NASCAR Cup & Trucks at Talladega

NASCAR left Charlotte with Harvick locking himself into the round of 8, the revival of the Hamlin/Keselowski rivalry, and a side of Matt Kenseth that we had never seen before. After all that, where else would be more appropriate than the Talladega Superspeedway? The longest and fastest track on the Cup schedule is more than capable of destroying many drivers hope at a championship and is also capable of producing surprise winners, such as the Front Row Motorsports 1-2 finish here a year ago in the Spring race. Heading into this race, three of the Chase's big favorites: Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are in must-win situations if they want to have any hope of holding the Sprint Cup trophy at the end of the season.

The Camping World Truck Series comes off a vacation from Las Vegas to join the Sprint Cup Series at the dreaded superspeedway. Like Daytona, this race is well known for tearing up the majority of trucks in the field. Matt Crafton holds a 19-point margin over fellow Thorsport driver Johnny Sauter, with Ryan Blaney and Darrell Wallace Jr. being longshots for the championship. Crafton is looking to become the first driver in Camping World Truck Series history to win the championship in consecutive years.

Notes for the GEICO 500:
- Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick are locked into the round of 8 after earning wins at Kansas and Charlotte respectively.

- The majority of the top 8 are in solid position to lock themselves into the next round without a win, however just one slip-up can spell disaster for any of their championship hopes. Kasey Kahne is just barely hanging on to 8th place, only 1 point ahead of Matt Kenseth.

- Terry Labonte is expected to run his 890th and final Sprint Cup series race this weekend. He is 3rd all-time in starts, behind only Richard Petty and Ricky Rudd. His scheme will be a mixture of cars from his first career start, his 1984 championship, and his 1996 championship.

- Josh Wise will be running the Dogecoin car this weekend. He ran this same scheme back in the Spring race, where he finished 20th.

Notes for the Fred's 250:
- With 36 trucks on the entry list, this will be the first time that the series has had a full field since Bristol back in August.

- There is no concern for Cup drivers, as there are none in the field.

- Three drivers will be making their Camping World Truck Series debuts this weekend: Milka Duno, Cody Ware, and Daniel Suarez.

Milka? Dear God...

I feel like we're gonna see a carbon copy of the Summer Daytona race.

Truck has the potential to be interesting as if anyone is gonna cut into Crafton's points lead it will be here. Also add on to the fact no cup drivers and a lot of fresh blood in the field.

BBoy wrote: - The majority of the top 8 are in solid position to lock themselves into the next round without a win, however just one slip-up can spell disaster for any of their championship hopes. Kasey Kahne is just barely hanging on to 8th place, only 1 point ahead of Matt Kenseth.

Imagine the uproar this Chase is going to cause if Bad Brad, 6-time, and DALE JUNIOR don't advanced. I'm personally pulling for Kenseth since Kahne, while has been given the worst Hendrick equipment in years has done nada in this Chase (or any he's made for that matter).

BBoy wrote: - Terry Labonte is expected to run his 890th and final Sprint Cup series race this weekend. He is 3rd all-time in starts, behind only Richard Petty and Ricky Rudd. His scheme will be a mixture of cars from his first career start, his 1984 championship, and his 1996 championship.

Finally ending his career. It's been a good one Terry and you will be missed by your loyal fans. I personally feel he should have ended it years ago but hey, I liked him as a driver.

BBoy wrote: - Josh Wise will be running the Dogecoin car this weekend. He ran this same scheme back in the Spring race, where he finished 20th.

Yay stupidest sponsor ever returns! And now, we get to hear Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, and Andy Petree say "Dogecoin". Kill me now.

BBoy wrote: - Should nobody be removed from the entry list, this will be the first time that the series has had a full field since Bristol back in August.

That's really sad and it shows how pathetic this series has gotten.

BBoy wrote: - There is no concern for Cup drivers, as there are none in the field.

What? The end of the world is coming, we won't have cuppiewinlol all damn weekend!

BBoy wrote: - Three drivers will be making their Camping World Truck Series debuts this weekend: Milka Duno, Cody Ware, and Daniel Suarez.

Milka...this track should be good you, just don't use the brakes, something you have already mastered.

Cody...have little if not no expectations for...just like his father Rick.

Daniel...Hopefully won't just start and park, but ehh will be interesting if he doesn't to see what he can do considering Joe Gibbs signed up to Nationwide full-time next season. He finished 19th and 15th in Nationwide this season with Gibbs and RAB.

inb4 Milka actually gets a top 10..................

Isn't this the third time Terry Labonte has said he was going to retire? Mark Martin showed more commitment...

Speaking of Labonte, though, this is the car he's running:




It's meh; some people love it and some people hate it. I'm seeing people say it's the numbers that throw off the scheme for them, but personally I can't put my finger on what throws it off for me. Might just be the asymmetry.

bsoyuz wrote:inb4 Milka actually gets a top 10..................

But knowing her, she'll probably find a way to wreck herself in a superspeedway, or cause the big one one way or the other.

I'm really looking forward to the Truck race! The closing laps were great last year (but hopefully the field won't fall to pieces at the finish, again)!

Memoriesallbutdone wrote:

BBoy wrote: - Should nobody be removed from the entry list, this will be the first time that the series has had a full field since Bristol back in August.

That's really sad and it shows how pathetic this series has gotten.

I'm not sure if by "pathetic" you meant that the series is bad or that it's having trouble getting teams to participate, but regardless, I think that it is absolutely the best of the NASCAR's top 3 series (in terms of racing product, track variety, and even the teams, it in many ways shares the good qualities of ARCA). It's the only top division that I look forward to watching, even on most of the "cookie-cutter" speedways.

BWardboy88 wrote:

bsoyuz wrote:inb4 Milka actually gets a top 10..................

But knowing her, she'll probably find a way to wreck herself in a superspeedway, or cause the big one one way or the other.

If this helps you answer that...

SpeedDemon37 wrote:I think that it is absolutely the best of the NASCAR's top 3 series (in terms of racing product, track variety, and even the teams, it in many ways shares the good qualities of ARCA). It's the only top division that I look forward to watching, even on most of the "cookie-cutter" speedways.

This.

Lest we forget the greatist dega related video ever!

http://www.jayski.com/cts/next/2014/pdfs/cts_18talladega2014prac1.pdf

This top 5 in trucks practice.. Weird...


Also T.J Bell's 56 team withdrew

Damn, Mingus got some sick air.

Mingus flew... 4 Trucks involved... Mingus, Quiroga, Hornaday and Sieg

Milka is leading after not pitting...wow lol

Sauter's title hopes go up in smoke.


EDIT : That wreck reminded me of Earnhardt's 96 wreck.... THANK GOD Kennedy's ok

Kennedy didn't just get turned, he got freaking LAUNCHED. I've never seen a hit so hard, not even Sadler's wreck at Pocono. What's more is that he knocked the freaking radiator out of that truck.

Glad he's okay, but damn...

Good finish. GW Peters!

Lucstar88 wrote:Good finish. GW Peters!

They were five wide coming to the checkered. Logic dictates they should've all killed each other, but they made it back alright.

Awesome finish. Good win Peters.

It's an actual miracle, no big one in this whole race.

That's the 2nd superspeedway in a row Trucks have nearly had a huge wreck at the end and some how didn't.

Qualifying Format is so bad. Lots of big names not moving on.

Logano, Kyle Busch, Gordon, Hamlin, Harvick, and Hamlin.

Memoriesallbutdone wrote:Qualifying Format is so bad. Lots of big names not moving on.

Logano, Kyle Busch, Gordon, Hamlin, Harvick, and Hamlin.

Stenhouse, Allgaier, and Sorenson DNQ. Tony Stewart had to use a Past Championship in order to get in.

Michael29Shell wrote:

Memoriesallbutdone wrote:Qualifying Format is so bad. Lots of big names not moving on.

Logano, Kyle Busch, Gordon, Hamlin, Harvick, and Hamlin.

Stenhouse, Allgaier, and Sorenson DNQ. Tony Stewart had to use a Past Championship in order to get in.

NASCAR broke qualifying...shocker....

BEST.QUALIFYING.SESSION.IN.THE.HISTORY.OF.AUTO.RACING.

LOL STENHOUSE MISSED.

That is all.

This top 12 is the reason I love the superspeedway gimmicks.

Epic session of Qualifying, perfectly ok with Brian Vickers on the Pole.

Qualifying is better than ever....

All the people not liking it, QQ... Not Fast = NOT RACING *FACT*

I can only hope that the race itself will be an even bigger clusterf*** than qualifying was!

That session was wild. What a show.

Stenhouse out, Gordon APPARENTLY almost missed, Insane.

I have one question to ask about qualifying:

WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS GOING ON DOWN THERE?!?!?!?!?!

I mean, don't get me wrong, this qualifying does provide a whole lot of entertainment. The fact that Tony Stewart had to use a Provisional to get into the show and that Jeff Gordon ALMOST failed to qualify with Allgaier and Stenhouse going home makes me somewhat concerned. With what Roush Fenway has going on financially and the results they've produced in the last year, one of their drivers failing to qualify 2 weeks in a row is the last thing they need happening. I'm really curious how the fans, and especially NASCAR, will respond after what happened in qualifying today.

Nemechek's car failed post race inspection, Sorenson will race.

Tommy Baldwin Racing @TBR_Racing 1 minute ago

Due to the No. 29 failing post race inspection the No. 36 @ZingZangMix Chevy of @ReedSorenson36 will race Sunday @TalladegaSuperS

Sad for RAB Racing.... They were so proud.... and they failed post-tech.

EDIT : 2 and 20 failed also.

@BradDavis14: BREAKING NEWS: @Ryan_Truex (23 car)lug nuts to tight @StenhouseJr is in the race

YOU GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!

Edit: Oops! Fake, I think

Still ,if Roush buys out their entry, well, there goes my freaking respect for NASCAR and Roush

bsoyuz wrote:@BradDavis14: BREAKING NEWS: @Ryan_Truex (23 car)lug nuts to tight @StenhouseJr is in the race

YOU GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!

I think it was a joke, I haven't seen anything else about this.

bsoyuz wrote:@BradDavis14: BREAKING NEWS: @Ryan_Truex (23 car)lug nuts to tight @StenhouseJr is in the race

YOU GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!

Fake as hell lol

Alta wrote:

bsoyuz wrote:@BradDavis14: BREAKING NEWS: @Ryan_Truex (23 car)lug nuts to tight @StenhouseJr is in the race

YOU GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!

Fake as hell lol

HUE!

Still ,if Stenhouse actually had entered the race by some shit like that, there would go my weekend.

bsoyuz wrote:@BradDavis14: BREAKING NEWS: @Ryan_Truex (23 car)lug nuts to tight @StenhouseJr is in the race

YOU GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!

Edit: Oops! Fake, I think

Still ,if Roush buys out their entry, well, there goes my freaking respect for NASCAR and Roush

I know NASCAR's got some ridiculous rules, but I know they wouldn't have rules that are that ridiculous.

Well, it's NASCAR, I would believe in everything

23 is Bowman . Check before you react to it

Lucstar88 wrote:23 is Bowman . Check before you react to it

BR cannot into team chart

By the way, slowest 3 cars were.
42. 24. 51.
If only provisionals are not a thing. 18 instead of JG24 if past champ would work

Ryan Truex out because of a Lug Nut issue? Joke. That's all to it, a joke.

BWardboy88 wrote:Ryan Truex out because of a Lug Nut issue? Joke. That's all to it, a joke.

No Barney, it literally was a joke.

Lol Stenhouse.

Also, Allmendinger and Ryan Blaney row 2. Yes.

Texas Terry rides again!

navycook75 wrote:Lol Stenhouse.

Also, Allmendinger and Ryan Blaney row 2. Yes.

Texas Terry rides again!

"Texas" Terry Labonte - THE RIDE NEVER ENDS!

Even though this could be impossible, I want Terry to win.

Lucstar88 wrote:Sad for RAB Racing.... They were so proud.... and they failed post-tech.

EDIT : 2 and 20 failed also.

Joe Nemechek gets DQed from qualifying hours after wrecking Brian France's nephew.

#justsayin'

So did Stenhouse and Allgaier get fucked over by others are what? Because I noticed they got similar times to Logano and Harvick who really wouldn't of cared where they qualify.

Spannerhead29 (Nelson) wrote:So did Stenhouse and Allgaier get fucked over by others are what? Because I noticed they got similar times to Logano and Harvick who really wouldn't of cared where they qualify.

The typical qualifying team shenanigans we've seen over the year resulted in several people not getting across the line in time for their fast lap.