The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will invade the Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday afternoon for the 47th annual CampingWorld.com 500 at the 2.66-mile oval. The race will serve as the final restrictor-plate race of the 2015 season for the Sprint Cup Series. Brad Keselowski enters the weekend as the defending race winner.
The Sprint Cup Series entry list features a total of 45 drivers. Some of these include Ryan Blaney, Bobby Labonte, Travis Kvapil, Josh Wise, Timmy Hill, Michael McDowell and Michael Waltrip. Two drivers will go home following the first round of knockout qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
Joey Logano and the entire No. 22 Shell/Penzoil team will enter the weekend as the most relaxed team in the Sprint Cup Series garage. That is because Logano scored the victory in the last two races and will look to sweep the Contender round on Sunday. The driver from Connecticut added even more pressure to the rest of the 12 remaining drivers as four will be eliminated after the checkered flag on Sunday at Talladega.
Logano is still focused on the next races of the Chase despite the recent success.
“I look at these last two races, and we can’t be too proud of ourselves as far as – this is two tracks that are very similar,” Logano said. “So we had two very fast race cars at very similar race tracks, but if I look at the next round, you’ve got Martinsville, way different; you’ve got Texas, it’s similar but quite a bit different than what we have here; and obviously Phoenix.”
Several drivers can clinch a spot into the Eliminator round depending on their finishing position in the CampingWorld.com 500.
Denny Hamlin: 14th and no laps led; 15th and at least one lap led; 16th and most laps led.
Kurt Busch: 8th and no laps led; 9th and at least one lap led; 10th and most laps led.
Carl Edwards: 7th and no laps led; 8th and at least one lap led; 9th and most laps led.
Kevin Harvick: 3rd and no laps led; 4th with a lap led.
Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski: 2nd or better; 3rd and at least one lap led; 4th and most laps led
Martin Truex Jr.: 2nd and no laps led; 3rd and the most laps led.
Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth only control their own destiny with a win.
Qualifying will have a little different look for the NASCAR Camping World Truck and Sprint Cup Series this weekend.
Qualifying for all superspeedway races will consist of two rounds with the first round’s order based on the slowest to fastest single-lap speed posted in the first practice session.
Qualifying consists of one timed lap. The 12 vehicles that post the fastest single-lap speed from the first round will advance to the final round.
The remaining vehicles will be sorted based on their fastest single lap speed posted in the first round in descending order to determine starting positions 13th – 43rd.
There will be a ten-minute break after the completion of the first round, and the 12 remaining vehicles that advance to the final qualifying round will have their speed reset.
The final round consists of one timed lap. The vehicle’s fastest single lap speed will determine starting positions 1st-12th in descending order.
The CampingWorld.com 500 will air live on NBCSN and NBC Live Extra at 2:30 p.m. ET. on Sunday. The Motor Racing Network will carry the live radio broadcast.
About Me: Brett has been following the sport of NASCAR since the beginning of the 2006 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Since Brett was 13, he has had a passion of chasing a job in sports that not many get the opportunity of doing. He has been in the NASCAR media since the middle of the 2010 season. Since then, he has been a part of many racing podcast shows to improve his talents. He has written for racingonfuel.com and theracingwheel.com. Currently, Brett writes for motorsportsnat.com and TracksideChatter.com. You can find him on twitter @NASCAR_Brett.
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