December, 2003, was the day Wilbur and Orville Wright marked man’s first heavier-than-air powered flight. Their aircraft was cobbled together with sticks, bicycle parts and a primitive aluminum encased engine.
Since then man has proven that 3,800-pound metal cars can also fly at a place called Talladega, Alabama. The last sighting was this past April when Carl Edwards (20-1) became airborne and hit the 14-ft. high fence causing spectators to be showered with debris in a wild and dangerous flight.
In an effort to reduce speeds at this 2.7 mile airfield NASCAR has reduced the restrictor plates that lessen air intake, thereby reducing speeds, by 1/64 of an inch.
The result was Kasey Kahne (25-1) and Denny Hamlin (12-1) running at 196 mph in the first practice. If that’s reducing speeds, I’m a girl.
There are four restrictor plate races in the NASCAR schedule, two at Daytona and two at Talladega. Talladega has the most notoriety because it is frequently the site of what’s known as the "Big One" - a crash that collects a dozen or more cars in a very scary wreck.
The two guys who are the favorites at Logan’s, VegasInsider and WSEX are Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5-1, 8-1 and 7-1) and Tony Stewart (7-1, 5-1 and 7-1). This makes some sense because they are known as track buddies in restrictor plate races where they bump draft each other through the pack. Once they get in range of the finish line their driving marriage becomes divorced.
Junior has had a god-awful year of bad cars, bad luck and some mental mistakes but tomorrow could be his redemption. He has five wins at Dega and may end up proving to the haters that he actually can drive by winning his sixth. He just has to have enough good luck to keep him out of the Big One.
I don’t get NASCAR parking Michael Waltrip (50-1) for the last half hour of Happy Hour for bump drafting Jimmie Johnson (10-1, 7-1, 12-1). See Kahne and Hamlin above, who looked like their cars were welded together for a lengthy run.
And what’s with the 50-1 for Waltrip? He was ninth fastest in the first practice and second fastest in Happy Hour. If he doesn’t wreck I see a Top 5 finish tomorrow.
The one most likely to challenge Stewart and Junior is Jeff Gordon (10-1, 6-1, 9-1). He has six wins, 13 top 5s and 16 top 10s at this landing strip. He says Talladega “is madness but it’s exciting madness”.
Bring on the madness.