NASCAR at Talladega 2015: Start Time, Lineup, TV Schedule and More – Bleacher Report

A single victory will almost certainly be enough to put a driver in NASCAR‘s Chase for the Sprint Cup field, and with Talladega Superspeedway acting as a true wild card, an unexpected title contender could emerge Sunday.

Talladega is a tough track to tame, and while there are certain drivers who excel at it more often than not, things can change quickly when multi-car crashes strike. Perhaps no venue in NASCAR produces more big wrecks than Talladega, and while that can be entertaining for the viewers, it ruin positioning in the standings as well.

A large portion of the field has a chance to win the Geico 500 due to the unpredictability of Talladega, and that should make for an extremely entertaining race. Here is all the information needed to enjoy this weekend’s Sprint Cup event, along with further analysis regarding some of the top candidates to enter victory lane.

Where: Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama

When: Sunday, May 3 at 1 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox

Geico 500 Entries

Drivers to Watch

Brad Keselowski

With a win already under his belt and a comfortable fifth-place position in the standings, Brad Keselowski enters Talladega without much pressure on his shoulders. That, coupled with his penchant for success at the track, may very well make him the odds-on favorite to win Sunday.

Only Clint Bowyer boasts a better average at Talladega than Keselowski among drivers with at least 12 career starts. The former Sprint Cup champion has already won there on three occasions, and he has seven top-12 finishes in his 12 appearances.

While Keselowski has won plenty of races over the years, Talladega likely holds a special place in his heart since it was the site of his first on the Sprint Cup circuit, according to NASCAR Stats:

Brad Keselowski won his 1st career race in spring 2009 at Talladega competing for Phoenix Racing. He led just one lap on the way to victory.

— NASCAR Stats (@NASCARStats) April 30, 2015

In addition to that, the 31-year-old star has some added motivation to take the checkered flag Sunday as he is driving for an excellent cause, per Jay Pennell of FoxSports.com:

This is a tremendous opportunity to bring national attention to the Careers For Veterans program and it wouldn’t be possible without the cooperation of our longtime partner MillerCoors. There have been some big moments for me at Talladega and hopefully we can add a few more this weekend.

Keselowski is among the most aggressive drivers in NASCAR, and while that can be a detriment at times when it comes to a track like Talladega, he won’t hesitate to go for it if he can find an opening.

The Geico 500 could be an all-or-nothing race for Keselowski, but based on how good he has traditionally been at Talladega, the smart money is on “all.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s track record of success at Talladega Superspeedway is impeccable, although it has been quite some time since he has been truly dominant there.

Earnhardt has five career wins, including four in a row from 2001 through 2003, at Talladega. He hasn’t won there since 2004, which means he has yet to take the No. 88 car to victory lane at one of his best tracks. The hugely popular veteran is still searching for his first win of the season as well, so there is undoubtedly a lot riding on the Geico 500 for him.

Even though Junior is in the midst of a Talladega drought, he knows what it takes in order to have success and ultimately win races at the Alabama-based track, according to NASCAR Wire Service (h/t Click2Houston.com):

The guy that’s leading the race really is the guy controlling everything. He can block and he can do whatever he needs to do as far as getting in front of the line that’s coming to be able to get the push to maintain his speed. He can do so much more than everyone else in the field. And that’s just the best place to be.

While he doesn’t always maintain the lead, Earnhardt certainly has a long history of getting to the front at Talladega, per NASCAR Stats:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has led at least one lap in 27 of his 30 Talladega starts.

— NASCAR Stats (@NASCARStats) April 30, 2015

Earnhardt struggled at Talladega last year, but he registered a second-place finish there in 2013 and has to be feeling desperate to conquer a track that he essentially owned for a three-year period.

Junior has the mentality and knowledge needed to win the Geico 500, and if he has a fast car to match, then he may very well do just that.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Talladega is a great track for dark horses to emerge and vie for victories. David Ragan’s win there in 2013 is the latest example, but perhaps someone like Ricky Stenhouse Jr. can change that by winning the 2015 spring race.

Stenhouse is a supremely talented driver with two Xfinity Series titles to his credit, but he is still searching for his first career win on the Sprint Cup circuit. If it is going to happen for the 27-year-old this year, the Talladega may be the perfect place to do it.

With two top-10 finishes in three Sprint Cup starts at Talladega, Stenhouse has seemingly figured out how to avoid the big one and run near the front of the pack. The next step in his development is going for a win rather than settling for only a solid finish.

It appears as though the driver of the No. 17 machine may have the car needed to do precisely that as he dominated the first practice session, according to Rotoworld NASCAR:

Stenhouse fastest in Talladega practice 1 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing-17 http://t.co/l711EJxrv1 #FantasyNASCAR

— Rotoworld NASCAR (@Rotoworld_Auto) May 1, 2015

A practice is a far different animal than a race, but Stenhouse seems to be on the verge of something special. If he can put it all together, then the Geico 500 could represent his coming out party.

Any number of drivers could break through with their first career victory Sunday, but perhaps none of them stand a better chance than Stenhouse.

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