Nascar Race Today

NASCAR considering qualifying format overhaul

A major change could be forthcoming in how NASCAR sets the starting lineup in its top three national series.

Qualifying in NASCAR can often be a monotonous affair with 40-plus drivers each taking single-car runs around the track. But that soon could be changing for the 2014 season.

NASCAR officials met with drivers from all three national series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Trucks) Thursday and one of the items discussed was an overhaul of the current qualifying format, according to nascarracetoday.blogspot.com.

The change in qualifying procedure would see the implementation of group qualifying on all oval tracks with the exception of Daytona and Talladega -- the two restrictor-plate tracks. Group qualifying, which is already used on road courses, would divide drivers into groups, then release them onto the track for a predetermined amount of time. A driver can complete as many laps as he or she wishes in the allotted time, with a driver's best time being used to set the starting lineup.

At Daytona and Talladega, a modified version of group qualifying would be employed, where all cars would be allowed on the track at once with drivers having a 60-minute drafting session to set the field.

"It's not written in stone at this point in time," NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp told nascarracetoday.blogspot.com. "We just talked about some ideas that would make things more interesting. Today was an opportunity for us to talk to the drivers about ideas, and I'm sure other ideas will come up over the next few weeks."

* Complete coverage of the 2013 Sprint Cup Chase

* NASCAR Power Rankings: Jimmie Johnson tightens grip

* RPM fires crew chief after failed drug test

* Jamie McMurray wins at Talladega

* The good times, hard life and shocking death of Dick Trickle

The overarching theme of the 2013 Sprint Cup season: It's weird. Perhaps the weirdest in recent memory.

Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway concluded with 10 laps of single-file racing on a track whose furious history has been the antithesis of such tame processions.

This could be taken out of context as an anomaly in Alabama.

Or it could be viewed in context as affirmation in what has emerged as the overarching theme of the 2013 NASCAR season.

It's weird.

The weirdest in recent memory?

Yes, even by the Barnum & Bailey standards that auto racing's most compelling soap opera on wheels barnstorms around the country amidst quasi-controversies that enjoy a typical half-life of five days.

From the year's first major revelation - that Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would race for rookie of the year while romantically intertwined - there's nothing that has seemed typical about the incessantly strange sagas dominating the headlines in 2013.

Unlike the history of a sport built on the vitriol of cantankerous feuds and the feel-good vibes of impassioned victories, it's been a theater of the bizarre that largely has unfolded without the hallmarks of the drama that has driven NASCAR for decades.

There was Denny Hamlin announcing he wouldn't appeal a fine for innocuous comments about the Gen 6 car but also wouldn't pay it.

Safety workers attend to Denny Hamlin after he crashed on the final lap of the Auto Club 400 in Fontana, Calif. Hamlin fractured his back and missed the next four races.(Photo: Jeff Gross, Getty Images)

There have been draconian penalties issued to powerhouse teams (Penske Racing at Texas Motor Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing at Kansas Speedway) that largely were overruled in an appeals process that captivated NASCAR for a few weeks in the gripping courtroom furor of high-profile trials.

There has been tragedy (the death of veteran Jason Leffler) and misfortune (Tony Stewart's season-ending broken leg) from crashes in external sprint car series that have triggered shock waves within NASCAR.

There have been repeated incidents of fans in precarious positions, whether it was more than two dozen hurt by debris from a Nationwide Series wreck at Daytona International Speedway; a camera cable snapping during the Coca-Cola 600 and injuring 10 at Charlotte Motor Speedway; or an infield death from a self-inflicted gunshot after an NRA-sponsored race at Texas Motor Speedway.

There have been drivers being reprimanded for racial slurs and insensitivity (while another, Travis Kvapil, continued to race despite facing domestic abuse charges) and crew members arrested for their involvement in a post-race fight.

And in the year's biggest story, there was a team orders scandal at Richmond International Raceway that resulted in an unprecedented 13th driver added to the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the departure of a bedrock sponsor in NAPA and the impending contraction of Michael Waltrip Racing to two cars.

All of these bizarre episodes have been juxtaposed with a championship race that has unfolded in a perfunctory and predictable manner.

After six races, the top three drivers in the points standings - Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenesth and Kyle Busch - are the same trio of consensus favorites entering the Chase. The 10-race title run has seemed overshadowed - first by Richmond and now by consecutive winners from outside the Chase for the first time in seven years.

When has NASCAR seemed most like itself this season? On the last visit to Martinsville Speedway, where the Sprint Cup circuit again will head this weekend.

For on-track drama, the apex was in April. All the chatter heading into the race at the 0.526-mile oval revolved around whether Joey Logano would face repercussions from a wild finish at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.., that left Hamlin with a broken back and Stewart with a boiling temper.

A return trip could be the cure for a season that has seemed so awry. Sunday could bring 500 laps of fender-banging and flared tempers that is quintessential stock-car racing.

Imagine a caution-free race at the series' shortest track and tightest confines.

That would be weird.

Or as it's known in NASCAR this year: normal.

NASCAR has placed Richard Petty Motorsports development driver Corey LaJoie on indefinite probation and will require him to undergo sensitivity training for an insensitive tweet.

The 22-year-old LaJoie, the son of former Busch Series (now Nationwide Series) champion Randy LaJoie, competes part time in the NASCAR K&N East Series as well as in ARCA. He is expected to run Nationwide races next year for RPM.

MORE: Petty: Parrott had to be fired | Justifying Danica's ride | No. 43 switched to No. 41

NASCAR did not release Wednesday what LaJoie was penalized for, but LaJoie received some backlash for this tweet Oct. 15:

"Is it stereotyping to ask TSA to cavity search the gentleman with a turban and a gray beard? I didn't think so either"

The tweet was deleted from LaJoie's timeline. The tweet elicited a handful on responses on Twitter telling LaJoie that it was a stereotypical statement.

NASCAR's code of conduct rule states that no NASCAR member shall make a public statement "that criticizes, ridicules, or otherwise disparages another person based upon that person's race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age or handicapping condition."

"Corey LaJoie recently issued an insensitive and intolerable communication that has no place in our sport," said George Silbermann, NASCAR's vice president for regional and touring series. "Each of NASCAR's 2013 series-specific rule books includes our code of conduct that unequivocally states our stance specific to the use of demeaning language. We expect our entire industry to adhere to that code."

LaJoie issued a statement Wednesday apologizing for the tweet.

"I am very sorry for those offended by my recent remark," LaJoie said. "It was an immature and insensitive comment. I'm upset with myself and how this has affected what has been a very positive year in my career."

The penalty continues a rough seven days for RPM, which released Todd Parrott after he failed a NASCAR drug test and was put on indefinite suspension by the sanctioning body.

Houston had a wish list for the summer: ride his go-kart, fish, camp, go rock climbing, play video games. Pretty typical stuff for an 8-year-old boy.

Kurt Busch helped make all those happen with his girlfriend, Houston's mother, Patricia Driscoll.

But there was one desire that was Busch's alone to fulfill, and standing along pit road of Richmond International Raceway in September, he realized he had come up short on the last weekend of summer. At first upset, he reconsidered the possibilities, and he looked forward with hope, much as he has done in reconstructing both his personal and professional life the past three years.

"The moment when I saw him, I got emotional because he wanted to go to Victory Lane this summer," Busch told ESPN.com last month at Chicagoland Speedway. "That's not on every 8-year-old's to-do list. And I didn't get him there.

"But then that moment it dawned on me. 'We're going into the Chase. We're going up on stage, you need to get your firesuit on and be part of this Chase field up on stage.' It just hit me hard. I completed that list for him, to do that special moment."

Hustling with his mother back to Motor Racing Outreach, where he watches the races he attends, Houston fetched his green and black firesuit and with prompting from Busch and garage buddies like Chase qualifier Clint Bowyer, he was soon on stage and beaming.

Busch has four more opportunities to get Houston to Victory Lane this season, but presumably greater opportunity next season when he leaves the one-car Furniture Row team and joins Stewart-Haas Racing.

Clearly, they want to get there together, the 2004 series champion once tormented by troubles self-inflicted and otherwise, and the little kid who has not only seen but been a part of the evolution.

Kurt Busch was 33, professionally in tumult and embarking on a very public de-evolution of a seven-year run at Penske Racing when he met Houston, then 6, in 2011. Busch's relationship with Houston's mother, Armed Forces Foundation executive director Patricia Driscoll -- whom he had begun dating earlier that year -- had evolved to the point where an introduction to her son seemed the next step. They mutually agreed to arrange the meeting on a race weekend, hopeful to defuse the often-awkward ritual stumbled through by parents and children and suitors every day.

Busch was nervous. He presented Houston with a die-cast replica of his race car. Houston was not nervous. And the kid began disarming Busch quickly. Almost immediately there were practical jokes and goofs and gags and something about a toy snake that makes Houston laugh so hard the story is unintelligible when he tries to tell it.

"They just instantly got along and liked each other. I don't know. Maybe they're just on the same level," Patricia Driscoll joked. "Houston was telling him about how we were going camping and Kurt said he likes to go camping and Houston said, 'Well, we don't go camping in a motor home, we go tent camping. We're hard-core.' At 6. He wanted Kurt to know he sleeps on the ground, that he doesn't need a bed roll and he's tough. They just got along from the beginning, playing with Nerf guns, and they've always just had fun."

Houston calls Busch "fun." He also calls him "stepdad."

"It was very emotional for me to watch those two because Houston has been there to see the struggles, and you can imagine for a little kid, the little guys don't understand the controversy and what people are saying and stuff," Driscoll said. "Houston is now where he can read some of these things and knows when people are being mean and saying hateful things, so I think for him to see stuff turn around for Kurt has been huge. When they come out for driver intros together, to get more cheers than boos, it's been a big process."

Houston, who splits his time between his father's home in Maryland and with his mother and Busch, who also live in the state in Ellicott City, has become a favorite among drivers, although he has assumed the role of unofficial vulgarity monitor, doling out $1 fines for each infraction. He's even busted Tony Stewart -- "Uncle Smoke," as he calls him -- Busch's teammate and car owner beginning next season. Houston has a way of keeping everyone on their best behavior, most notably Busch, who says he has come to understand the responsibility of a role model.

"When Houston is around, Kurt is even more cognizant of his behavior, of 'I don't want him to see me angry or upset because I don't want him to be upset,'" Driscoll said. "He knows that Houston gets concerned. I think he tries even more as a person and it's something that's turned him around. Kids' eyes and ears are open all the time."

"I've had to be on my game right away because a 6-year-old is going to say things to you and be able to remember things that will stick forever," Busch said.

Houston actually reversed those roles the week after Busch finished fourth at Atlanta to take over 10th place in the driver standings and was about to be announced as the fourth member of Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.

"Life through a kid's eyes is pretty accurate," Busch said. "He was pretty congratulatory to me and he patted me on the back to say, 'You've come full circle' with everything I've been through. We were trying to pick out a car number on Tony Stewart and Gene Haas' team for next year and he said, 'Put 360 on there.' The eyes of an 8-year-old see things very uniquely."

Houston drew the design himself "@KurtBusch: Check out our pumpkin pic.twitter.com/2268nGAsTx"

Busch clearly cares about how Houston thinks of him, but his concern goes well beyond his trusted circle, Driscoll said. A driver who has struggled to craft a public persona amid success and turmoil, at times appearing defensive and stilted, at other times accessible but contrived, Busch keeps track of how he is perceived even beyond the instant feedback of driver introductions.

"He's actually a very caring person and he does a lot for other people, so it's very difficult for him when he thinks people hate him," Driscoll said. "He's thinking, 'What did I ever do to you for you to hate me?' So it does bother him.

"Kurt will read everything. I wish I could disable the Google function off of his phone. He wants to know what is going on all the time. He doesn't want to be blindsided."

Much of this generation of drivers who entered the Sprint Cup Series in their 20s have become 30-something family men in the ensuing decade. Busch was late among them, and by an alternate route, but has joined Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick in fatherly bliss, though he admits, "I drafted right by everybody" to the fun stuff. Changes have been evident in many of his peers, and himself, he said.

"There's the responsibility of being a father figure and it's 24/7," Busch said. "You're always trying to encourage things to do things better or do more things to experience life, and at the same time he's watching every one of your moves, whether you like it or not. Children have taught all of us in this Cup series a new element in life. And it's mellowed out a large group of us."

Houston and Busch's bond has grown stronger through the common affinity for karting. For Christmas this year, Busch and his family presented Houston with the yard kart he and his father had worked on and raced when he was a child.

"It's given me more respect for my father," Busch said. "Things you take for granted, now having him around, I know exactly what my dad was doing for me. You want to return the favor and you want to give the guidance to be your best as a father figure."

Houston had a blast in the foam pit. @MonsterEnergy you should see his front flip pic.twitter.com/IuGJsUcIC3

Sunday afternoons after Cup races, or Mondays after school, Busch and Houston are often found in a parking lot, turning laps around some crushed cans as a stopwatch whirs. Years ago it was Thomas Busch overseeing Kurt. Now it's Kurt with the stopwatch.

"Kurt's a good coach," Houston said.

Whether Houston is watching has never been in question, Busch said. But he's undoubtedly listening, too, repeating terminology that "I use and that nobody else would use," Busch said.

"I get excited about bringing a go-kart out on Sunday when we get home after a race early or on a Monday after school," Busch said. "My dad always brought out the go-kart Sunday after the Cup race. We watched the Cup race together and then we'd go work on the go-kart. I say work because he treated the go-kart like a tool, not a toy, and so with Houston we're a little busy on Sunday racing the big show, so on Mondays after school he gets his homework done and we work on it. It's the same sequence."

There is freedom and adventure in those endless loops for the child. There is catharsis in them for the adult, miles put behind him and progress toward something he hadn't been able to find for so many years.

"I needed to go through this," Busch said of taking on his role with Houston. "It's been fulfilling and gratifying to know that ... I was good at certain things but I wasn't complete. And I kept ignoring my weak areas thinking the good side of what I do would carry me through.

"This has taught me how to handle disappointment better and it taught me how to handle certain situations better, when I just ignored it in the past."

Contributor, espnW.com

This is a two part story on the Seahawks' "NASCAR" defense. Part 1 will detail how the Seahawks used it against the Cardinals and the advantages the scheme creates. Part 2 will detail alignment, assignment, the numerous variations of the package that the Seahawks run, and possibilities for the scheme in the second half of the season.

"We came up with NASCAR; we call it our speed package... All of us compete about who's the fastest and who gets to the quarterback the fastest. So NASCAR's just something that felt right." -- Justin Tuck 2011

In 2011 the Giants had what Marlo from The Wire would refer to as, "One of dem good problems."

They had four high-caliber Defensive Ends -- Mathias Kiwanuka, Osi Umeniyora, Justin Tuck, and Jason Pierre-Paul - and had to figure out how to get them all a lot of playing time. One of the solutions they came up with was the NASCAR package.

The NASCAR package consisted of all four of the DEs as the four down linemen to be used on obvious passing downs. By putting their best pass rushers on the field together, the Giants were able to overwhelm teams with speed, notch 48 sacks and win the Super Bowl in 2011. Obviously, the 48 sacks and the Super Bowl victory were not all a result of the NASCAR package, but it was something that the Giants used frequently throughout the season and had great success with.

Here is an example of it from 2010, where the Giants whooped Seahawks at the CLink. This game sucked.

The four down linemen on this play were Kiwanuka, Umeniyora, Pierre-Paul and Dave Tollefson - all DEs. Sadly, Justin Tuck was injured this game so he is not exemplified in this play, but normally he would have been in for Tollesfson. Despite his absence, the Giants were still able to get a sack with Umeniyora getting an incredible jump on Russell Okung and beating him for the sack. Even if Umeniyora didn't get a perfect jump, the stunt on the other side with Kiwanuka and Pierre-Paul would have probably resulted in sack for Pierre-Paul, who was coming unblocked at Tavaris Jackson.

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Fast forward to 2013 and the Seahawks are now the team with, "One of dem good problems."

They have four DEs that are all capable of notching 10+ sacks in a single season - Bruce Irvin, Chris Clemons, Cliff Avril, and Michael Bennett. How do they get their best pass rushers on the field as much as possible? Like the 2011 Giants, the Seahawks now have their own "NASCAR" package.

The Seahawks "NASCAR" package was on full display against the Cardinals last week. Out of this package, they notched two QB sacks, a QB hit that led to an interception, and a few other QB pressures that resulted in failed 3rd down conversions. It was incredibly successful and something that the Seahawks will certainly use repeatedly throughout the year.

The first time the Seahawks used this package against the Cardinals was with 10:22 remaining in the 1st quarter. The Cardinals were facing a 3rd and 14 so the Seahawks sent their four demonic pass rushers to get pressure on Carson Palmer. The Seahawks lined up Clemons and Irvin on the right, Bennett over the Center and Avril on the left.

Notice from their alignment, initially it looks as if Clemons is going to rush the C-gap, Irvin the D-gap, Bennett the A-gap and Avril the C-gap. However, Clemons takes the B-gap, Irvin the C-gap, Bennett the B-Gap and Avril the C-Gap. The Cardinals protection call was designed to double team Irvin and Bennett, which leaves Clemons and Avril left to win one on ones.

Avril won his, pushing the right tackle back into the pocket immediately, which forced Carson to flee and the Seahawks' defense won their first 3rd and long of the day.

Creating one on one opportunities is a MAJOR advantage of this scheme. On obvious passing downs, there are usually only going to be six blockers - 5 OL and 1 RB - to block 4 pass rushers. Only two people can be double teamed so the other two are going to have one-on-one opportunities.

For this scheme to continually be effective, it is going to be up to whoever gets one-on-one opportunities to consistently win their matchup. This scheme essentially forces the opposing offensive line to pick their poison. If they choose to slide to one direction then whoever is rushing from the other side is going to be one-on-one with a whole lot of space to attack the offensive lineman.

This is what happens if an offense decides to slide to one side.

Notice all the space that Clemons had to work with. He was completely isolated on the LT with tons of space to operate, and he's going to win this matchup every time in what's essentially open field. He could have attacked either inside, outside or through the LT to get the sack. He chose to go with an outside bull rush, won is one-on-one, got the sack and the Seahawks won this 3rd down.

Also notice how the Seahawks ran a stunt with Irvin. This ability to run stunts is another HUGE benefit of this package. Not every team can run successful stunts because they don't have the athletes on the D-line. Stunts require a defensive lineman to run a longer distance than they normally would to get to the QB. The benefit however, is if that player can quickly cover that distance, they have a good shot at coming unblocked to the QB. Irvin didn't get to the QB on this play because getting through the opposite b-gap from his wide-9 alignment on the other side is a lot of ground to cover, even for him.

However, if he lines up closer, he has the speed get to that B gap.

Up 24-13 with 4:56 in the 3rd quarter, the Cardinals faced a 3rd and 5. Again, the Seahawks sent out its "NASCAR" package, ran a stunt with Bennett and Irvin, and forced Palmer to throw an interception.

Stunts are essentially pick plays for defensive linemen. They are designed for one of the defensive linemen to occupy multiple blockers so one of the other defensive linemen can be unblocked. They are also used to counter offensive line protections. If an offensive line calls a protection to double team a specific player, then stunts are a schematic way to possibly free that player from being blocked. The key to this all working though is speed and speed is something that the Seahawks "NASCAR" package certainly has.

This speed was best exemplified when Avril chased down Palmer for a sack fumble late in the 3 ^rd quarter. The Seahawks ran a stunt with Irvin and Avril that was initially evaded by Palmer stepping up in the pocket. However, by having to step up in the pocket, Palmer's timing was completely thrown off which forced him to roll to his left in hopes that somebody would be open down field. Nobody was, he decided to throw it away, but Avril was right on him by that point and got the sack/strip. Unfortunately, the ball went out of bounds but this was still an amazing play by Avril.

If Clinton McDonald or Bennett were lined up in Cliff Avril's spot (which is what happens in the Seahawks' normal nickel defense), they never would have been able to strip Palmer on this play. They also may not have even been able to get Palmer "off the spot" initially which may have given Palmer time in the pocket to deliver a pass for a 1st down completion. McDonald and Bennett have both played amazing all year but their lack of speed makes stunts that move them from inside pass rushers to outside pass rushers not their strength.

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In conclusion, speed is what makes the "NASCAR" package so deadly. It creates sack opportunities through overmatched offensive lineman, stunts that create free runners and constant backside pursuit when the play breaks down so that QBs are never safe.

The best part of it all is that this is only a small part of the Seahawks defense - just like the read-option is only a small part of the offense. Despite this, coaches are going to have to spend the always-finite practice hours preparing their team to handle this because it is so effective. This will in turn make the Seahawks' base defensive plays even more effective. The "NASCAR" package is another thing that will give the Seahawks an advantage on the race to a Super Bowl victory. Imagine when they get to use it at home.

NASCAR will mandate baseline concussion testing starting next season, the sanctioning body announced Thursday.

The baseline test will be required prior to the start of the season in order to measure it against another result in case a driver is involved in a crash. The comparison will be one of several factors that doctors use to diagnose and treat concussions.

""NASCAR made this decision because we think it is important to drivers' health for doctors to have the best information and tools available in evaluating injuries," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR vice president of racing operations. "Before announcing this rule, we provided drivers concussion and baseline testing education and created opportunities for them to ask any questions they may have to a top neurosurgeon that specializes in traumatic brain injuries. Also, remember that ImPACT tests are not new to our sport and have been used for treatment through the years."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. sat out for two races last season with a concussion.

By: Al Pearce on October 23, 2013

It's been a tough few days for Richard Petty Motorsports. First, crew chief Todd Parrott was suspended by NASCAR and subsequently fired by RPM for violation of NASCAR's substance abuse policy. Now, Corey LaJoie, the RPM developmental driver in the K&N East Series, has been penalized for violating NASCAR's Code of Conduct.

According to a press release the 22-year-old son of former two-time Nationwide Series champion and former Cup driver Randy LaJoie was cited on Oct. 15 for violating Sections 7-5 (the Code of Conduct) and Section 12-1, the umbrella "actions detrimental to stock car racing" of the 2013 Rule Book." Even though the K&N season ended last weekend, he's been indefinitely suspended and ordered to undergo NASCAR-directed sensitivity training.

The action stems from a Twitter posted by LaJoie that asked: "Is it stereotyping to ask TSA to cavity search the gentleman with a turban and a gray beard? I didn't think so, either." The posting was taken down, but not before the damage was done.

"Corey LaJoie recently issued an insensitive and intolerable communication that has no place in our sport," said George Silbermann, the NASCAR vice president of regional and touring series. "Each of NASCAR's 2013 series-specific Rule Books includes our Code of Conduct that unequivocally states our stance specific to the use of demeaning language. We expect our entire industry to adhere to that Code."

On Wednesday, he offered the standard apology: "I am very sorry for those offended by my recent remark. It was an immature and insensitive comment. I'm upset with myself and how this has affected what has been a very positive year in my career."

LaJoie finished eighth in K&N East points in 2011 and second in 2012, but ran only a limited schedule this year. He has one pole, five victories, 17 top-five finishes and 20 top-10 finishes in his 35 career K&N starts. He also has raced in NASCAR's Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified tours, and has won three of six ARCA races.

In June of 2010 his father, a 15-time Nationwide Series race winner, was suspended two months for violating NASCAR's substance abuse policy. Randy LaJoie, 49 at the time, took ownership of the violation, admitting to smoking pot with some fans after a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. He was retired, but had a NASCAR license (making him subject to testing) and was a crewman on a Nationwide team at the time. He was reinstated in August.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C.-Crew chief Todd Parrott was fired under Richard Petty Motorsports' zero-tolerance substance-abuse rules-violate NASCAR's policy, and you're automatically dismissed, team co-owner Richard Petty said Tuesday. NASCAR suspended Parrott last Thursday for a violation of the policy, which typically comes from failing a random drug test.

"It was just an automatic-when he did what he did, he done his own thing (to himself)," Petty said Tuesday following an appearance at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. "All we've done is said, 'This is the way it's got to be.' ... It's definitely zero tolerance.

"These guys are putting their life on the line. The guys on pit road are putting their life on the line-100 percent isn't good enough. Anybody that sort of breaks the rule, there's no room in our organization for that."

The 49-year-old Parrott, who has 31 career wins and who guided Dale Jarrett to the 1999 Cup title, had guided Aric Almirola to 18th in the Cup standings this year. Parrott, speaking Tuesday night on Motor Racing Network's "NASCAR Live" hosted by Eli Gold, would not reveal the substance he took and admitted he made a mistake.

"I was in a dark moment, and it happened," Parrott said. "The next morning when I woke up, I just couldn't believe what I'd done and beat myself up pretty bad about it. I had to go face the truth."

On the MRN show, Parrott said he would begin NASCAR's "Road to Recovery" program Wednesday by meeting with a substance-abuse professional who will determine the steps he will need to take to get reinstated by NASCAR, which automatically issues an indefinite suspension for a failed drug test.

"I'm going to get the problem fixed and make sure that something like this never happens again," Parrott said. "I have family that depends on me. ... I love this sport. I want to get back in this sport and work with my friends in the garage area."

Petty said he was shocked that Parrott violated the policy.

"I've never been around him enough to see any changes or any of that kind of stuff," Petty said. "The parts and stuff that I've seen him around the shop and around the racetrack, I didn't see anything going on.

"I'm not an expert on that kind of stuff."

Almirola and Parrott seemed to mesh well, as Almirola had a career-best average finish of 18.4 this season with Parrott atop the pit box, but now Almirola will have to move on knowing that Parrott most likely won't be back with him next year. The team announced Tuesday that Greg Ebert, the team's car chief, would serve as crew chief the rest of the year.

"It's going to be pretty seamless," Almirola said of the transition between crew chiefs. "Greg's been around the car a lot. He's up to speed with a lot of our setup stuff that has evolved throughout the year.

"Besides the engineers, he's the one guy that's the most hands-on with the cars. ... All the guys on the team obviously respect him a lot. He's already in a leadership role."

Petty said he had not talked with Parrott, but Almirola said he had.

"I just reached out to him and told him that I supported him and I just want him to get better and get back on track," Almirola said. "I don't know what else to say to the guy. "I've said it over and over. This isn't a character flaw or anything. He's still a good person, and he's still a good crew chief. But he made a mistake, and he's got to bounce back from it."

Almirola said the team is up to the challenge.

"Our race team is not defined by one person," Almirola said. "There is a lot of great people at our race team. It's going to force everybody to step up for the time being."

When it comes to NASCAR racing, fans can always count on superspeedway tracks to provide exciting racing and spectacular crashes, but adding in some Japanese voiceover commentary is a great way to crank up the intensity a little more. One such commentator gives an entertainingly overzealous play-by-play during a final-lap crash at last weekend's Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega, and while we admittedly have absolutely no idea what he's saying, our heart race increases just by virtue of his intensity.

Approaching the checkered flag, the crash was caused by one truck getting another truck loose, and fortunately, ESPN is reporting that the only major injury that was suffered during the scary crash was Justin Lofton's broken thumb. A video of the crash - and the comical commentating - is posted below.

Our panel of experts weighs in on four of the biggest questions in NASCAR this week:

Ed Hinton, ESPN.com: A C-plus. Actually it wasn't a bad race for the stages when standard practice in a plate race is to log laps. There was quite a bit of shuffling for the lead, and there were 20 official lead changes. But then when it came time to go, nobody went. Jamie McMurray's analysis of the single-file racing late was that not enough cars would venture low to get an inside line working. Double lines make for the scrambles in plate racing, and everyone was too conservative nearing the finish, except for Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who made the only move but made a mistake and caused the race-snuffing caution.

Ryan McGee, ESPN The Magazine: B. The weird stay-in-your-lane finish seems to be all that anyone remembers, but the fact is that those final laps were the exception and not the rule. Prior to that it was your usual post-2000 plate race. There were stretches of single-file, but there were stretches of 200 mph parking lot traffic. It's funny how I always hear complaints that the media is obsessed with the "big one," yet when it didn't happen, a lot of other people sure seemed to be sore about it.

Matt Kenseth lost out on a chance to mix it up in the final laps at Talladega. He also lost the points lead to Jimmie Johnson after finishing 20th on Sunday. Monday Rundown

David Newton, ESPN.com: C-minus. I don't want to promote that big wrecks make good racing, but it's part of the allure at Talladega. With only three cautions, and one of those for fluid on the track, it was a bit too Tame Talladega for me.

Marty Smith, ESPN Insider: C. It'd have been much higher had anyone jumped out of line to try to win the race. Everyone thinks we're disappointed by the lack of the "big one." That couldn't be more wrong. We want to see somebody say, "The hell with it, let's go win the damn thing." But the importance of the Chase and points preservation makes that the riskiest of propositions. Because it would've likely resulted in that wreck.

Hinton: My analogy here is dampened but not ruined by the single-file conservatism late in Sunday's race. Think of the usual chaos during the last few laps of, say, the Daytona 500. Six or eight drivers have a shot, and you'd have to say there's a similar scramble for who is best right now. Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, McMurray, Tony Stewart when healthy, Jeff Gordon -- all of them are good. If I have to pick just one, it's Johnson when his car is right, because he swept both races at Daytona this year, and his July race was the finest masterpiece of plate racing I've seen since Gordon in the 1990s.

McGee: That seems to depend on which way the wind is blowing, doesn't it? It's so streaky. But just by the numbers, I'd take Matt Kenseth right now. He had three straight top-10s at Talladega prior to this past weekend and certainly had a car that could've won had he gotten any help. And, oh by the way, he's also won two of the past five Daytona 500s.

Mark Garrow examines the surprising late-race single-file racing at Talladega with Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch. Plus, Dale Earnhardt Jr. on his final-lap strategy.

Newton: He doesn't have a victory lately, but I'm going with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Since 2010, he has three second-place finishes at Daytona and five top-10s. He was second again in Sunday's race at Talladega and has three top-10s there since 2010. Outside of him, I'd go with Jimmie Johnson. He's usually feast or famine, but he has three plate wins since 2011. Nobody has more.

Smith: Impossible question. Luck plays too much into it. McMurray said that very thing to me Sunday evening. Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, McMurray, Jeff Gordon, even Michael Waltrip. The list is extensive. It's a unique skill and so many have the knack for it. They're all awesome. If I were to pick one, I guess I'd have to pick Harvick. But whoever it is dances well with Lady Luck.

Hinton: Denny Hamlin might, but he was running experimental equipment at Talladega, so a lot depends on whether Toyota has him running short-track R&D stuff at Martinsville. Jeff Gordon has the expertise to challenge JJ some, and is still capable of being right there at the end. So I think a couple of drivers might have something for JJ, but that doesn't mean I think anyone will beat Superman on Sunday.

McGee: No. I look at his Martinsville numbers and what I see are the best stats that anyone has posted at any racetrack in my lifetime. He had a DNF there in his first start a decade ago. Since then, he's finished outside the top 10 only twice in 22 starts and never lower than 12th! And his laps-led column of the stat sheet looks like one big typo. This is why everyone had to make their move at Talladega, or sometime before now. Allowing him to take the points lead, even a small one, heading into Martinsville is a bad deal if you're trying to win a title.

Uh-oh. Jimmie Johnson has the points lead heading to Chase race No. 7 at Martinsville. That's bad news for any championship contender not named Jimmie Johnson. Rankings

Newton: Yes. His teammate Jeff Gordon. He has seven Martinsville wins and an average finish of 7.0 at the paper-clip-shaped track. In the past 21 races there, he has been outside the top six four times. He was third there in the spring. Don't hand the grandfather clock trophy to JJ yet.

Smith: No. I expect he'll win -- especially with Denny Hamlin relegated to an R&D car at this point of the 2013 season. I expect Clint Bowyer to make some noise too, though.

Hinton: These guys don't get "concerned" looking at the standings. They just don't worry about anyone else moving up in the points. They think about what they and their own teams can do or not do. Mathematically, yes, Kyle still has a shot, but I doubt either Johnson or Kenseth will lose a wink of sleep over him until and unless he pops a win or two. Kevin Harvick is right there, too, tied with Kyle, 26 points behind Johnson. But I don't think the two leaders will look in their mirrors at the points until Phoenix is over and everyone heads for Homestead-Miami.

McGee: Not really. They can't ignore him, but their approach shouldn't change because of him. Eyes through the windshield, not the rearview. If they keep doing what they've been doing, it won't matter what he does. But I do think we can finally shed the "Chase Choker" label.

Newton: Concerned? Maybe. But they have enough of a cushion and are strong enough at the remaining tracks that Busch would have to win three of the final four to make this close. He won't.

Smith: I think it's 20 versus 48 for the trophy and the paycheck, personally. But the stats suggest Busch will be in contention.

NASCAR '14 will be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in early 2014, new publisher Deep Silver announced today. Activision published the most recent entry in the series, NASCAR The Game: Inside Line, which was released in November 2012

NASCAR '14 is in development at longtime series developer Eutechnyx, which most recently put out the critically panned Ride to Hell: Retribution. NASCAR '14 will be sold for $50 at launch.

Deep Silver COO Geoff Mulligan said (via Examiner) the company is "thrilled" to have acquired the rights to publish NASCAR '14. He also suggested that more titles may be in the works, saying Deep Silver "looks forward to cultivating a long-term relationship with both the fans and the franchise."

The game will feature a new and "comprehensive" career mode where players can build custom cars, acquire sponsors, and invest in R&D to help their NASCAR team win. A new "NASCAR Highlights" mode will also be included that features real-world race scenarios--including weather and track positions--for players to participate in.

Official NASCAR teams and tracks will also be featured in NASCAR '14, including Daytona, Sonoma, and Talladega. League play and online multiplayer is also supported.

No images or video from NASCAR '14 have been released yet.

Every year, drivers bemoan Talladega Superspeedway. To hear them go on, it seems none of them truly wants to race there -- or at Daytona -- anymore, especially given the single-car conga lines that have become prevalent at both restrictor plate tracks. There is always talk that Talladega should be removed from the Chase schedule. Drivers claim that the race there is too unpredictable, and it has been dubbed the "wild card" of the playoffs. In fact, if NASCAR announced that it planned to drop Talladega from its schedule entirely and to limit Daytona to the season-opening Daytona 500 (for traditional reasons only), probably 90 percent of the drivers would have no complaints.

That would be a major mistake on NASCAR's part because Talladega and Daytona provide something that is desperately needed but scarcely seen on the Cup circuit these days: upsets. One of the problems with the sport in recent years, and perhaps one of the reasons why its popularity has waned, is that Cup racing has become top-heavy and somewhat predictable when it comes to race winners.

Just look at how this season began. The first nine races were won by Jimmie Johnson (who took two), Matt Kenseth (two), Kyle Busch (two), Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, and Kevin Harvick. Nothing but the big boys. Then the series went to Talladega and, surprise, David Ragan popped up and won for only the second time in his seven-season Cup career, driving for underfunded Front Row Motorsports. Afterward, Ragan's team had an emotional celebration in Victory Lane, and numerous other drivers said how happy they were to see him win.

Then boring reality returned, and the next four races were won by Kenseth, Harvick, Tony Stewart, and Johnson.

Races at restrictor plate tracks and, to a lesser extent, the schedule's two road courses, open possibilities for drivers who are outside the field's top dozen or so. That was proved once again this past Sunday as Jamie McMurray won at Talladega, giving both him and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing their first Cup victories in three years. In fact, since 2001, nearly one-fourth of the races (12 of 52) held at Talladega and Daytona have resulted in what could be considered upset wins, including Brad Kezelowski's breakthrough victory at Talladega in 2009, Trevor Bayne's out-of-nowhere win in the 2011 Daytona 500, and even 48-year-old Dale Jarrett's triumph at Talladega in 2005, the final victory of his career.

Meanwhile, true upsets are rare at the other tracks on the schedule. They happen on occasion, such as Regan Smith's winning at Darlington and Paul Menard's kissing the bricks at Indianapolis, both in 2011, but the frequency is far less than it is at restrictor plate tracks, where 23 percent of all races during the past 13 seasons have been upsets.

This is not to suggest that Cup racing needs an upset every other week. But without restrictor plate tracks, they would probably happen only once or twice a year at most, and that lack of unpredictability can become monotonous. Upsets are one of the things that make all sports so exciting. The day before the Talladega race, upsets were pulled off in Southeastern Conference football by Auburn (over Texas A&M), Mississippi (over LSU), Vanderbilt (over Georgia) and Tennessee (over South Carolina). Those games provided a jolt of energy throughout the conference and dominated national sports coverage.

Without the occasional upset, drivers are unable to have that breakthrough moment that propels them into the conversation and enables them to build their own fan base. That has been a major problem for the Cup Series recently. Consider that the past three Rookies of the Year have been Stephen Leicht, Andy Lally and Kevin Conway.

Who? Exactly.

Supposedly they are the three best new drivers of the past three years, and yet none of them has made any sort of significant impact on the series. So, if anything, the Sprint Cup Series needs more moments like those provided by Talladega and Daytona, not fewer. Of course, the possibility of upsets could be why the big name drivers dislike those places so much. They don't want the new dark horses doing something that pushes them from their comfortable perch.

1. Jimmie Johnson (2nd previously) -- For the rest of the season, unless something unexpected occurs, whoever leads the point standings -- Johnson or Matt Kenseth -- will also sit atop the Power Rankings. Johnson deserves it right now, because even with his 13th-place showing at Talladega on Sunday, his average finish since the Chase began is 5.5, the series' best.

2. Matt Kenseth (1st) -- It's bad enough that he finished 20th at Talladega, but it was also the second-worst result among the 13 Chase drivers. (Hard-luck Kasey Kahne finished 36th). Next up is Martinsville, where Johnson has as many career victories as Kenseth has top-10s (eight each).

3. Kyle Busch (4th) -- Busch posted his fifth top-five finish in the six Chase races so far and moved to within striking distance of the points lead. (He is 26 out.) His crash and 34th-place outing at Kansas three weeks ago might end up being the race that keeps him from capturing his first Cup championship.

4. Kevin Harvick (3rd) -- With Johnson and Kenseth both finishing outside the top-10, Harvick missed a chance to pick up some significant ground in the standings. Instead, he finished 12th -- only one spot better than Johnson -- and is tied with Busch at 26 points out of the lead.

5. Jeff Gordon (5th) -- He also might have squandered his last chance to make a move toward the top. He finished one spot behind Johnson, in 14th, and now trails by 34 points. With four races left, that deficit is possible to overcome, but it is extremely unlikely that Gordon will.

6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (unranked) -- He came close to giving his restless fans a much-needed victory, but demonstrated the folly of waiting until the last lap to try to make a pass for the lead. If he had made a move one lap earlier, it might have been Earnhardt in the lead when the caution flag flew on the final lap.

7. Ryan Newman (7th) -- Newman has quietly had a solid Chase, posting four top-10s in the six races. Like Busch, his downfall came at Kansas, where he finished 35th. Had Newman managed another top-10 there, he currently would be sixth in the point standings instead of 11th.

8. Clint Bowyer (9th) -- Another out-of-the-spotlight race for Bowyer, who came in 10th at Talladega. He has finished between ninth and 17th in all six Chase races and has led a total of only nine laps. As a result, nobody seems to be talking about him anymore, which for Bowyer is a good thing right now.

9. Greg Biffle (unranked) -- Speaking of out of the spotlight, Biffle is on the way to yet another good but not great season. He trails Earnhardt by only one point in the standings, but he receives about one hundredth of the attention.

10. Jamie McMurray (unranked) -- Though he's not in the Chase, McMurray cracks the Power Rankings not only because he won at Talladega, but also because he has been one of the better drivers on the circuit since the Chase began. His average finish of 11.83 in the six races ties him with Bowyer for eighth-best.

NASCAR standings 2013: Jimmie Johnson grabs points lead from Matt Kenseth

With four races left in the NASCAR season, Jimmie Johnson has grabbed the championship lead from Matt Kenseth.

A 13th-place finish propelled Jimmie Johnson to the top of the Sprint Cup standings Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

With four races remaining in the season, Johnson holds a four-point advantage over Matt Kenseth, who finished 20th in the Camping World RV Sales 500.

"You know I feel that the races forward now are up to where the competitors go earn it," Johnson said. "You don't have this luck issue that can take place at plate tracks, so I am happy to have the points lead and we went through a lot of work to get there.

"We just go racing from here and that is the thing I am most excited for. Great race tracks, great race cars and it's just going to be a dogfight to the end."

Because of its unpredictable nature and propensity for multi-car wrecks, Talladega often can shake up the championship order. But both Johnson and Kenseth avoided trouble and were able to leave with respectable finishes. This allowed the duo to maintain the gap between themselves and Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, tied for third-place, 26 points behind Johnson. Jeff Gordon sits fifth, 34 points back.

Johnson and Kenseth, however, didn't escape Talladega without adventure.

As the field strung-out in the latter stages and passing became a challenge, Johnson and Kenseth each found track position difficult to come by. And despite multiple attempts by both to make the bottom groove work and advance their position, neither had much success.

"I dropped like a rock for a while and was able to get in the outside lane and start making some spots back and fortunately missed the big pile up on the backstretch," Johnson said."Obviously, was paying attention to where the No. 20 (Kenseth) was. ...Thirteenth isn't the best finish, but with what we are trying to do and win a championship we beat the competition today and that is good."

After opening the Chase for the Sprint Cup with a blown engine at Chicagoland, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s climb up the standings continued at Talladega. As a narrow second-place finish to winner Jamie McMurray jumped Earnhardt three spots to sixth overall.

It was the fourth result of sixth or better for Earnhardt in six Chase races, and his second runner-up finish in the playoffs, though he's still winless on the year.

"I'll tell you, looking at our runs since Chicago, this is the best my cars have been all year," Earnhardt said. "I've had some of the best cars the last five races that I've had all season, and they say they're not doing anything different, but they sure are running really good.

"I think we're right around the corner from winning one of these races, and we're just going to keep trying."

Sprint Cup Series standings (32 of 36 races)

* Complete coverage of the 2013 Sprint Cup Chase

* Will there be another surprise winner at Talladega?

* Talladega is a championship game-changer

* Dale Jr. has fond memories of Talladega

* Kurt Busch's "Talladega Nights" paint scheme

* The good times, hard life and shocking death of Dick Trickle

Jamie McMurray wins after last-lap crash ends Talladega race.

Enter the interloper.

In a race dominated early by Matt Kenseth and later by fellow title contenders Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray got to the front at the right time, led the last 15 laps and grabbed victory in Sunday's Camping World RV Sales 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

McMurray was out front, leading Earnhardt in the sixth Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the season, when a slight tap from Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Ford sent Austin Dillon's Chevrolet spinning into the outside wall on the backstretch.

Impact from Casey Mears' Ford launched Dillon's car into the air and severely damaged both machines.

The resulting third caution of the race froze the running order with McMurray in front for his first victory of the season (and first since 2010), Earnhardt second and Stenhouse a career-best third.

For the second time in as many weeks, a non-Chase driver went to Victory Lane in a Chase race, the first time non-Chasers have won consecutive Chase races since Tony Stewart won back-to-back at Atlanta and Texas in 2006.

That McMurray won at Talladega for the second time in his career, however, should come as no surprise at all. Four of McMurray's seven career wins have come at restrictor-plate tracks.

In the last 20 laps, the field spread out single-file in the top lane, and in fact, McMurray -- with his Cessna-sponsored No. 1 Chevrolet adorned in Auburn University colors -- had surged into the lead from the outside on Lap 174, moving up the track in front of Stenhouse and Earnhardt as the outside line began to move.

"At the plate tracks, to get the right line, it requires a lot of risk, and I felt like I was pretty patient all day, and I saw the 17 (Stenhouse) and the 88 (Earnhardt) coming on the top," McMurray said. "It just seemed the top was the better place to get hung out than if you got hung out on the bottom. Fortunately, I was able to get myself in position.

"I don't know how the last lap would have played out, because I could see the 88 trying to set me up and trying to figure out where he could get a run on me, but then I saw the caution come out behind me. Honestly, I wanted to see it end under green, but at the same time, I said if there was a caution, I would be OK with that right now, too."

Paul Menard came home fourth, followed by Kyle Busch. David Ragan, the winner at Talladega in May, ran sixth. David Gilliland, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer completed the top 10.

Jimmie Johnson finished 13th, despite leading a race-high 47 of 188 laps, but took over the series lead from Matt Kenseth, who fought an ill-handling car during the second half of the race and finished 20th after dodging the last-lap wreck. Johnson leads Kenseth, who led 32 laps, by four points with four races left in the Chase.

The last-lap move Earnhardt was planning never materialized, thanks to the caution for Dillon's wreck. Earnhardt, however, said he didn't want to risk getting shuffled back through the field by making his move too early.

"It's frustrating, because the worst part about it really is (that) you go home and you'll spend months thinking about what you could have done to not be second," Earnhardt said. "That's the worst part about it. Actually, the process of it happening and doing it isn't that bad. You're kind of happy with being competitive, and it was a good result. But you'll go back and think of a million things you could have tried different...

"We have a last-lap wreck every time, and I guess next time we're in that situation, we'll try to go a lap sooner."

1. (9) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 188, $236345.

2. (8) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 188, $180210.

3. (21) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 188, $187596.

4. (34) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 188, $154726.

5. (27) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 188, $162068.

6. (7) David Ragan, Ford, 188, $133618.

7. (24) David Gilliland, Ford, 188, $122293.

8. (4) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 188, $128235.

9. (17) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 188, $128493.

10. (20) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 188, $132793.

11. (6) Greg Biffle, Ford, 188, $106710.

12. (33) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 188, $134071.

13. (11) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 188, $140346.

14. (19) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 188, $131671.

15. (36) Michael McDowell, Ford, 188, $90310.

16. (18) Joey Logano, Ford, 188, $115343.

17. (5) Carl Edwards, Ford, 188, $121660.

18. (30) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 188, $113030.

19. (38) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, 188, $108468.

20. (12) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 188, $122076.

21. (2) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 188, $98460.

22. (1) Aric Almirola, Ford, 188, $122046.

23. (26) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 188, $84735.

24. (35) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 188, $104018.

25. (39) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, 188, $94057.

26. (16) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 187, $127535.

27. (10) Casey Mears, Ford, Accident, 187, $96510.

28. (37) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet, 187, $83360.

29. (13) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 187, $133651.

30. (14) Josh Wise, Ford, 187, $84035.

31. (31) Cole Whitt, Toyota, 187, $79880.

32. (22) Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 187, $87660.

33. (23) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 187, $79510.

34. (29) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 187, $87310.

35. (40) Terry Labonte, Ford, 187, $79135.

36. (28) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 186, $96980.

37. (43) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 183, $78846.

38. (15) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Engine, 142, $93625.

39. (3) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 134, $97039.

40. (25) David Reutimann, Toyota, Engine, 119, $65825.

41. (32) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, Accident, 78, $89039.

42. (42) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, Engine, 60, $57825.

43. (41) Tony Raines, Chevrolet, Engine, 2, $54325.

* Complete coverage of the 2013 Sprint Cup Chase

* Will there be another surprise winner at Talladega?

* Talladega is a championship game-changer

* Dale Jr. has fond memories of Talladega

* Kurt Busch's "Talladega Nights" paint scheme

* The good times, hard life and shocking death of Dick Trickle

A viewer's guide for the NASCAR Camping World RV Sales 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.

NASCAR visits Talladega Superspeedway, a track where chaos and mayhem combine to create one of the wildest races of the season, on Sunday. Here is a look at the storylines and drivers to watch for during Sunday's Camping World RV Sales 500.

Restrictor-plate racing has long been a weakness for Jimmie Johnson, who a year ago finished 42nd, 35th, 36th and 17th, respectively, in the four races at Daytona and Talladega.

Accordingly, Johnson has modified his strategy for plate races. He is no longer content to ride around the back in hopes of avoiding the "big one," then charge in the latter stages with hopes of snagging a respectable finish.

This change in philosophy has proved overwhelmingly successful. Johnson opened the year with a victory in the Daytona 500, followed by an eighth-place finish in the spring Talladega before a win from the pole when the series returned to Daytona for its annual July event.

Locked into a fierce competition with Matt Kenseth for the championship that has him just four points out of the lead with five races to go, Johnson is going to need another strong run Sunday if he wishes to keep pace in the standings.

No track in the chase is more of a wildcard than Talladega, where trouble lurks around every corner and can jumble the point standings like no other. As Kenseth and Johnson have separated themselves from the rest of the Chase field, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch -- the drivers on the fringes of contention -- see Talladega as their opportunity to play catch-up.

Specifically, Harvick, Gordon and Busch need a bit of misfortune to befall Kenseth and Johnson, while at the same time posting solid enough times to close ground.

"I think we recognize where we are in the points and that this could be a turning point for us," Gordon said. "We need to come out of here with a pretty solid finish and make up some of those points that we're behind right now and that this is a track that we can do it at."

When the checkered flag waves Sunday, there will be clear an obvious division between the title contenders and the non-contenders. If Kenseth and/or Johnson can escape Talladega with a top-10, then the championship will be theirs to lose, and if not, it will be a wide-open affair over the next four weeks.

"I certainly realize that we're the point leader and pretty much pretty close to being tied with the 48 (Johnson) and if you have a bad week any week that's going to hurt," Kenseth said. "And your chances of having a bad race here are probably a little bit higher than other tracks because you can get caught up in stuff."

There was a time when Dale Earnhardt Jr. was viewed as "the man" anytime the Cup Series rolled into a restrictor-plate track. Although he has come close -- including a runner-up finish in this year's Daytona 500 -- the fact is Earnhardt has not won a plate race since 2004.

"You've got to make all the right decisions in the draft to put yourself in position to win," Earnhardt said. "And I haven't been doing that to win these races here, but my confidence and my determination has not changed a bit. I think you've got to adapt and I don't think I've adapted as well as I've needed to, to the way this package needs to be ran."

Earnhardt, however, is optimistic and would cherish another victory at the track he considers one of his personal favorites.

"I'm going to stay open minded to that and try to do a good job this weekend of putting the car where it needs to be and making better decisions that put me in position to have a shot at it," he said. "I just want to have a shot at it."

No driver has had more success this season in plate races than Johnson, who owns a pair of wins and an eighth-place finish in three starts. His game plan of running up front could be the difference maker in avoiding the "big one."

He may not have the victories like his championship counterpart, but it's hard to ignore the dominance Kenseth has shown this year at Daytona and Talladega. He led the most laps in the Daytona 500 before an engine failure sidelined him, and he led 142 of 192 laps in the May Talladega race.

A two-time Talladega winner who doesn't hide his enjoyment of restrictor-plate racing is as good a pick as any in a race where just about anyone is a viable contender.

* Complete coverage of the 2013 Sprint Cup Chase

* Will there be another surprise winner at Talladega?

* Talladega is a championship game-changer

* Dale Jr. has fond memories of Talladega

* Kurt Busch's "Talladega Nights" paint scheme

* The good times, hard life and shocking death of Dick Trickle

TALLADEGA, Ala. - Winning the pole at Talladega Superspeedway is good for the crew and the team, a small badge of honor for them but with the knowledge that it doesn't mean a whole lot once the race starts. So Aric Almirola and Jeff Burton will enjoy a little bit of glory until the green flag for the 188-lap race Sunday; they will start from the front row after qualifying was rained out Saturday and the lineup was based on practice speeds.

MORE: Almirola on pole | Talladega upsets | Talladega picks | Schedule

Here is how they'll start as they head into what is expected to be the biggest, wildest wild-card race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup:

1. Aric Almirola, Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford. No longer has Todd Parrott as crew chief as Parrott has been suspended for violating NASCAR's substance-abuse policy. But this race is more about the spotter-driver relationship than the crew chief-driver relationship; the crew chief makes few adjustments and difficult calls during the race.

2. Jeff Burton, Richard Childress Racing No. 31 Chevrolet. Disappointed he hasn't had better results in what is now his final year at RCR. Says 2014 plans are set but still can't talk about them.

3. Marcos Ambrose, Richard Petty Motorsports No. 9 Ford. Needs a good final month to give the organization hope that 2014 will be better for the 9 car.

4. Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip Racing No. 56 Toyota. Appears headed to the No. 78 car as Kurt Busch's replacement. For some reason, we don't see him channeling an inner Ricky Bobby anytime soon.

5. Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing No. 99 Ford. Had the classy move of the week - he gave his Richmond trophy, as well as a Sam Bass painting, to Fox Sports' Steve Byrnes, a veteran NASCAR broadcaster battling health issues.

MORE: Most beloved drivers | Junior at Talladega | Earnhardt Sr.'s 1993 win

6. Greg Biffle, Roush Fenway Racing No. 16 Ford. Sponsor 3M does plenty of activation around this race. Well, it is the maker of Bondo.

7. David Ragan, Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford. Won here in May in the first win ever for Front Row. If he makes it a sweep of Talladega races, that would be even more incredible.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet. Has won five times at Talladega. Too bad the last time was in 2004. If he doesn't win Sunday, that's a full season (36 races) of consecutive restrictor-plate events that he hasn't won.

9. Jamie McMurray, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 1 Chevrolet. Has won restrictor-plate races. Don't count him out. But don't necessarily count on him.

10. Casey Mears, Germain Racing No. 13 Ford. He could be this Talladega's David Ragan.

11. Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet. Actually went out in final practice instead of playing it conservative. That's why this team is so good - they know what they need to do depending on the weekend.

12. Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Chevrolet. Bet if you guaranteed him a 10th-place finish he'd take that and go home Sunday night.

13. Brad Keselowski, Penske Racing No. 2 Ford. Finally got a win in 2013. But he'll forget about that when it goes green Sunday and he's 0-for-the-day.

14. Josh Wise. Front Row Motorsports No. 35 Ford. Was fast enough in practice to know if he's in position at the end, there's no telling how high he could finish.

15. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota. Ran more than 20 laps in the first practice session Friday. That was more than most. It was like he was in a test car. What's up with that? Uh, never mind.

16. Austin Dillon, Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Chevrolet. Thankful to get one more race in a substitute role for Tony Stewart. Regular sub Mark Martin is thankful, too, that Dillon is in the car for Talladega.

17. Ryan Newman, Stewart-Haas Racing No. 39 Chevrolet. Not going to enjoy this marketing exercise where people come to watch him wreck.

18. Joey Logano, Penske Racing No. 22 Ford. Engine let go in May at Talladega, so he'll try again this time around to make it to the finish.

19. Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet. Made $16 million by selling his Central Park condo. Man, if this racing stuff doesn't work out, he and his wife could go into the real estate business.

20. Clint Bowyer, Michael Waltrip Racing No. 15 Toyota. Keeps calling people dips (or something like that) on Twitter. Hopes he's not the dip that causes the big wreck Sunday.

21. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Roush Fenway Racing No. 17 Ford. Glad Charlotte is over so he doesn't have to hear all those lame "are you going to run the better-half dash charity race" jokes.

22. Michael Waltrip, Michael Waltrip Racing No. 55 Toyota. Say what you want about Waltrip, at least he's smart enough to just do this race and find someone else to replace Vickers for the final four races.

23. Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing No. 10 Chevrolet. All smiles thanks to a two-race deal with Aspen Dental for 2014. Hey, when you've had this bad of a season, any reason to smile is a good one.

24. David Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports No. 38 Ford. If there's any justice, he wins this time at Talladega after helping Ragan to the win in May.

25. David Reutimann, BK Racing No. 83 Toyota. His 26th last week was among four 26th-place finishes (his best) in his last 19 races.

26. Trevor Bayne, Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Ford. It's been nine races since Bayne last attempted to qualify. Welcome back. Now all you have to do is repeat the 2011 Daytona 500.

27. Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Chevrolet. This could be the day he gets back into the Chase. Or it could be the day he sees another chance at a title vanish.

28. Kasey Kahne, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet. Repeat after me: Stay away from Kyle Busch, stay away from Kyle Busch, stay away ...

29. Bobby Labonte, JTG Daugherty Racing No. 47 Toyota. Have to wonder if this is the last time there will be two Labontes in a Cup race at Talladega.

30. Kurt Busch, Dennit Racing No. 78 Chevrolet. Oops, make that Furniture Row Racing. But hey, just trying to get another Talladega Nights reference in here to go along with the Wonder bread paint scheme for Busch.

MORE: Could Kurt Busch drive with a cougar in his car?

31. Cole Whitt, Swan Racing No. 30 Toyota. Strong run at Talladega would boost the argument for him to run the car in the 2014 Daytona 500.

32. Juan Pablo Montoya, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet. Reportedly was wanted by MWR as a substitute for Vickers for the rest of the year. But why do that and help the team that's firing you? Exactly why he's in the No. 42 for rest of year. We think.

33. Kevin Harvick, Richard Childress Racing No. 29 Chevrolet. Still more pretender than contender unless he can make significant gains the next two weeks.

34. Paul Menard, Richard Childress Racing No. 27 Chevrolet. Has been 16th or 17th in the standings the last 10 weeks. That's about the story of his career.

35. Justin Allgaier, Phoenix Racing No. 51 Chevrolet. Maybe the only person in the Talladega infield this weekend who might just spend his time inside his motorhome drawing, working on his artwork.

36. Michael McDowell, Phil Parsons Racing No. 98 Ford. Ford engine is the one to have for him to be wanted for help at the end.

37. JJ Yeley, Tommy Baldwin Racing No. 36 Chevrolet. Just like Danica Patrick, best race of the season and only top-10 finish came on a restrictor-plate track at the season-opening Daytona 500.

38. Travis Kvapil, BK Racing No. 93 Toyota. After a week where he was in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, probably enjoying a more low-key weekend.

39. Dave Blaney, Tommy Baldwin Racing No. 7 Chevrolet. Remember the Daytona 500 when if they couldn't get the fire out or the track repaired, he would have won? He would need a similar event like that to happen Sunday.

40. Terry Labonte, FAS Lane Racing No. 32 Ford. Completing his 2013 season of restrictor-plate races. Could there be another one? The allure of racing has its way of drawing people back in again and again.

41. Tony Raines, Mike Hillman Racing No. 40 Chevrolet. He's in the race. But for how long?

42. Joe Nemechek, Nemco-JRR No. 87 Toyota. Could be a valuable drafting partner.

43. Landon Cassill, Circle Sport Racing No. 33 Chevrolet. Best driver at tweeting "big fan, pleeze respond" tweets to people in jest.

CONCORD, N.C. - The cheating scandal at Richmond International Raceway that rocked Nascar more than a month ago continues to be felt in a sport whose credibility has been questioned by fans, the news media and even its drivers.

As the 13-car field for the Sprint Cup playoff enters the second half of the Chase with Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway, the fallout widens. Last week, Michael Waltrip Racing announced it was eliminating 15 percent of its staff, including the No. 56 race team and Martin Truex Jr., a driver at the center of the scandal, who has paid the highest price even though it appears he did nothing wrong.

That development is among the repercussions from Richmond, the race that set the field for the playoff but was manipulated by drivers at Michael Waltrip Racing to try to help Truex qualify for the Chase at the expense of others.

"We aren't finished seeing the ripple effects of what went on at Richmond," said Kyle Petty, a longtime driver and broadcaster.

The affair began with seven laps to go in the Sprint Cup race Sept. 7, when the Michael Waltrip Racing driver Clint Bowyer spun out for no apparent reason. The spin brought out a caution flag that, along with later actions by another teammate, Brian Vickers, ultimately combined to alter the outcomes of the race and the field for the Chase. When it was over, Truex and Joey Logano were in; Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman were out.

Fans who listened to radio conversations between drivers and crew took to social media to criticize the team orders. The uproar clearly registered at the fan and media engagement center in Charlotte, where Nascar tracks social media.

Days later, after two reviews of video and audio recordings of the race, Nascar announced that it had penalized Michael Waltrip Racing through points deductions and a $300,000 fine. Truex, whose actions were not in question, was essentially pulled from the Chase. Nascar then added Newman and later Gordon to the field as an additional, 13th driver.

Officials also felt compelled to instruct drivers to give 100 percent during races.

Nascar's decision has appeased some and angered others. The most common complaint was that Nascar declined to seriously penalize Bowyer, whose spin began the manipulation but who maintains it was not deliberate.

"I think we made the decision that we thought was best for the sport," Nascar's senior vice president for racing operations, Steve O'Donnell, said recently. "With all the facts that were presented in front of us, we made a call that we thought was right. We know not everyone is going to agree with us."

O'Donnell said fan reaction did not influence Nascar's decision. But the role of social media in amplifying the fan and driver reaction - Gordon was among those who took to Twitter to complain - put the onus to react squarely on Nascar.

"I think that was huge," Petty said of the social media outcry. "I do believe a lot of that pressure on Nascar came from people on Facebook and on social media that just would not let the story die."

Fans and drivers were not the only ones angered. NAPA Auto Parts, the sponsor of the No. 56 Toyota driven by Truex, announced that it would pull out of its contract two years early and end its affiliation with Michael Waltrip Racing, a move that will cost the team millions in sponsorship dollars and that led to the contraction from three racecars to two next season and to the layoffs. Truex lost his ride as a result.

"It's been a huge challenge, obviously," said the team owner, Michael Waltrip. "We've experienced losing one of our key founding sponsors of Michael Waltrip Racing, one of the main partners that helped me start my dream of owning a team and competing at the top levels in Nascar, and that alone tells you the significance of the events post-Richmond."

NAPA did not respond to requests for comment but said on its Facebook page last month, "NAPA believes in fair play and does not condone actions such as those that led to the penalties assessed by Nascar."

Waltrip's association with NAPA goes back to at least 2001, when he drove the No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet to victory in the Daytona 500 on the day his team owner, Dale Earnhardt, was killed in a crash on the final lap of the race.

Nascar officials have not given up on NAPA as a partner in the sport. They are talking with company officials about perhaps sponsoring another team.

Beyond the immediate effect are lingering questions about how Nascar will police the sport. Team rules have been a part of racing for years; drivers routinely aid teammates during races. How teams race against one another will now be closely monitored, particularly at tracks like Talladega, where drivers typically work together as a strategy. Every driver spin and every crash will no doubt be scrutinized.

Petty said he thought Nascar fans would forget about this scandal in short order. But there are those who think what happened at Richmond will not be so easily relegated to Nascar's colorful past.

"I think if everybody had it to do over again, I'm sure that they would do things differently," the driver Kevin Harvick said. "But you have to make decisions at the time, and those were the decisions that were made.

"Everybody is trying to move on, and it will definitely be something that is talked about for a long time."

TALLADEGA, Ala. - Aric Almirola won't shy away from admitting that not having crew chief Todd Parrott in the garage the rest of the season will impact his race team.

But of all the places where it will have an impact, Talladega Superspeedway would rank at the bottom of the list among the final five races of the year.

MORE: Lineup breakdown | Talladega upsets | Talladega picks | Standings

Almirola won the pole Saturday for the Camping World RV Sales 500 as rain washed out qualifying for Sunday's race and the field was set by Friday's first practice speeds.

The Richard Petty Motorsports driver posted the top speed at 202 mph in a car that Parrott had spearheaded the preparation for prior to his being suspended Thursday for violations of NASCAR's substance-abuse policy.

"It certainly has had some impact for sure but for all weekends for something like that to happen, Talladega is a pretty easy one," Almirola said after winning the pole.

"You just try to get your car on the ground and try not to let it rub the racetrack too much to kill the speed and you go drive it. ... I think it talks a lot about how well our race team is well-rounded. We have a lot of guys at the shop that do a really good job with our cars and these cars were prepared several weeks ago."

RPM competition director Sammy Johns is serving as interim crew chief this week while Parrott is suspended. Parrott is not expected to return before the end of the season. He must meet with a substance-abuse professional, who will diagnose him and determine what steps he must take to complete NASCAR's "Road to Recovery" program. That typically takes at least six weeks.

MORE: Driver power rankings | Best rookie classes | 2014 NASCAR schedule

Parrott is the first Cup crew chief suspended since NASCAR started random drug testing in 2009.

"We are working on a plan, and I am sure they will announce the plan next week as to our plans for the rest of the year moving forward," Almirola said. "We just have to work through that and we will keep that internal until we are ready to announce it.

"We have sat down and talked about it and tried to come up with the best solution for what is best for us. ... Todd Parrott is a good person and a good crew chief and a good friend of mine. I think he has a lot of support and a lot of people rallying behind him to get through this difficult time."

Johns indicated that Parrott will remain with the team.

"That is really a HR matter that the organization is working through right now," Johns said Thursday. "We are confident in our solution for this weekend and giving Aric the best opportunity to win.

"We'll follow up with next steps after this weekend. We support Todd and his decision to enter Road to Recovery program."

The 49-year-old Parrott won a Cup title in 1999 with Dale Jarrett and has 31 career Cup wins in nearly 20 years as a Cup crew chief.

"It was certainly unexpected and something that we weren't excited about by any means," Almirola said. "That was definitely something that caught us all off guard and something that we have had to just work with on a day-to-day basis.

"Every day has been just a little bit different and we are trying to work through it and do the best we can."

Almirola had the fastest car in the short but wickedly fast drafting practice that drivers participated in Friday. Richard Childress Racing's Jeff Burton was part of that draft and will start second. Almirola teammate Marcos Ambrose will start third.

Series points leader Matt Kenseth starts 12th, while Jimmie Johnson, second in the standings, starts 11th in the sixth race of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Kevin Harvick, third in the standings, starts 33rd, while Jeff Gordon (fourth in the standings) starts 19th and Kyle Busch (fifth in the standings) 27th. Five-time Talladega winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start eighth; Danica Patrick will start 23rd.

Although the starting order was set by practice speeds, who actually got in the race was set primarily by owner points with the final spots by the number of qualifying attempts. That left Penske Racing's Sam Hornish Jr. as the odd man out among the 44 entries as Penske has run its third car only once this year.

Aric Almirola has a fast car.

Turns out, he's a pretty good weather forecaster, too.

Almirola claimed his second career pole Saturday when rain washed out qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway, forcing the field to be set based on practice speeds.

Almirola and his teammate at Richard Petty Motorsports, Marcos Ambrose, both went out for Friday's first practice thinking there was a decent chance of rain the following day.

So they hooked up in the draft with the idea of putting up a fast time. The strategy worked to perfection -- Almirola posted a blistering lap of exactly 202 mph, Ambrose was third at 201.876, and the rain came on Saturday.

Jeff Burton will start from the outside of the front row based on a speed of 201.987.

"We knew there was a small chance for rain," Almirola said. "We thought it would be a good idea to put up a good lap, just in case it did rain. We had a plan, we stuck to it and it worked out. Anytime you can start up front under any circumstances, that's a good thing."

Almirola's only previous pole was for the 600-miler at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2012.

He wound up finishing 16th.

NASCAR sent out its high-powered dryer in an attempt to get qualifying in, but the rain didn't let up in time. A truck race was scheduled for the afternoon and there are no lights at the massive 2.66-mile trioval. Qualifying for the spring race at Talladega also was rained out.

Chase leader Matt Kenseth will start from the 12th spot. His closest challenger, Jimmie Johnson, got the 11th position. Sam Hornish Jr. was the only entry eliminated from the 43-car field.

Even though Almirola lucked into this pole position to some extent, it was still a bittersweet moment for a team still reeling from the loss of crew chief Todd Parrott. He was indefinitely suspended this week by NASCAR for violation of its substance-abuse policy.

"It was not something we expected by any means. It's definitely something that caught us all off guard," Almirola said. "Todd Parrott is a good person, a good crew chief and a good friend of mine. A lot of people are rallying around him to get through this difficult time. But we still have a job to do. We've got to go out and race and do the best we can."

Burton is also looking for a strong performance in his farewell season at Richard Childress Racing.

He won't return to the No. 31 car next year.

"I'm disappointed we couldn't have more success," Burton said. "(Childress) wants to win. I want to win. The next five races are about that. It's not really very complicated. There are only a few chances left. We're putting the same amount of effort into it and trying really hard to finish up strong."

TALLADEGA, Ala. - Rain has delayed Sprint Cup Series qualifying Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway.

A light rain was quickly moving through the area at the 12:10 p.m. ET start time for time trials at Talladega Superspeedway. The National Weather Service predicts a 60 percent chance of rain the remainder of the day for the 2.66-mile track, which typically takes two or more hours to dry if the track gets soaked.

MORE: Talladega upsets | Talladega picks | Most beloved drivers

If qualifying gets rained out, Richard Petty Motorsports' Aric Almirola would start from the pole Sunday in the Camping World RV Sales 500 because he had the fastest speed in the first practice Friday. Richard Childress Racing's Jeff Burton would start beside him on the front row.

Series points leader Matt Kenseth would start 12th, while Jimmie Johnson, second in the standings, would start 11th.

Kevin Harvick, third in the standings, would start 33rd, while Jeff Gordon (fourth in the standings) would start 19th and Kyle Busch (fifth in the standings) would start 27th.

There are 44 cars entered, and Penske Racing's Sam Hornish would not make the field because the Penske No. 12 car has the fewest qualifying attempts (one) this year among the 44 cars.

NASCAR has its new track drying system, called the "air titan" at the track this weekend. The system is designed to cut the time it takes to dry the track, but it could still be difficult to get qualifying in before the Camping World Truck Series race, which is scheduled for a 4:22 p.m. ET green flag Saturday afternoon.

Sunset is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. ET for the track, which does not have lights.

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- David Ragan isn't counting on blasting out of nowhere, catapulted by his teammate in their shoestring operation, for a second astounding win in a row on NASCAR's most tempestuous track.

"The chance of that perfect storm happening two consecutive races is probably not realistic," Ragan acknowledged Friday.

The first storm, in May, blew right past the bigger and richer contenders in Cup. The little Front Row Motorsports tandem hooked up at the end of the race, and Ragan was pushed to victory by teammate David Gilliland.

"We're certainly not counting on any situation like that to just come out of thin air late in the race," Ragan said. "But the chances of us both having a good day are realistic. And you just never know. You have to control the things you can control, and if I can do that and David can do that, we may be in the same situation again."

The odds for Sunday's Camping World RV Series 500 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN) are no longer than they were going into the May race. In fact, they might be slightly better.

The underdog win drew some sponsorship attention. "It certainly jump-started a few conversations and made some of our current partnerships stronger," Ragan said.

For Sunday he has safercar.gov, a website of the U.S. Department of Transportation, on his Ford. His sponsor from the spring race, Farm Rich, sponsored one more race this year and has "tentatively agreed for some races next year," Ragan said.

For a shoestring team without massive full-season sponsorships, "small deals like that go a long way," Ragan said.

The team puts more emphasis on, and resources into, restrictor-plate races than the more engineering-intensive intermediate-track events.

"We feel that we have more of a level playing field when the draft is considered and everyone is in that same pack," Ragan said.

Oh, and one other thing, other than a little more money than last time: "I think," he said, "I'm a little smarter coming into this race versus the spring race."

And this is, after all, Talladega. If two straight perfect storms could strike, this is the place.

.@DavidRagan: "I'm smarter coming N2 this race, compared to the spring race, & we feel like it's a big more-level playing field w/ r-plates"

Jimmie Johnson was fastest in the second practice Friday for Sunday's Camping World RV Series 500, as drivers settled into one-car runs. Johnson, second in the Chase standings, ran a lap at 195.936 mph, easily bettering playoff leader Matt Kenseth's 191.252, which was 17th-fastest.

But this is, after all, Talladega, so it's always hard to tell who is running hard and who is just tiptoeing around, trying not to wreck in practice.

The first practice, when drivers ran in big drafting packs, may have been more indicative of race speeds Sunday, over 200 mph. In that session, 11 drivers cracked the 200 mark, with Aric Almirola fastest at 202.000 and Jeff Burton second at 201.987.

Kenseth was the fastest driver under 200 in the first practice, 12th, at 199.492.

Just as you'd expect, the media mob was hammering on Matt Kenseth Friday along the themes of (a) how much Talladega can scramble the Chase standings and (b) how he, as the leader, has the most to lose of all the Chasers on Sunday.

The heat at the top, nowhere to go but down, and all that ...

He shrugged and said, "Well, I don't know what good it's going to do me to get freaked out about it right now." This was before practice began. Toyota Racing Development "has been working on engines, so hopefully we've got some speed when we get out there and draft a little bit today.

"If we don't, there's not really a lot I can do about it. And if we do, there's not really a lot I had to do with it."

Translation: Talladega is all horsepower (that is, as much as you can get out of a stifled restrictor-plate engine), almost no handling, and drivers often feel like passengers.

If he's bad, it's not his fault. If he's good, it's not to his credit.

No reason to get freaked out yet. Even from the top of the standings, whence he could topple Sunday -- again, through no fault or credit of his own -- by the luck of the draft and the almost inevitable multicar crashes.

He was 12th-fastest, at 199.492 mph, in the first practice, with another session to go on Friday.

So far, so-so. So what?

Nationwide Series schedule for 2014 announced by NASCAR http://t.co/X0RE2yhaWk

I'm a little lost around here. I've never been through a Talladega weekend without "Boss Hogg." That goes back to 1974, when he and I first set foot inside this mammoth racetrack.

Richard Braden, whom all the NASCAR insiders called Boss Hogg because of the no-nonsense, gruff way he ran the media facilities here, died Tuesday. He was 75.

He looked nothing like the Boss Hogg character of the old "Dukes of Hazzard" TV series. The TV version was fat and jowly. Our Boss had a rugged, hewn face and a salt-and-pepper mustache.

He suffered no fools. That's why he got the nickname, from longtime NASCAR writer Steve Waid, who first called him "Boss" and then "Boss Hogg" and we all picked it up, and it stuck for the rest of Braden's life.

He was from nearby Anniston, Ala. He was brought in by then-Talladega publicist Jim Hunter as a volunteer. He took command and kept order, just by his demeanor and his growl. He was here, every race, through last May. We could tell he wasn't well last spring. He was the first manager I met when I walked into the old Talladega press box in '74 -- and that was three Talladega press boxes and two infield media centers ago.

All day I've been somehow waiting to feel a clap on my shoulder from behind. It hasn't happened. Boss is gone.

Looking calm and focused, 5-time @TalladegaSuperS winner #DaleJr gets ready for #ChaseGreatness! -BW pic.twitter.com/dji6XYegyI

Aric Almirola paces the 1st Cup practice with a lap of 202.000 mph, followed by Burton, Ambrose, Truex and Edwards. #NASCAR

Talk about throwing your kid into deep water to see if he can swim naturally. Listen to this story from Dale Earnhardt Jr. that just popped out of nowhere Friday while he was reminiscing about Talladega.

"This was only the second track I ever drove on," he said. "I was racing street stocks at Concord [N.C., on a tiny 3/8-mile track.] They were testing down here ... Dad was driving.

"Dad called me at the dealership" at a maintenance department in North Carolina where Junior had been put to work. "I was changing oil.

"He told me to get my helmet and my [racing] suit and be at the airport [where Dale Sr.'s private jet was kept] the next morning. He said not to ask any questions or tell anybody where I was going. I knew I was going to Talladega but I didn't know why."

Because he'd been told to bring his gear, "I assumed I was going to drive a race car somewhere."

But then, Talladega Short Track, a 1/3-mile dirt oval, lies almost directly across the street from the mammoth, 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway. So who knew?

"We got here [inside the big track], and he told me to get my stuff on and get in the car and go out and run.

"And to hold it wide open -- that it was going to stick. And I remember going down the back straightaway and wondering if it was really gonna stick when I got into that corner, because it just didn't seem like it was possible."

It stuck. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. has felt at home on the biggest NASCAR track of all, ever since.

"This is a special place," he said.

"I just want to have a shot at it," #DaleJr says of the last laps at 'dega; says he's as confident/determined as ever here. #NASCAR

Cool pic! MT @RCR29KHarvick: The 29 @jimmyjohns team watches @KevinHarvick @TalladegaSuperS atop the hauler #nascar pic.twitter.com/zfII46Kyxi

Car chief @ronmalec wipes down the #lowes48 car before it heads out onto the track! pic.twitter.com/PQKeM7DK8O

Rental Cars for the Rich is expanding its business. RCR, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, announced Friday that Brendan Gaughan will move up to a full-time Nationwide ride next year, with Gaughan's family casino business as primary sponsor.

Gaughan's Truck ride with RCR is currently sponsored by his father's South Point Hotel and Casino, but the investment will grow with the move up to more races in a more costly series.

Gaughan isn't the only family-sponsored driver at RCR, of course. Paul Menard's Cup car is sponsored by his billionaire father's home-improvement chain.

Gaughan, 38, never has been at a loss for words -- for example, at the opening of Friday's announcement, he said, "You mean I'm not driving the 3 Cup car? Damn! Missed out again."

And he has never minded mixing it up with the media. So I asked him if he might be in position to advise Menard on how to deal with criticism about being sponsored by family money.

"I don't know if Paul needs any lessons on that," Gaughan said. "He's been dealing with that just as long as I have. ... I've dealt with that since I was 15 years old. I've dealt with that since I was a child.

"So I do not care what people want to say about that. I know how hard my father worked to earn that money. I know how hard I've worked to earn the money that I get. I appreciate it and respect it. And if people want to dislike you for the success of others, then I feel bad for them."

Arguably the freest-flowing optimist among all NASCAR drivers, Gaughan is winless in 17 starts for RCR in Trucks this year -- and hasn't won since 2003 -- yet projected the remainder of this season this way:

"We still have five shots at it and I plan on going out with at least a couple of wins this year."

Wow.

No doubt the fun meter on the @NASCAR_NNS will go up next season with @Brendan62 running full schedule for @RCRracing.

Proud to have another great partner in @aspendental along with @godaddy! Made the announcement today! pic.twitter.com/dClXBxD0tE

Oh yeah, @KurtBusch wants to go FAST! #ShakeAndBake #DEGANights (h/t @bobpockrass) pic.twitter.com/9V7TNYifG6