NASCAR Pre-race: ESPN's NASCAR Countdown - 1:00pm/et

Television Race Coverage: ESPN, 2:00pm/et

In the Booth: Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree
Pit Reporters: Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Vince Welch, Dr. Jerry Punch
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe, Brad Daugherty, Rusty Wallace
ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage: Tim Brewer

SPEED's NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 11:00am/et with John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace

Scheduled Race Re-Air Dates/Times:
Monday, October 24 at 12:00am/et on ESPN2;
Wednesday, October 25 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED

TV Listings, Links and Info:
Jayski's TV Listings Page
NASCAR on TV
Race Fan TV

This Week - Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite Radio

motorracingnetwork.com

siriusxm.com

Practices:
Friday, October 21, 2:30 - 3:15pm/et, TV-SPEED

Happy Hour 'Final' practice: Friday, October 21, 4:00 - 5:00pm/et, TV-SPEED

Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Saturday, October 22 at 12:15 pm/et, TV-SPEED, scheduled re-air at 8:00pm/et on SPEED.

Track Specifications:
Track/Race Length: 2.66 mile quad oval, 188 laps, 500.08 miles
Superspeedway: 2.66-mile trioval 48 feet wide (12-foot apron)
Turns: Banking: 33° Length: 3,750 feet Radius: 1,100 feet
Trioval: Banking: 18°
Frontstretch: Chute length: 2,150 feet (from turn to middle of trioval) Total length: 4,300 feet Banking: 16.5°
Backstretch: Length: 4,000 feet Banking: 2°
Pit Road: Length: 3,000 feet; Width: 48 feet
Pit Road Speed: 55mph
Pace Car Speed: 70mph
Grandstand Seating: 143,231
Track last paved: Summer 2006
Opened: 1969

Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: Marcus Lemonis, CEO of Camping World and Good Sam Enterprise
Command to start engines: Marcus Lemonis
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: ?
Invocation: Steve Keller, Motor Racing Outreach (MRO)
National Anthem: 82nd Airborne All-American Chorus
Military Flyover: 2 F-22 Raptors, 325th Fighter Wing, 43rd Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, FL

Track Websites:
Talladega SuperSpeedway
ISC Motorsports
Talladega SuperSpeedway - Facebook
Talladega SuperSpeedway - Twitter
Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame
International Motorsports Hall of Fame(Talladega)

April 2011: see my Talladega Race Info page

October 2010: see my Talladega Race Info page

October 2010 Pole Sitter: #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, 184.640mph, finished 3rd

April 2011 Pole Sitter: #24-Jeff Gordon, 178.248mph, finished 3rd

Track/Event Qualifying Record (no restrictor plate): Bill Elliott, April 1987, 212.809mph

Track/Event Qualifying Record (Restrictor Plate): Bill Elliott, May 1990, 199.388 (15/16th inch plate)

Oldest Pole Winner: Ricky Rudd, 47 years, 7 months, 13 days, 4/25/2004

Youngest Pole Winner: Jimmie Johnson, 26 years, 7 months, 4 days, 4/21/2002

October 2010 Race Winner: #33-Clint Bowyer, 163.618mph, started 2nd

April 2011 Race Winner: #48-Jimmie Johnson, 156.261mph, started 2nd

Track Race Record: Mark Martin, May 1997, 188.354mph

Slowest Race Record: Jeff Gordon, April 25, 2004, 129.396mph

Worst Starting Spot to Win: Jeff Gordon, April 2000, started 36th

Oldest Race Winner: Harry Gant, 52 years, 3 months, 26 days, May 1991

Youngest Race Winner: Bobby Hillin Jr., 22 years, 1 months, 22 days, July 1986

The Numbers for the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega:
0 - fewest cautions for a Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway (three times, most recent 10/6/02)
1 - fewest laps led by race winner (twice, most recent 4/26/09 - Brad Keselowski)
1 - fewest cars on the lead lap at finish (twice, most recent 5/6/79)
8 - cautions in last year's spring race
10 - most wins (Dale Earnhardt Sr.)
11 - number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend
11 - most cautions (4/25/04)
13 - wins from the pole; 33 from the front row
14 - fewest running at finish (7/27/86)
23 - races won from a starting spot outside the top 10
29 - most leaders (5/25/11)
35 - different pole winners
40 - most cars running at finish (4/22/01)
41 - drivers have posted wins in the 84 races
62 - most caution laps (5/7/72)
88 - most lead changes (twice, most recent 4/17/11)
153 - most laps led by race winner (Pete Hamilton, 8/23/70)
120 minutes - approximate amount of time it takes to dry the 2.66-mile track after a significant rainfall
2011 Caution Update
7 - number of races extended beyond scheduled distance in 2011
3 - fewest cautions this season (New Hampshire, 9/25/11)
16 - most cautions this season (Daytona 500)
230 - number of cautions in the first 31 races of 2011; includes 110 for accidents, 54 for debris and 29 for spins
1,107 of 8,949 - number of laps under caution in 2011
1,513.119 of 12,260.158 - miles under caution in the first 31 races
BONUS: In addition to Talladega Superspeedway (84 races), six other Alabama tracks hosted 19 Sprint Cup events from 1951 to 1969.
(Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports)(10-19-2011)

At Talladega Superspeedway:
• Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on Sept. 14, 1969.
• The name changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989.
• Fourth repaving completed on Sept. 19, 2006.
• There have been 84 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Talladega Superspeedway since the track opened in 1969; two a year every year except the inaugural season, which had just one.
• Richard Brickhouse won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
• Bobby Isaac won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole in September 1969. Isaac won the first three poles there.
• 35 different drivers have won poles. Bill Elliott leads all drivers with eight poles.
• 41 different drivers have posted victories, led by Dale Earnhardt Sr. (10). Eighteen drivers have won more than once.
• Jeff Gordon leads all other active drivers in victories, with six. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is second among active drivers in victories with five.
• Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports have won more than any other organization at Talladega with 11 wins each.
• 33 of 84 races have been won from the top-two starting positions, including 13 from the pole; 23 have been won from a starting position outside the top 10. The most recent driver to win from the pole was Jeff Gordon in 2007 (spring).
• The furthest back in the field a race winner started was 36th, by Jeff Gordon in 2000.
• Mark Martin's pace in the 1997 spring race set an all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup record for the fastest race ever. He won the caution-free race with an average speed of 188.354 mph and covered the 500-mile distance in two hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds.
• The 2010 spring race set the all-time and track records for lead changes (88) and lap leaders (29). The lead change record was matched last April. The previous highs were 75 lead changes (set on May 6, 1984) and 28 lap leaders (set on Oct. 5, 2008). Both previous records also were set at Talladega.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. had four consecutive victories (October 2001 through April 2003), the most ever by a driver there. Buddy Baker (three - May 1975 through May 1976) is the only other driver to win more than two consecutive races there.
• Since the inception of electronic scoring in 1993, every race that has ended under green has had a margin of victory under half a second.
• The season's spring race tied the March 16, 2003 Darlington race won by Ricky Craven for the all-time record of the closest series finish (0.002 seconds) since the inception of electronic scoring.(NASCAR)(10-18-2011)

For news, stats, records and more about this race track, see: Jayski's Talladega Superspeedway Track News/Rumors/Links page

Bowyer wins at Talladega: #33-Clint Bowyer won the Good Sam Club 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway for his 5th career win and 1st of the season. The win is also the 100th win for Richard Childress Racing.
#31-Burton was leading at the white flag, #33-Bowyer was his partner and pushing, Bowyer moved over on the tri-oval to pass Burton and they had a drag race to the start-finish line with Bowyer winning.
#31-Burton finished 2nd [his first top 5 of the season] followed by #36-Blaney [the top 10 means kids eat free at Golden Corral], #2-Keselowski, #83-Vickers, #4-Kahne, #14-Stewart, #11-Hamlin, #15-Waltrip and #56-Truex Jr. Pole sitter #5-Martin led 2 laps, was involved in a late wreck and finished 20th.
#78-Smith was involved in a nasty wreck where he went head first into the wall, but walked away ok, but a fuel fire occurred at Furniture Row Racing's hauler, with some scary flames, but the first was put out fast and no major damage or injuries.
#99-Edwards leads the Chase by 14 points over #17-Kenseth.
There were 72 lead changes among 26 drivers and 9 cautions for 38 yellow flag laps. The attendance is listed as 105,000 down from 110,000 last year.
Scheduled Race Re-Airs: ESPN2, Monday, October 24 at 12:00am/et; SPEED, Wednesday, October 26 at 12:00pm/et
See race results, awards, laps led and more on Jayski's Talladega Race Results/Awards page.(10-23-2011)

Race Fast Facts - Talladega:
#33-Clint Bowyer won the 43rd Annual Good Sam Club 500 , his fifth victory in 213 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and 13th top-10 finish in 2011.
This is his second victory and sixth top-10 finish in 12 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
#31-Jeff Burton (second) posted his 14th top-10 finish in 36 races at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his second top-10 finish in 2011.
#36-Dave Blaney (third) posted his second top-10 finish in 20 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
#71-Andy Lally (39th) was the highest finishing rookie.
Carl Edwards leads the point standings by 14 points over Matt Kenseth.(NASCAR Statistics)(10-23-2011)

Finishing spots for the Chase drivers at Talladega: (by standings order before the race)
1) #99-Carl Edwards, started 9th, finished 11th
2) #29-Kevin Harvick, 13th, 32nd
3) #17-Matt Kenseth, 11th, 18th
4) #18-Kyle Busch, 34th, 33rd
5) #14-Tony Stewart, 12th, 7th
6) #2-Brad Keselowski, 17th, 4th
7) #22-Kurt Busch, 14th, 36th
8) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 2nd, 26th
9) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 6th, 25th
10) #39-Ryan Newman, 10th, 38th
11) #24-Jeff Gordon, 5th, 27th
12) #11-Denny Hamlin, 31st, 8th
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(10-23-2011)

2011 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Chase Points Standings:
[after Talladega, race 32 of 36 and Chase race 6 of 10]
1) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win], 2237
2) #17-Matt Kenseth [3 wins], 2223, -14
3) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 2219, -18
4) #14-Tony Stewart [2 wins], 2218, -19
5) #29-Kevin Harvick [4 wins], 2211, -26
6) #18-Kyle Busch [4 wins], 2197, -40
these drivers are more then a race out:
7) #48-Jimmie Johnson [2 wins], 2187, -50
8) #22-Kurt Busch [2 wins], 2185, -52
9) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [0 wins], 2163, -74
10) #24-Jeff Gordon [3 wins], 2155, -82
top 10 go to the banquet in Vegas
11) #11-Denny Hamlin [1 win], 2153, -84
12) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 2149, -88
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(10-23-2011)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Martinsville:
#71 drops out of the top 35 and #38 moves back in, a 2 pt lead over the #71.
33) #13-Mears/Germain, 454, +44
34) #32-Bliss/FAS Lane, 437, +27
35) #38-Yeley/Front Row, 412, 2 points ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #71-Lally/TRG, 410, 2 points out of top 35
37) #7-Gordon/RGM, 317, -95
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(10-23-2011)

Talladega Notes-n-Nuggets:
" Clint Bowyer scores his fifth Cup Series win in his 213th start.
" Clint Bowyers also scores his second win at Talladega in his 12th start at the track.
" Clint Bowyer has finished first or second in the past three Talladega races.
" Richard Childress Racing scores its 100th Cup Series win.
" RCR scores its sixth win of 2011, most of all teams.
" RCR scores its 12th Talladega win, most of all teams.
" RCR has now won three of the past four Talladega races.
" Sunday marks the fourth consecutive race won with a last-lap pass at Talladega.
" Nine of the past 13 Talladega races have ended with a last-lap pass.
" Jeff Burton (second) scores his best finish of 2011 and first top-five finish of the year; his last top-five was a second-place finish at Dover in Sept. 2010.
" Dave Blaney (third) ties a career-best finish for the third time.
" Brad Keselowski (fourth) scores his tenth top-five finish of 2011, his fourth top-five of the Chase and eighth in the past 12 races.
" Brian Vickers (fifth) ties his best finish of 2011 (Dover and NH) and scores his fourth top-five finish at Talladega.
" Kasey Kahne (sixth) scores his fourth consecutive top-six finish; this was his worst finish in the past four races.
" Tony Stewart (seventh) led the most laps (30) and got his fourth top-10 finish of the Chase.
" Michael Waltrip (ninth) scores his best finish in three races in 2011.
" Carl Edwards (10th) leads the points standings by 14 over Matt Kenseth and is the only driver with top-10 finishes in every race of the Chase.
(Racing Recall/nascar.com)(10-23-2011)

Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Talladega: (and their finish)
Caution 1: #11-Hamlin, 8th
Caution 2: #4-Kahne, 6th
Caution 3: #20-Logano (still 2 laps down), 24th
Caution 4: #20-Logano (still 1 lap down), 24th
Caution 5: #20-Logano, 24th
Caution 6: #43-Allmendinger, 31st
Caution 7: #1-McMurray (still 6 laps down), 29th
Caution 8: #1-McMurray (still 5 laps down), 29th
Caution 9: #1-McMurray (still 4 laps down), 29th
(10-23-2011)

Penalty Report / Infraction Sheet - Talladega:
Car#, Lap, Infraction, Flag, Penalty, Lap Assessed
#18 67 Safety violation G / Y tail end 72 failure to reduce speed on pit road
#20 68 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 72
#21 84 Going above the blend line exiting the pits Y tail end 85
#1 105 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 109
#29 105 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 109
#43 105 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 109
#42 105 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 109
#43 105 Going above the blend line exiting the pits Y tail end 109
#18 105 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 109
#43 121 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 125
#29 122 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 125
#18 122 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 125
#29 125 Safety violation G pit 128 light smoke
#4 130 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 133
#7 172 Safety violation G pit 174 gear oil
#7 174 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end garage
#22 174 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end garage
#51 174 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 178
#42 181 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 186
#9 181 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 186
#11 181 Pitting before pit road is open Y tail end 186
(NASCAR Statistics)(10-23-2011)

Pit Road Times
Talladega Superspeedway
Good Sam Club 500
Provided by NASCAR Statistics
Sun, October 23, 2011 @ 06:21 PM Eastern

Race Coverage of the Good Sam Club 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled for Sunday, October 23, 2011.
Television (TV): ESPN at 2:00 pm/et; NSCS Countdown pre-race show at 1:00 pm/et; green flag approx 2:19pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90
Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
ESPN2, Monday, October 24 at 12:00am/et;
SPEED, Wednesday, October 26 at 12:00pm/et

Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Good Sam Club 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway have been made.
Pole sitter #5-Martin chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #48-Johnson took pit stall 29, the 2nd pitstall with an opening in front of it.
#33-Bowyer, who starts 3rd took the 39th pit stall, the last stall with an opening in front of it.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #6-Ragan, who starts 8th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Pit Stall Selection chart.(10-22-2011)

NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR allows a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The procedure applies to all three national series. See rule and notes on the Green-White-Checker rule page.(2-11-2010)

Wave-around rule: The wave-around rule dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around.(10-11-2009)

See Jayski's - 2011 Sprint Cup Race Results Page for pole winner, race winner with speed and starting/finishing position, links to race results, drivers & owners points, pit stall selections, qualifying results/starting lineup, practice speeds and chase stats as well as link to race track and race information page for each race

Martin wins Talladega pole: #5-Mark Martin won the Coors Light pole for the Good Sam Club 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 181.367mph. It is his 2nd pole of the season and the 51st of his career which is 8th best all time. #48-Johnson starts 2nd followed by #33-Bowyer, #21-Bayne, #24-Gordon, #88-Earnhardt Jr., #27-Menard, #6-Ragan, #99-Edwards and #39-Newman. #97-Conway was the highest qualifying Toyota, starting 20th
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #21-Bayne, #38-Kvapil, #97-Conway, #15-Waltrip, #87-Nemechek, #55-Yeley, #66-McDowell and #7-Gordon.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (4): #35-GBodine, #46-Speed, #77-Bell and #37-Wise
See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my Talladega Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results page.(10-22-2011)

Starting spots for the Chase drivers at Talladega: (by standings order before the race)
1) #99-Carl Edwards, starts 9th
2) #29-Kevin Harvick, 13th
3) #17-Matt Kenseth, 11th
4) #18-Kyle Busch, 34th
5) #14-Tony Stewart, 12th
6) #2-Brad Keselowski, 17th
7) #22-Kurt Busch, 14th
8) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 2nd
9) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 6th
10) #39-Ryan Newman, 10th
11) #24-Jeff Gordon, 5th
12) #11-Denny Hamlin, 31st
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(10-22-2011)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Talladega:
#5-Mark Martin won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 43rd Annual Good Sam Club 500 with a lap of 52.799 seconds, 181.367 mph.
This is his 51st pole in 826 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his second pole and 12th top-10 start in 2011.
This is his third pole in 48 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
#48-Jimmie Johnson (second) posted his 14th top-10 start of 2011 and his 14th in 20 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
#33-Clint Bowyer (third) posted his fourth top-10 start at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his 10th in 32 races this season.
#71-Andy Lally (33rd) was the fastest qualifying rookie.(NASCAR Statistics)(10-22-2011)

Talladega Pole Progression: (who had the pole first, who got it next and who ended up with it)
#97-Conway, 1st out to qualify, 179.693mph, starts 20th
#38-Kvapil, 10th out, 179.831mph, starts 16th
#42-Montoya, 11th out, 179.875mph, starts 15th
#39-Newman, 22nd out, 180.203, starts 10th
#48-Johnson, 23rd out, 181.360, starts 2nd
#5-Martin, 42nd out, 181.367, starts 1st

Fastest Talladega Qualifier by Manufacturer::
Chevy: #5-Martin, 181.367, starts 1st
Dodge: #22-Busch, 179.970, starts 14th
Ford: #21-Bayne, 181.011, starts 4th
Toyota: #97-Conway, 179.693, starts 20th

Coverage of Qualifying for the Good Sam Club 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled for Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 12:15pm/et.
Television (TV): SPEED, 12:00pm/et
Jayski.com: Jayski's Qualifying Page
Qualifying Re-Air: 8:00pm/et on SPEED

Qualifying Order for the Good Sam Club 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is posted. 47 cars/drivers are listed. Go-or-go homers are now mixed in with the top-35 drivers, slowest by fastest in first practice.
The first of the drivers scheduled to go out is #97-Conway, slowest in first practice.
The final driver scheduled to go out is #16-Biffle, who was fastest in first practice.
Of note, three drivers didn t practice in the first seassion on Friday: #77-T.J. Bell, #66-Michael McDowell and #21-Trevor Bayne.
The first qualifying order had the three cars going 1,2,3 but later NASCAR changed that and put the cars 45th (#77), 46th (#66) and 47th (#21).
An earlier qualifying spot would had been better as it will be cooler.
Qualifying order is set by the first practice session, with slowest driver going out by speed and the fastest going out last. The non-top 35 drivers are now mixed in with the top-35 in owners points, slowest to fastest.
See the full qualifying order on the Talladega Qualifying Page.(10-21-2011)

Friday's first practice for the Good Sam Club 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, is over, the top-6, slowest and any notes:
#16-Biffle 198.941
#99-Edwards 198.936
#5-Martin 198.545
#24-Gordon 198.384
#9-Ambrose 197.061
#43-Allmendinger 197.053
slowest: #97-Conway 167.284 & #35-Bodine 174.968
no speed: #77-Bell, #21-Bayne, #66-McDowell
Notes: this practice will determine the qualifying order for Saturday qualifying, scheduled for 12:15pm/et on SPEED. So the three cars that didn't run the 1st practice, will go out first in qualifying, by lowest in owners points, so #77-Bell goes out first then #66-McDowell and #21-Bayne
See fastest speeds, laps run, average speed and best 10-lap average on the Talladega Practice Speeds Page.(10-21-2011)

Practice rank for the non top-35 drivers:
if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
#55-J.J. Yeley, 30th fastest overall
#15-Michael Waltrip, 34th
#38-Travis Kvapil, 35th
#87-Joe Nemechek, 36th
#7-Robby Gordon, 38th
#37-Josh Wise, 41st
#46-Scott Speed, 42nd
#35-Geoff Bodine, 43rd
these drivers would miss the race if the order stayed the same:
#97-Kevin Conway, 44th
#21-Trevor Bayne, no speed
#66-Michael McDowell, no speed
#77-T.J. Bell, no speed

Friday's first practice for the Good Sam Club 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, is over, the top-6, slowest and any notes:
#16-Biffle 198.941
#99-Edwards 198.936
#5-Martin 198.545
#24-Gordon 198.384
#9-Ambrose 197.061
#43-Allmendinger 197.053
slowest: #97-Conway 167.284 & #35-Bodine 174.968
no speed: #77-Bell, #21-Bayne, #66-McDowell
Notes: this practice will determine the qualifying order for Saturday qualifying, scheduled for 12:15pm/et on SPEED. So the three cars that didn't run the 1st practice, will go out first in qualifying, by lowest in owners points, so #77-Bell goes out first then #66-McDowell and #21-Bayne.
See fastest speeds, laps run, average speed and best 10-lap average on the Talladega Practice Speeds Page.(10-21-2011)

Practice rank for the non top-35 drivers at Talladega:
(these speeds mean more then the drafting speeds, look for the #21 to be fast even thou it didn't practice in this session)
if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
#55-J.J. Yeley, 30th fastest overall
#15-Michael Waltrip, 34th
#38-Travis Kvapil, 35th
#87-Joe Nemechek, 36th
#7-Robby Gordon, 38th
#37-Josh Wise, 41st
#46-Scott Speed, 42nd
#35-Geoff Bodine, 43rd
these drivers would miss the race if the order stayed the same:
#97-Kevin Conway, 44th
#21-Trevor Bayne, no speed
#66-Michael McDowell, no speed
#77-T.J. Bell, no speed

Another new twist to the qualifying format: Starting at Kentucky Speedway, there will be a rain-out qualifying procedure change for all three NASCAR national series. If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.(NASCAR)(7-7-2011)

The Entry List for the Good Sam Club 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is posted, 47 teams/drivers [for 43 starting spots] are listed, including:
in an odd twist, the #77 was listed, then shown as withdrawn and now, back on the list
Not in top 35 of owners points:
#7-Robby Gordon (37/31)
#15-Michael Waltrip (48/3)
#21-Trevor Bayne (38/15)(2011 race winner)
#35-Geoff Bodine (46/9)
#37-Josh Wise (39/31)
#38-Travis Kvapil (36/31)
#46-Scott Speed (40/31)
#55-J.J. Yeley (51/13)
#66-Michael McDowell (41/31)
#77-T.J. Bell (57/1)
#87-Joe Nemechek (42/31)
#97-Kevin Conway (55/3)
In the event that qualifying is cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #'s 21,38,7,37,46,66,87,55
missing the race would be [4]: #'s 35,97,15,77
See the full entry list at my Jayski's Talladega Entry List.(10-17/20-2011)

2011 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Chase Points Standings:
[after Charlotte, race 31 of 36 and Chase race 5 of 10]
1) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win], 2203
2) #29-Kevin Harvick [4 wins], 2198, -5
3) #17-Matt Kenseth [3 wins], 2196, -7
4) #18-Kyle Busch [4 wins], 2185, -18
5) #14-Tony Stewart [2 wins], 2179, -24
6) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 2178, -25
7) #22-Kurt Busch [2 wins], 2176, -27
8) #48-Jimmie Johnson [2 wins], 2168, -35
9) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [0 wins], 2143, -60
10) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 2142, -61
11) #24-Jeff Gordon [3 wins], 2137, -66
12) #11-Denny Hamlin [1 win], 2017, -86
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(10-15-2011)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Talladega:
#71's lead drops to 16 pts over 36th in owners pts, the #38 team.
33) #32-Bliss/FAS Lane, 427, +39
34) #13-Mears/Germain, 427, +39
35) #71-Lally/TRG, 404, 16 points ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #38-Yeley/Front Row, 388, 16 points out of top 35
37) #7-Gordon/RGM, 309, -79
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(10-15-2011)

Chassis selections for Talladega: see the list of many teams and what chassis were selected by the team to run at Talladega Superspeedway:
MISSING? why are some teams missing? like the #4, #11, #24 or others? those teams do not report what chassis in the race previews or prs.
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and the #1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevy will be bringing chassis #1118 to Talladega for this weekend's Good Sam Club 500. This is a brand new chassis that has never been used before.
#2-Brad Keselowski: and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-639 during Sunday's Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Brad Keselowski last drove this chassis to a 15th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in July. The featured tag line on the bumper of the "Blue Deuce" this weekend at Talladega will be "In Honor Of Dan," to honor the life and legacy of IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon, who passed away last Sunday.
#5-Mark Martin: crew chief Lance McGrew has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-632 for Sunday's race at Talladega. This is the same chassis Martin has driven in all three of the restrictor-plate events held so far this season, earning two top-10 finishes  eighth, most recently, at Talladega and 10th in the season-opening Daytona 500.
#6-David Ragan: is driving the same chassis that earned him his first Sprint Cup series victory at Daytona in July, RK-691. Beginning this weekend in Talladega and running through the end of the season, UPS My Choice will be featured as the primary design on David Ragan's No. 6 UPS Ford. UPS My Choice is a game-changing new service introduced by UPS in October that dramatically increases the likelihood of a successful package delivery on the first attempt by providing package recipients delivery alerts, specific delivery time frames, reroute options, visibility tools and electronic signature release, all by accessing ups.com through a computer or mobile phone.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 721 for the 500-mile event at Talladega Superspeedway. This Stanley Ford Fusion was run previously this season at Daytona International Speedway in July. Australian Word of the Week: Station = A Big Farm or A Large Area of Grass for Grazing.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-634 debuted during Daytona Speedweeks. It set the 10th fastest time in Daytona 500 qualifying, which slotted it fifth for the Gatorade Duel. In that race, Stewart drove Chassis No. 14-634 to a 12th-place finish, which gave him a 25th-place starting spot for the Daytona 500. It had numerous sessions in the wind tunnel between Daytona and the April 17 race at Talladega, where in its third career start, it finished 17th after starting 30th. It returned to Daytona in July for the Coke Zero 400, where it started 19th and finished 11th. The Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega will mark Chassis No. 14-634's fifth career start and last of the 2011 season.
#16-Greg Biffle: is racing the same car at Talladega, car  689  which was last raced at Daytona in July and finished 18th.
#17-Matt Kenseth: will run primary chassis RK-779 which last run at Daytona. This weekend at Talladega, Kenseth will pilot the #17 Jeremiah Weed Ford Fusion.
#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 321 is a brand new chassis that will make its debut in Sunday's Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway running the orange Halloween M&M's colors.
UPDATE #18: Backup Chassis No. 321 will make its first start in Sunday's Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Prior to the laps turned late in Friday's final practice session, this car had not been on-track previously.
#22-Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led Penske Racing "Double-Deuce" team will be racing their "PRS-640" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend in the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. This was the car that Busch debuted with an impressive victory in the season-opening Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. Busch started 17th and paired up with Jamie McMurray to win his first Sprint Cup event on a restrictor-plate track. The team also used this car in the spring race at Talladega. Busch started eighth and was running sixth with two laps to go, but lost his drafting mate and fell to 18th at the finish. The "PRS-641" chassis will serve as the backup Dodge Charger for this weekend.
#27-Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 335 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new #27 Serta/Menards Chevy Impala that will turn its first laps during opening practice on Friday at Talladega.
#29-Kevin Harvick: and Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches Chevy team will race chassis No. 377 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. It is a brand new racer that will see its first on-track activity this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
#31-Jeff Burton will pilot chassis No. 337 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend's Good Sam Club 500. Built new for the 2011 season, this #31 Caterpillar Chevy tested at Daytona International Speedway in January but will be put through its first competitive laps this weekend at Talladega. Thompson Tractor Company and Puckett Machinery will be featured on the deck lid of the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet for Talladega Superspeedway's weekend event.
#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 338 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #33 Chevy 100 Years Chevy was originally a #27 racer that has been driven three times this season by RCR teammate Paul Menard in the Daytona 500 (started-19th, finished-ninth), at Talladega Superspeedway in April (started-fifth, finished-12th) and at Daytona International Speedway in July (started-10th, finished-eighth).
#35-Geoff Bodine: will pilot the No. 19 chassis this weekend. Bodine competed at Daytona International Speedway in the Coke Zero 400 in this chassis. He started 35th and looked to have a solid day before the wheel barring broke, relegating the team to a 38th-place finish. TBR also ran the No. 19 chassis with Steve Park at Talladega Superspeedway this season. Park started 33rd before and electrical issue ended his day early.
#36-Dave Blaney will pilot the No. 27 chassis this weekend at Talladega. He most recently piloted the chassis at Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero 400, as well as the Daytona 500. Most notably, he drove the chassis at Talladega Superspeedway in April where he led 21 laps before a late-race spin spoiled a solid run.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: crew chief Jim Pohlman and the #42 Energizer team have decided to bring chassis #1117 to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. This brand new chassis will see its first race action of the year in the Good Sam Club 500.
#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 722 for this weekend's event at Talladega Superspeedway. This Best Buy Ford has been run previously this season at Daytona and Talladega's first event of the season.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: will drive chassis No. 628 in Sunday's restrictor-plate race. He won the April race at Talladega Superspeedway in that chassis. Johnson finished fourth in backup chassis No. 618 in February's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-629. Earnhardt has raced this chassis three times this year -- the Gatorade Duel 150, the April event at Talladega and the July race at Daytona International Speedway.
#99-Carl Edwards the #99 Subway team will be unloading chassis RK-677 this weekend at Talladega. This car raced in the Budweiser Shootout in February, Talladega in April and Daytona in July.
(from team PR's/sites if reported)(10-21-2011)

Tire:
Goodyear Eagle Superspeedway Radials (Sprint Cup);
Goodyear Wrangler Superspeedway Radials (Camping World Truck)

Number of Tires:
Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 850, Right-side -- 925;
Camping World Truck: Left-side -- 350, Right-side -- 350

Set limits:
Sprint Cup: 4 sets for practice/qualifying, 6 sets for race;
Camping World Truck: 4 sets for the weekend

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4138; Right-side -- D-4412

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.9 in.; Right-side -- 88.4 in.

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
Right Front -- 55 psi; Right Rear -- 50 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 27 psi; Left Rear -- 27 psi;
Right Front -- 50 psi; Right Rear -- 50 psi

Notes: Teams in both NASCAR series in action at Talladega this weekend will run the same tire codes, though the Sprint Cup tires will be branded "Goodyear Eagle," while the Camping World Truck tires will be branded "Goodyear Wrangler" . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that Sprint Cup teams ran at Talladega this past April . . . Cup and Truck teams have also run this same tire set-up at Daytona this season . . . NASCAR teams have run this left-side tire code (D-4138) at Talladega since 2009 . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Talladega . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.