NASCAR at Talladega 2018: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, TV Schedule and More
Next up for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, where most drivers in the running will look to slow Kyle Busch.
Busch joined Kevin Harvick as the second driver to rattle off three wins in a row this year last time out, with the difference being he might have enough at one of his better tracks to make it four in a row.
It's not that the rest of the competitors aren't trying—Busch has just hit on one of his patented hot streaks. He's figured it all out while there has been a revolving door of drivers coming close but then missing behind him.
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It doesn't seem like parity will reign again anytime soon—as it did one year ago—but that's the fun of tuning in to Sunday's event.
Viewing Details
Where: Talladega Superspeedway
When: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET
Watch: Fox
Tickets: StubHub
GEICO 500
- Ross Chastain
- Reed Sorenson
- Timmy Hil
- Cole Whitt
- Gray Gaulding
- DJ Kennington
- Joey Gas
- Timothy Peters
- Chris Buescher
- Matt DiBenedetto
Note: Qualifying is Saturday.
2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Standings
| 1. Kyle Busch | 415 |
| 2. Kevin Harvick | 324 |
| 3. Clint Bowyer | 329 |
| 4. Martin Truex Jr. | 284 |
| 5. Austin Dillon | 208 |
| 6. Joey Logano | 359 |
| 7. Brad Keselowski | 303 |
| 8. Denny Hamlin | 286 |
| 9. Ryan Blaney | 282 |
| 10. Kurt Busch | 282 |
| 11. Kyle Larson | 279 |
| 12. Aric Almirola | 248 |
| 13. Erik Jones | 233 |
| 14. Alex Bowman | 209 |
| 15. Jimmie Johnson | 200 |
| 16. William Byron | 192 |
Drivers to Watch
Brad Keselowski
A nice upswing over the past few races could be a good sign for Brad Keselowski going into Talladega.
Keselowski has yet to win a race this year and fell off a cliff with a 33rd-place performance in Texas to start April. But he's steadily rebounded since then, finishing 23rd at Bristol Motor Speedway and eighth in Richmond last time out despite starting 28th.
That return to the top 10 came equipped with a close call, as Fox captured:
Likely thankful for the near-miss and on an upswing, Keselowski can also lean on the fact he's won Sunday's event twice since 2012 and has five wins at the track outright. He's got a strong idea of how to run it while outperforming the rest of the field, so a continued resurgence could be in the cards.
The up-and-down season could finally have some solid footing for Keselowski to stand on starting Sunday, so fans should consider him a contender to watch.
Chase Elliott
Now might be the time for Chase Elliott to strike.
Elliott had a ho-hum start to the season, winning Duel #2 before going on to place 33rd at the Daytona 500. He's only posted four top-10 performances since.
The catch—one of those came last time out in Richmond when the rising Hendrick Motorsports star finished second after starting out of the same slot.
Elliott is hoping to ride the new-found wave of momentum as he embraces a dip into restrictor-plate racing.
"Talladega is just wider, and it's a little more inviting to be three-wide more often," Elliott said, according to Omnisport (via Sporting News). "I feel like people get a little braver there just because it is wider, and it looks welcoming."
Though he's on the outside looking in when it comes to the standings, Elliott is the latest to briefly flirt with a checkered flag. Unlike others who have done so recently, he's looking to turn it into a win at a track he seems to favor more than most.
Kyle Busch
Busch deserves the limelight more than anybody else.
The standings leader put together four top-three appearances before rattling off his string of wins. First, it was a 116-laps-led performance in Texas. He followed by leading another 117 at Bristol. Less than a week later, he hit Richmond in stride and led 32 despite starting 32nd, taking his successive third trip to Victory Lane.
Going from 32nd to first, though, might be one of Busch's most impressive feats to date. Fox captured his celebration with fans:
Busch has every reason to celebrate. He's sitting on a point cushion in the range of 50 and shouldn't have any problems breezing his way into a top slot in the playoffs. He's also 13 wins away from the 200-win mark and company like Richard Petty.
Yet through all that, it's hard to imagine Busch will stop going as aggressively as he has. One of the best starts in modern history hasn't seen him slow down, even after starting a race outside the top 30.
Expect more of the same from Busch on Sunday, with the rest of the series needing to find a way to match him.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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