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NASCAR: Five Drivers Most Likely To Win At Talladega

By Cole Mentzel

Oct 25, 2015; Talladega, AL, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) leads Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) during the Campingworld.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 25, 2015; Talladega, AL, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) leads Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) during the Campingworld.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 24, 2016; Richmond, VA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2) races during the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2016; Richmond, VA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2) races during the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports /

Contender No. 1: Brad Keselowski

Stats at Talladega:

  • Wins: 3
  • Top-5’s: 5
  • Top-10’s: 8
  • Laps Led: 45

Brad Keselowski is one of the more underrated drivers at Talladega. In 14 starts, he has three wins. Some may call it luck and others may call it skill, but he’s won each of his races by leading no more than 12 laps. His 2009 win came after leading only the final lap.

Keselowski’s past at Talladega puts him among the best, in terms of active drivers. It’s also easy to forget that he finished in fourth-place in last season’s Chase race, following closely behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the race ended. His average finish of 14.8 at the track is the third-best in the Cup Series right now.

So far in 2016, Keselowski is off to an average start. He did pick up a win early in the season at Las Vegas, after he was able to run Kyle Busch down late, but he’s had just one other top-5 this season (Martinsville). Despite having great cars, he has often found himself getting hit with too many penalties or falling behind because of minor damage.

This Sunday, watch for Keselowski to hang around the front of the pack and then go for it towards the end. That seems to be his style when racing in the draft.

Next: A Great Plate Racer

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