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NASCAR: Five Predictions for the GEICO 500 at Talladega

By Michael Guadalupe

Oct 23, 2016; Talladega, AL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2) leads the pack with debris on his grille during the Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2016; Talladega, AL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2) leads the pack with debris on his grille during the Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Talladega could be Ty Dillon’s best chance at winning a race this season. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Talladega could be Ty Dillon’s best chance at winning a race this season. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports /

Underdogs Finish Well

One of the most important factors to running well at a track like Talladega is luck. A driver needs luck to be on their side as they race around this track for 188 laps if they hope to finish well on Sunday.

Talladega also takes away certain advantages a major team, like Joe Gibbs Racing, might usually have on 1.5-mile tracks. The race is less about individual speed of a car and more about keeping a car in one piece and being able to get out in front after a caution or green flag pit stop.

Since drivers race around in single file lines, having a fast car won’t help if you don’t follow along.

This presents a unique opportunity for underdog drivers like Ty Dillon and David Ragan, who may not be running the top-level equipment that some of these bigger teams in NASCAR have. As long as they don’t run into mechanical issues and can keep their cars in once piece, they could end up with their best finishes of the season.

As long as these underdog drivers can stay in line with everyone else and can avoid causing, or being caught in, one of the wrecks that will more than likely happen on Sunday, they can set themselves up for their best chance at winning a race this year.

Luck will play a huge role in the race on Sunday and the underdogs we see every week might have enough luck on their side to have a great finish in the GEICO 500.

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