Fantasy Report: Amp Energy 500

Residents of Calhoun and Talladega counties may notice an influx of people into the area this weekend as 200,000 fans descend upon the Talladega Superspeedway for the Amp Energy 500, the Mountain Dew 250 and the ARCA RE/MAX Series 250. The Chase is on with 3 top contenders eyeing the trophy and Talladega could be the determining factor in who stays in it or takes themselves out of the running. Onto this week's picks:

Brandon's picks:

Jimmie Johnson✔, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr.✔, David Ragan✔, Juan Pablo Montoya, Elliott Sadler, Travis Kvapil✔ and David Reutimann.

Erik's picks:

Jeff Gordon✔, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr.✔, Jamie McMurray✔, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler, Travis Kvapil✔ and Scott Riggs.

Frontrunners: There's no doubt that since this is an impound race that there will be some lesser teams running toward the front of the pack to start this race but they probably won't stay there for long. Case in point: Joe Nemechek sat on the pole in the spring and finished a not-so-bad 25th, whereas Montoya started 26th and finished 2nd. However, this isn't an exact science since Kyle Busch started 5th and won earlier this year at 'Dega. It couldn't hurt to put in some drivers you think doesn't have a shot at winning but might qualify well if you've already decided on who you're putting in this weekend ... for me that's Elliott Sadler (can't ever tell with him though.)

Eye on the prize: There's little question about Talladega's importance in terms of Chase points and it could be an excellent opportunity to really rake in some Fantasy points as well. You can be sure that the top guys in the point standings will be factors this weekend but I think that when the checkered flag is dropped the #48 of Johnson will be out front. Call it a hunch from the perspective of his 13th place finish in the spring, but he's had a win here and 4 top-5 finishes. After his victory last weekend in Kansas and the revival of his teams performance he's got my pick. Other notables to watch out for would be J. Gordon, Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart.

Trouble in turn 4: Kyle Busch ... oh, how unpredictable you have become. I would like to say that he's a lock this weekend given the fact that he dominated the season but with dismal performances in the Chase and his innate ability to get into trouble at 'Dega he might not be a good choice. Despite the fact that I haven't been able to use Kyle for quite some time and his winning the last 2 restrictor plate races this year, I'm not sure he'll do that well on Sunday. Remember: he doesn't have anything to lose and for "crazy" drivers like Kyle that could end well for him or very badly. Although not his fault, this comes to mind: The Big One from the 2007 UAW-Ford 500.

They can't all win: When playing Fantasy one must not always try to knock it out of the park week-in, week-out. So, when picking your drivers this week, especially for B and C, try to pick someone that is a solid finisher and has the experience to stay out of big wrecks. Earnhardt Jr. is the guy I've been holding for this very race. Not only is he the fan favorite but he could also turn a few heads with a great finish, if not a win, this weekend if he can stay out of trouble. Remember in 2006, Junior almost won before getting spun out on the last lap. Another driver that could have a decent week is Montoya. He's coming off a pole at Kansas that was taken away by technicality and a near win the the spring at Talladega.

Good luck and enjoy the race!

All bets are off as Chase makes annual stop at Talladega

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In days gone by, Talladega Superspeedway's second race each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season was held in late July, with impressive competition meeting oppressive heat. Seeking to enhance the first but lose the second, NASCAR moved the event to October.

Then, starting in 2004, things got hotter than ever.

Credit the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR's playoff-style championship-deciding format that encompasses the last 10 races of the season. When the format was instituted in '04 it placed tempestuous Talladega in the middle of the mix.

Sunday's AMP Energy 500 is Race 4 in the 2008 "Chase." As always, the only thing predictable about Talladega is the track's unpredictability.

Credit the banking of 33 degrees in the turns.

Or maybe the overall track length of 2.66 miles, conducive to serious speed.

And don't forget the close-quarters racing resulting from carburetor restrictor plates that reduce horsepower and put a premium on handling, drafting — and teamwork. Or in lieu of teamwork, cooperation between non-teammates.

Talladega's tough — particularly on drivers who roll into town leading the Chase standings. In the four years of the Chase thus far, only once has the leader coming into Talladega been the leader leaving town — Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) in 2006. And that was a close call; Burton's lead was sliced to six points after a 27th-place race finish. He ended up a disappointing seventh in the final point standings.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet) has five Talladega wins to his credit. Earnhardt, eighth in points and in need of a late-season rally, isn't convinced a big points shake-up is inevitable this week.

But that's not to say he would be surprised.

"[This race] has the potential to do that," Earnhardt said.

"It's going to be tough to gain on everyone in this race. It will be tough for it to really jumble up the points. I think you just have to try to win the race.

'the only way to really gain points on anybody right now, for anybody who's outside of the top five in points, is to be first when the checkered flag falls."

Earnhardt's five Talladega wins happened between 2001-04, part of an overwhelming Chevrolet dominance at the track this decade. Since the start of the 2000 season Chevrolet drivers have won 15 of 17 races there. The two exceptions: Dale Jarrett's victory in a Ford, in the 2005 fall race and Kyle Busch's win in the No. 18 Pedigree Toyota this past April.

Current series points leader Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's/KOBALT Chevrolet) has one of those Chevrolet victories since 2000 — in the spring 2006 race.

The two drivers immediately behind him in the points — second-place Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) and Greg Biffle (No. 16 DISH Network Ford) — have average Talladega finishes of 24th and 25th, respectively.

— Source: NASCAR

Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks about the legacy of racing at Talladega Superspeedway

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— Source: NASCAR

Jeff Gordon talks about running in a pack at Talladega

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— Source: NASCAR

Watch the newscast from Kansas

Q&A with Kyle Busch's crew chief Steve Addington

The Q&A was done by Associated Press Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer

Q: What has it been like to work with Kyle this year?
SA: Coming into it, I heard all the stuff about him. But he’s a competitor. When he sits down and is with the guys, having a good time, it’s been awesome. When he’s pushing you at the race track to make his car better, that’s something a guy dreams of — to have a driver who wants to be better. People go `But he beats you up on the radio!’ Well, I want to win this thing, too. So if you take that personally, you are in the wrong business. I love the kid and all my guys love him.

Q: So he’s not the nightmare everyone thinks he is?
SA: I don’t think so. He’s been a breath of fresh air for this race team.

Q: What’s Kyle like on a good day?
SA: Oh, laughing, cutting up, saying off the wall stuff on the radio, talking to (spotter, Jeff) Dickerson on the radio about getting In-N-Out burgers after the race. When he’s in a good mood and having a good time, it don’t get any better.

Q: What’s he like on a bad day?
SA: You leave him alone, let him be by himself and try to work through it. You can try to pick him up a little bit, but he’s one of those guys who, he has his personality and you have to take it with a grain of salt. He don’t say much to people when he’s not in a good mood. But he comes around.

Q: What’s been the highlight of this season?
SA: There’s been a lot. Winning the (July) Daytona race was cool. And the Chicago race, because he had given up and was on the radio saying `How many races does Jimmie Johnson give away? None. How many races does Kyle Busch give away? A lot.’ And then he just got up on the steering wheel and wanted it, so from what Dickerson said on the radio to him and Kyle coming back to win that race, that was pretty awesome. But Daytona, speedway races, you put a car out there and it’s driver and watching him work is just amazing. Plus, it was my birthday, so that was a cool race, too.

Q: The lowlight of the season?
SA: Loudon. That’s a place that we’ve struggled and we made some changes and I think we went in the right direction and never got a chance to see, and it was the start of the Chase. We had talked about having a good race to start it, so to have that happen 15 laps into the race, that was devastating.

Q: Kyle said a driver and crew chief are like a husband and wife. So, is Kyle like a spouse to you?
SA: I guess in the sense that he tells you what he wants, and then he’s gone and you don’t hear from him for a long time, that’s pretty good. And then when you want to talk to him about something, he’s busy. We text at night before the race a lot, because he won’t talk on the phone, but he’ll text you all night. You’ve got to have a good relationship, and I think we show each other a lot of respect.

Q: The 18 team struggled for several years before this season. What’s it been like to watch your guys experience success?
SA: We knew we’ve got good equipment, we knew we we’re putting a good product out there, and we knew we were missing one piece of the puzzle. But there were guys questioning it when he came in, wondering if our stuff was good enough because he’d been driving really good (Hendrick Motorsports) cars. Some guys were worried and really nervous about it. I told them `Don’t worry about it, if they aren’t good enough, we’ll go to work.’ The Atlanta test (last October) was the best thing that ever happened to this race team because he ran eight laps and said `Load it,’ and that right there, it was like a ton of bricks off everyone’s shoulders.

Q: Is this team ready to win a championship?
SA: I’ve asked myself that a lot, because they’ve never been in this position. So you ask yourself if you are really prepared for it. I think with what they proved they can do all year long, I think they are as ready as anybody. They never showed me anything any different. I don’t know if there’s pressure in the back of their minds, because they’ve never showed it. They are as ready as anybody.

Fantasy Report: Camping World RV 400

NASCAR makes its third stop of the Chase for the Cup this week at Kansas Speedway. This week could define Kyle Busch's chances for a rebound to the top or if he'll be 'dust in the wind.' I could also be in the dust if I continue to have bad runs week after week. Lets hope this time around I will rebound on my fantasy position. Lets take a look at our picks for the week.

Erik's picks:

Jeff Gordon✔, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman✔, Jamie McMurray✔, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr., Travis Kvapil✔ and Scott Riggs.

Brandon's picks:

Carl Edwards✔, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle✔, Mark Martin✔, Martin Truex Jr., David Ragan, David Reutimann✔ and Joey Logano.

HENDRICK TRACK: If you still have them as active drivers Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson might not be a bad move. Johnson has held the pole position twice at Kansas. Gordon has two wins in his career at this young track. The first Sprint Cup race was ran here in 2001.

BOWYER: Clint Bowyer is on my roster this week for one reason: his stats at Kansas Speedway. Although, he only has two starts at the track he has an average start of 8th and an average finish of 5th. That seems like pretty good odds and I need a gamble to try to move myself up in the fantasy standings.

NOT IN THE CHASE: If history repeats itself, look to move some drivers on your roster that are not in the Chase this year. Since NASCAR has started running Chase races at Kansas (four of them to be exact) three of the winners were not competing for the Cup.

That's it for this week … Good luck!