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Edwards Leads Chasers Into Wild Card Weekend

The second half of the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup begins Sunday on the 33 degree banked turns at Talladega Speedway. Clearly the “wild card” in the Chase schedule, the results of race this weekend will be sure to shuffle the Chase standings once again.

After five races, Carl Edwards is the point leader by five over Richard Childress Racing pilot Kevin Harvick and by seven over Roush Fenway Racing teammate Matt Kenseth. Kenseth’s win at Charlotte Motor Speedway allowed him to pick up only five points on Edwards.

On the other end of the spectrum, Jimmie Johnson’s crash with seventeen laps to go in the Bank of America 500 while running eighth through a big wrench into his championship plans. Johnson entered the event only four points behind Edwards and left the track with a thirty-five point deficit.

Two car drafting will still be the norm for racing this weekend at Talladega. Last April, the teaming up of Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr beat out the two car tandem of Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick. A change to the rules regarding the size of the restrictor plate and the reduction of the pressure allowed by the cooling system should change the look of the race. The changes are designed to increase horsepower and reduce the amount of time cars can stay lined nose to tail without the pushing car overheating. The effect of cars switching the positions from pusher to pushed while other tandems are flying up through the field will ratchet up the intensity of an already nerve-wracking event.

Watch the Fords, whose engine seems to be able to run cooler, come to and stay at the front. Also, teammates will once again be important as drivers that are at or near the top of the Chase standings will be looking for their teammates that are at the bottom or out of the Chase to push them to the checkers. Johnson will again be pushed by Junior as Edwards pushed by Biffle and the Harvick/Bowyer tandem battle for the win on the final lap. Of course “the big one” or even a minor wreck can mess up the best laid plans. What will be interesting is to see if Brad Keselowski or Kurt Busch will be the pusher with the Penske teammates only two points apart in the standings.

Sprint Cup Series Standings After Race 5 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
1 . Carl Edwards 2203
2. Kevin Harvick 2198
3. Matt Kenseth 2196
4. Kyle Busch 2185
5. Tony Stewart 2179
6. Brad Keselowski 2178
7. Kurt Busch 2176
8. Jimmie Johnson 2168
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2143
10. Ryan Newman 2142
11. Jeff Gordon 2137
12. Denny Hamlin 2117

NASCAR to honor Dan Wheldon
NASCAR will provide teams with a B-post decal in honor of Dan Wheldon for all the cars and trucks this weekend in Talladega.


The Lionheart Knight image is one that was included on the back of every one of Wheldon’s helmets. NASCAR also is producing helmet decals for any of the drivers who would like to run a version of the decal on their helmets. The decals will be delivered trackside on Friday.

Additionally, some of the drivers also have their own personal plans to recognize Wheldon this weekend.

There will be a moment of silence in Wheldon’s honor prior to the invocations on Saturday and Sunday.

TRG to run #77 in memory of Dan Wheldon
T.J. Bell will attempt to qualify a second TRG Motorsports entry, No. 77, into the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

“It’s with mixed emotions that we’re honoring Dan Wheldon on our No. 77 car this weekend. His loss is tragic, but I am more than honored to celebrate his life on my car this weekend” said Bell.

Wheldon was driving a car numbered 77 when last weekend’s tragedy occurred. His name will adorn the namerail of Bell’s entry.

Andy Lally, driver of the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Ford Fusion, further commented saying, “I’ve known Dan since 1998 and met him the first week he moved to the United States. We were competing in the same series back then and I knew he was a winner back in England. He proved the same thing here right away and it was obvious he had a great career ahead of him. He was a huge talent and a good person. I will be one of many people paying tribute to him this weekend. I’ll miss him and keep both Dan and his family in my thoughts.”

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