James: Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch have advantage at Talladega
TALLADEGA, Ala. – Chase Elliott is in a horrible predicament. Kurt Busch is in a better situation, but hardly secure heading into the Chase for the Sprint Cup second-round elimination race Sunday. Because it's at Talladega Superspeedway.
But oddly, they also might be the most advantaged of the 10 drivers still groping for six available transfer spots into the penultimate round.
In a sport and a playoff system where creative selfishness is a job necessity for the individual and a benefit to their teams, both Elliott and Busch are uniquely situated in having a teammate already through to the next round. That’s not to suggest that Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate (Charlotte winner Jimmie Johnson) or Busch’s Stewart-Haas Racing comrade (Kansas victor Kevin Harvick) won’t absolutely seize upon a chance to win again Sunday. But with the four Toyota drivers of Joe Gibbs Racing plus one from affiliate Furniture Row Racing attempting to wedge themselves in a half-dozen slots, and two Ford drivers of Team Penske doing the same, it won’t hurt to have a draft buddy with a punched pass to the next round and a common boss to please.
Watch: Memorable wrecks at Talladega Superspeedway
Although it’s unlikely that Johnson will be the Bandit to rookie Elliott’s Snowman all afternoon, or Harvick the Goose to Busch’s Maverick, it stands to reason they would be less inclined to forsake them in the fickle and cunning diplomacy of restrictor-plate racing. And that can’t hurt, when, in Elliott’s case, you’re attempting to come from last of 12 eligibles on the Chase grid, 25 points from eighth place, which is currently shared by Joey Logano and Austin Dillon. Busch enters sixth, 17 points ahead of the cut.
Brad Keselowski managed his must-win for advancement at Talladega in 2014 with help from Team Penske’s Logano, who nudged him to the front on a first green/white/checker attempt and allowed him to control his situation as much as possible on a decisive second.
Another seeming advantage for Elliott and Busch would be racing for four-car teams where their title-contending teammate already is secure. While the Toyota drivers joust with each other, Elliott has Johnson, Alex Bowman and Kasey Kahne in league. Busch has Harvick, Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick, who already has demonstrated a knack for the concept. Harvick lauded Patrick for her esprit de corps last fall at Talladega, helping him maintain his position near the front with drafting help as his engine spasmed in the waning laps. Harvick went on to veer into Trevor Bayne to prompt a wreck that ended the race under caution and helped him nab a 15th-place finish that advanced him to Round 3.
Still, restrictor-plate racing has a way of jumbling team dynamics, whether by design or unfortunate by-product. In trying to help or not. Brian Vickers’ attempt to push Johnson by leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the last lap of the 2006 Talladega fall race hooked his then-Hendrick teammate into a collision and off the track with Earnhardt. Vickers was credited for his first Cup win in his final season before changing teams. Johnson was displeased.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. heading to TV booth
Johnson claimed he was attempting to link up for a draft when he sliced in front of the No. 24 Chevrolet as it charged forward in the 2010 spring race. Instead, he muted teammate Jeff Gordon’s momentum, sending him back into the mass and in position to be swallowed by a multi-car incident.
With five races left in the season, driver agendas are about to focus and intentions become self-serving. Talladega will be the dry run for the rest of the season. And this Sunday, it won’t hurt to have a wingman.
Follow James on Twitter @brantjames
