Along with Dover and Martinsville, Talladega is one track on the Sprint Cup Chase circuit capable of totally shaking up the Chase standings -- between the consequences of a "big one," a multi-car collecting wreck or that getting out of the drafting "trains" at the end of the race, drivers' fortunes can fall to pieces in short order on the massive high banked 2.66 mile track. Looking at the standings of the twelve drivers in the Chase, the consequences are obvious.
CURRENT CHASE STANDINGS:
| RANK | +/- | DRIVER | POINTS | BEHIND | ||||
| 1 | 1 | Brad Keselowski | 2142 | Leader | ||||
| 2 | -1 | Jimmie Johnson | 2137 | -5 | ||||
| 3 | -- | Denny Hamlin | 2126 | -16 | ||||
| 4 | 2 | Clint Bowyer | 2117 | -25 | ||||
| 5 | -1 | Tony Stewart | 2110 | -32 | ||||
| 6 | -1 | Kasey Kahne | 2110 | -32 | ||||
| 7 | -- | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 2103 | -39 | ||||
| 8 | 2 | Martin Truex Jr. | 2100 | -42 | ||||
| 9 | -1 | Kevin Harvick | 2096 | -46 | ||||
| 10 | 2 | Jeff Gordon | 2094 | -48 | ||||
| 11 | -2 | Greg Biffle | 2091 | -51 | ||||
| 12 | -1 | Matt Kenseth | 2070 | -72 | ||||
32 points in arrears, the challenge is demanding for Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne who cannot afford any more mediocre finishes. They need to make up at around five unanswered points a race to hope to win a championship. The challenge is close to impossible for Dale Earnhardt Jr. needing six points a race. While it's too soon to call this a three car field, Keselowski, Johnson, and Hamlin look to further separate them from the rest of the field. Past results would make this challenge look the most difficult for Hamlin. That both Stewart and Earnhardt Jr. have good restrictor plate results could be the perfect tonic to reignite their chase prospects. Let's look at how they line up.
STARTING FIELD: CHASE DRIVERS SHOWN IN CAPS
| POS | CAR | DRIVER | MAKE | SPONSOR | SPEED | |||||
| 1 | 5 | KASEY KAHNE | Chevrolet | HendrickCars.com | 191.455 | |||||
| 2 | 39 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | U.S. Army | 191.145 | |||||
| 3 | 15 | CLINT BOWYER | Toyota | 5-Hour Energy | 191.119 | |||||
| 4 | 14 | TONY STEWART | Chevrolet | Mobil 1 / Office Depot | 190.993 | |||||
| 5 | 16 | GREG BIFFLE | Ford | 3M / National Breast Cancer Foundation | 190.955 | |||||
| 6 | 24 | JEFF GORDON | Chevrolet | Drive to End Hunger | 190.848 | |||||
| 7 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Subway | 190.784 | |||||
| 8 | 21 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | Motorcraft / Quick Lane / Warriors in Pink | 190.727 | |||||
| 9 | 56 | MARTIN TRUEX JR. | Toyota | NAPA Auto Parts | 190.662 | |||||
| 10 | 22 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Dodge | SKF | 190.628 | |||||
| 11 | 55 | Michael Waltrip | Toyota | Charlie Loudermilk Aaron's Dream Machine | 190.465 | |||||
| 12 | 88 | DALE EARNHARDT JR. | Chevrolet | Diet Mountain Dew / National Guard | 190.427 | |||||
| 13 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | M&M's | 190.419 | |||||
| 14 | 20 | Joey Logano | Toyota | The Home Depot | 190.393 | |||||
| 15 | 17 | MATT KENSETH | Ford | Ford Ecoboost | 190.370 | |||||
| 16 | 27 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | CertainTeed Insulation / Menards | 190.332 | |||||
| 17 | 48 | JIMMIE JOHNSON | Chevrolet | Lowe's | 190.298 | |||||
| 18 | 43 | Aric Almirola | Ford | Gwaltney | 190.298 | |||||
| 19 | 13 | Casey Mears | Ford | GEICO | 190.177 | |||||
| 20 | 9 | Marcos Ambrose | Ford | Dewalt | 190.170 | |||||
| 21 | 29 | KEVIN HARVICK | Chevrolet | Budweiser | 190.113 | |||||
| 22 | 2 | BRAD KESELOWSKI | Dodge | Miller Lite | 189.778 | |||||
| 23 | 11 | DENNY HAMLIN | Toyota | FedEx Freight | 189.748 | |||||
| 24 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | Bass Pro Shops / Allstate | 189.740 | |||||
| 25 | 34 | David Ragan | Ford | MHP / 8 Hour Alert | 189.616 | |||||
| 26 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Caterpillar | 189.552 | |||||
| 27 | 42 | Juan Montoya | Chevrolet | Target / Gillette | 189.380 | |||||
| 28 | 78 | Regan Smith | Chevrolet | Furniture Row / Farm American | 189.316 | |||||
| 29 | 51 | Kurt Busch | Chevrolet | Phoenix Construction | 189.025 | |||||
| 30 | 30 | David Stremme | Toyota | SwanEnergyInc.com | 188.947 | |||||
| 31 | 32 | Terry Labonte | Ford | C&J Energy Services | 188.794 | |||||
| 32 | 38 | David Gilliland | Ford | Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts | 188.727 | |||||
| 33 | 26 | Josh Wise* | Ford | MDS Transport | 188.649 | |||||
| 34 | 98 | Michael McDowell | Ford | K-Love / Curb Records | 188.638 | |||||
| 35 | 97 | Timmy Hill | Toyota | AM / FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves | 188.326 | |||||
| 36 | 93 | Travis Kvapil | Toyota | Burger King / Dr Pepper | 188.296 | |||||
| 37 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | Toyota | AM / FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves | 188.001 | |||||
| 38 | 83 | Landon Cassill | Toyota | Burger King / Dr Pepper | 187.986 | |||||
| 39 | 36 | Dave Blaney | Chevrolet | Golden Corral | 187.460 | |||||
| 40 | 47 | Bobby Labonte | Toyota | Scott / Kingsford / Bush Beans | 186.991 | |||||
| 41 | 10 | David Reutimann | Chevrolet | CVP@TMone.com | 186.783 | |||||
| 42 | 33 | Cole Whitt | Chevrolet | Little Joes Autos | 186.289 | |||||
| 43 | 23 | Robert Richardson Jr. | Chevrolet | North Texas Pipe | 185.942 |
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