TALLADEGA TRIUMPH AND TURMOIL

Every time the NASCAR drivers head to Talladega, they expect the same thing: white knuckle racing, three and four wide every lap, the big wreck, and a fantastic finish. The Aaron’s 499 had all of this and even provided a freakish flashback to 1987, when Carl Edwards wrecked in the tri-oval and his car hit the catch fencing above the wall. I don’t want to say that Edwards’s wreck on the final lap was predictable, but with the rules NASCAR implements at Talladega and Daytona, it was bound to happen to someone.

If you were persuaded to put money on Brad Keselowski winning his first Sprint Cup race at Talladega, you may have had a blank look on your face. Keselowski won in a James Finch owned car (essentially a single-car operation with very little funding). The FOX announcers clearly stated that anyone can win here…practice sessions before the race at most other tracks give you an idea of who the contenders are. When Carl Edwards and Keselowski ended up being the drivers duking it out at the end, I think the whole NASCAR nation was shocked that they ended up in the right spot at the right time.

NASCAR’s TV coverage at Talladega is always difficult to organize. The crew cannot give a sequential update on drivers based on running order since it tends to change every 400 yards. During the prerace show, the announcers banked on the big one happening at some point during the race, but I don’t think any of the announcers envisioned it happening on lap 7. On the parade and pace laps, FOX gives race tendencies, including when the first caution flag waves, the longest number of consecutive green flag laps, and even a pit window. They consistently do this well, and most of the time they are correct—with the exception of this week’s big wreck (see below).



On a scale of 1-10, the race coverage gets an 8 once again. FOX’s announcers failed to mention that the “out of bounds” rule that was implemented has its hazards. The focus on the final lap was on Carl Edwards along with Brad Keselowski. When Keselowski made his move, he could not dive below the yellow line, which was what Regan Smith did last year since he was blocked down there. The same exact accident would’ve happened last year had Smith done the same thing that Keselowski did to Carl Edwards. (see both video clips below)





Getting ready for Richmond on Saturday night, the drivers should feel a bit of relief since we’re heading back to one of the most competitive short tracks in NASCAR. Watch for Denny Hamlin to dominate—he almost lead every lap here last year! Look for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kyle Busch to possibly rekindle a rivalry which saw each driver wreck the other in both races last year. Best of all, it’s under the lights! Happy short trackin’!!