Anything can happen at Talladega, and here are 5 things that might
When you look at the history of Talladega Superspeedway, the only thing you can expect for certain is the unexpected.
Anything can happen on this mammoth 2.66-mile, high-banked oval and it usually does.
Since the track opened in 1969, 10 different drivers won their respective first NASCAR Premier Series victories here. Six of those 10 never won again.
With that in mind, here are five storylines that have a realistic chance of happening in Sunday's GEICO 500 (FOX, 12:30 p.m. ET).
5. A ROOKIE TRIUMPHS -- Pole-sitter Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney are each looking for their first Cup victory and each has a fast car and good drafting partners. It would surprise no one if one of these two talented rookies makes it to Victory Lane.
4. ANOTHER FIRST-TIME WINNER -- Aside from Elliott and Blaney, there are a few winless drivers who are candidates to break through at 'Dega. Tops among them is Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who will start sixth in his Roush Fenway Racing Ford.
The other two rookies in the field, Brian Scott and Chris Buescher, drive for teams that have won restrictor-plate races in the last three years. Unlikely winners, yes. But not impossible ones.
3. JUNIOR REPEATS -- Let's be real here. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the most popular driver in NASCAR and Talladega is ground zero for his Junior Nation legion of fans. Another Earnhardt Talladega victory -- he has six already -- would be hugely popular with his fan base.
The competition for Earnhardt is very stiff, but he'll roll off third and his trusty plate-track No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, nicknhamed "Amelia," is wicked fast.
2. TONY MAKES THE CHASE -- Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart will start the GEICO 500 in the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. But he'll get out of it as soon as he can to turn it over to Ty Dillon. If Dillon wins, it will count as a victory for Stewart, since Stewart started the race.
In turn, a Dillon victory would make Stewart eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, assuming Stewart can make it into the top 30 in points. Wouldn't THAT be interesting?
1. THE NO. 3 WINS -- The last time the No. 3 won a NASCAR Premier Series races was here in the fall of 2000, when the late Dale Earnhardt drove his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet from 18th place with four laps to go to win. It was a remarkable charge and afterward the applause was thunderous.
Austin Dillon drives the No. 3 RCR Chevy now and will start Sunday's race from the outside of Row 1, right next to pole-sitter Chase Elliott. If Dillon puts the No. 3 back in Victory Lane at Talladega, well, it just might break the Internet.
