NASCAR
Stratta’s Six: Who Can Win at Talladega Superspeedway?
The 2.66-mile superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama is the next battleground for NASCAR’s stars. The world’s fastest speedway will give one driver a huge win Sunday afternoon, in the Geico 500. With two superspeedway races already this season, who can get the win in the third drafting race? Let’s take a look at some drivers who could conquer Talladega.
Denny Hamlin
After a season to forget aside from his Richmond win, Denny Hamlin is hopeful heading to Talladega. The FedEx 11 has two prior Talladega victories, most recently in 2020. After crashing out of the Daytona 500 and Atlanta, Hamlin is aiming to recapture his superspeedway prowess.
“I’m optimistic about going there,” Hamlin said. “I felt like we had a strong car in Daytona, but we got caught in a wreck and never really got to show it. As a manufacturer, the Toyotas were able to work pretty well together to get to the front. Talladega is always a numbers game when it comes to the manufacturers, so it’s going to be important that we’re able to get all the Toyotas together and hopefully put ourselves in a good position.”
Hamlin was racing among the leaders when he was crashed out of both prior superspeedway races this year. With that in mind, if the 11 can avoid the carnage throughout 500 miles, he should be in the mix at the finish.
Brad Keselowski
Another strong contender from the Daytona 500 was the 6 of Brad Keselowski. Keselowski’s Ford led a race-high 67 laps before finishing ninth. Talladega will mark the one-year anniversary of Keselowski’s last win with Penske, so he’s trying to go back-to-back in the spring race. Already a six-time Talladega winner, Keselowski looks to turn his season around with a strong performance on the high banks.
“For me, obviously Talladega is a special place in my mind and always will be,” Keselowski said. “It is a place of unknowns in a lot of cases, but fortunately I’ve been able to be very successful there now with six victories, which is a hard feat at any one track. We all know most of Sunday is about survival, but we also know our Superspeedway cars at RFK consistently perform at a high level. Proud to have Castrol on board with us and help carry the carbon neutral and sustainability banner as we try and go for yet another Talladega victory.”
Talladega is beyond a special place for Brad Keselowski, the site of his first Cup win and also his last Penske triumph. After the debilitating L2 penalty a few weeks ago, RFK Racing and the 6 need something to salvage their season. No stranger to winning at Talladega under incredible pressure, Keselowski could blow the Playoff picture wide open.
Ryan Blaney
Winner of two of the last five Talladega races, Ryan Blaney definitely has this race circled on his calendar. Driver 12 is always a threat on superspeedways, as he pushed his teammate to the Daytona 500 win. It would surprise few to see the Penske driver take a third Talladega win, as his consistency already this season has been among the best in the sport. Blaney has four-straight top-10s, also with more laps led than anyone but William Byron. Blaney is still searching for his first win of 2022, that could very easily come this weekend.
Chase Elliott
Still the points leader by a narrow margin over Blaney, Chase Elliott could capture the flag at Talladega. Driver 9 has one past Alabama win, coming in 2019. In 2022, four of the last five races have seen Elliott place in the top 10, putting him atop the standings. Much like Blaney, Elliott has seemingly done everything but win this season, and that could change at Talladega.
“Talladega is one of those places where you just don’t know how your day is going to end up,” Elliott said. “I think that’s why driving smart and just doing what you can to make it to the checkered flag is the main focus. Your race can change so fast if you’re in the wrong lane or you get caught up in someone else’s mistake. I think if you can avoid those things and finish the race, you’re going to have a decent result.”
While it may not be a flashy effort, Chase Elliott is very quietly putting together a great season. Still the lone Hendrick car to not visit victory lane, Elliott could change that stat Sunday. Expect the 9 to be in the mix Sunday, especially if he is up front late with teammate help.
Joey Logano
A year ago, Joey Logano was a highlight-reel for the wrong reason at Talladega. Coming to a Stage finish, the 22 was turned and flipped end over end, crashing out after being a contender. Now in 2022, Logano hopes to add onto his three Talladega victories. Recent finishes of second and third have the 22 at third in points, making him a weekly threat for the win. Should Logano keep all four tires on the ground this year, the 22 could end 500 miles Sunday in victory lane.
Kurt Busch
Last fall at Talladega was a huge day for 23XI Racing, as Bubba Wallace earned this team’s maiden victory. Returning to the site of this triumph, can Kurt Busch make it back-to-back wins for the Toyota team? Always a threat on superspeedways, Busch has shockingly gone 0-for-42 at Talladega. After placing third in Atlanta, Busch has to be seen as an outside threat for Sunday’s victory. If Toyotas can team up as a manufacturer to ward off the field, then the 45 could be sitting pretty.
Race 10 of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season will be the ultimate wildcard at Talladega Superspeedway. Coverage of the Geico 500 kicks off at 2:00 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. What Sunday has in store is hours of unpredictability, pegged drama, and a great shot at an upset winner.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to James Gilbert/Getty Images for NASCAR
