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Every year, the playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway is one of the most entertaining races of the season. It almost never disappoints.
This year should be no exception, with it being the middle race in the Round of 12 and third through 12th in points -- excluding Kurt Busch, who's already locked into the next round by winning last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- is separated by just 39 points. That, my friends, is tight.
Surely, Team Penske is going to be a factor for the victory, having won eight of the past 12 races at the 2.66-mile track. This lineup will be centered around those Fords. Expect a race similar to the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway last month where, the first two stages are relatively tame until the end with stage points being up for grab and a chaotic final stage.
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My DFS Lineup - YellaWood 500
Joey Logano ($10,300)
Career at Las Vegas: 23 starts, 3 wins, 352 laps led
Average finish at Talladega: 16.2
Anything can happen when it comes to pack racing, but I'm surprised Logano only costs $10,300 this weekend. The No. 22 Ford starts eighth and will surely be at the front in no time. Did you watch the regular season finale? He swept both stages and led a race-high 36 laps. And that's Daytona...
Statistically, Logano is much more dominant at Talladega than Daytona (three victories at Talladega, one at Daytona). When it comes to present day superspeedway racing, no driver is more aggressive than the Connecticut native. And honestly, it's really fun to watch, though some of those daredevil moves can cause havoc, and ultimately the "Big One."
The No. 22 Ford has paced the field for at least 33 laps in four of the past eight Talladega races. No he hasn't made any friends on the racetrack in the first four races of the playoffs, but expect his Penske teammates to work with him, as they have a methodical approach to superspeedway racing.
Denny Hamlin ($9,700)
Career at Talladega: 29 starts, 1 win, 320 laps led
Average finish at Talladega: 17.2
You can't think of Logano being among the best current superspeedway drivers without having Hamlin far behind, if not in front. Hell, he's won three of the past five Daytona 500s.
When it comes to Talladega, his numbers aren't as impressive with just one victory (2014), eight top five-finishes and 12 top 10s in 29 races. But more times than not, Hamlin is fighting in the lead pack come the checkered flag: Just think back to last fall when he was involved in multiple crashes and still finished third.
The No. 11 Toyota will be fast on Sunday, no doubt. Hamlin's playoffs haven't gotten off to the start he was hoping for, though he did round out the podium last week. Entering the race 58 points above the cutline, he might take it cautious in the first two stages, but that sets up for a good finish. Oh by the way, he is the polesitter, which will likely earn you early points.
Brendan Gaughan ($9,500)
Career at Talladega: 10 starts, 0 wins, 20 laps led
Average finish at Talladega: 19.2
This Sunday is set to be the final time Gaughan straps inside of a NASCAR Cup Series car. Unfortunate if you ask me, as the sport will miss one of its biggest personalities and a straight wheelman, especially on superspeedways with Beard Motorsports.
Since 2017, Gaughan has competed in 16 Cup races, 15 of which have been at either Daytona or Talladega with Beard. In those races, the No. 62 Chevrolet has been mighty impressive, scoring half of his career top-10 total (four). Two of those came this season at Daytona (finished seventh and eighth).
The strategy is plain and simple for the No. 62 team: Ride around until the end, as the team isn't fighting for points. So don't get discouraged if you see Gaughan in the 30s for much of the race because by the end of it, he'll be in the mix. His shotgun starting position -- 39th -- is also a great setup for you to score points.
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Ryan Blaney ($9,100)
Career at Talladega: 12 starts, 2 wins, 153 laps led
Average finish at Talladega: 17.5
Over the past two races at Talladega, nobody has been better than Blaney, winning both times. Combined, that was two wins by a total margin .014 seconds. Impressive.
Over the years, Blaney has become one of the better superspeedway racers in Cup, having been in contention to win multiple Daytona 500s have and always impressive at Talladega. Like Logano, part of that is his Penske allegiance, who always bring fast cars to the four superspeedway races every year.
The No. 12 Ford starts 14th on Sunday, and I don't expect him to stay there long. The pressure of running for a championship is off, getting eliminated in the opening round of the postseason. Blaney's led 98 laps over the past two Talladega races, including a race-high 63 in June. This is a sure bet for your lineup.
Michael McDowell ($5,700)
Career at Talladega: 19 starts, 0 wins, 1 lap led
Average finish at Talladega: 29.1
When it comes to superspeedway racing, McDowell's stats are far more impressive at Daytona than they are Talladega; six of his 12 career top-10 finishes have come at the famed racetrack. But he's not a pushover at Talladega.
Sure, McDowell only has four top-20 finishes in 19 starts at NASCAR's largest track, but he's riding a high of consecutive such results. In fact, last fall he placed fifth, his lone top five of the 2019 season. Plus, Talladega allows the underdogs to shine, and Front Row Motorsports is in the midst of its best season at the Cup level.
The No. 34 Ford lines up 24th on Sunday, but is in need of a good day. McDowell sits 22nd in points, just 30 markers outside the top 20, which would be quite the accomplishment should it crack the top 20. McDowell's underrated, especially on superspeedways, he's worth the price.
John Hunter Nemechek ($5,600)
Career at Talladega: 0 starts, 0 wins, 0 laps led
Average finish at Talladega: 8.0
Speaking of Front Row, we're going all in on them this weekend, as Nemechek rounds out this lineup. He was in contention to win the spring race, having a huge run to the checkered flag but was put into the outside wall.
Seemingly, that race has led to a frustrating few months for Nemechek where the No. 38 car would show flashes of real speed, but also get caught up in countless incidents. Regardless of the results, he's still a sporty driver and has helped propel FRM to a respectable season.
Nemechek starts mid-pack in 23rd on Sunday, and should he keep his nose clean will be around for a finish that could duplicate his performance from June. After all, he has three top-11 finishes in three superspeedway starts at the Cup level.
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