Avoiding the Big One, the multicar crash that always seems to occur at Talladega Superspeedway, is always a challenge for Sprint Cup drivers. And it will be especially important in Sunday’s GEICO 500 as four drivers will be eliminated from the Chase for the Sprint Cup at the end of the race.
Some Chase contenders may opt to run at the back of the pack and then make their moves at the end of the race, a strategy that is possible at Talladega because with the draft and the big, close packs produced by restricted engines, it’s much easier for two or more cars to move through the field than it is at other superspeedways where engines are unrestricted.
Kyle Busch said that’s what he’s going to do to in hopes of becoming one of the eight drivers advancing to the Eliminator Round of the Chase, which begins next Sunday.
He said he plans to “run dead last all day — survive. If there’s one big wreck, then it puts us in and we’re good.”
Jeff Gordon, who is sixth in the standings heading into Talladega, said there’s no sure plan for avoiding the Big One.
“So many strategies, like staying in front or staying in the back, can be used during the race. However, there’s no perfect strategy to run this race,” he said. “You just have to hope your car is in one piece at the end of the race.
“The Big One could lead to a big swing in the points.”
Two former crew chiefs who have moved on to the Fox TV booth, Jeff Hammond and Larry McReynolds, both said that if they were still on the pit box, they would prefer their drivers race at the front of the pack.
“You never know the exact formula, but in my experience, I’d rather have my car in the front of the pack at Talladega than in the rear if I was trying to advance to the next round of the Chase,” Hammond said. “If you’re trying to advance in the Chase, you have to do everything in your power to try to control your own destiny and being up front with drivers who know what they’re doing and practice ‘give and take’ a bit is a good step in that direction.
“If you lay back, you could either get wrecked or end up losing a lap that you can’t make up.”
McReynolds said where to run depends on the circumstances of the moment.
“If you’d asked me this four or five years ago, I would have expected the Chasers to hang out at the back, play it safe and make their move in the last 40 or 50 laps,” he said. “But that strategy hasn’t worked lately because of two things. Either the track gets so blocked up that drivers can’t get back through and are stuck in the back — that happened to Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the spring. … The other thing is when drivers make their move, they get caught up in the big wreck they were working all day to avoid.”
Dancing with No. 66: Michael Waltrip may or may not have the best steps on "Dancing With the Stars," but he does know how to make some smooth moves on the track at Talladega, where he'll be behind the wheel of the No. 66 Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series this weekend.
Waltrip has a win at Talladega, eight top-five finishes and 16 top-10s. He also leads all drivers with 120 fastest laps turned in the past 19 Cup races at the Alabama track.
On this trip to Talladega, he’ll be spending some of his off-track time with his “Dancing With the Stars” partner Emma Slater practicing the dance they’ll perform on television Monday night.
But Waltrip, who is semi-retired from driving and has run just three races this season, said in a team release that the GEICO 500 will be his top priority.
“Despite everything else, when I get to Talladega, it will be all about being a race car driver and the responsibilities that go along with that privilege,” he said. “Two years ago, I almost won at Talladega and I feel like I’m going there with a chance to win again. And that’s the best feeling in the world.”
