Jul 10, 2017 - Who woulda thought. Drivers with the highest average running positions and finishing position. NASCAR.com lists the full stage results here. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Averages at Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR betting, handicapping, and fantasy information for NASCAR. NASCAR Handicapping Service Delivering Expert Race Picks and Previews. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Averages by track. NASCAR handicapping information by NASCAR Wagers.com.
The return to a track drivers fear and fans love is here. That's right, Talladega Superspeedway is the site of this Sunday's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff race.
In a twist this year, the sanctioning body moved the track's date up a week, taking it out of the second-round elimination slot. While all 12 drivers will have a chance to advance to the third round at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 22, many of their hopes may get dashed this weekend.
NASCAR's largest circuit, at 2.66 miles, offers high-speed, breathtaking racing that sees the cars draft in clumps thanks to restrictor plates. When physics comes into play, the result can be white-knuckle wrecks and airborne cars.
How the playoff drivers have fared at Talladega, and what to watch for Sunday (Alabama 500, 2 p.m. ET, NBC):
PHOTOS: 2017 NASCAR PLAYOFF DRIVERS
1. Martin Truex Jr. (3,106 poiints)
Car: No. 78 Toyota
Team: Furniture Row Racing
Best Talladega finish: Fifth (fall 2006, spring 2015)
Notable: The points leader and title favorite is a definitive 0-for-25 at Talladega and 0-for-50 at restrictor-plate tracks. Fortunately for him, that doesn't matter, because Truex can enjoy a Sunday drive after his win last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway secured his spot in the next round.
2. Kyle Larson (3,072)
Car: No. 42 Chevrolet
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Best Talladega finish: Sixth (fall 2016)
Notable: Look for Larson to be in the lead pack in the closing laps and pushing for a win. He has a penchant for putting the squeeze on in plate racing, which can be good and bad.
3. Kevin Harvick (3,069)
Car: No. 4 Ford
Team: Stewart-Haas Racing
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Best Talladega finish: First (spring 2010)
Notable: Two years ago, Harvick was at the center of controversy after his wreck on a green-white-checkered finish with his motor expiring froze the field and preserved his spot in the next round. After finishes of 36th and 17th to wrap the first round this season, he got back on track last week with a third-place result. Look for him to be in the mix Sunday.
4. Chase Elliott (3,059)
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Best Talladega finish: Fifth (spring 2015) Adobe illustrator with crack torrent.
Notable: His Hall of Fame father Bill scored two wins and 22 top-10s here. Chase is just 21, but already has shown a penchant for plate racing. In three Cup races at Talladega, he has started first, fourth and eighth. If he can avoid trouble, he'll score a top-10 finish. He's been on the brink of his first career Cup win several times this season, and if he scores it here, he'll bring the house down.
5. Denny Hamlin (3,056)
Car: No. 11 Toyota
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Best Talladega finish: First (spring 2014)
Notable: Look for Hamlin and teammates Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth to work some draft magic behind that Toyota power.
6. Kyle Busch (3,055)
Car: No. 18 Toyota
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Best Talladega finish: First (spring 2008)
Notable: While Busch dropped in the standings after his disastrous day at Charlotte, which ended with him needing medical attention for heat exhaustion after the race, he remains a strong contender for the crown with two wins in the first four playoff races. But Talladega has doomed his playoff hopes more often then he'd care to talk about.
7. Jimmie Johnson (3.051 points
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Best Talladega finish: First (spring 2009, 2011)
Notable: He and crew chief Chad Knaus have proven they can work through almost any situation and score a great finish. Johnson, the reigning champion who is seeking a record eighth title, will take care of his equipment and drive a smart race. But what about those around him?
8. Jamie McMurray (3,044)
Car: No. 1 Chevrolet
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Best Talladega finish: First (fall 2009, 2013)
Notable: McMurray has an average start of 9.5 and average finish of 13.0 this season. He'd probably be pretty happy with that Sunday.
9. Matt Kenseth (3,043)
Car: No. 20 Toyota
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Best Talladega finish: First (fall 2012)
Notable: Kenseth hasn't finished better than 23rd in his last five starts here. That's no bueno. While the veteran watches his final season at JGR - and perhaps in the series - come to a close, it doesn't seem as if he has the momentum to reach the next round.
10. Brad Keselowski (3,042)
Car: No. 2 Ford
Team: Team Penske
Best Talladega finish: First (spring 2009, 2012, 2016; fall 2014)
Notable: He has more wins than any other playoff driver here. So his confidence is high and that should carry some weight Sunday. But his title hopes ended here last year when his engine expired, sending him to a 38th-place finish.
11. Ryan Blaney (3,039)
Car: No. 21 Ford
Team: Wood Brothers Racing
Best Talladega finish: Fourth (spring 2015)
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Notable: He has two top-10s in six starts at Talladega and has shown acumen early in his career at restrictor-plate racing. While Fords haven't shown they have the power to match the Toyotas of Truex and the Gibbs drivers, plate racing could change the game. If Blaney can work with fellow Ford drivers, look for him to get a strong finish.
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (3,034)
Car: No. 17 Ford
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Best Talladega finish: First (spring 2017)
Notable: With two wins in three restrictor-plate races this year, Stenhouse finally has broken through and become a contender in his fifth full-time year. Expect another stellar performance from him to help propel him into the third round.
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PHOTOS: TOP SHOTS FROM 2017 CUP SEASON
| SEASON | Points | Starts | Poles | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Top 20 | DNF | Laps | Laps % | Led | Led % | Avg Start | Avg Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118 | 5033 | 36 | 6 | 8 | 22 | 28 | 31 | 3 | 10001 | 72.4 | 1470 | 14.7 | 7.4 | 8.3 |
| 2 Kevin HarvickK. Harvick 4 | 5034 | 36 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 29 | 31 | 4 | 9691 | 79.7 | 1990 | 20.5 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
| 322 | 5040 | 36 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 26 | 31 | 3 | 9826 | 87.6 | 934 | 9.5 | 9.8 | 10.7 |
| 4 Martin Truex JrM. Truex Jr 78 | 5035 | 36 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 21 | 30 | 5 | 9760 | 90.8 | 1016 | 10.4 | 9.9 | 10.7 |
| 541 | 2350 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 30 | 4 | 9992 | 92.3 | 644 | 6.5 | 8.8 | 12.1 |
| 6 Chase ElliottC. Elliott 9 | 2350 | 36 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 21 | 29 | 4 | 9850 | 80.2 | 325 | 3.3 | 11.1 | 12.3 |
| 711 | 2285 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 17 | 31 | 4 | 9926 | 91.0 | 380 | 3.8 | 10.3 | 12.6 |
| 7 Kyle LarsonK. Larson 42 | 2299 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 19 | 29 | 4 | 9768 | 81.4 | 782 | 8.0 | 12.8 | 12.6 |
| 910 | 2354 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 29 | 2 | 10003 | 92.7 | 181 | 1.8 | 15.6 | 12.8 |
| 10 Brad KeselowskiB. Keselowski 2 | 2343 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 20 | 27 | 6 | 9788 | 80.5 | 705 | 7.2 | 10.3 | 13.4 |
| 1114 | 2272 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 27 | 6 | 9911 | 95.6 | 490 | 4.9 | 13.7 | 13.8 |
| 12 David GillilandD. Gilliland 92 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 206 | 27.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 39.0 | 14.0 |
| 1220 | 2220 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 18 | 28 | 3 | 9836 | 90.8 | 99 | 1.0 | 10.6 | 14.0 |
| 14 Ryan BlaneyR. Blaney 12 | 2298 | 36 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 28 | 5 | 9525 | 78.8 | 660 | 6.9 | 9.4 | 14.8 |
| 1551 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 167 | 15.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 39.0 | 16.0 |
| 16 Jimmie JohnsonJ. Johnson 48 | 2242 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 26 | 4 | 9764 | 90.5 | 40 | 0.4 | 19.2 | 16.7 |
| 1788 | 2204 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 26 | 3 | 9977 | 90.8 | 71 | 0.7 | 13.1 | 17.0 |
| 18 Ryan NewmanR. Newman 31 | 769 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 24 | 3 | 10077 | 90.8 | 57 | 0.6 | 15.4 | 17.3 |
| 193 | 2245 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 24 | 3 | 9994 | 80.3 | 23 | 0.2 | 18.8 | 17.5 |
| 20 Brendan GaughanB. Gaughan 62 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 747 | 91.1 | 2 | 0.3 | 24.8 | 18.5 |
| 2019 | 674 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 21 | 3 | 9682 | 86.3 | 35 | 0.4 | 17.4 | 18.5 |
| 22 Jamie McMurrayJ. McMurray 1 | 683 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 24 | 5 | 9799 | 82.6 | 9 | 0.1 | 18.1 | 18.9 |
| 2317 | 701 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 6 | 10076 | 94.7 | 133 | 1.3 | 14.8 | 19.4 |
| 24 Paul MenardP. Menard 21 | 692 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 20 | 5 | 9410 | 83.3 | 14 | 0.2 | 17.2 | 19.4 |
| 256 | 268 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 4162 | 91.2 | 5 | 0.1 | 21.9 | 19.9 |
| 26 Chris BuescherC. Buescher 37 | 585 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 3 | 9759 | 89.6 | 1 | 0.0 | 21.6 | 21.0 |
| 2747 | 603 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 6 | 9214 | 89.2 | 19 | 0.2 | 22.1 | 21.3 |
| 28 Mark ThompsonM. Thompson 66 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 203 | 78.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 40.0 | 22.0 |
| 2924 | 587 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 9 | 9352 | 90.4 | 61 | 0.7 | 17.7 | 22.1 |
| 30 Justin MarksJ. Marks 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 423 | 62.5 | 1 | 0.2 | 31.0 | 22.3 |
| 3195 | 358 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 6584 | 88.6 | 30 | 0.5 | 26.0 | 22.8 |
| 32 David RaganD. Ragan 38 | 524 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 9882 | 92.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 24.2 | 22.9 |
| 3395 | 157 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3162 | - | 10 | 0.3 | 28.5 | 23.0 |
| 33 Timothy PetersT. Peters 92 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 187 | 42.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 32.0 | 23.0 |
| 356 | 287 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 5752 | 92.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 20.6 | 23.9 |
| 36 Ty DillonT. Dillon 13 | 482 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 9871 | 79.0 | 3 | 0.0 | 27.2 | 24.1 |
| 3743 | 471 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 9391 | 93.0 | 19 | 0.2 | 24.8 | 24.5 |
| 38 Michael McDowellM. McDowell 34 | 493 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 8964 | 85.5 | 33 | 0.4 | 23.0 | 24.5 |
| 3951 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 820 | 10.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 22.7 | 25.7 |
| 40 Parker KligermanP. Kligerman 96 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 922 | 41.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 31.8 | 26.3 |
| 4196 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2962 | 93.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 33.9 | 26.5 |
| 42 Cole WhittC. Whitt 72 | 132 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3389 | 96.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 33.5 | 26.8 |
| 4332 | 368 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 9610 | 92.1 | 8 | 0.1 | 29.1 | 27.0 |
| 44 Daniel HemricD. Hemric 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 502 | 9.8 | 0 | 0.0 | 16.5 | 27.5 |
| 4515 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8945 | 51.3 | 1 | 0.0 | 31.8 | 28.4 |
| 46 Landon CassillL. Cassill 00 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7832 | 81.5 | 0 | 0.0 | 33.9 | 29.7 |
| 4723 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 968 | 24.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 38.7 | 30.0 |
| 48 Jeffrey EarnhardtJ. Earnhardt 55 | 110 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4056 | 94.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 33.5 | 30.9 |
| 4923 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4674 | 25.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 34.7 | 31.0 |
| 49 Chris CookC. Cook 51 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 109 | 99.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 36.0 | 31.0 |