2009 Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway

2009 Aaron's 499:

This weekend the 2009 Aarons 499 rolls into Talladega Superspeedway. Talladega is the only track besides Daytona that forces drivers to race with the horsepower-limiting restrictor plates.

Cars will race in big packs all day long since aerodynamics and drafting are more important than horsepower here. Those inevitable tight drafting packs means that a mistake by any one driver can cause the multi-car wrecks known as "The Big One" that all too often define the racing at Talladega.

Tickets:

Speedway ticket office 1-877-Go2-DEGA

Buy online from TicketsNow (direct link)

The Track:

Talladega Superspeedway is the longest track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit measuring 2.66 miles. A steep 33 degrees of banking in the corners and 18 degrees in the front tri-oval make handling a secondary consideration. Talladega is big, fast, and all about horsepower and drafting.

Race Distance:

188 laps = 499 miles

The Big Picture:

Jeff Gordon posted a season-worse 25th place effort last week in Phoenix but was able to hang on to his point lead ahead of teammate Jimmie Johnson.

No new drivers cracked the top twelve but Mark Martin moved up to thirteenth just nine points out of a Chase qualifying spot.

The top twelve:

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Jimmie Johnson -85
3. Kurt Busch -98
4. Tony Stewart -104
5. Denny Hamlin -154
6. Clint Bowyer -190
7. Kyle Busch -216
8. Carl Edwards -219
9. David Reutimann -250
10. Kasey Kahne -267
11. Jeff Burton -289
12. Matt Kenseth -296

Storylines:

We can't come to Talladega without talking about NASCAR's most popular driver. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has an amazing Talladega Superspeedway history including a seven race stretch from 2001 - 2004 where he scored five wins and two second place finishes.

However Junior made news this week for a different reason. He was placed on probation for six races along with Casey Mears for their on-track bumping after the checkered flag in Phoenix.

Traditionally "probation" is pretty meaningless so Junior fans shouldn't worry. However this does put the spotlight on Earnhardt who only has one Sprint Cup series win since 2006.

Media Coverage:

TV: FOX Sunday, April 26th, 1:00PM Eastern.

Radio: MRN and SIRIUS Satellite

Actual Race: 2:00PM Eastern

Recent Events:

2008 Polesitter: Joe Nemechek

2008 Winner: Kyle Busch

Last Year:

The 2008 Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway was a typical Talladega race. The drivers were cautious during most of the race and there was a lot of give and take. This lead to a pretty safe race until the laps started to wind down.

With 50 laps to go you could feel the intensity increase as drivers started to close in on the checkers. The race finished with two "Big Ones" and an aborted green-white-checkers dash which resulted in a yellow flag finish. Kyle Busch was out front when the final caution flew and claimed a Talladega win for Toyota.

Predictions:

Picking a winner in a restrictor plate race is a crapshoot. "The Big One" can eliminate a top contender in the blink of an eye. Chevy drivers have dominated Talladega since 1999 but Toyota swept both races in 2008. Also, don't forget that Matt Kenseth's Ford won the Daytona 500. The 2009 Aaron's 499 is a tougher one to call than most.

Kyle Busch had a fast car in Daytona and picked up the win in this race last year. Joe Gibbs Racing has a firm handle on restrictor plate racing and Kyle Busch has no fear. He is a strong contender to repeat as Aaron's 499 winner and my top pick.

For my backup this week I am going with a longshot. Joey Logano finished dead last in Daytona and only has one finish inside the top 20 in 2009 (13th in Las Vegas). However he is Kyle Busch's teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing so we know he has great restrictor plate equipment. Plus he has a ton of talent. Given the unpredictable nature of Talladega this might be the perfect place for Joey Logano to break through.