Dale Earnhardt Jr. tops the Final Talladega Driver Ratings

Not too much gained from practice and qualifying

LAS VEGAS – The space is normally reserved for conveying what happened during practices and how those speeds might be relative in finding who has the best opportunity to win on race day. At just about every track, what happens in practices is a huge factor when making a final decision on what drivers to wager at the sports books.

At Talladega, there is no need to look at either of Friday's two practice sessions. If you’re still unsure what drivers have the best chance of winning Sunday’s Aaron’s 499, then you might want to sit this one out -- or close your eyes and randomly pick anyone. The practices are so meaningless that only 27 drivers participated in the final session, not only because there was nothing to be gained, but also because of fear that a wreck in a meaningless session could force them into a backup car. If the teams feel practice isn’t important, then neither should we.

Because nothing has changed from when we did our first Talladega write-up on Tuesday, my advice is to review why we liked certain drivers. Most of the reasons stem from what we saw at Daytona during speed weeks, plus past history in restrictor-plate races. Some drivers just have a knack for these type of races, like David Ragan and Jamie McMurray; others are becoming respected in them, like Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Because Talladega is such a crapshoot, some might say this is a good time to take the week off from wagering – but this race is just too damn fun to not have any action.

Read More Here....Final Talladega Driver Ratings

Matt Kenseth talks with media Friday at Talladega

Kenseth is 12/1 to win Sunday at Talladega

MATT KENSETH No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What is your outlook this weekend at Talladega?
“Talladega is always unpredictable. We’ve ran really well here the last couple years. Last spring we led a bunch of laps and I think it’s the thing that ended kind of at night and had a green-white-checkered at the end and got beat so that was disappointing. And, then last fall was kind of a strange ending and just couldn’t really make anything happen. So, you just never know what’s going to happen here. It’s an exciting race to watch, it’s an exciting race to be a part of, but like I say it’s unpredictable. You always kind of need help or need to be at the right spot or need the extra cars to be able to make moves and make passes, so you spend more time thinking about moves than typically you do just making them or trying to pass somebody like you would at a normal track.”

What will happen during tomorrow’s qualifying session?
“I guess the truth is none of us really know. Obviously the bigger the group is and the farther you are back from it to a certain point the bigger run you’re going to go and the fastest lap time you are going to get. That’s not a secret and everybody knows that so everybody is waiting for that group. There’s never going to be a group, so I think it’s going to be kind of funny to watch. I don’t know how it’s going to work. We did the first round at Daytona in Nationwide and it was a little crazy, but the field is obviously better in Cup. I don’t know what’s going to happen. It should be interesting especially having three rounds. I think obviously the first round is where you’re going to have your fast lap times and that one you’re going to have to probably make more calculations or more aggressive moves or however you want to put it to get that lap once they start thinning this field out and you get down to 12 or even 25 or 24 or whatever it’s going to change a little bit. There’s always a potential for a wreck when you put 43 cars out there.”

Do you feel there is a good possibility for a big wreck during qualifying?
“Yeah, the potential is there. Yeah. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know how it’s going to go yet. I don’t know if a lot of guys will just go get a lap even if they just barely miss the round they’re okay with that or not. And, even if they’re not, once the pack is gone you know you’re not going to run a fast lap anyway. So, I’m not sure how it’s all going to go down. It should be really interesting to watch.”

Do you feel there will be a big pack or smaller groups during tomorrow’s qualifying?
“I think everybody is going to try to do a strategy to get the fastest lap they can to start as far as they can toward the front. What that’s going to look like I honestly just don’t really know. It depends what everybody does and there’s no way to predict what everybody is going to do. The people in the big pack aren’t going to be the ones running the fast lap, it’s going to be the people behind the big pack. Everybody knows that so there might not be a big pack. I’m not really sure exactly how it’s going to go down.”

What makes racing at Talladega so different?
“Restrictor plate racing is obviously unique. We only have four of those races a year — Talladega is slightly different from Daytona even though since they paved Daytona they have become much more similar. Basically, you just don’t know what’s going to happen. Obviously you can’t really get away from anybody with the restrictor plate and you can’t really make a lot of moves by yourself. A lot of it is so dependent on what everybody else does. It’s just a totally different mindset I think when you come to these races. It’s a totally different driving style, strategy, the way you go about things — it’s different.”

How intimidating was it to race at Talladega understanding the chance of a larger accident?
“It always changes a little bit through the years. Certainly whenever you come to a plate race or you even think of the word Talladega, everybody thinks of the big one. I think drivers, fans, media members, everybody thinks of that. It’s always what everybody is thinking about and talking about, but certainly it’s changed over the years. There were some years where cars were flying through the air and all kinds of crazy stuff was happening and then you have other years that were maybe more tame. Again, it’s unpredictable. You just don’t know what’s going to happen. Obviously you know that’s part of racing here and it can happen at any time. It’s always something that people are thinking about and that’s why you see different strategies with people in the back or what have you. It’s certainly something you always think about to a certain extent.”

How far could you see an underdog team make it in the Chase?
“Well I mean I think it depends on what happens to all the rest of the cars. To advance a round you could have a lot of the real good cars, a lot of the favorites have a DNF (did not finish) and have an off day or something like that and be out and finish ahead of them. I think certainly on average the points standings throughout the year or if you take snapshots of different parts of the year or whatever, it usually kind of gives you an idea of who’s going to have a shot and who’s not.”

Will drivers elect to start at the back to avoid potentially damaging a primary car in qualifying?
“I don’t know, I think it’s more going to be a team decision more so than a driver decision necessarily. Then there’s also a lot of things that are out of your control. You might want to be on the pole, but something happens and you get mixed up and don’t get a lap, caution comes out or something like that in the first run when all the cars are out there and then only 12 cars go back out the next time because everybody is happy with their times then you’re not going to run a faster lap. Obviously you need all the cars or a lot of cars and a good draft to pull up and get that lap. I think you’re going to try to get the best lap you can without putting yourself in jeopardy to get your primary car torn up. This is one of those races where you can go from the front to the back or the other way around more easily than other tracks.”

Will the importance of winning to make the Chase impact the end of this race?
“I know it’s not always the popular answer, but I still stand by that I just don’t think it changes the racing. I don’t think it changes the winners, I just think it changes the reward you get for winning. All these races are really big races and everybody wants to win them. I don’t see anybody showing up in May and being like, ‘Man, I hope I run 10th today.’ Everybody goes out and does everything they can to win these races each and every week no matter what the reward is and no matter what it pays, points or any of that stuff. They’re all big races and everybody shows up every week to try to win.”

- Toyota Racing

Earnhardt Jr. talks with media Friday at Talladega

Earnhardt Jr is 10/1 favorite to win Sunday at Talladega

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Talladega Superspeedway and discussed his thoughts on knock-out qualifying at Talladega, the influence his mom has had on his life and many other topics.

BIG NEWS COMING OUT OF YOUR CAMP TODAY REGARDING NATIONWIDE BEING THE SPONSOR ON THAT RACE CAR STARTING NEXT YEAR THAT HAS GOT TO BE A BIG DEAL FOR YOU GUYS. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND SEGWAY INTO JUST RACING HERE AT TALLADEGA:
“We are really excited to be able to announce the sponsorship with Nationwide as it continues to grow. We have had a relationship with them for a very long time. It’s been successful on both sides. I’m really thrilled to be able to go to the next level with them and allow Hendrick Motorsports to be part of that. It’s a great fit. We’ve had a lot of fun together and I’m excited to be able to continue that relationship. It’s a good thing for me. We were obviously looking for a good fit and looking for something that would work out well. I can’t imagine a better scenario and I think Nationwide is very excited to get going and start working together in the Cup series. Our current partners National Guard and Diet Mountain Dew are very excited about it as well to have them in the fold. Just a lot of good things.

“Excited to come here to Talladega, really enjoy racing here, it’s a very laid-back atmosphere and a fun race track. Looking forward to seeing how well we can run with JR Motorsports on Saturday and obviously working on our car throughout the weekend and see what we can do on Sunday. It should be a lot of fun. I enjoy these types of races and have been looking forward to it all week.”

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OUT OF QUALIFYING TOMORROW?
“Nobody knows. I just don’t know. We will just have to see. The guy that gets the pole is going to have to hit it just right. We built a brand new race car so our willingness to take risks is going to be pretty limited throughout that process. We just you know need to get into the field with the car it doesn’t matter where you start other than just picking on pit road. Not sure exactly what our approach is yet. We’ve still got some conversations to have between Steve (Letarte) and our teammates and just sort of feel out everybody’s opinion about what they want to do and how they want to try to accomplish the best result they can. I don’t think right now anybody has any answers.”

WHERE IS YOUR PLATE RACING CONFIDENCE COMING INTO THIS WEEKEND?
“It’s pretty confident. We as a team I think improved our emphasis on our plate cars to be able to improve their performance. I think that started to show in the last 12-16 months. When Steve (Letarte) and I first started working together our confidence and really our focus was more on improving ourselves as a whole. We really didn’t focus on the plate stuff as much as we needed to improve everywhere. We had to kind of put our emphasis on the plate track on hold for a while to try to get our team in the right direction. I think that started to happen to where we were running well enough everywhere where we could start to put a little more care and preparation into our plate track cars. That is definitely showing in the results. You show up here sometimes and you have great race cars that do a lot of good things and are very effective when you are moving around in the draft. There are times when you show up and for whatever reason the same car that I ran second with at Daytona a year or two ago wouldn’t hardly run down here for some reason. We just couldn’t get anything accomplished and we would get stuck in the pack and boxed in where we couldn’t go anywhere and the car just wouldn’t react the way we needed it to in order to be able to move forward and be aggressive with the passes that we wanted to make. It just depends on whether you hit everything just right and it all starts with preparation at the shop and I think we have been doing a real good job at that here lately.”

HOW MUCH DOES ALL OF THIS TRANSLATE NOW TO YOUR CONFIDENCE THAT WHEN YOU GET IN THIS RACE AND IF YOU GET DOWN TOWARD THE END, CONFIDENCE, THAT THE MOVE YOU CHOOSE WILL BE THE RIGHT MOVE?
“The car gives you the confidence. When you are driving the car and you get a sense of the cars ability the car gives you the confidence. Then when you are thinking more positively you tend to see positive results no matter what you are doing, whether you are driving a car or whatever. If you are thinking ‘hey man I need to make this move right now, but I don’t believe in the car’ then the result is typically not what you are wanting and more of what you expect. When the car is very good and you appreciate what the car is doing throughout the day you tend to expect it to make the moves you want to make and accomplish what you want to accomplish in the draft late in the race. Realistically those results pretty much come true when you have that kind of confidence in the car and yourself. It’s a process throughout the whole weekend really leading up to the race and throughout the first part of the race that builds that confidence.”

WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE NATIONWIDE SERIES THAT NATIONWIDE HAS CHOSEN TO LEAVE AS SPONSOR OF THE SERIES TO SPONSOR YOUR NO. 88 CHEVROLET SS IN THE CUP SERIES NEXT SEASON?
“I think it says a lot about the direction that Nationwide wanted to go after their involvement in the sport for some time. That they wanted to move forward and do something new with their objectives. I also believe from what I’ve been hearing behind the scenes that the opportunities and search for a title sponsor in the Nationwide Series won’t be a challenging one that there is some good interest there. Those type of sponsorships although both of them are involved in the sport they kind of accomplish different things. I think this is a direction that Nationwide wanted to go after what they were doing was affective. There will be some opportunity and there is some good interest to fill that void. I think that the Nationwide Series currently is very healthy due to what Nationwide has been able to accomplish in the series.

“Also as the sport has sort of reset and rebounded from the economical struggles that we had several years ago the teams are getting healthier and we are seeing a lot more interest on teams wanting to get on the quarter panels and the hoods of these race cars. Whereas for a long time there was a lot more interest to be an official sponsor of the sport and more tied to the sport as a whole. Now we are seeing a lot more interest in guys wanting to get back on the quarter panels and hoods of these cars. I think that is really important to the health of the sport overall.”

IS THE BUSINESS OF SPONSORSHIP EVOLVING ENOUGH TO WHERE IT IS GOING TO BE TRULY A RARITY FOR ANY ONE ENTITY TO SPONSOR ONE CAR FOR AN ENTIRE SEASON?
“Yeah, I think that is true. I don’t know that is a sign of anything positive or negative. I just think it’s an evolution of how sponsorships have changed. Much like we used to think it was a wild thing when a guy would have two race cars out there. Instead of now a days there are owners that have four race cars and three race cars and that is the norm. It’s just the way things kind of evolve over time. I think that it’s really a lot busier when you have multiple partners and it’s a lot more entertaining and interesting as a driver for sure to have so many partners to work with. And have so many people across so many different – that can reach such an audience. I’m really enjoying having multiple people to work with each year. We all sort of learn from each other and how to market and how to reach as many people as we can. It’s been very effective and we have had a lot of success with it.”

INAUDIBLE:
“No, not necessarily, not for us particularly. I know that in certain instances with certain teams there is definitely that stress. We feel that somewhat at times in the Nationwide Series. At this particular point we are very healthy and we have a lot of interest, but there are times if you go back three or four years ago where every team was having a difficult time finding the proper funding to run the full schedule. I know there are teams in the series that struggle with that every year, but at this particular point the sport has gotten so healthy over the last three years there has been a lot of growth and a ton of interest. I think that has not reached its peak yet. That is good for everybody.”

FROM EVERYTHING I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE A PRETTY FRUGAL GUY SO COULD YOU EVER IMAGINE IF YOU WERE EVER TO GET MARRIED THAT YOU WOULD SPEND TWO MILLION DOLLARS LIKE THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER SAYS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE DOING LATER THIS YEAR?
“I definitely would have a hard time writing that check (laughter).”

WOULD YOU DO IT AT DAYTONA?
“No of course not. I would not force everybody to go down to Daytona for my wedding. I probably would just have it right there in the back yard, but whatever is easiest. That was funny. I read that and it was a roller coaster of an article. Pretty good.”

DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE GETTING MARRIED?
“I didn’t. So we just skipped the engagement I guess, went right to the wedding.”

NEXT WEEKEND IS MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND. WHAT DOES YOUR MOM MEAN TO YOU? HOW DID SHE HELP YOU ALONG DURING YOUR CHILDHOOD AND RISE ALL THE WAY TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
“I don’t have enough time to answer that to give it justice. She was from a racing family. Obviously I loved the sport when I was a little kid so I was so lucky to have it on both sides of my family. My parents split up when I was really young, but no matter where I was I was around a race car. Which I really appreciated because the Gee’s, my mother was a Gee, Robert Gee and Robert Gee, Jr. and all them, they raced and did things differently and approached racing differently so it was fun to sort of learn from both sides. She had a huge influence on me becoming a Washington Redskins fan which I really appreciate to this day. She just worked really hard and she had a hard time giving up custody of me and Kelly to my father in 1981. She just knew we would have better opportunities and a better life in that situation. That was very difficult and she fought with that internally for many, many years. It was a real joy to be able to have her husband Willie (Jackson) retire from his job as a fireman and them be able to move to North Carolina and be close and be able to really become more a part of her life again. She has a great sense of humor and very sarcastic and I really appreciate that. Just a ton of fun to be around, if you want an honest opinion and you want the truth even if you don’t want to hear it your mom is the best person to go to, to get it. She doesn’t have a filter and she will steer you down the right path every time. It’s great to have a relationship with her that I have today. She is a huge influence on my life and has been for some time.”

YOU GOT FIRST QUARTER DRIVER OF THE YEAR THIS YEAR. YOU HAD NEVER WON THAT BEFORE?
“I have no idea.”

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT WINNING THAT?
“I just think obviously we would really be happy to win the award out right. To get it quarterly is sort of a nod to how we have performed. It’s good that the media sees the performance because as much as we love to do a lot of things for ourselves we really get a kick out of when the media and our fans see the performance and acknowledge it. That kind of nod was a great feeling. We have worked so hard to be able to be this competitive and we show up every week and we are quick and the car is there. It’s been so long or I’ve never really had that to be honest. I can’t even imagine ’04 was even that good. This is awesome that things are going as good. I couldn’t be happier with what is going on in my professional life. It’s good to get that nod. It’s just a good feeling. I consider the media peers of mine. We all work in this together and it’s just like another driver coming up and saying ‘man you drove a hell of a race last week’. It’s a good feeling.”

About Chevrolet:
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

- Team Chevy

Martin Truex fastest during first Talladega practice session

Dale Earnhardt was 42nd fastest during the first practice session

Speeds reached over 200 mph Friday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway during the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron’s 499 practice session with Martin Truex Jr. posting the fastest lap speed of 200.721 mph among the 47 drivers turning a lap.

The action on the track looked like a race with drivers often going three-wide. There were 29 drivers that ran at least 10-consecutive laps, which means very little on this beast of a track with restrictor-plates on.

Rookie of the Year candidate, Justin Allgaier posted the second fastest lap (200.666) followed by David Ragan (200.599), Marcos Ambrose (200.540) and ROTY candidate Kyle Larson (200.372).

Rounding out the top-ten fastest drivers in the session were Carl Edwards (199.921), Michael Waltrip (199.875), David Gilliland (199.666), Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (199.654) and Danica Patrick (199.625). speed.

The teams will have their “Happy Hour” (final) practice session today from 3:30 pm – 4:25 pm (ET) before returning Saturday at 1:10 pm (ET) for qualifying to determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s race.

The 45th annual Aaron’s 499 is scheduled to start at approximately 1:20 pm (ET) Sunday afternoon, and FOX will provide television coverage beginning with their 12:30 pm (ET) pre-race show.

Whatever you do, take these practices at Talladega with a grain of salt. They mean nothing. 38 drivers had a shot of winning the race before the practice started and 38 still have a chance. Don't rush out to buy Truex Jr. because he was fastest and don't lower your Junior rating just because he was 42nd fastest.

Practice 1 Speeds

Practice 2 Speeds (only 29 drivers participate)

Does strong Daytona transfer to Talladega for Denny Hamlin?

Denny Hamlin is 12/1 to win at Talladega Sunday

Event: Aaron’s 499
Date/Time: May 4/12 p.m. CT
2013 winner: David Ragan
2013 polesitter: Carl Edwards
Distance: 188 laps/500 miles
Track Length: 2.66 miles
Banking: 33 degrees
Track Shape: Tri-Oval

EXPRESS NOTES:

Fans First for FedEx 400: Race fans have the opportunity to “ride along” with Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Freight/Autism Speaks Toyota for the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover on June 1. For a minimum $11 donation to Autism Speaks by this Sunday, May 4, fans can get their names on the special #11 paint scheme at the ‘Monster Mile,’ while helping a great cause. Space is limited so for more information, visit www.fedexracing.com/fedex400.

300th Start for Hamlin: Hamlin will make his 300th career Sprint Cup Series start this Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in the #11 FedEx Express Toyota. In 16 previous races at Talladega, Hamlin has recorded five top-10 finishes and has led 204 career laps at the 2.66-mile high-banked oval. He finished second in the first restrictor plate race of the season this year, the season-opening Daytona 500.

Richmond Recap: Hamlin finished 22nd in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Speedway after contact from behind while battling in the top-10 with less than 30 laps to go caused the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota to spin and lose valuable track position. Hamlin was forced three-wide in Turn 2 on a late-race restart at the three-quarter-mile oval, and jostled for position down the backstretch. Heading into Turn 3, the cars bottled up and Hamlin was tapped from behind and sent spinning to bring out another caution. After a pit stop under the race’s final caution, Hamlin took the checkered flag in 22nd in the event won by Joey Logano. After starting 28th, he quickly worked into the top-20, while changes called by crew chief Darian Grubb helped with the car’s handling, and quick pit stops by the FedEx crew gained him more spots. He managed to work into the top-five with less than 100 laps to go, and was lined up eighth on the restart before the incident.

FedEx Office – Closest to Talladega Superspeedway: 117 Resource Center Pkwy, Birmingham, AL 35242, (205) 981-0077

Mobile, Ala., Along for the Ride in Talladega: The FedEx Air Ground and Freight Services operations team in Mobile, Ala., will be recognized for operational excellence with its “BFM” code letters on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

HAMLIN CONVERSATION – TALLADEGA:

Do you expect to have another strong restrictor plate package after the team’s success in Daytona?
“We certainly had a strong SpeedWeeks, with wins in the Sprint Unlimited and our Duel race, and backed it up with a second-place finish in the (Daytona) 500. Hopefully we can be that competitive again this weekend and run up front. These restrictor plate races come down to a lot of circumstances and luck, but the plan is to keep the FedEx Camry up front throughout the day, stay out of trouble, and be there at the end.”

 

2014 FEDEX RACING TEAM – SEASON RESULTS
DATE	EVENT	LOCATION	START	FINISH	LAPS	STATUS	WINNINGS	LED	PTS	TREND
Feb. 23	Daytona 500	Daytona	4	2	200/200	Running	$1,148,451	16	2nd	▬
March 2	The Profit on CNBC 500	Phoenix	12	19	312/312	Running	$87,480	8th	▼
March 9	Kobalt Tools 400	Las Vegas	27	12	267/267	Running	$121,410	1	8th	▬
March 16	Food City 500	Bristol	1	6	500/500	Running	$116,865	4	7th	▲
March 23	Auto Club 500	Fontana*	13	17	202/202	Running	$107,410	11th	▼
March 30	STP 500	Martinsville	2	19	500/500	Running	$94,475	12th	▼
April 7	Duck Commander 500	Texas	6	13	340/340	Running	$137,770	20	13th	▼
April 12	Bojangles’ Southern 500	Darlington	10	19	374/374	Running	$101,905	3	15th	▼
April 26	Toyota Owners 400	Richmond	28	22	400/400	Running	$88.890	14th	▲
Averages/Totals			11.2	14.0	100%		$1,897,246	44

* Driver: Sam Hornish Jr.

- Weber Shandwick Worldwide for FedEx Racing

LVH opens Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10/1 favorite to win 2014 Aaron's 499 at Talladega

Does Denny Hamlin's great Daytona run translate well to Talladega?

LAS VEGAS-- If you look at the LVH SuperBook odds board this week, you're likely to notice a much different set of weekly NASCAR odds posted than what’s been seen the past eight races. For example, last week at Richmond, there were five drivers offered at single digits odds, led by two as 6-to-1 co-favorites. In this Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, there are no drivers listed in single digits.

Why such a disparity? Because anyone can win with the restrictor-plates on, which means drivers like David Ragan who are normally priced at 500-to-1 as part of the field are now reduced to 75-to-1. Last spring at Talladega, Ragan was pushed to victory by Front Row Motorsports teammate David Gilliand. Ragan paid out at 100-to-1 odds. Then in the fall, Jamie McMurray won at 20-to-1 odds.

Because Talladega races have been such a crap shoot, it may seem like a tougher process to make the odds. But it’s actually quite the opposite.

“These plate races are pretty simple,” said Superbook manager Ed Salmons. “I could have probably just cut and pasted the odds from Daytona and been fine with it. Really, almost anyone can win, so it’s not anything like the preparation needed by us for a place like Richmond.“

The “anything is possible approach” doesn’t just apply from a bookmaking standpoint — it also applies for the bettors. Driver ratings are truer at the 32 other non-plate races, so with Talladega’s volatile nature where any driver can be wiped out unexpectedly and having up to 38 drivers being near equals, driver match-ups are played very little, which reduces the weekly handle.

“Why would you play the match-ups in these races, there’s no edge, “said Salmons. “We may see some plays from those trying to scalp prices, but not any real bets from the regulars that normally bet them.

It’s not uncommon to see a driver priced more than -200 over another in a weekly match-up, but Salmons says his highest priced pairing has Joey Logano -125 to finish better than Tony Stewart.

Throw some darts, pull numbers out of a hat or roll the dice, Talladega is a crap shoot and there is no bad bet made until it actually loses on Sunday. But Salmons is starting to wonder about one specific driver.

“I’m starting to come to the realization that Danica Patrick might not ever be good in NASCAR,” said Salmons who posted her at 75-to-1. “Even at Daytona throughout speed weeks she was nothing, and that was the one place she really showed promise at last year.”

Salmons isn't the only one having doubts. I couldn't have been more wrong when suggesting before the season that she could compete for a top-20 points finish this season. The expected progression just hasn't been there. Danica is currently 29th in points with a best finish of 14th at Fontana. She finished 40th in the Daytona 500 with her only top-10 Sprint Cup finish coming last season in the Daytona 500 (8th).

So far this season it’s been a wild ride with seven different drivers winning in the first nine races, and surprisingly, we’re still waiting for four past champions to grab their first win. Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are all searching for their first trophy of 2014. Each have won at Talladega before, with Gordon doing it six times. Last season, Johnson and Kenseth combined to win 13 of the 36 races.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. comes in as the LVH's lone favorite at 10-to-1, while nine drivers are co-second choices at 12-to-1 odds. Junior led six times for a race high 54 laps in the season-opening Daytona 500, which was his first win there since 2004. He’s won five times at Talladega over his career, and ironically, his last victory came in 2004. Is there a 2004 theme here? Maybe, but to match Gordon’s six wins on the track — most among active drivers —he’ll have to do it in a different car. The winning Daytona 500 car is on display at Daytona USA, the same process as in 2004.

A driver that should be seriously considered to win this week is Denny Hamlin at 12-to-1 odds. He’s never won a points plate-race, but he was amazing at Daytona in February where he won the Sprint Unlimited (Shootout), one of the Budweiser Duels, and then finished second in the Daytona 500. After not being as strong as the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing would have liked in the past eight races, look for the team to do all they can to recapture the speed with restrictor-plates strapped on like they had at speed weeks.

We’ll have some final Talladega notes on Saturday following all practice and qualifying sessions, even though the times mean absolutely nothing, or at least not on the scale of importance like other tracks.

Read More Here.....LVH Aaron's 499 odds

Aric Almirola 75/1 odds to win at Talladega

Career best 10th last spring at talladega; he's 75/1 to win Sunday

Welcome Gwaltney to the hood of the No. 43 Ford

Heading to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, the No. 43 Gwaltney team is confident they can contend for a win. Aric Almirola and team showed a lot of speed at superspeedways during Speedweeks at Daytona and expect the same this weekend. The team rebuilt the car after the crash in Daytona and worked in the wind tunnel to find a good aero package for this weekend, and they’re confident the car will do well in the draft this weekend.

Almirola raced 14 times in a NASCAR series at the 2.66-mile track. In eight Sprint Cup Series starts, he posted his best finish of 10th in the No. 43 Ford last spring. He tallied his best finish of second twice in the Truck Series in 2009 and 2010.

Almirola Weekend Chatter
“You go into Talladega knowing you have a one in 43 chance of winning the race, but you have the same chances of leaving with a wrecked racecar. The new Chase format really fits this race, though. Points are really important but having a chance at a win is even more important. Roush Yates built a great engine package for Daytona, and we expect the same this weekend. After the wreck in Daytona, the team completely rebuilt our superspeedway chassis and spent time in the wind tunnel working on an aero package. They feel confident that we’ll race well in the draft. We’ll try to stay out of trouble and be at the right place at the end to contend for the win.

“Gwaltney will be back on the car this weekend for the first time this season. So, hopefully, we can get our Ford Fusion up front and fight for a win this weekend.”

About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneurs Andrew Murstein and Douglas Bergeron, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP, Strike Ten Entertainment and Fresh From Florida, and Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners STANLEY, DEWALT, Mac Tools and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is headquartered in Concord, N.C.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Richard Petty Motorsports

Talladega Track Facts: 2014 Aaron's 499

Anything can happen quickly at Talladega  Talladega Superspeedway Data Season Race #: 10 of 36 (05-04-14) 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 Race Length: 188 laps / 500 miles   Top 10 Driver Ratings at Talladega Ricky Stenhouse Jr..................... 94.7 Matt Kenseth.............................. 91.6 Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 91.5 Kurt Busch.................................. 87.4 Brian Vickers.............................. 87.3 Jimmie Johnson.......................... 85.1 Brad Keselowski......................... 84.4 David Ragan............................... 84.2 Aric Almirola............................... 87.3 Jamie McMurray.......................... 83.3 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races (18 total) among active drivers at Talladega Superspeedway.   Qualifying/Race Data 2013 pole winner: None – due to inclement weather   2013 race winner: David Ragan, Ford 148.729 mph, (03:26:02), 05-05-13   Track qualifying record: Bill Elliott, Ford 212.809 mph, 44.998 secs. 04-30-87   Track race record: Mark Martin, Ford 188.354 mph, (02:39:18), 05-10-97

Talladega Superspeedway:

History

·         Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on Sept. 14, 1969 – won by Richard Brickhouse.

·         The name changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989.

·         Fourth repaving completed on Sept. 19, 2006.

Notebook

·         There have been 89 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, one NSCS event in 1969 and two races per year since 1970.

·         Talladega Superspeedway is tied with Michigan International Speedway for holding the ninth most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points paying races (89).  

·         433 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega; 297 in more than one.

·         Dave Marcis leads the series in starts at Talladega with 61. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 42 starts; followed by Joe Nemechek with 38.

·         Bobby Isaac won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Talladega in 1969 with a speed of 199.466 mph. Isaac won the first three poles at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.

·         36 drivers have Coors Light poles at Talladega, led by Bill Elliott with eight. Joe Nemechek leads all active drivers with four.

·         10 drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Talladega. Bill Elliott holds the record for most consecutive poles at Talladega with six (1985 - 1987).

·         Youngest Talladega pole winner: Jimmie Johnson (04/21/2002 – 26 years, 7 months, 4 days).

·         Oldest Talladega pole winner: Mark Martin (10/23/2012 – 52 years, 9 months, 14 days).

·         43 different drivers have won at Talladega Superspeedway, led by Dale Earnhardt with 10. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with six.

·         Richard Childress Racing has the most wins at Talladega in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 12; followed byHendrick Motorsports with 11.

·         Nine different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Talladega; led by Chevrolet with 38 victories; followed byFord with 21.

·         13 of the 89 (14.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega have been won from the Coors Light pole. Jeff Gordon (2007) is the only active driver to be able to accomplish the feat. 

·         The outside front row (second-place) starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Talladega. 

·         33 of the 89 (37%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega have been won from the front row: 13 from the pole and 20 from second-place.

·         62 of the 89 (69.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Talladega have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         7 of the 89 (7.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Talladega was 36th, by Jeff Gordon in the spring of 2000.

·         Youngest Talladega winner: Bobby Hillin Jr. (07/27/1986 – 22 years, 1 month, 22 days).

·         Oldest Talladega winner: Harry Gant (05/06/1991 – 51 years, 3 months, 26 days).

·         Buddy Baker and Tony Stewart are tied for theseries’ most runner-up finishes at Talladega with six each.

·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-five finishes at Talladega with 23. Jeff Gordonleads all active drivers with 15. 

·         Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-10 finishes at Talladega with 27. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 19.

·         Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Talladega with a 10.125.

·         Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Talladega with a 14.200.

·         There have been seven NSCS races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Talladega Superspeedway: spring of 2005 (188/194), fall of 2005 (188/190), spring of 2007 (188/192), fall of 2008 (188/190) spring of 2010 (188/200), fall of 2012 (188/189) and spring of 2013 (188/192).

·         Only two of the 89 races at Talladega Superspeedway have been shortened due to weather conditions: spring of 1987 and fall of 1996.

·         Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway five times; most recently fall of 2013. 

·         Jamie McMurray (10/06/2002) made his series debut at Talladega Superspeedway.

·         David Gilliland (10/08/2006) and Travis Kvapil (10/05/2008) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light poles at Talladega.   

·         2012 series champion Brad Keselowski (04/26/2009) and Brian Vickers (10/08/2006) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Talladega.   

·         Nine drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Talladega Dale Earnhardt Jr.leads the series in consecutive wins at Talladega after posting four straight from the fall of 2001 – 2003.  

·         11 of the 12 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Talladega Superspeedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Brad Keselowski is the only active series driver to winat Talladega in his first appearance.   

·         Matt Kenseth competed at Talladega Superspeedway 25 times before winning the fall of 2012; the longest span of any the 12 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.

·         Matt Kenseth (25), Tony Stewart (19), Kevin Harvick (18), and David Ragan (12) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Talladega.

·         Joe Nemechek leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Talladega without visiting Victory Lane at 38.

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway was the (04/17/2011) race won by Jimmie Johnson with a MOV of 0.002 second – the MOV is tied with the 2003 Darlington race as the closest finishes in the NSCS using electronic scoring. 

·         Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Talladega with 843 laps led in 42 starts.

·         Three female drivers have competed at Talladega in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Patty Moiseand Danica Patrick.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date	Race Name
Janet Guthrie	13	32	5/1/1977	Winston 500
Janet Guthrie	9	34	8/7/1977	Talladega 500
Janet Guthrie	12	29	8/6/1978	Talladega 500
Patty Moise	36	33	7/30/1989	Talladega Diehard 500
Danica Patrick	23	33	5/5/2013	Aaron's 499
Danica Patrick	23	33	10/20/2013	Camping World RV Sales 500

 

NASCAR in Alabama

·         There have been 108 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among seven different tracks in Alabama.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Talladega Superspeedway	Talladega	89
Birmingham International Raceway	Birmingham	8
Montgomery Motor Speedway	Montgomery	6
Lakeview Speedway	Mobile	2
Chisholm Speedway	Montgomery	1
Dixie Speedway	Birmingham	1
Huntsville Speedway	Huntsville	1

 

·         68 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Alabama.

·         Nine drivers from Alabama have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; five have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Driver	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
Bobby Allison	84	2	0
Davey Allison	19	0	0
Neil Bonnett	18	1	0
Donnie Allison	10	0	0
Red Byron	2	0	0
Rick Crawford	0	0	5
Steve Grissom	0	11	0
Cale Gale	0	0	1
Darrell Wallace Jr	0	0	1