Stewart-Haas duo could be the ones to beat at 'Dega

With just four races remaining in the 2009 season, we're beginning to get the clue that Jimmie Johnson is in line for an unprecedented fourth consecutive championship. The Chase format sets up well for the driver of the No. 48. However, this weekend's race could be the opportunity that the top contenders are looking for.

Talladega Superspeedway can have as much to do with luck and timing as it does with skill and equipment. Ask Brad Keselowski, who won this season's Aaron's 499 at Talladega in the spring. He piloted the seemingly insignificant No. 09 James Finch owned entry to Victory Lane with a wild, last-lap finish at this monstrous oval.

• Purchase tickets
• Book your travel

If Johnson is to stumble, this week will likely be it. The past has shown us that several multi-car accidents can decimate the field at Talladega, and leave supposed contenders parked early with wrecked cars in the garage area.

This 500-mile race at the famed restrictor-plate track is likely Johnson's last obstacle to winning the 2009 Cup championship. The drivers still within shouting distance of the leader will be ready to take advantage if bad luck strikes Johnson on Sunday. The following is our weekly power ranking for the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Top Fantasy Racing Drivers for Talladega

1. Jimmie Johnson
With the championship now within arms reach, Johnson will feel the pressure this weekend -- the pressure to run up front and stay out of the fray at the back of the pack. Talladega has been a good facility, but not a great facility for Johnson. He owns one career victory at the 2.66-mile oval and a 40 percent top-10 rate there. Still, Johnson has the momentum right now and could ride it all the way to Victory Lane on Sunday.

2. Jeff Gordon
While Gordon has only one win to his credit this season, we have to respect him when he visits his best tracks. The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet owns six career victories at Talladega. His last three starts at the Alabama superspeedway are nothing to write home about, but Gordon has the ability to win at this track.

Fantasy Report

Mike Bell says Hendrick power will help take the Rocketman to Victory Lane at Talladega.

• Watch video

3. Denny Hamlin
In recent seasons, Hamlin has had one of the faster cars at Talladega, but the results have not always followed. He has led a significant number of laps in each of his past five starts at the track, but Hamlin has come up short of Victory Lane. That could change in the AMP Energy 500. Hamlin is coming off a strong win at Martinsville, and this time the luck could equal the quality of the No. 11 Toyota.

4. Tony Stewart
Smoke already has one restrictor-plate track win to his credit this season, and that came at Daytona in July. Among the loop statistics, Stewart's numbers are conspicuously good. He leads a lot of laps and runs up front often at Talladega. Stewart's six career runner-up finishes at the track are a testament to this fact.

5. Ryan Newman
The No. 39 team enters this event on a roll. Newman snapped a three-race top-10 drought with a solid seventh-place finish at Martinsville. Rocket Man finished third in this season's Aaron's 499 at Talladega, and that just added to a lengthy and impressive resume for the Stewart-Haas driver at the track. Four of his last five visits to the restrictor-plate track have netted top-10 finishes.

6. Brian Vickers
After a disastrous start to the Chase, the driver of the No. 83 Toyota is putting things back in order. It all started with a great run at Martinsville this past week and should continue Sunday at Talladega. With top-10s in two of the three restrictor-plate races this season, it's not difficult to find confidence in the Red Bull race team. Vickers is a one-time winner at Talladega so he knows how to race in the draft.

7. Kurt Busch
The No. 2 team have had a rough couple of weeks but we can't think of a better rebound opportunity for Busch than Talladega. The veteran Penske Racing driver has a stellar record on the plate tracks this season with finishes of 10th, sixth and fifth in the three prior superspeedway races coming into this event. Busch also boasts a career 70 percent top-10 rate at Talladega.

Fantasy Games

• Fantasy Cap Challenge
• Draft & Play
• Streak to the Finish

8. Juan Montoya
Montoya has been a driver for all courses in 2009. He's been good on short tracks, intermediate ovals, superspeedways and of course on the road circuits. Montoya posted a career-best second-place finish at Talladega in the 2008 spring race and he captured the pole in this season's Aaron's 499. The No. 42 Chevrolet has been a fixture in the top five since the Chase began, so roll him in your lineups with confidence in this 500-mile event.

9. Mark Martin
Due to an early crash in the Aaron's 499, we didn't get to see Martin's potential at this huge oval when the series last visited Talladega. However, the No. 5 Chevrolet qualified and practiced well that weekend, so there's reason to have big expectations for this race. Martin has never been a big fan of restrictor-plate racing, but he does own two career victories and 22 top-10s at Talladega.

10. Kyle Busch
Consistency can be an issue with the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team, but it's hard to ignore just how good the superspeedway cars of this team have been in recent seasons. Busch has led more than 70 laps in his last three visits to the big oval in Alabama, but he's only come away with one win during that span. Busch is a wild card for this weekend's race at the 2.66-mile oval, but he's a wild card with a ton of upside.