Need For Speed Race Preview: Talladega

The start of this racin' season may have a slightly different look and feel from recent years, but we've heard similar story lines before. Hendrick Domination, Kyle Busch and the cream always rises to the top.

Hendrick Domination - Hendrick drivers have won the past 3 consecutive races. Jimmie Johnson took his first win of the season @ Martinsville followed by Gordon's first ever win @ Texas and Mark Martin's 1st Cup Series win for Hendrick last week @ Phoenix. It's the third time that Hendrick Motorsports has won three consecutive Cup races with three different drivers. The feat was last achieved in '07 with Johnson, Gordon and Casey Mears. Darrell Waltrip, Ken Schrader and Geoff Bodine won three races in a row for Hendrick Motorsports in 1989. Hendrick Motorsports is the only team in NASCAR's modern era to be able to boast this stat.

Could Hendrick Domination continue yet again this weekend at Talladega?
Gordon is the all-time leader in restrictor plate wins with 12. Gordon has 6 wins @ Talladega.
Dale Jr. has won 5 times @ Talladega including four in a row (from '01-'03) and has led laps in 16 of his 18 Talladega races.
Mark Martin has won twice in Cup events @ Talladega and has also posted 22 top-10 finishes.
Gordon, Earnhardt Jr and Martin are the only active drivers with multiple wins @ Talladega.
Not to leave Johnson out. He's posted 1 win and 2 runner-up finishes @ Talladega.

Kyle Busch is the defending race winner. Kyle already has a combined 6 wins among NASCAR's top 3 national touring series. Kyle's currently 7th in the Sprint Cup Series point standings, but leads both the Nationwide & Camping World Truck Series point standings. Although Kyle's average Talladega (cup) finish is 25.750, this is after all - Talladega. He'll pull double duty again this weekend @ Talladega, but will be unable to compete in Saturday's Truck Series race @ Kansas.

The first 4 drivers currently holding down the top 4 positions in the standings are all past champions with a combined 10 championships between them.

Tony Stewart moved up one spot to 4th with his 2nd place finish last weekend @ Phoenix. Is he on the verge of his first win as a driver-owner? You have to go back over a decade to find the last time a driver-owner won a cup race. Ricky Rudd won @ Martinsville on September 27, 1998.

“This is the best start to the season that I’ve ever had in my career,” Tony Stewart recently stated. “The last three weeks have just been amazing. I mean, it’s been so much fun. We’ve been in contention. We’ve led laps. We’re doing everything right. It’s just a matter of time."

Stewart finally got his first Talladega win last fall after 6 previous runner-up finishes there.

There's 2 practice sessions on Friday. Qualifying will be held Saturday morning at 11:15. TV coverage for the Aaron's 499 begins Sunday afternoon at 1 on FOX.

13 Cup drivers are entered in Saturday's Nationwide Series race @ Talladega. TV Coverage begins at 2:30 on ABC.

The Camping World Truck Series will run @ Kansas on Saturday. Coverage begins at 5:30 on SPEED.