Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Talladega takes its toll on playoffs
Only 4 in hunt for title finish crash-filled race
typical crashfest at Talladega gives one pause whether the track should be involved in the playoff format.
The wild unpredictability of a restrictor-plate race can destroy the steady ride of a driver’s championship hopes.
“There’s nothing you can do about it. It’s part of Talladega,” McMurray said of his wreck after 25 laps. “We know you can come out of here with a lot of points and be a winner or you can be in the position we are right now. We’ll go to Kansas and do our best. I’m sure I won’t be the only playoff driver disappointed today.” He was right. Of the 14 cars drivers who finished the race, only four were in the playoff chase. Two of those drivers finished a lap down.
“That is just Talladega,” said Kurt Busch, who was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. “That is how it works out. We need to figure out how to make the cars better so everybody can bump-draft a little harder.”
The race Sunday brought out three red flags, all within the final 17 laps.
Of course fans love it. But I don’t know of any driver who thrives on going to Talladega. It’s about surviving, not thriving.
“It’s insane. It’s a whiteknuckle experience,” Jeff Gordon said before his final ride at Talladega in 2015. “If anyone in the garage says it’s not, then they’re not telling the truth. It just is. You’re holding your breath. It can make for some amazing moments and highlights. I don’t know if you need to put any added risk out there.”
Competitive chaos? Collateral damage?
Or random chaos that shouldn’t be a determining factor in crowning a NASCAR Cup champion?
We’ll sort it all out after the next big one rolls around in May when everyone will reconvene at Talladega.
Here’ something else Dale Earnhardt Jr. can hang on his resume besides being NASCAR’s most popular driver: daddy.
Earnhardt and his wife, Amy, are expecting their first child. The couple shared the news Monday on Instagram, alongside a pair of pink baby Converse. Hint: It’s a girl.
No doubt NASCAR is struggling for relevance and eyebrows these days, but a restrictorplate race at Talladega is a sure-fire way to rekindle the passion. NBC reported that Sunday’s race had a total audience delivery of 4.743 million viewers — up 32 percent from 2016.
The race produced a 2.84 rating, up 30 percent from last year, the highest rating for the fall Talladega race since 2012 (ESPN/2.97). And viewership peaked with nearly 7 million viewers in the 6:30-6:45 p.m. quarter-hour. Twelve aspiring drivers are competing for a chance to break into the circuit in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine at BethuneCookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The three-day combine concludes this week, with four participants moving on in a program designed to recruit minorities to the sport. The four will be selected for the 2018 season. Three of those will race full time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East while also running full time in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series in a Late Model, totaling more than 30 races next season.
Past participants include Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez and Darrell Wallace Jr. The recruitment is not limited to drivers. Tryouts for pit crews and other positions are available through the program.