Drivers expect big crashes at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- To the list of life's certainties, you may add The Big One.

The wreck that wipes out a good portion of the field at Talladega Superspeedway.

VIDEO CLIPS A multi-car accident marred the last lap of last year's race. Play video Another version of "The Big One," happened in the spring race this year at Talladega. Play video

As safe as race cars are, it still doesn't change the experience inside the cockpit when metal kisses metal and the air fills with scorched rubber and shrieking tires.

The drivers don't forget, and they try their best to prepare themselves for the inevitable in advance of Sunday's EA Sports 500 at the 2.66-mile oval.

"It is terror," said veteran Mark Martin.

The past two Winston Cup races here have been marred by wrecks involving at least a third of the field. In April, 24 cars went spinning on lap 164. Last fall, 18 cars crashed on the final lap of the EA Sports 500. In both instances, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who prefers to drive at the front of the pack during restrictor-plate races, was the winner.

Tony Stewart, on the other hand, has been known to ride at the back of the pack.

"I'm sure we're going to hang out for most of the race," Stewart said. "It may be in the back, it may be up front, but it won't be in the middle."

But someone has to be in the middle, and that's where the trouble starts. That's when instinct takes over.

"If it's in the middle of the corner, the cars that are sliding are going to go up first, and then they're going to come back down," Jeff Green said. "It all depends upon where you are on the racetrack, how close you are to them as to where you need to put your car. Sometime it's different, and they will get it in the middle of that slide and get pushed back down in front of you."

The primary cause of wrecks? Blocking, said Green.

THEY SAID IT  "It is terror"  •  Mark Martin on racing at Talladega

But blocking isn't going away. Stewart said he loathes doing it, but until NASCAR makes rules changes, everyone will block. And then someone won't be able to check up in time. And then ...

"Here the wrecks are really slower," Martin said. "You slide longer, you hit this thing. You slide more and hit that thing. You get hit and all that and because of the speed; the wrecks last longer."

With the 43 cars usually so packed together here, not even a spotter has a chance to guide his driver when trouble begins. Green, who has been in a few of the smaller accidents, said time is too precious in the moments where instincts are a driver's best friend.

"You know, you don't just close your eyes," Green said. "It's one of those deals where you hope to get through by an inch sometimes."