Talladega always features diverse strategies in a bid to stay out of the multicar crash that often occurs at the track that puts drivers in tight packs of cars, storming around the track at 200 mph. It’s quite a site as drivers race inches off one another’s bumpers. It’s also a recipe for disaster for drivers caught up when someone loses control or has a mechanical issue.
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Twelve drivers enter the race with a chance to win the championship; that number will be trimmed to eight after this race.
Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick are safely into the next round by virtue of their wins in the opening two Chase races of this segment. Kenseth is second in the standings, Busch third and Edwards fourth.
For now, they are taking a somewhat conservative approach to making sure that they are in that next round, drafting together behind the main pack at the track.
