After three compelling short-track races in the last four weeks, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to the longest oval on the circuit, the mammoth 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway, site of Sunday’s GEICO 500.
Talladega is one of two restrictor-plate tracks on the NASCAR circuit — Daytona International Speedway is the other — and believe it or not, some of the sport’s best drivers have never won at either track.
Here are the four best active drivers who are winless on restrictor-plate tracks.
4. MARTIN TRUEX — The New Jersey native came within 0.010 seconds of winning the Daytona 500 this year. His runner-up finish to Denny Hamlin marked just the third time in 44 plate races that he’s cracked the top five.
3. KASEY KAHNE — For a driver who’s so good on fast 1.5-mile tracks, Kahne’s lack of success on plate tracks is puzzling. He’s finished in the top five only five times in 49 starts at Talladega and Daytona.
2. KURT BUSCH — In 2008, Busch pushed then-teammate Ryan Newman to victory in the Daytona 500, but he’s not been able to win on a plate track. Still, he has a respectable 18 top fives in 60 plate races.
1. CARL EDWARDS — He’s won in each of the last two weekends at short tracks, but on plate tracks, Edwards is 0-for-46, with just eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. In those 46 races, Edwards has led only 52 laps in total. The current Sprint Cup points leader could have his hands full on Sunday.
