Any visit to Talladega Superspeedway makes drivers and teams nervous. After all the 2.66 mile speedway is notorious for the legendary ‘big one’ the multi-car crash that makes predicting a finishing order nearly impossible. The ‘big one’ is the main reason the second Talladega, the fourth race in NASCAR’s Chase, is known as the wild card race.
Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Talladega was easily one of the best of the season with three and four wide racing, no dominant driver and a nervous air nearly the entire race. Several cars came close to crashing but were able to hold on forcing fans and the rest of the field to catch their collective breath. The ‘big one’ did happen but not until the final turn on the final lap. A melee ignited by Tony Stewart that swept up 24 cars, the largest crash in Chase history, and left the frontstretch littered with debris. Matt Kenseth was able to rocket ahead of the carnage for his second win of the season.
With the smoke settled and the finishing order was finally somewhat sorted out, the 2012 Chase field really didn’t change all that much; Brad Keselowski still leads, with Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin close behind. MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
- NASCAR to debut new short track package at Phoenix - February 28, 2023
- The Wrench Who Stole Racing - December 16, 2022
- Matt DiBenedetto’s excellent run comes to abrupt, violent end - February 17, 2019
