Survival key for Busch success at Talladega

When people look back at last year's Aaron's 312 NASCAR Busch Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, they probably won't remember the race to the finish.

They won't remember any of the strategy involved.

No, people will look back and remember The Big Wreck. Twenty-seven cars were involved in a lap-14 crash that effectively wiped out two-thirds of the field.

	A total of 27 cars were damaged in this accident in the 2002 Aaron's 312.

"They probably don't even remember who won," Jason Keller said.

Keller should know, for he was the guy who went to Victory Lane. It wasn't so much a race as a survival contest, as only three cars finished on the lead lap. But that doesn't bother Keller.

"They probably remember the 30-car pileup more than who won," Keller said, "but somebody had to win, so I'm glad it was me."

Keller returns to defend his Aaron's 312 title this weekend, but there's only one small problem. That car he used last year is in the scrap heap, and ppc Racing had to build a new one.

Keller used the car to finish in the top five in all three Busch Series restrictor-plate races last year, but maybe he used up the good fortune of missing the wrecks in 2002.

"I wish we went in there with the same car we won with last year, but unfortunately for us, the Daytona accident late in the race made us scramble," Keller said. "We built a totally new car form scratch. Plate racing is such an unknown. You just don't ever know how you're going to be.

"But the defending champion part really sounds good."

You could say last year's race was won when Keller avoided The Big Wreck, but to him, it goes back a little further.

"It started on Friday for us last year," Keller said. "Stacy (Compton) and I got to racing together on Friday. We found out our cars were great together. They were just really, really good together."

A LOOK BACK A massive accident claims 27 cars in last year's Aaron's 312 at Talladega. Play video Jason Keller holds off Stacy Compton for the victory in last year's event. Play video

When the race started, Compton passed Keller early, and Keller latched on to Compton's rear bumper.

"I was not about to let go of him," Keller said. "He wasn't going to hang me out to dry either. We pushed him, and he pulled me right to the front. Everything had worked perfectly.

"And then the big accident happened behind us."

The wreck happened off turn 2 as Kenny Wallace and Scott Riggs were racing in the top five. Riggs backed out of the gas for an instant and was rammed by Shane Hmiel. Riggs turned left into Johnny Sauter, and the wreck was on.

Nine cars immediately dropped out, and seven more soon were eliminated. Many of those left were simply rolling piles of junk. The top 10 looked like a short track race from 30 years ago. Three cars on the lead lap, two cars a lap down, one two laps down, one six laps down, one seven laps down, one 10 laps down -- in the garage -- and one 11 laps down.

Wallace raced with Keller and Compton until his engine finally overheated with 10 laps to go. And he "finished" ninth.

The remaining 76 laps weren't very exciting to watch. Instead of big packs of cars, fans were reduced to watch Keller and Compton run around single-file.

"It wasn't typical Talladega," Keller said. "Typical Talladega, you're in a pack of 25, 30 cars. Most of the race was myself and Stacy and Kenny Wallace toward the end. It was definitely a unique race.

"But the way I view it, no matter an accident or not, they were going to give a trophy away at the end of that race. As the race played out, we were able to pass Stacy and stay in front of him. We did what we had to do to win the race at the time. I don't think the race will play out like that again.

AARON'S 312  •  Entry List  •  Track Page: Talladega

"It was unfortunate for the fans. They're used to seeing tremendous packs at Talladega. That's not what they saw. Don't fault myself or Stacy. We were doing the best we possibly could. Stacy was first, and we were second when the accident happened."

That seems like the right place to be to miss The Big Wreck. But at Talladega, there are no safe spots.

"It happened between the third- and fourth-place guy, so you don't ever know where that accident is going to happen," Keller said. "You're running so close and so fast on restrictor-plate tracks, you're very fortunate (if you miss the wreck).

"In all three restrictor-plate races last year, we missed The Big Wreck and finished in the top five in all of them. Well, at Daytona, we got involved in someone else's wreck and tore up a really good race car. No matter where you are, hopefully you miss it."

That may be an even bigger chore this year. With the quality of Busch Series fields suffering, there is the possibility some of the less experienced drivers could present big problems.

Keller said not even the draft can help some of the backmarkers.

"I don't think they're going to be fast enough to keep up," Keller said. "The back cars are going to separate themselves. But it's such a big racetrack, lapped traffic and slower cars, I'm not worried about them at all."

Instead, Keller will be worried about getting up front and staying there.

And he'll have an eye out for Compton's No. 59 Chevrolet.

"You do build relationships," Keller said. "At Daytona, we could never really get together on the racetrack. At restrictor-plate races from now on, I'll remember that he and I worked really good together. You can't ever plan that stuff, but for us at Talladega last year, it worked out good. Who knows in the future?"