TALLADEGA, AL – NASCAR fans will enjoy life in the fast lane with no chance of rain at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday when the GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race cranks up at noon CST. The forecast calls for nothing but beautiful blue skies with temperatures around 80 degrees, ideal conditions for the action-packed race that will take place on the 2.66-mile tri-oval.
Jeff Gordon will lead the pack of 43 cars when the green flag waves. Gordon, who is in the final season of his 23-year Sprint Cup career, captured the Coors Light Pole Award during Saturday’s qualifying session with a fast lap of 194.793 mph. It is Gordon’s fourth pole at Talladega Superspeedway and his 80th overall, placing him third on the Sprint Cup all-time list.
“When you come here, you definitely give the team all the credit because of all the prep work and details that go into these cars,” Gordon said. “I’m very proud of those guys getting me my 80th pole. That’s pretty cool.”
Hendrick Motorsports drivers dominated qualifying, grabbing four of the top five starting positions. In addition to Gordon, Kasey Kahne qualified second (193.685 mph), Dale Earnhardt Jr. fourth (193.599) and Jimmie Johnson fifth (193.427). Wood Brothers Racing driver Ryan Blaney prevented it from being a clean sweep for Hendrick, taking the third spot with a run of 193.611.
Rounding out the top-10 were Tony Stewart (193.419), Paul Menard (193.412), Matt Kenseth (193.357), David Ragan (193.006) and Clint Bowyer (192.808). Denny Hamlin, who won this race last season, will start 17th, while defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and current points leader Kevin Harvick will roll off in the 24th position.
Kahne said fans need to be in their seats early, because he expects the racing to be intense from the opening laps. He was one of several drivers who used the word “aggressive” when describing what they anticipate will take place on Sunday.
“I think it will be pretty aggressive. At Daytona (in the season-opening Daytona 500), I was surprised at how badly everybody tried to lead during the first 10 laps of the race,” Kahne said. “It was kind of like that the entire race at Daytona, and I think (Sunday) will be similar.”
Earnhardt agreed. A five-time winner at Talladega Superspeedway, Earnhardt said he definitely will try to push his way into the lead early and often.
“I look forward to Talladega. You just get in there and mash it wide open,” Earnhardt said. “You’ve got to be in the top all day long to expect to be in the top at the end when it counts. So I feel like I can go out there and be as aggressive as I want to be and take some chances and see what happens.”
Gordon plans to do the same thing. He said he is trying to have as much fun as possible during his final NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and that includes making a few trips to Victory Lane.
“This whole year, all I’ve wanted to do is just enjoy the moments and take it all in,” Gordon said. “I’m having a ball. But at the same time, it’s a balance between enjoying this final season and wanting to win races. So I’m certainly going to be making the most of this season, both on and off the track.”
About Talladega Superspeedway
NASCAR speeds back into Talladega Superspeedway May 1-3 for the GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and Winn-Dixie 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series event. NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), with the circuit’s steepest banking (33 degrees) and longest distance (2.66 miles), is the most fun and fan-friendly, offering up hundreds of acres of free camping, amazing kids ticket prices and special offers for military members and college students. Talladega Superspeedway is NASCAR’s “Party Capital” thanks to the track’s infamous infield, which features the traditional Saturday Night concert and the world renowned Talladega Blvd, home of the “Big One on the Blvd” party. The historic venue features the most comfortable seats in motorsports, large video viewing boards (a new initiative planned for future implementation at all ISC tracks) lining the frontstretch and endless activities for fans throughout its event weekends. Log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 877-Go2-DEGA for more information.
