Nascar Race Today

It often feels like anything can happen on superspeedways in this age of racing, and that has been proven true at in recent years. Seemingly no track on the circuit has produced more surprise winners, which means that the landscape of the Chase for the Sprint Cup could potentially change in a significant way this weekend.

Here is all the information you need to know regarding how and when to watch the Aaron's 499 along with predictions for which drivers will contend for the victory.

When: Sunday, May 4 at 1 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox

Live Steam: Radio: Motor Racing Network Fox Sports Go Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Qualifying for the Aaron's 499 at Superspeedway will take place on Saturday, May 3 at 1:10 p.m. ET on Fox, according to . Here is a look at the order in which the drivers will take the track during qualifying.

NASCAR.com

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

With a win to his credit and a comfortable fifth-place spot in the standings, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is sitting pretty in terms of qualifying for the Chase. Earnhardt is fully aware that a second win would stamp his ticket and remove all pressure until the final 10 races, though, so expect him to do everything possible to take the checkered flag.

may represent Earnhardt's best chance for a second victory as he is second among active drivers with five career wins at . He is also tops in terms of average finish for drivers with at least 20 starts on the superspeedway with a mark of 14.6, according to Racing-Reference.info.

Earnhardt hasn't won a race at since 2004, but he is racing better now than he has in an extremely long time. Earnhardt also has to be feeling some good vibes after striking a three-year sponsorship deal with Nationwide, per Bob of Sporting News.

Jeff Gordon

Nationwide announces 3-year deal with Dale Earnhardt Jr. starting in 2015 as primary sponsor of No. 88. #nascar

- Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 2, 2014

There is no question that Earnhardt has had his struggles in recent years, however, he finally seems to be developing into an elite driver. A points title is the next logical step in his career, and winning at will bring him one step closer to that accomplishment.

Jeff Curry/Getty Images

Jeff Gordon is unquestionably one of the greatest drivers in the history of and he has enjoyed a resurgent 2014 season that sees him atop the points standings. Gordon and the No. 24 car have been absolutely spectacular this year with seven top-10 finishes in nine races. The only downside, though, is the fact that Gordon hasn't yet visited victory lane.

Brad Keselowski

Gordon has essentially done everything but win a race this year. As good as he has been, there has to be some concern within his team due to the importance of winning. Nobody would blame Gordon if frustration started to set in, but he is confident that a win is on the horizon if he continues to run up front, according to Zack Albert of .com:

I mean, as good as we're running, I definitely feel like we can win races just about anywhere that we go, and if we continue to perform like this, we are going to win. That's how you win. I mean, yeah, there's sometimes when you just pick the right pit strategy. There's other times you get a good restart, and then there's times when you just go and outrun them. I'll take outrunning them more times than any because I think that's when the multiple wins are going to come.

Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images

He will need to be good in that regard Sunday afternoon, though, since he didn't exactly set the world on fire in practice. According to Team on Twitter, Keselowski was a pedestrian 19th during preparation for the Aaron's 499:

Final Cup Series results from @TalladegaSuperS, @keselowski 19th fastest , @joeylogano 27th fastest. Cars made single car runs. #NASCAR

- Team Penske (@Team_Penske) May 2, 2014

There are plenty of equalizers at , however, so Keselowski will be in the mix as long as he remains on the track and the lead lap. With two wins and six top-10 finishes in 10 tries at , Keselowski has proven that he knows how to conquer one of 's toughest tracks.

While past performance and experience at matter to some degree, there is a certain aspect of randomness involved as well.

That was quite clear last year when David Ragan and Jamie McMurray were the winners in the spring and fall races respectively. Anything can happen in the closing laps, so the goal for most drivers is to simply be in the running late.

Middling drivers often take chances and go for the win at , but that sentiment will be even greater this year since a single victory can potentially propel an underdog into the Chase.

Among the under-the-radar drivers worth watching are Ragan, David Gilliland and Ricky Jr.

Ragan has a win and seven top-10 finishes in 14 tries at . He is 31st in the standings with a low-level team in the form of Front Row Motorsports, but he knows how to perform well at , and he was third-fastest in practice.

Gilliland is in the same boat as Ragan. They are Front Row teammates, and neither of them have anything to lose. Gilliland has twice finished in the top five at and it will be interesting to see if he and Ragan have a chance to work together in the latter stages.

As for , his sample size is small with just two Sprint Cup starts at , but his average finish of eighth is intriguing. He has a couple of excellent teammates in tow, and he could be the beneficiary of some teamwork down the stretch.

Another name to keep in mind is Brian . He has been surprisingly good this season as he sits 10th in the standings, but he really needs a win to solidify his Chase spot. He has won at before, and he has finished in the top 10 in nearly half of his starts there.

Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images

Of course, stars like Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick have all won at in the past, and they figure to be factors as well.

There is little doubt that the Aaron's 499 will provide one of the most exciting finishes of the year, and luck will finally be on Gordon's side as he turns his great racing into his first victory of the season.