Talladega has long been known as part of ‘Earnhardt Country, and this will be the next-to-last Cup Series race Dale Earnhardt Jr. will run there before his retirement at the end of the season. Dale Jr. is a 6-time Talladega winner, which is tied with former teammate Jeff Gordon for 2nd all-time. A win, and he’ll join his father, a 10-time Talladega winner, as the only drivers with 7 or more wins at the track. NASCAR began using restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega in 1988 to limit the speeds of the car at the track, producing a different style of racing with the cars tightly packed and the engine power limited. Earnhardt Jr., has won 10 of those races, putting him 1 behind his father for the 2nd-most all-time and 2 behind Gordon for the series record. There are 3 plate races remaining this season. Exciting finishes are the norm at Talladega. 12 of the last 23 races at the track were decided by a last lap pass. While Dale Earnhardt Jr. is looking to win his 7th Talladega race, Brad Keselowski is looking for his 5th. He’d be the 5th driver to win at least 5 Cup Series races at Talladega, a track that has been hosting Cup Series races since 1969. His 4 wins have come in 16 career starts, giving him a better winning percentage at the track than all-time wins leader Dale Earnhardt, and the best mark among drivers with at least 10 starts at the track.(ESPN Stats)[More]
