NASCAR: Winners And Losers From Talladega

Oct 23, 2016; Talladega, AL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) , driver Brian Scott (44) and driver Denny Hamlin (11) race out of turn four during the final lap of the Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

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Oct 21, 2016; Talladega, AL, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (20) and driver Kyle Busch (18) practice for the Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

Winner: JGR’s Strategy

As soon as the green flag dropped and the race got underway, we noticed something a little interesting. Three of the four Joe Gibbs Racing cars (Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch) dropped to the back of the pack.

Throughout the afternoon, the trio operated in a three-car line–all pitting at the same time and all staying out of trouble in the back of the field.

After the day was over, they finished 28th, 29th and 30th–in the order of Kenseth, Edwards and Busch–and all qualified for the Round of 8 along with teammate Denny Hamlin.

The No. 20, No. 19 and No. 18 cars were able to hang near the rear since they had a safe points gap over the rest of the Chase contenders. However, had Keselowski and Truex not had engine issues, the three cars would’ve likely had to make a run late, since at least one would’ve been below the line.

Some didn’t like the move and thought they should’ve gave more effort while some thought it was alright.

In the end, they made the right decision and successfully stayed out of trouble, which in turn, helped them get one step closer to Homestead.

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