NASCAR at Talladega 2014: Race Schedule, Live Stream Info and Drivers to Watch
Twelve drivers will enter in the Chase for the Sprint Cup for Sunday's Geico 500, but only eight will remain when all is said and done.
Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway will be the final in the Contender Round, meaning the last four drivers in the Chase standings will be trimmed from the herd and eliminated from championship consideration.
Races this late into the season always carry more weight with the points title on the line. But the Chase's new structure only adds to the drama. You can bet those sitting between ninth and 12th will make every effort humanly possible to get into the top eight. Desperation can be a strong motivator.
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When: Sunday, Oct. 19, at 2 p.m. ET
Where: Talladega Superspeedway
Watch: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Drivers to Watch
Terry Labonte
After 37 years on the Sprint Cup circuit, Terry Labonte is calling time on his NASCAR career. The legendary driver announced that he's retiring following Sunday's race.
"You know, it's only about the third time I've said this is gonna be my last race, but this is really gonna be the last one," he said, per USA Today's Jeff Gluck. "It's been fun."
The two-time points champion will leave having run 890 races, which ranks third all time. Barring a miracle, Labonte will also finish with 22 Sprint Cup wins, which is tied for 25th.
The No. 32 car will begin the Geico 500 in ninth, which is Labonte's best qualifying result in nearly a decade, per Nick DeGroot of Motorsport.com:
Even if Labonte falls to the back of the pack early and has little say on the final result, fans should savor every moment of the legendary driver's final race.
Denny Hamlin
Sitting in seventh place going into the race, Denny Hamlin is through to the Eliminator Round—for now. However, with a poor result, he could be overtaken by one of the four drivers on the outside looking in.
Hamlin won the Aaron's 499 at Talladega in May, but his record at the track was far from impressive before that trip to Victory Lane. You can view his last five races at the track, courtesy of Driver Averages:
| May 4, 2014 | 34 | 1 | 12 |
| Oct. 20, 2013 | 15 | 38 | 0 |
| May 5, 2013 | 7 | 34 | 0 |
| Oct. 7, 2012 | 23 | 14 | 0 |
| May 6, 2012 | 22 | 23 | 8 |
Hamlin will start out in 38th, so he'll have some work to do to ensure that his Sunday doesn't turn into a nightmare where he coughs up his place in the next round. On the other hand, considering he began in 34th for the Aaron's 499 and managed to win, his starting position shouldn't be a major hindrance.
Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The four drivers listed above are all sitting inside the drop zone for the Eliminator Round. Matt Kenseth's in ninth and then Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. follow in that order. Kenseth is a point back of Kasey Kahne for eighth, while Earnhardt is 26 points behind; that's how close the threshold is.
Despite being in the most precarious position, Earnhardt's not letting the pressure affect his preparation, per Nate Ryan of USA Today:
"Just what is the 11-time most popular driver planning to do before strapping into his No. 88 Chevrolet for 500 miles at the treacherous 2.66-mile oval infamous for breeding multicar wrecks that will derail championship bids?
"Nothing," he said Saturday before qualifying 29th at Talladega. "Been racing here a long time. I got it. I just got to get my suit on and get in the car. Ain't much to it, man. You just get in there and do it. I just don't need to eat any bad fish, or a bunch of junk food.
"I'm ready to race and ready for the race to begin and have some fun. I like the challenge."
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For Johnson, finishing outside of the top eight would be nothing short of a massive disappointment. Since joining the Sprint Cup circuit on a full-time basis in 2002, he's never finished lower than sixth.
Johnson has two wins all time at Talladega, and by starting out in second, he's in a great position to pull out something to get him into the top eight. Plus, you wouldn't bet against a six-time points champion.
While Kenseth and Keselowski have the advantage of being higher up in the standings, both drivers will be at a disadvantage once the race begins. NASCAR will place the two at the back of the field for Sunday, per Bob Pockrass of Sporting News:
As if following their attempts to climb into the top eight won't be compelling enough, Kenseth and Keselowski were of course involved in a massive post-race melee last week.
You could see with that brawl how much finishing in the top eight means to each driver. Emotions are running high.
It will be interesting to see if any residual feelings of discontent spill over onto the track.
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