Track Smack: A new car and crew chief make debut (cont'd)

2. Talladega time. Given Brad Keselowski's win there in the spring, is this the best chance for a non-Chaser to win a Chase race?

David Caraviello: In all likelihood, yes. Obviously, Keselowski is very good there. We've seen guys like Paul Menard and David Stremme have surprisingly strong runs at places like Talladega. And really, it's just a matter of who's up front at the end, and who's going to get booted out of the way this time. Talladega doesn't care if you're in the Chase or not. It's the great equalizer.

Dave Rodman: Well, as I believe it was Jimmie Johnson pointing out at Martinsville, the Chase has been dominated by Chasers since they are the 12 best teams in the sport, and this is the time to make it happen. But Talladega: Winter, spring, summer or fall is anyone's ballgame if they got a decent car and shoe. That's all that last spring proved.

A wild-card winner?

Given Brad Keselowski's win here in the spring, some believe Talladega is the best chance for a non-Chaser to win a Chase race.

• By the Numbers
• History at first 'Dega race

Joe Menzer: And if they can stay out of the way. Listen, we all know the best car and best driver don't always win at 'Dega. And this is Halloween weekend, man. I have a feeling some things even stranger than what would be considered "normal" there are going to take place.

Dave Rodman: P.S., the best car and driver don't always win anywhere, though as we all seem to agree, Talladega is the most wide-open forum we have in NASCAR.

David Caraviello: A Chaser will probably win. But it's far from the lock-solid guarantee it's been thus far. Talladega is really like pulling bingo balls out of a hopper sometimes. Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr., there are plenty of non-championship contenders who could be in the mix late. But who wins? It's all a matter of positioning, timing, fate, and who puts who in the wall.

Joe Menzer: One other thing we learned last spring is that trying to stay out of the way all day and then go for it late doesn't always work, either. That's what Carl Edwards tried to do and he ended up, literally, in the fence on the frontstretch at the end.

Dave Rodman: Well, Carl Edwards tried to block one time too many, and, thank God, he appears to have learned his lesson.

Joe Menzer: Thank God, also, that they have at least raised the catch fence along the frontstretch at 'Dega from 14 feet to 22 feet. His car was way too close to going into those grandstands that day.

Dave Rodman: If anyone bothered to look, it would be interesting to see if they tightened up the fence holes, as Carl suggested. Since they're not selling so well, they ought to seal the bottom 10 or 15 rows anyway.

David Caraviello: I will say, as much distaste as I have for Talladega's style of racing, this weekend does add an element of the unknown because it's probably Jimmie Johnson's worst track in the Chase. He's had some bad runs and some bad luck there, and isn't the sure thing at Talladega that he is at so many other places. That alone probably makes it worth watching.

Joe Menzer: Well, it's always been worth watching -- even if you admit it's sort of a guilty pleasure. I always have found races at Talladega to be among the most compelling on TV, because you never know what's going to happen next and they're always running so close together at such high speeds. But man, what happened with Carl -- and has happened with others there -- was downright frightening, and not in a Halloween-good scary type of way.

David Caraviello: Then again, Johnson's lead is big enough now that he could probably be in the center of the Big One and still hoist the trophy at Homestead. What, only two guys are within the window of the most points you can gain on a driver in one race? And one of those is on the fringe? He gets through Sunday with a reasonable lead, he's golden.

Dave Rodman: Unfortunately, in some ways Mark Martin is almost beaten before he gets to Talladega, he detests it so much. If it weren't for his indestructible emotional fortitude, that could really be a drawback. He might hate it, but you only have to look at Daytona 2007 to realize he can still get it done on the plate tracks.

Joe Menzer: Rodman, weren't you listening at Martinsville when Martin gave himself several little pep talks about racing at 'Dega? He says he's fired up, he thinks he's going to have a good run there, and whatever demons haunted him in the past there he declared have been dismissed.

David Caraviello: I don't blame Mark Martin. I'd hate the place, too. I'd take one lap and turn the car over to a relief driver. Of course, that won't happen. These guys are too professional to let risk affect them like that. But I wouldn't blame them if it were otherwise. Add the whole "a monkey could drive it there" element, and the bingo-ball lottery winner ... and I still struggle to find the appeal of racing at this place.

Dave Rodman: It's the ultimate test of professional ability, patience, split-second decision making and strategy. Doesn't get much better, even as nerve-wracking as it is. (Continued)