First-time winners defy the odds at big, bad Talladega

No racetrack in NASCAR produces the type of intense racing that is found at Talladega Superspeedway. With 33-degree banking and more grip than super-strength Velcro, the drivers run three-wide at 190 mph.

The close competition means the slightest mistake can lead to disastrous results. Crashes involving 15 or more cars are commonplace at the track since restrictor plates were introduced in 1988.

So how can a track known for the tightest and most dangerous competition in the sport produce so many first-time winners?

Nine drivers have earned their first career Sprint Cup Series win at Talladega, including Alabama's own Davey Allison in 1987 and the latest first-timer, Brian Vickers, in 2006.

SPEED analyst Phil Parsons picked up his first -- and only -- Cup win at the 2.66-mile track when he held off Bobby Allison to win the first restrictor-plate race there in May 1988 (read more).

"I thought I was going to be racing Geoff Bodine for the win, but Bobby ended up getting past him with about 10 laps to go," Parsons said. "Bobby had won the Daytona 500 earlier that year, so I knew I was going to have my hands full. I was probably looking in the mirror more than the windshield trying to anticipate what he was going to do.

"The draft really evens things out at Talladega. That's why Dale Earnhardt could come from 18th to win in 2000. It's all about putting yourself in position and staying out of trouble."

So does Parsons still think a dark horse can sneak up and steal a win against the super teams in Sunday's Aaron's 499?

"Sure it's possible, but that doesn't mean it's likely," he said. "How many true dark-horse teams are out there now? You can't call Brian Vickers a dark horse because he was with Hendrick when he won. If I was looking at a first time winner, I would look at A.J. Allmendinger or David Reutimann. Toyota was really strong at Talladega last fall, and Reutimann was the best of the Michael Waltrip teams throughout the year."

Fast facts

What	Aaron's 499
Green	2:20 p.m. ET Sunday
TV	FOX, 1 p.m. ET
Radio	MRN (Sirius Ch. 28), 2 p.m. ET

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Allmendinger, 26, returns to the No. 84 Red Bull Toyota after yielding his ride to Mike Skinner for five races (read more). Mike Skinner, a veteran of more than 450 races in NASCAR's top three series, qualified for each to give Allmendinger and the team some momentum heading into Talladega. But the car is not in the top 35 in owner points, so Allmendinger, who failed to qualify for the first three races of the season, must qualify for Sunday's race on speed.

"It sucks being out of the racecar," said Allmendinger, whose first top-10 in NASCAR was a fifth at Talladega in 2006 in the Craftsman Truck Series. "After seeing Mike drive the car and seeing him struggle with some of the same problems I had been having, it was a little bit of a relief for me to realize that while I had plenty of room to improve as a driver, we also have a long way to go as a team. Collectively, we still need to get better."

For Reutimann, fighting for a win is possible although he remains more focused on the bigger picture.

"We know that we're locked into the race at Talladega, and that's what's important for the immediate future," said Reutimann, whose No. 44 Toyota is 34th in owner points. "As a team we've got to look ahead and see how we stay there and continue to move up.

"My job this weekend is to keep us in the race. Racing at Talladega, you never really know what is going to happen or when it's going to happen. If we see a big wreck, it could change who is locked in going into the next race. It's hard because a lot of times it's out of your hands as a driver."