Race Day Blog: Sights And Sounds From Talladega

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:00 p.m. ET

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8:45p ET -- Good night from Talladega Superspeedway. Congratulations to the entire Front Row Motorsports group on their well-deserved 1-2 finish, and a huge thank you to the fans for sticking out a long day!

(Photo: Getty Images)

  8:12p ET -- "It's a true David vs. Goliath story." - David Ragan

(Photo: LAT Photographic)

  8:12p ET -- DAVID RAGAN wins at 'Dega! Unbelievable 1-2 finish for Front Row Motorsports.

8:07p ET -- Due to impending darkness, there will only be one Green-White-Checkered finish.

7:54p ET -- WRECK! Kurt Busch went upside down and landed on Ryan Newman's Chevrolet. Scary incident, but all drivers OK.

7:04p ET -- GREEN FLAG! Don't forget to check out FOXSports.com's RaceTrax for Live timing & scoring.

6:58p ET -- Pit stops underway immediately following the rain delay. Who ya got in this 'Dega style shootout?

6:52p ET -- Engines are FIRED! 63 laps to go with darkness approaching. Remember, there are no lights at 'Dega.

6:38p ET -- Kasey Kahne, who was involved in the "Big One" earlier on in the race, is at home watching the ending on FOX. You should be too!

6:38p ET -- Drivers ordered to their cars. Let's do this!

(Photo: Sunoco Racing)

6:28p ET -- We have good news! Covers are coming off of the cars and NASCAR will order drivers to pit road in 10 minutes.

5:55p ET -- Track drying continues. Y'all still with us on FOX? How are you passing the time during this delay?

5:05p ET -- Weatherman Brad Keselowski with the latest update from 'Dega.

4:40p ET -- Weather has intensified here at Talladega. Rain blasting the track with hail and lightning in the area.

4:20p ET -- Denny Hamlin and Michael Waltrip started this race seventh and 14th respectively, and are now side-by-side in the Hollywood Hotel.  

(Photo: Ben Altopp)

4:10p ET -- Track drying continues here at 'Dega. Check out what's buzzing on pit road under the rain delay.

3:50p ET -- Air Titan to the rescue!

  And in the pits.. teams are getting creative.

3:25p ET -- Looking good in the top five, Mikey!

3:18p ET -- Red flag is out as rain begins to fall at Talladega. Carl Edwards currently leads over Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Michael Waltrip.  

(Photo: LAT Photographic)

2:45p ET -- Halfway point at Talladega which means this race is official. Rain threatening which means it's time to break out the "strategery."  

Source: Accuweather.com

  2:25p ET -- Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick suffered the heaviest damage in the big one on lap 44. Click on each photo to enlarge.

1:50p ET -- BIG ONE! A lot of big names collected. We're running to the garage to grab some photos of the carnage, stay tuned.

1:30p ET -- BOOM goes Trevor Bayne's engine, bringing out the first caution and allowing for the Hamlin-Vickers driver swap.

1:10p ET -- Green Flag! Watch the Aaron's 499 Live on FOX and following along with Live timing & scoring on FOXSports.com's RaceTrax.

(Photo: Getty Images)

12:57p ET -- Michael Waltrip is truly a jack of all trades. Before jumping into his No. 55 machine, he snagged a mic and walked pit road. Check it out:

Sorry Junior Nation, he's taken as well.

12:45p ET -- Before we go green, check out some of our favorite photos from the grid.

From left — Clint Bowyer; Marcos Ambrose’s No. 9 crew; Kevin Harvick and wife DeLana:

From left — Kurt Busch and girlfriend Patricia Driscoll; Juan Pablo Montoya; Tony Stewart:

12:20p ET -- Anything goes at 'Dega, so good luck with your FOXSports.com's Fantasy Picks. We'll try to help out with some recent statistics:

Who’s Hot?
• Kyle Busch – finished 2nd and 3rd at Talladega in 2012; led at least one lap in the last 11 Talladega races.
• Greg Biffle – three top 10 finishes in the last four races at Talladega.
• Clint Bowyer – top 10 finishes in five of the last six Talladega races including two wins.
• Matt Kenseth – finished top 3 in all four restrictor plate races in 2012 including two wins, one at Talladega.
• Brad Keselowski – top 10 finishes in the last three Talladega races including a win in this race last year.

Who’s Not?
• Kurt Busch – best finish at Talladega in the last five races is 18th.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. – five time Talladega winner but not since Fall 2004, 16 races since with only five top 10 finishes.
• Carl Edwards – only one top 10 in the last 11 races at Talladega, he finished 31st and 36th in the two races there last year.
• Paul Menard – only one Top 10 finish in 13 total races at Talladega.
• Ryan Newman- ‐ finished 23rd or worse six of the last seven races at Talladega.

Statistics provided by Racing Recall

12:00p ET -- We are Live on FOX for today's Aaron's 499. Who's ready for some Superspeedway racing?  

(Photo: Ben Altopp)

11:40a ET -- AJ McCarron, two-time national championship-winning quarterback for Alabama, will be the honorary pace car driver for today's race.

Hey Brent Musburger, what do you think of McCarron's girlfriend?

Chipper Jones, who played 19 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, will give the command.

11:20a ET -- Good morning from Talladega Superspeedway! Skies are clear this morning, but the forecast predicts scattered showers.

(Photo: Getty Images)

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