The NASCAR Cup Series drivers will be racing at Talladega Superspeedway this Sunday, June 21st in the GEICO 500 on Father’s Day.
Typically when NASCAR races at the track simply called “Dega” by most racing fans, it is considered a “Wild Card” race. That is because literally anybody can win a race at Dega. The driver just needs to be still running in the lead draft as the race ends for a shot to win the race. Making the right move at the right time can take a car from mid-pack to the lead in half a lap or less.
However, with the coronavirus and everything it has caused the drivers and teams to have to deal since mid-March … it seems like every race has been a “Wild Card” race since NASCAR returned to racing in mid-May. Would that then make racing a Dega a “Double-Wild Card” this year or a typical race for the 2020 season?
Here are the data points that every driver will be facing Sunday at Dega.
Talladega Superspeedway Data
Track Size: 2.66-miles
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 33 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 33 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 16.5 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 4,300 feet
Backstretch Length: 4,000 feet
GEICO 500 Data
Season Race #: 13 of 36 (06-21-20)
Race Length: 188 laps / 500 miles
Stage 1 & 2 Length: 60 laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 68 laps
While anybody can win a NASCAR Cup Series race at Dega, some drivers do very well year in and year out at the track. Here is a look at the top active drivers at Talladega Superspeedway.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Talladega
Chase Elliott …………………………… 94.1
Joey Logano …………………………… 90.6
Kurt Busch ……………………………… 90.4
Brad Keselowski ……………………… 89.3
Ryan Blaney …………………………… 89.0
Matt Kenseth ………………………….. 86.9
Jimmie Johnson ……………………… 86.4
Ricky Stenhouse Jr …………………. 84.4
Denny Hamlin …………………………. 82.8
Kyle Busch ……………………………… 82.2
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2019 races (30 total) among active drivers at Talladega Superspeedway.
At the rick of repeating myself for the umpteenth time, anybody can win a NASCAR race at Dega. That is somewhat spotlighted by how many drivers have won a single race at the track. There have been 26 drivers that have won only a single race at Talladega Superspeedway during their Cup Series careers. That is more than half of the 49 total Dega winners all-time at Dega in the top division of NASCAR.
The previous point is echoed when you look at wins by active drivers. There are 12 active drivers that have visited Victory Lane at Dega. Among those drivers, eight of them (66% or two-thirds) have only a single win.
Active Drivers with Talladega Win(s)
Brad Keselowski – 5 Wins
Joey Logano – 3 Wins
Clint Bowyer – 2 Wins
Jimmie Johnson – 2 Wins
Aric Almirola – 1 Win
Chase Elliott 1 – Win
Denny Hamlin – 1 Win
Kevin Harvick – 1 Win
Kyle Busch – 1 Win
Matt Kenseth – 1 Win
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 1 Win
Ryan Blaney – 1 Win
The thing every driver hopes to avoid racing at Dega is the “Big One”. Racing at 200 MPH, inches apart in large draft groups (multiple cars wide and sometime 10 rows or more long) can result in crashes that involve double digit tallies of cars. That is an outcome that means you will NOT be around in the lead draft at the end for a chance to win.
Which cars will avoid the “Big One”? Which cars will be in the lead draft at the end? Which car will make that right move to rocket to the lead and win the race?
We will find out this Sunday … June 21st … Father’s Day … starting at 2 p.m. central time (3 p.m. eastern time) at Talladega Superspeedway in the GEICO 500.
By: Buck Stevens
