Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Track gifts for Junior | Recap Earnhardt wins at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala. – It was an Earnhardt behind the wheel and it was at Talladega and one of the places that helped make his father a legend in the sport of NASCAR had a grand parting gift for the son.

Talladega Superspeedway officials, in conjunction with the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the state of Alabama, handed Dale Earnhardt Jr. the keys (figuratively speaking) to the 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that his father drove to the Rookie of the Year title that year, and possibly wheeled in a few ’80 races as well.

Earnhardt the elder won the first of his seven Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series titles in ’80 while driving for team owner Rod Osterlund.

“This car is a 1979 Monte Carlo,” a beaming Earnhardt Jr. told NBC after taking the car for a spin on the 2.66-mile Talladega layout. “Dad drove this car in his rookie season; he probably ran it in his championship season too in 1980.

“They ran a Monte Carlo here in ’79 but in ’80 they ran an Oldsmobile 442. This was the kind of car he ran at Bristol and all the short tracks and the mile and a halves.”

The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is located on the grounds of Talladega Superspeedway.

RELATED: Junior describes what it’s like to take the lead at Talladega 

After climbing behind the wheel, Earnhardt Jr. drove the blue and yellow Monte Carlo, with its long front end and No. 2 emblazoned on the sides, at only moderate speed for a couple of laps around the track. But he did make a quick side trip after starting down pit road to drive it through the Monster Energy Series garage before heading back down pit road for pictures with dignitaries and a quick interview.

“Actually the state of Alabama owns this car,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “They’re going to let us take it to Mooresville, North Carolina, and show it around in our shop so that’s going to be fun for the guys.

“I got to take it for a couple of laps; that was fun. I drove it through the garage so all the guys on the team could see it. Pretty neat just trying to imagine what it would be like running one of them around here at 180-190 miles an hour.”

In addition to the permanent loan of the vehicle, Earnhardt was presented two unopened magnums of champagne by track officials. The first was from the lot that was used during his father’s final victory here in 2000; the second came from the post-race celebration following Earnhardt Jr.’s first Talladega win in 2001.

RELATED: Go inside Dale Earnhardt’s final win with the people that were there

Earnhardt Jr. said he did get the opportunity to drive his father’s race cars previously, but none of the older models.

“I drove his No. 3 Goodwrench car a couple of times, did some tests that first year we were together,” he said. “But never anything old like this, you know, with some real history. “I love to be able to sit in the car and just see the perspective of … what the view was like. So different than our cars today. No headrests or nothing like that. Just kind of see everything and a lot of wind moving around and pretty crazy.”

Earnhardt Jr. will make his final Talladega start Sunday when the Alabama 500 gets underway here (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Six of his 26 career wins have come at Talladega.

“I’m pretty surprised,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to take home a race car from this weekend. I just have to thank Talladega Superspeedway and the state of Alabama. They’ve been really good to me and hopefully we can get them a win this weekend.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Since NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Ryan Truex tweeted a “Throwback Thursday” picture featuring he and older brother, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr., it has served as a gift that keeps on giving.

The throwback photo shows Truex Jr. sporting a Jeff Gordon T-shirt, along with a hat hanging on a trophy in the background.

Our very own @nascarcasm even got in on the action.

The picture finally caught the attention of four-time champion Gordon. A hilarious reaction ensued.

But, it was the elder Truex who got the last laugh.

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Playoff standings | Schedule for Talladega | Last 10 winners at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Matt Kenseth, the last driver to win a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship that didn’t involve playoffs, eliminations or stage points, may or may not have a job in 2018.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver joked Friday at Talladega Superspeedway that he’d given some thought to “maybe driving a school bus” next season.

He won’t be driving the No. 20 Toyota for JGR, a job he’s held for the past five years. That ride has already been handed to 21-year-old Erik Jones, currently driving the No. 77 for Furniture Row Racing.

“I thought it would be fun; I’d drive the kids to school every morning,” Kenseth, tongue planted firmly in cheek, said. “I enjoy that. I thought it would be fun to drive them home, too.”

Kenseth and wife Katie have three young daughters.

His championship came in 2003, the year before NASCAR debuted its 10-race, title-determining format. He’s won 38 times, including twice in the Daytona 500, and has finished 10th or better in more than half his 644 career starts. Fourteen of the 38 wins came after his move to JGR; 24 were earned while driving for car owner Jack Roush and Roush Fenway Racing.

RELATED: Career stats for Kenseth | Recap all of Kenseth’s wins

Kenseth has not won recently, his last victory was in July of ’16 at Loudon, but it’s doubtful the winless streak precipitated his departure from JGR. Officials announced a six-race primary sponsorship with Circle K for Kenseth in April only to announce three months later that Jones would take over the ride next year.

Kenseth did qualify for this year’s playoffs and made it to the Round of 12 thanks to finishes of ninth, third and 11th in the Round of 16. He finished 11th last week at Charlotte in the opening race of the Round of 12.

“I said a few weeks ago I wasn’t going to talk about next year any more, as long as we’re alive in the playoffs, which we’re certainly not one of the favorites right now,” Kenseth said. “We haven’t done the things we wanted to do, but we’re certainly still alive.

“Anything can happen this weekend. Kansas (next weekend) is a great track for us. I’m honestly just focused on the next six weeks or whatever it is at the moment.”

RELATED: Key players in NASCAR’s Silly Season

Kenseth’s future isn’t the only uncertainty as the 2017 season begins to wind down. Changes are anticipated for Stewart-Haas Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports and Front Row Motorsports as well. Others have already been finalized.

“Certainly right now is a very interesting time,” said Kenseth, at 45 the oldest active full-time driver in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. “I think it’s a very tough time for car owners to find the money that they need to field competitive race cars with competitive personnel. I think it’s probably harder than at least it’s been since I’ve been around.

“And the cost is higher than when I started, as well. Certainly a challenging environment. I think there’s a lot of positives. Hopefully it will start to turn back the other direction.”

Posted on by Staff Report

See the drivers that completed 10 consecutive laps at Talladega and where they ranked in practice compared to others that did the same.

RELATED: Practice 1 results

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 21 Ryan Blaney (P) 5 14 196.829
2 22 Joey Logano 5 14 196.666
3 43 Aric Almirola 6 15 196.657
4 2 Brad Keselowski (P) 6 15 196.577
5 4 Kevin Harvick (P) 6 15 196.240
6 20 Matt Kenseth (P) 13 22 195.371
7 77 Erik Jones # 14 23 195.367
8 19 Daniel Suarez # 9 18 195.253
9 5 Kasey Kahne 15 24 195.137
10 78 Martin Truex Jr. (P) 4 13 195.055
11 18 Kyle Busch (P) 11 20 195.001
12 11 Denny Hamlin (P) 15 24 194.962
13 13 Ty Dillon # 21 30 194.809
14 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P) 5 14 194.362
15 95 Michael McDowell 5 14 192.563
16 24 Chase Elliott (P) 5 14 192.454
17 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5 14 192.446
18 14 Clint Bowyer 4 13 192.424
19 3 Austin Dillon 8 17 192.281
20 27 Paul Menard 4 13 192.105
21 31 Ryan Newman 3 12 191.621
22 34 Landon Cassill 1 10 184.485
23 38 David Ragan 3 12 184.294
24 6 Trevor Bayne 5 14 182.486

RELATED: Final practice results

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2 11 182.542
2 5 Kasey Kahne 1 10 182.357

* Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.
# Driver is a rookie in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
(P) Driver is a NASCAR Playoffs participant.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Practice 1 results | Final practice results | Best 10-lap times | Weekend schedule

Kasey Kahne landed atop the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series leaderboard Friday afternoon, leading a 1-2 Hendrick Motorsports sweep in final practice at Talladega Superspeedway.

Kahne powered the No. 5 Chevrolet to a best lap of 191.222 mph around the 2.66-mile Alabama track to pace the 55-minute session. He was just ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr., his Hendrick teammate who turned a 191.069 mph lap in the No. 88 Chevrolet in preparation for his final Talladega start.

Kurt Busch, Trevor Bayne and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five in final preparation for Sunday’s Alabama 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The event is the second of three races in the Round of 12, the second phase of eliminations in the NASCAR Playoffs.

Jimmie Johnson returned to the track after a spin kept him from completing a lap in Friday’s earlier practice. Johnson wound up 14th on the speed chart in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet.

Final practice featured lighter participation, with just 23 of the 40 cars entered posting laps, mainly in single-car runs. Several teams took to the track in packs in opening practice, yielding higher speeds.

Several cars were held out of final practice because of technical infractions and failed inspections in previous weeks.

Teams with 30-minute deductions in final practice:

  • Chip Ganassi Racing No. 1 Chevrolet for driver Jamie McMurray
  • Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Ford for Kevin Harvick
  • Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet of Kasey Kahne
  • Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 Ford of Trevor Bayne
  • Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet of Chase Elliott
  • Go Fas Racing No. 32 Ford of Matt DiBenedetto
  • Furniture Row Racing No. 77 Toyota of Erik Jones
  • Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Teams with 15-minute deductions in final practice:

  • Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet of Austin Dillon
  • Stewart-Haas Racing No. 10 Ford of Danica Patrick
  • Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Ford of Clint Bowyer
  • Roush Fenway Racing No. 17 Ford of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  • Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota of Kyle Busch
  • Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota of Daniel Suarez
  • Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota of Matt Kenseth
  • Team Penske No. 22 Ford of Joey Logano
  • JTG Daugherty Racing No. 37 Chevrolet of Chris Buescher
  • JTG Daugherty Racing No. 47 Chevrolet of AJ Allmendinger
  • Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson
  • Premium Motorsports No. 55 Toyota of DJ Kennington
  • Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota of Martin Truex Jr.
  • Leavine Family Racing No. 95 Chevrolet of Michael McDowell

Coors Light Pole Qualifying is scheduled Saturday at 4:15 p.m. ET (NBCSN).

Keselowski corrals fastest lap in first practice

Brad Keselowski secured the fastest lap in opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice Friday at Talladega Superspeedway.

Keselowski, a four-time Talladega winner, registered a best speed of 197.859 mph on the 2.66-mile track, his Team Penske No. 2 Ford benefiting from an aerodynamic draft in a multi-car pack.

Daytona 500 winner Kurt Busch was second-fastest at 197.806 mph in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Ford. Ryan Blaney was third-fastest, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the winner in two of the three restrictor-plate races this year, fourth-fastest in the Roush Fenway Racing No. 17 Ford. Kevin Harvick completed the top five in the opening 55-minute session.

Sunday’s Alabama 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is the fifth of 10 races in the postseason and the middle event in the three-race Round of 12 elimination phase. The unpredictable nature of the track’s typical close-quarters racing threatens to shake up the standings ahead of next weekend’s round-ending race at Kansas.

Seven-time series champ Jimmie Johnson was hit with some early unpredictability, running over a piece of debris and cutting the left-rear tire on his Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet. The car spun getting up to speed in Turns 3 and 4, but managed to avoid contact with the retaining wall.

Johnson’s Chevy was pushed back to the garage to evaluate potential damage from sliding down the 33-degree banking to the apron and infield grass. He did not post a lap in the practice session.

“Nothing major. It looks like we will stay with this car,” Johnson said from the garage. “There might be some panels to push out and straighten out, stuff like that. Probably a new splitter on the car. But all in all, got away with one there for sure.”

Joey Logano, winner of the last two October races at Talladega, was ninth-fastest in the Team Penske No. 22 Ford.

Several teams were scheduled to lose practice time Friday because of technical infractions and failed inspections in previous weeks.

Two teams had 30-minute deductions enforced in opening practice — the Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota of points leader Martin Truex Jr. and the JTG Daugherty No. 47 Chevrolet of AJ Allmendinger. Those two teams are also on deck for 15-minute holds in final practice, for a total of 45 minutes.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Key players in NASCAR’s silly season | Truck Series Playoff standings

Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Christopher Bell will compete full time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series next season.

Bell, 22, currently leads the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points in the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 4 Toyota. The Oklahoma native has made four XFINITY starts this season, netting a pole position at Iowa Speedway and a best finish of fourth in his series debut at Charlotte.

It’s all part of a natural, gradual progression up the racing ladder for Bell, who made his first NASCAR national series start in 2015.

“Whenever I was running late models at Kyle Busch Motorsports, they were kind of trickling me into some truck races, and I think I got seven truck races that year before I went full-time, and it worked out again this year where I’m going to have, I think, eight XFINITY races before I go full‑time next year, so that’s great seat time for me,” Bell said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway, site of Saturday’s fred’s 250 (1 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for the truck tour.

“I’m going to be able to be with the organization and kind of learn how they operate, and driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, you already have somewhat of a feel for how they do things, and I think it’s a great fit and the perfect stepping-stone.”

RELATED: Christopher Bell’s career NASCAR statistics

Bell brings an extensive dirt-track-racing pedigree to his NASCAR career, including a victory in the prestigious Chili Bowl Nationals in his home state earlier this year. He posted the first of his seven career Truck Series wins on the Eldora Speedway dirt in 2015.

Bell has participated in Toyota’s driver development program dating back to 2013, during his days of U.S. Auto Club (USAC) sprint-car competition. His first NASCAR win on pavement came in his 16th career Truck Series start, at Gateway Motorsports Park in 2016.

“I can’t say that enough how thankful I am that they’ve believed in me through the thick and thin,” Bell said of Toyota’s support. “Last year I had a really — not a great season, and then this year has been really great. They believed in me enough to give me another opportunity this year in the Truck Series, and I’m really thankful for that, and I’m thankful that we get to continue our partnership.”

Bell finished third in the Truck Series standings last season. This year, Bell finished as the series’ Regular-Season Champion, and his sizable collection of playoff points make him a favorite to again reach the championship round at Homestead.

“Christopher has proven himself at every level of racing and we are excited to have him run full time in our XFINITY Series program starting in 2018,” said team owner Coach Joe Gibbs. “He has shown great maturity both on and off the track and we think he is ready for this opportunity. We look forward to watching his continued progress in the sport.”

The organization indicated that it would announce more details — including car number, crew chief and sponsorship — at a later date.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Truck Series Playoff standings | Weekend schedule for Talladega

The Talladega NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (1 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), is the final race in the Round of 8 of the playoffs. Christopher Bell and Ben Rhodes are already locked in to the Round of 6 with wins at New Hampshire and Las Vegas, respectively.

Here is a look at how drivers can clinch their spot at Talladega into the Round of 6:

  • Matt Crafton (2101 Points) – Would clinch by scoring 37 Points.
  • Johnny Sauter (2098 Points) – Would clinch by scoring 40 Points.
  • Chase Briscoe (2084 Points) – Would clinch by scoring 54 Points.
  • Austin Cindric (2082 Points) – Would clinch by scoring 55 Points.
  • Kaz Grala (2074 Points) – Would only guarantee a clinch with a win.
  • John Hunter Nemechek (2068 Points) – Would only guarantee a clinch with a win.
Posted on by H.A. Branham

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of four feature stories on this year’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Presented by Nationwide finalists.

Julian Maha’s story is interesting and inspiring — and quite unique.

A Malaysian who became an Alabaman with an evolving affinity for NASCAR as part of the deal, Maha is one of four finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Presented by Nationwide. The award honors NASCAR fans who are also accomplished volunteers working for children’s causes in their communities throughout the United States. It also honors the memory and the philanthropic legacy of the foundation’s late founder, Betty Jane France, who passed away last August.

On Thursday, Nov. 30, the award winner will be announced during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards at Wynn Las Vegas. The winner will be determined by online voting at NASCAR.com/Award; voting ends on Nov. 29 at 5 p.m. (ET). The NASCAR Foundation donates $100,000 to the charity the winner represents and $25,000 to the other finalists’ charities.

MORE FINALISTS
• Tammy Richardon’s story

Maha’s charity is “KultureCity,” which he founded in 2013 with the mission to improve the lives of children with autism while also educating society about the inclusion of autistic individuals. Maha, an emergency room physician in Birmingham, Alabama — he lives in nearby Vestavia Hills — has a vested emotional interest in the mission. He has a non-verbal autistic son.

But let’s not get ahead of “the story.”

Maha came to Montgomery, Alabama as a teenager to live with his sister, who attended Auburn University on a tennis scholarship. Living near Talladega Superspeedway in true “NASCAR country,” he inevitably gravitated to NASCAR and now, at the age of 40, considers 2016 Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin his favorite driver.

“My initial exposure to the United States in Montgomery was pretty much in terms of through sports,” Maha says. “That was the biggest thing that helped me connect with my classmates. Coming to U.S. from Malaysia was a culture shock, everything was different. The unifying aspect for me was sports, and it was largely basketball and NASCAR.”

Maha left Alabama to attend the University of Calgary but would return and become immersed in his community. He also became committed to helping autistic children like his own son; in 2013 Maha founded KultureCity, which seeks to improve and save the lives of those with autism, while also educating society about inclusion.

Now serving as the volunteer president of KultureCity, Maha has led the development of the innovative Sensory Initiative, which addresses sensory inclusivity in locations such as arenas, stadiums and other public settings. The Sensory Initiative program has been utilized at the Birmingham Zoo and Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, and by 12 NBA teams and two NFL teams.

KultureCity also has developed the lifeBOKS program to help families monitor the movements of their children — autistic children can be prone to wandering — through GPS and Bluetooth tracking devices.

The Sensory Initiative and the lifeBOKS program — which would be the main beneficiaries if Maha wins the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award — are high-profile achievements, but they rest on a platform of good, important work. Under Maha’s leadership, KultureCity estimates that it has impacted the lives of more than 50,000 autistic children.

This has been noticed. Maha is a past recipient of the Alabama Distinguished Citizen Award; he was named “Top Southerner” by Southern Living Magazine and was a Top 40 under 40 Influencer in 2016; and KultureCity has been named a Top-10 Non-Profit by Microsoft and the Top Non-Profit in Alabama.

Maha will be at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, amid the excitement of Sunday’s Alabama 500, the crucial high-banked challenge that’s part of the Monster Energy Series’ playoffs. And he’ll be remembering the first time he visited the 2.66-mile track when he interviewed for the position of infield care center physician. The place was empty; the enormity of the facility blew him away.

“That was my ‘ah-ha’ moment for NASCAR,” he says.

There have been other moments that have collectively cemented his love of the sport.

“For me, the biggest thing about NASCAR, is that everyone gets together and they create what is almost a community over a race weekend,” he says. “It’s an amazing display of enjoyment of a singular event and an amazing display of unity. People from different backgrounds, different demographics. It’s everything that’s great about America.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Talladega Superspeedway is known for its wild racing and entertaining infield.

Last year, Talladega gave new meaning to the term ‘Big One’ with the creation of its ‘Big One’ Meatball, which weighs about one pound. So, what else are we to do but see if the fans who hang out in the Talladega infield can handle such a delight?

Kim Coon and NASCARnivore decided to find out with a meatball eating contest. And as things normally do in Talladega, it got interesting between the contestants. In the end, victory was acquired in 3 minutes, 26 seconds.

However, unlike the winning drivers at Talladega there was no trophy to claim. Just a signed hat from Matt Kenseth.

Posted on by DraftKings

Rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings’ NASCAR salaries for that day. The ordering is not based on highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by the value of each driver.

(FPPK = average fantasy points per $1,000 of salary.)

1. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. ($8,000) – Believe it or not, Stenhouse is a favorite to win this weekend. He’s won the last two restrictor-plate races this season. Talladega is one of his best tracks. Stenhouse has finished 16th or better in seven of his eight races at Talladega. (4.0 FPPK)

2. Denny Hamlin ($9,500) – Everyone wrecks at plate tracks, but some drivers wreck less than others. Hamlin has made a name for himself by consistently finishing the plate races. His 12 top-20 finishes in the last 15 plate races (80%) lead NASCAR. (4.1 FPPK)

3. Joey Logano ($10,200) – If Logano wins this weekend, it will be his third win in a row at Talladega in the fall. Since 2015, Logano has six finishes of sixth or better in 11 plate races. What happened in the other races? Take a guess. Yes, he was involved in wrecks. (3.2 FPPK)

4. Kurt Busch ($8,300) – Winning the Daytona 500 definitely helps Kurt’s ranking. He’s finished 12th or better in the last six plate races. His 64% top-10 finish rate over the last 15 restrictor plate races is the best in NASCAR. (3.0 FPPK)

5. Clint Bowyer ($8,100) – Over the last 15 restrictor plate races, Bowyer has the best median finish (ninth). His nine top-10s over that span are the second most. He drives a Ford, and Ford has won 10 of the last 15 plate races. (3.5 FPPK)

6. Brad Keselowski ($9,800) – The Fords have excelled at plate tracks. They’re three for three this season. Last season, they won three of the four plate races. All three wins belonged to Team Penske. Keselowski won at Talladega and Daytona. He has five plate track wins. (4.2 FPPK)

7. Kyle Busch ($10,400) – Wrecking three times last weekend did not help the cause. Luckily for Busch, he has a trove of playoff points built up from the season. He’s sitting on a 13-point cushion, but he likely needs a top-10 finish this weekend to be safe heading into Kansas. (5.6 FPPK)

8. Austin Dillon ($7,400) – There is a skill to plate racing, but fortune also plays a large role. From 2014-2016, Dillon was one of the best plate racers with 11 top-15s in 12 races. Dillon is clearly skilled, but he’s wrecked in his last two plate races. (3.6 FPPK)

9. Kevin Harvick ($9,700) – In his last 15 Talladega races, Harvick has 11 top-15 finishes. He’s been even better of late. In his last seven Talladega races, he has six top-15s. He finished 23rd in the spring race, but he was on the lead lap. He could easily be seven for seven. (4.4 FPPK)

10. Kyle Larson ($9,400) – His career began with a handful of wrecks at plate tracks. Last year, he seemed to figure it out with five finishes of 12th or better at the plate tracks. Maybe he hasn’t quite figured it out yet, since he wrecked at Daytona. Then again, no one ever really figures it out. (5.7 FPPK)

11. Martin Truex Jr. ($10,100) – This race is almost meaningless for Truex. He’s already advanced to the next round. It’s safe to assume that Truex would rather finish the race in one piece than earn a couple measly stage points. Truex has wrecked in three of the last four plate races, so he likely just wants to finish. (6.6 FPPK)

12. Jimmie Johnson ($10,000) – Plate tracks are the great equalizer. Future Hall of Famers do not have much of an edge. Johnson has five top-10s in his last 15 plate track races. That ranks 10th, but a 33% top-10 rate is nothing to get excited about. (3.9 FPPK)

13. Paul Menard ($7,000) – How reliable are plate track stats? Menard has six top-10s in the last 15 plate races. His 40% top-10 rate ranks seventh. He’s on a roll at the plate tracks. His last four restrictor-plate finishes are third, ninth, fifth and 13th. The stats say you need to consider Menard. (3.9 FPPK)

14. Chase Elliott ($9,000) – The No. 24 car has 12 plate track wins. None of those wins were with Elliott behind the wheel. The car is still one of the best plate track rides in NASCAR, and Elliott has won three poles in that style of racing. If Elliott doesn’t wreck, then he should finish inside the top 10. (4.2 FPPK)

15. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ($9,200) – Talladega is likely Junior’s last chance at a win. He’s still a 10-time plate track winner that’s not far removed from two plate wins in 2015. He was the pole-sitter at Daytona in July. Unfortunately, his best plate finish in the last two years is 21st. (2.8 FPPK)

16. Matt Kenseth ($8,800) – Statistically, Kenseth is not very good at plate tracks. His four top-20s over the last 15 plate races is just one better than the worst plate-track driver statistically. Kenseth has three plate wins; he’s just been unlucky. (3.6 FPPK)

17. Ryan Newman ($7,100) – It doesn’t matter if it’s a plate track, Newman is still Newman. His average finish of 20th seems uncharacteristically low, but compared to the field he has the 14th-best average finish. It’s only five spots worse than the best average finish. (4.1 FPPK)

18. AJ Allmendinger ($6,900) – A lot of middle-of-the-pack cars have decent finishes at plate tracks. A lot have top-10s, but Allmendinger has the most lately. The Dinger has a top-10 finish in three of the last four restrictor plate races. (3.8 FPPK)

19. Jamie McMurray ($7,800) – With wrecks and poor finishes being a certainty at plate tracks, it’s hard to trust a driver based on top-10 finishes. A win is still a win, and McMurray’s four plate track wins are the fourth most among active drivers. (3.6 FPPK)

20. Ryan Blaney ($8,700) – In the Daytona 500, Blaney finished second and scored the most fantasy points. For his encore, he wrecked in the next two plate races. That’s how it goes. At least he has more top-20s than wrecks over his last 11 plate races (six top-20s). (2.8 FPPK)