NASCAR: Five Predictions for the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

For Playoff drivers, getting off to a strong start in the round of 12 is crucial

All things considered, a great finish in the first race of the Round of 12 is crucial given the second two races that follow. The first race of the second round could very well be the most important of the three races. The reason, you may ask? A poor finish in Charlotte could set any playoff team up for a long road ahead at Talladega and Kansas.

For starters, Talladega is known to many as a “wild card” track when it comes to the playoffs. Anyone in the field of 40 has the opportunity to find Victory Lane. The same can be said about any one of the 40 drivers in the field running into trouble. The notorious “big one” is especially big when playoff positions are on the line.

Therefore, if a team has a rough outing at Charlotte and gets wrapped up in a big wreck at Talladega, the playoff chances for that team are basically gone by the cutoff race at Kansas. If teams have a great day at Charlotte, they will be “gifted” with the opportunity to wreck at Talladega and still have a shot at the next round with a good finish at Kansas.