After two weeks of beatin’ and bangin’ on the short track, NASCAR drivers will hope to avoid the “Big One” when they race at 200 MPH at Talladega Superspeedway in the GEICO 500.
The past two weeks the Sprint Cup drivers have had to race around the 1/2-mile track at Bristol and the 3/4-mile track at Richmond. In both races it was Carl Edwards that dominated to claim back-to-back wins for the 2016 NASCAR season. However, racing will be completely different this week as the drivers navigate the 2.66-mile track that is affectionately and simply called “Dega.”
With average speeds of around 160 MPH and top speeds reaching past the 200 MPH mark the GEICO 500 will be a whole different challenge for drivers and teams. The lower down force package this year will add to the mystery for the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams. Drivers that know how to use the draft to gain on cars in front of them and sling shot past will do well. If a driver gets overzealous or has a car that has handling issues, disaster can quickly ruin the day for that driver.
The other, more looming situation that will be in the mind of every driver on the track is what is called the “Big One.” When NASCAR races at Talladega it usually means many cars racing in a pack of 10, 15 20 and more. This happens because of the draft that a group of cars can take advantage of. Cars in the back feel less force from the air on their car. Cars in the front will get the advantage of being “pushed” by the bubble of air that surrounds the group. The danger is that when a car in the front or middle of the pack has an issue that causes them to get sideways at 200 MPH, there is no time for the cars around them to react and avoid being collected in the ensuing wreck. These wrecks can often in include anywhere for 10 to sometimes over 20 cars in total, thus being dubbed the “Big One.”
Which active drivers have done the best at using the draft and avoiding the “Big One” in their Sprint Cup careers? Let’s take a look.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Talladega
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 93.8
Jimmie Johnson – 89.5
Matt Kenseth – 88.5
Kurt Busch – 88.0
Brad Keselowski – 84.4
Brian Vickers – 84.0
Denny Hamlin – 82.9
Kyle Larson – 81.9
Joey Logano – 81.5
Kevin Harvick – 80.6
(Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races (22 total) among active drivers at Talladega Superspeedway.)
When it comes to winning, there are 14 active NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who have captured a checkered flag at Dega. Of those, only five have done it more than once. Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the active drivers with the most wins at the track. Dale Jr. has a total of six victories at Dega in a Sprint Cup race including this race last season.
Brad Keselowski is next with three trips to Victory Lane at Talladega while Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurrary and Clint Bowyer are in a three-way tie with a pair of Dega wins each.
The eight active Sprint Cup drivers who have a single win at Talladega are Bobby Labonte, Brain Vickers, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, David Ragan, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano.
Another aspect of NASCAR racing at Talladega that adds to the thrill for fans and drivers alike besides the high speeds and looming anticipation if the “Big One” is that any driver from any team has the chance to win the race. No matter if a driver is a part of one of the bigger race teams with four cars or races for one of the single car small race teams, if that car is set-up well and the driver finds him/herself in the right place on that last lap, a well-timed and executed move in the draft can sling shot that car to victory.
We will all find out which drivers have the speed, which drivers don’t avoid the “Big One” and which driver is in the right place at the right time to win the GEICO 500 when the NASCAR Sprint Cup series takes the Talladega Superspeedway this Sunday, May 1st starting at 12 noon central time (1 pm eastern time).
By: Buck Stevens
