Sprint Cup Pre-Race Race Thread - Talladega the Chase version

dpkimmel2001

dpkimmel2001

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I hate having to wait until Sunday morning to talk about the race so I created a pre-race race thread for Talladega.

Race #30 of 36; Chase for the Sprint Cup race #4 of 10

I for one can't wait for this one. I know many of you out there don't like Talladega or Daytona but I look forward to these races. I always have. The first three Chase races have been lackluster at best. Not a whole lot of excitement so far but I'm looking for that to change this weekend. I'm thinking that this race and Martinsville will be the ones to watch in October. The weather looks promising but it all depends on where you look.

What are some of those Chase drivers running this weekend?


#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Allstate team will use Chassis #1009 for Talladega. Chassis #1009 has been used previously this season at Talladega finishing 32nd.

#2-Brad Keselowski: The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-644 during Sunday's Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. This chassis is new to the No. 2 fleet.

#5-Kasey Kahne: For Sunday's race, crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-703. Kahne has raced this car to two top-10 finishes at superspeedways this season. Kahne scored a fourth-place result at Talladega in May and crossed the line seventh at Daytona in July. Kahne qualified inside the top five at both events with this car.

#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-565: This car debuted during Daytona Speedweeks in 2010. Its first race was the non-points Gatorade Duel, where it started 11th and led two laps before finishing second, which slotted it sixth in the Daytona 500. In the Great American Race, Chassis No. 14-565 finished 22nd. Its third career start came in April at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, where it qualified 13th and finished an unscathed 16th in the crash-marred race. It was refitted with a new body and wind-tunnel tested for its return to Daytona via July's Coke Zero 400. It performed well, as its seven laps led attest, but a multi-car accident on lap 148 collected Chassis No. 14-565 and relegated it to a 25th-place finish. The car had served as a backup ever since, but was completely rebuilt in preparation for the 2012 season. The 54th Daytona 500 marked Chassis No. 14-565's fifth career start and first since July 2010. It performed admirably, finishing 16th after leading two laps. It sat idle for the series' second restrictor-plate race of the year at Talladega, but returned to action in July for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona where it rallied from its 42nd-place starting spot to lead twice for 22 laps en route to the win.

#15-Clint Bowyer: Primary chassis No. 705 finished eighth in the season opening Budweiser Shootout. No. 705 also served as backup for the Spring Talladega and July Daytona races. Backup chassis No. 709 finished 11th in the Daytona 500.

#16-Greg Biffle: Primary: RK-798 Brand new chassis; Backup: RK-794 Last ran Bud Shootout - finished sixth

#17-Matt Kenseth: Primary: RK-793 (Last run at Daytona)

#29-Kevin Harvick: will pilot Chassis No.387 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend's Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500. Built new for competition in 2012, Harvick raced this Chevrolet to a seventh-place finish in the season's kickoff event, the Daytona 500, after starting from the 13th-position.

#48-Jimmie Johnson:: Chassis No. 698 serves as the primary for Johnson at Talladega. Chassis No. 482 serves as the backup.

#88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: This weekend at Talladega, crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-699. Earnhardt raced this chassis three times this season, collecting an average 8.7th-place finish at the two restrictor-plate racetracks on the schedule: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (second-place in February and 15th-place in July) and Talladega Superspeedway (ninth in May).
 
43 cars at Talladega, means there is no "go fast or go home". Good thing, IMO, it means the low budget teams are on equal ground in the sense that they can prepare for the race instead of putting everything in to qualifying.

That said...

GO TIMMY HILL!!! :beerbang:
 
And Ryan Hackett (he races dirt late models at Potomac) is running the Truck race. I know who I'm rooting for in that one as well.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
43 cars at Talladega, means there is no "go fast or go home". Good thing, IMO, it means the low budget teams are on equal ground in the sense that they can prepare for the race instead of putting everything in to qualifying.
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In that sense maybe, just not cents. The difference will continue to show.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
43 cars at Talladega, means there is no "go fast or go home". Good thing, IMO, it means the low budget teams are on equal ground in the sense that they can prepare for the race instead of putting everything in to qualifying.

That said...

GO TIMMY HILL!!! :beerbang:
Click to expand...

There's 44 cars, 1 will go home.
 
Here's what I'm waiting for. One of these S&P's wrecks in practice hard enough to make the car unrepairable taking us to a field of 42 cars. Being as that team will not have a backup car it will then cause NASCAR to be in violation of the television contracts that call for a mandatory 43 car field. ;) In turn, ESPN will refuse to televise the race and we will all be forced to either purchase a ticket or listen to MRN for coverage.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Here's what I'm waiting for. One of these S&P's wrecks in practice hard enough to make the car unrepairable taking us to a field of 42 cars. Being as that team will not have a backup car it will then cause NASCAR to be in violation of the television contracts that call for a mandatory 43 car field. ;) In turn, ESPN will refuse to televise the race and we will all be forced to either purchase a ticket or listen to MRN for coverage.
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I never imagined that scenerio. To think I've been so hard on start n' parks and with out them there'd be no NASCAR to watch:eek:
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Here's what I'm waiting for. One of these S&P's wrecks in practice hard enough to make the car unrepairable taking us to a field of 42 cars. Being as that team will not have a backup car it will then cause NASCAR to be in violation of the television contracts that call for a mandatory 43 car field. ;) In turn, ESPN will refuse to televise the race and we will all be forced to either purchase a ticket or listen to MRN for coverage.
Click to expand...

Has anyone ever shown evidence of this actually being the case?
 
Even if it was true, the networks would not void a contract if one race had 43 cars. No network would risk losing millions in revenue because a couple races didn't have 43 cars. People who believe they would need to see a psychiatrist.
 
Clint Bowyer: "If I'm in the middle of this (race) at halfway, I'm going to the back. I'll pull to the apron and go to the back."

Boy, that has to make you proud if you're a Clint Bowyer fan. :rolleyes:
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Clint Bowyer: "If I'm in the middle of this (race) at halfway, I'm going to the back. I'll pull to the apron and go to the back."

Boy, that has to make you proud if you're a Clint Bowyer fan. :rolleyes:
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As long as CB wins it, you betcha. ;)
 
I'm sure my driver will have to team up with the #48 once again. The #48's philosophy seems to be to run at the back. My driver, not so much. Those opposing views don't make for great teamwork. I hope I don't have to listen to Jr. asking Jimmie to run up front all race long. I'm not a fan of the running in the back method to this race. I'd rather see my driver battling for the lead all afternoon.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Clint Bowyer: "If I'm in the middle of this (race) at halfway, I'm going to the back. I'll pull to the apron and go to the back."

Boy, that has to make you proud if you're a Clint Bowyer fan. :rolleyes:
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It's a freakin Plate Race!

*applause, applause*
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Even if it was true, the networks would not void a contract if one race had 43 cars. No network would risk losing millions in revenue because a couple races didn't have 43 cars. People who believe they would need to see a psychiatrist.
Click to expand...

I guess most of us have heard that 43 car field rumour before and I have no idea if it's true or not. However, I wonder if there is some provision or clause that says if 43 or more cars attempt to qualify, Nascar will start at least a 43 car field?
 
So Kasey is bringing a car they clearly had to fix after being stuffed in the fence coming to the line in July?
 
kkfan91 said:
So Kasey is bringing a car they clearly had to fix after being stuffed in the fence coming to the line in July?
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This one clearly has the Middlebrook c-posts. When you find a cheat car that passes inspection, you do everything you can to keep it racing. ;)
 
FenderBumper said:
I had a nightmare about a plate race where 43 cars were competing to be in the back. Speeds were down to 55 and they were still wrecking.
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That's kinda my vision, I would find it hilarious. Meanwhile, David Stremme wins the race.

I could see it being like those bike races in the olympics.
 
Congrats to KK.

MWR had a great showing in qualifying with all three cars in the top eleven.

RCR has Menard in the highest starting position at 16th and RCR hasn't won a race in over a year. :eek:
 
I don't put a lot of weight into where these guys start this race. It seems kind of meaningless at these plate tracks.
 
It is going to be an interesting start with Boyer pushing Kahne and Stewart pushing Newman. Or maybe it will be Boyer pushing Newman And Stewart wrecking Kahne.

Errr, I meant Stewart pushing Kahne depending on what line he takes.
 
Smoke14 said:
It is going to be an interesting start with Boyer pushing Kahne and Stewart pushing Newman. Or maybe it will be Boyer pushing Newman And Stewart wrecking Kahne.

Errr, I meant Stewart pushing Kahne depending on what line he takes.
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Tony can try it but his pit crew got beat up the last time that happened.

 
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