Beat The Experts: CampingWorld.com 500 At Talladega
By Cole Mentzel
The Sprint Cup Series has shifted to Talladega. The second elimination race of the Chase is upon us and there are a few big names in danger of being eliminated. Matt Kenseth, who was spun out by Joey Logano late in Kansas last weekend, must now look to win in order to reach the Eliminator 8 round. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has had two lackluster races in the second round and he too must get a win in order to advance.
Though all Chase races are tough, this one is arguably the hardest for two reasons: the amount of uncertainty that comes with Talladega and the fact that it is an elimination race. The only driver that can relax is Joey Logano, who is locked into the next round after winning at Charlotte and Kansas.
Last week in the BTF Chase game, staff writer Joseph Shelton scored 47 points to lead everyone else. Next up was staff writer Mike Hutton (34 points) followed by staff writers Cole Mentzel and Michael Finley (32 points) and BTF editor Christopher Olmstead (29 points) who continues to lead the pack.
For the BTF fans, Mary Jo Korp led with 42 points. She was followed by Rita Stout (37 points), Linda Lopez Gearst Gerhardt (34 points), Tammy Hemminger (32 points) and the current leader, Chris Losurdo (29 points).
Here are the BTF staff picks for Talladega:
Mike Hutton – Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Anyone can win Talladega but Dale Jr. has the best shot.
Michael Finley – Brad Keselowski – He’s a decent plate racer who has a couple of wins but more importantly he has a big, yellow, locked in roadblock in the No. 22 Ford who will help him a lot.
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Joseph Shelton – Matt Kenseth – I have a hard time thinking that Kenneth’s Chase hopes are going to evaporate just like that. He’s been one of the strongest drivers all season, so for him to be eliminated with a whimper is unthinkable. Plus, he’s become one of the best restrictor plate drivers in the business over the years, so he may very well utilize Talladega as a Chase-saver.
Cole Mentzel – Dale Earnhardt Jr. – He is tied with Jeff Gordon for the second-most wins at Talladega all-time (6) and he has won two out of three restrictor plate races this season (Talladega in spring and Daytona in summer). By taking these things into consideration, it’s just hard to go against him. His back is against the wall and this is the perfect chance to rebound.
This weekend will be a very critical weekend for many drivers. Though some drivers may feel like they are safe, one wreck could end their chances in the Chase. Restrictor plate races can be a lot of fun if your car is good or very stressful if you get caught in between two other cars on a re-start. NASCAR has said that there will only be one chance at a green-white-checkered this weekend, so it will be important for drivers to be in position when the times comes to make a move.
Who do you think will win at Talladega? Let us know in the comments below!