3 average finish. This weekend, Gordon will return in the same car (chassis No. 887) that he finished 12th with at Daytona in July.

Denny Hamlin: Coming off first Talladega win after leading 12 laps in May. The victory helped give Hamlin the best average finish (3.0) in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks this season. Hamlin is one of only six drivers that have completed every lap at plate tracks in 2014.

Kasey Kahne: Coming off fifth top 10 in 21 starts at Talladega. Kahne's eighth-place finish in May was his third top 10 in the last six races. This season, Kahne has posted a 22.0 average finish in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks.

Matt Kenseth: Won this event in 2012 with Roush Fenway Racing. In his three starts at Talladega with Joe Gibbs Racing, Kenseth has posted a 21.7 average finish and has led 175 laps. This season, Kenseth has posted a 21.0 average finish in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks.

Brad Keselowski: Last of two Talladega wins came in the 2012 spring race, which came in the middle of three consecutive top 10s. Keselowski has finished 29th or worse in his last three starts and has led only two laps. This season, Keselowski has posted a 19.7 average finish in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks. The car (chassis No. 657) the No. 2 team will bring to the track this weekend is the same one Keselowski finished third with in the Daytona 500.

Jimmie Johnson: The last of his two wins at Talladega came in the 2011 spring race. Johnson led 47 laps in this event last year and finished 13th. This season, Johnson finished 23rd as part of his 23.3 average finish in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks. This weekend, Johnson will be back in the same car (chassis No. 871) that he finished 42nd with at Daytona in July after an early-race crash.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Finished second in this event last season and has combined to lead 64 laps in his last two starts. This season, Earnhardt has posted the most laps led (80) and the sixth-best average finish (13.7) in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks, which include a win in the Daytona 500. Earnhardt, who is one of only six drivers that have completed every lap at a plate track in 2014, will return in the same car he drove in the last two plate races at Daytona (finished 14th) and Talladega (26th).

AJ Allmendinger: Finished fifth in May in first Talladega start with JTG/Daugherty Racing. The finish was Allmendinger's second career top five on a restrictor-plate track and it helped lower his average finish to 24.7 in three plate races this year.

Greg Biffle: Coming off his third top 10 in last five Talladega starts, finishing second after leading 58 laps. Biffle ranks second in laps led (75) and fifth in average finish (13.0) in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks this season. This weekend, he will debut a new car (chassis No. 871) in the GEICO 500.

Kurt Busch: Has not fnished in the top 15 in his last eight Talladega starts, which include a number of races in which he was involved in accidents. Busch will look to turn his Talladega record around - which was strong earlier in his career - by driving the same car (chassis No. 817) he finished third with in the rain-shortened July race at Daytona. That helped lower his average finish in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks this season, where he also ranks third in laps led with 51.

Aric Almirola: Has posted a 16.0 average finish in six Talladega starts with Richard Petty Motorsports. This season, Almirola ranks eighth among all drivers in average finish (17.7) in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks.

Kyle Larson: Finished ninth in first Talladega Cup start in May. This season, Larson has posted a 27.7 average finish in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks.

Jamie McMurray: Is the defending race winner after leading 16 laps. Win was second for McMurray in 24 Talladega starts. This season, McMurray has posted a 24.3 average finish in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks.

Austin Dillon: Finished 15th in May in first Talladega start with Richard Childress Racing. Dillon ranks third this season in average finish (9.7) in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks. He is also one of only six drivers that have completed every lap at a plate track in 2014. This weekend, Dillon will return in the same car (chassis No. 468) that he finished fifth with at Daytona in July.

Clint Bowyer: Winner of the 2010 and 2011 fall races at Talladega Superspeedway. Bowyer, who has finished in the top 10 in his last two starts, leads all drivers with an 8.3 average finish in the last 10 races. This season, Bowyer has posted an 18.0 average finish and has only led one lap in the three races at restrictor-plate tracks. This weekend, Bowyer will return in the same car (chassis No. 811) that he finished ninth with at Daytona in July.

Geico 500 Post-Practice Notes
By: Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com

Clint Bowyer was one of three drivers to top 200 mph in the first Talladega practice session on Friday and then Kyle Busch was fastest in the afternoon session, but none of that will mean much on Sunday when the green flag drops for the Geico 500.

Of all the tracks on the Cup circuit, practice at Talladega means the least, which is why 25 drivers opted not to participate in the final practice session. Normally, on a regular type of track, one not as beastly as Talladega's wide, high-banked 2.66-mile layout, the final practice is where the teams have their last chance at tinkering with the race set-up until race day.

But at Talladega, the cars are basically set-up and ready to go when they leave their team shop in Charlotte. The drivers take them off the hauler, run a few laps to confirm the car's readiness, and then park it for fear of wrecking it due to the volatile nature of the track.

All the top practice times are done while in the draft, which doesn't give a true read of how good the car is. It's pointless to run laps alone for qualifying because qualifying doesn't mean anything, and on race day they won't be running laps alone by themselves. So what's the point of even having two sessions if most of the drivers don't need it?

Handicapping Talladega is the hardest of any track just because the bettor really has no edge. Most of that edge coming into each race comes from little indicators witnessed in practice, but at Talladega, that all goes out the window.

Then when you factor in about 38 drivers having a chance to win because the cars are more equal than anywhere else because of the restrictor plates, it puts another snag into any betting equation. Sure, the odds offered for the top drivers are higher just because of the equality across the board, but it's almost as difficult as picking the correct number on a roulette wheel, and it's almost as random.

The little edge the bettor has is by reviewing what teams have consistently run well in plate races over the past two seasons and also identifying what drivers have fared the best over their careers. Some drivers just have a knack for running well in these types of races. They see the air in the draft well and are able to maximize speed with precise timing and the understanding of the track's angles.

Those drivers are a special bunch and they're identified by having the lowest odds on the board. And for the most part, despite most cars being equal, those drivers do come through with the win. But every once in a while we get the big underdog cashing in at high odds like when Brad Keselowski won his first career race in 2009 or David Ragan last spring. It truly is a crap shoot and there is no formula to help finalize the wagers.

The drivers at the lowest odds in Las Vegas are favored mostly because of supply and demand. The drivers who the sports books know will be bet the most are offered at the lowest odds. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the best in plate races and has won five times at Talladega, but none since 2004. He comes in as the 10-to-1 favorite in desperation mode of having to dig deep and recreate some of those winning moves from a decade ago. In all likelihood, he'll need to win to advance to the next round of the Chase.

The most encouraging note for bettors backing Junior is that the last time he won at Daytona before this year's Daytona 500 was in 2004, so at least you know the Hendrick Motorsports plate program is dialed in for success this season. This also bodes well for teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Gordon, a six-time winner at Talladega, can coast around and stay out of trouble and make his move late when the field is smaller because of wrecks.

Johnson doesn't have that luxury and we're close to seeing the six-time Cup champ exit the Chase if he doesn't get a win or a lot of help from contenders ahead of him wrecking. He's won at Talladega twice before, but never in the fall when he's usually points racing.

The drivers with the best chances at 20-to-1 odds or higher are Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer. McMurray and Bowyer are both two-time winners while Biffle will be looking for his first Talladega win. However, Biffle did lead the most laps in the spring race.

The most consistent team over the past two seasons of plate racing has been Joe Gibbs Racing, even though Denny Hamlin's win at Talladega in May is their only victory over that span. Between Hamlin dominating Daytona speed weeks and Matt Kenseth leading the most laps last season in plate races, they have shown to have just a slight advantage over the other teams.

Good luck and may whatever formula you use to pick the winner be the right one. There really is no wrong one, at least until the race is over.