NASCAR Cup Series

Kenseth on racing at Talladega Superspeedway: “For the first time in my career I’m really looking forward to going to Talladega. Our restrictor plate stuff has been extremely strong this year and I think we’ve led a lot of laps at all three plate races."

Talladega Superspeedway can make or break a driver in a matter of a millisecond. It has been feast or famine for 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion driver Bobby Labonte, who has one win from the pole (4/26/98), six top-five, 13 top-10 finishes and has led 154 laps at the 2.66 tri-oval.

YET ANOTHER TOP-10 RUN: Despite falling a lap down early and running out of fuel as the white flag flew, Joey Logano was still able to cross the finish line 10th at Dover International Speedway last weekend, collecting his third straight top-10 finish and fourth in the last six races. That puts Logano as the only non-Chase driver to collect top-10 finishes in the first three races of the Chase and one of only four drivers with top-10s in the first three Chase races.

EGR at Talladega: EGR has made 49 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) starts at Talladega. In those starts, EGR drivers have earned six top-5 finishes, 13 top-10 finishes and 17 top-15 finishes. EGR has completed 8,399 laps out of a possible 9,294 laps, or 90.3 percent, and has led 254 laps. Juan Pablo Montoya has EGR’s highest start at Talladega Superspeedway (first, 2010). Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya share EGR’s highest finish. (Second, 2008, 2010)

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader Brad Keselowski crashed hard into the wall during a virtual running of the Bank of America 500 on the world’s largest HDTV on Tuesday afternoon, giving Josh Bralley of Huntersville, N.C. the cushion he needed to take the checkered flag.

Denny Hamlin has to be considered a favorite to win the TUMS Fast Relief 500 when the Chase for the Sprint Cup rolls into Martinsville Speedway on October 28.

Clint Bowyer’s No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota will turn pink in October. And that makes the Chase’s fourth-place driver happy.

No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. says Sunday’s restrictor-plate race at Talladega Superspeedway could be the most pivotal race in the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Last week’s sixth-place finish at Dover moved Truex to eighth place, 42 points out of first, after three of 10 Chase races. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver and his 11 Chase competitors know the high-speed, pack racing at Talladega is an easy way to quickly gain or lose points.

One of the main attractions at this year’s Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 Weekend is the return of the Miller Lite Infield Track Bar. Open until 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday, the bar serves up the coldest beer at the track and is a huge hub of excitement among race fans all weekend long. Over the years the bar has become the place to party and watch college football on Saturday.

Richard Childress began his driving career at Talladega Superspeedway in 1969 and leads team owners for the most all-time victories at the storied Ala. race track with 12 wins, including three of the last five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events. Dale Earnhardt visited Victory Lane nine times while Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer swept the 2010 events at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. Bowyer added to the Welcome, N.C.-based organization's total by claiming RCR's 100th Sprint Cup Series win when NASCAR's senior series visited the facility in October 2011. In 137 starts, RCR has four pole awards, 37 top-five, 58 top-10 finishes and has led 1,789 laps of competition.