NASCAR: What to watch for in the 2018 1000Bulbs.com 500

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for race number two of the second round of the 2018 playoffs.

So far, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs have been off the charts with excitement. Through four races, we’ve seen Brad Keselowski win the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which was filled with the carnage of several playoff contenders. Kyle Busch went into Richmond Raceway like he owned the place. The race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval gave fans one of the wildest finishes you will ever see with Ryan Blaney taking the checkered flag. This past weekend at Dover International, Chase Elliott punched his ticket to the round of 8 early.

To quote Russell Crowe from the movie Gladiator…”are you not entertained?” There is no excuse for not liking what you’ve seen so far in the 2018 playoffs. Even Jimmie Johnson is pulling pranks on people in the garage area. From wild restarts to epic finishes, the 2018 playoffs have had it all, and they aren’t even halfway done! Six races remain before we crown a champion and it is quite literally anyone’s game up to this point. Currently, the only thing we know about the round of 8 is that Chase Elliott is in after his win this past weekend at Dover International Speedway.

The next race on the schedule is at, in my mind, the most intimidating track on the circuit, Talladega Superspeedway. This weekend, you will see high banking, high speeds and 40 cars packed together like sardines in a 200-mile-per-hour traffic jam. Joey Logano tamed Talladega in April, but will he do it again to secure a spot in the round of 8?

Here is what to watch for in the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

What to watch for

A fitting sponsor

One of my favorite parts of Talladega is pack racing. Some hate it, but not me; I love it. The skill it requires to jump up to the high side of the track in a fraction of a second to slow a moving train of 20 cars without causing mass chaos is exhilarating. Drivers are inches — no, centimeters — from gaining a position and causing the infamous “Big One”. This weekend, expect to see more moving and shaking due to what is on the line for 11 playoff drivers. This weekend’s sponsor, 1000Bulbs.com, fits because of the fact that 40 drivers are about to light up the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway.

Strategies

When it comes to pack racing and restrictor plate racing, there are two strategies that come into play. For starters, you will have drivers who decide to hang out near the back and play the race out. The goal of these drivers is to work their way toward the front in the closing laps. Kevin Harvick was nicknamed “The Closer” because of this strategy.

On the other hand, you will see drivers push to stay up front. If I were a race car driver, I would choose this method. The biggest risk that drivers take by staying in the back is getting collected in any big wrecks that happen deeper in the field. If they run up front of the pack, they can’t be involved in the wreckage. However, they could be spun and cause the “Big One”, which has happened many times during restrictor plate races in the recent past.

Picking a winner

To be completely honest, don’t even bother predicting who will win on Sunday. For most races, you can pick someone who has had success at that track in the past, but not for restrictor plate races. You’re better off throwing the names of every driver who is entered in the race on Sunday into a hat and picking one. You’ll hear names this weekend running up front that you don’t normally hear. Even though I understand that it’s a level field, I am going to pick Brad Keselowski to win. Keselowski has five Talladega wins under his belt in 19 starts at the track.

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What will you be watching for this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway Who is your pick to win the 1000Bulbs.com 500? Tune in to NBC at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 14 for the latest edition of NASCAR Cup Series playoff action!

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