Mmmmm Talladega. Probably the most exciting track on the circuit. It is certainly not the purest form of racing but it is a nice change of pace. There is a reason there are only two restrictor plate tracks on the schedule. It doesn’t seem like the drivers themselves enjoy this place very much. Even guys like Tony Stewart who are among the best at these types of races don’t enjoy this place.

‘Dega has provided us with some of the most extravagant crashes in racing history. Like Carl Edwards flipping on top of Ryan Newman and then into the catch fence when racing towards the checkered flag with Brad Keselowski. Having 43 cars all nose to tail three sometimes four wide doing 200+mph can obviously be dangerous, but it can also be fun to watch.

This track is completely unpredictable. You could hang out in the back to avoid the big one for the first 90% of this race then in a matter of a few laps find yourself in the top 10 and then suddenly out of the race when 10 cars around you start wrecking. There is ALWAYS a big wreck. That being said there are two races worth watching this weeken. The Nationwide Series race starts at 4pm on Saturday while the Cup race is Sunday at 2pm. Anyone can win and anyone can wreck at any time so tune in.

The Bets:

Jimmie Johnson 12-1

First rule in betting NASCAR. When Jimmie Johnson is higher than 6-1 to win a race, or outside of the top 2 best odds, you bet him. He is 12-1 and that makes him the 3rd favorite to win this race. He has not been exactly Jimmie Johnson as of late but he is as good as anyone at getting around this place. Look for the #48 team to hang out in the back of the pack for the first half to ¾ of the race to try and avoid “The Big One” before charging to the front and giving himself a chance to win.

Tony Stewart 12-1

Tony needs to win. He has never started a season worse than this year. He is 22nd in points and obviously winless. All of Stewart-Haas Racing needs to get it’s shit together and start getting the #14 and #39 teams back into the hunt for the Chase. Tony is probably the best restrictor plate driver on the planet (He is probably just the best driver on the planet and the restrictor plate thing just falls into place but anyway), so I can promise you at some point you will see Smoke up in the front of the back with a chance to win in the last laps.

Elliott Sadler 75-1

The other good thing about Talladega is the opportunity to take some real long shots. Anyone can win so why not toss a few bucks on a guy with healthy odds? Sadler is due for a good weekend and winning the Cup race would be doing just that.

mlz

Friday, May 3, 2013