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The Biff May be a Stiff at Talladega

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by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.

September 29, 2008 4:10 pm CDT No Comments

They say anything can happen - and anyone can win at Talladega Super Speedway.  I’m not buyin’ it.

I know that  ”Dega is supposed to be the “wild card”.  That I CAN buy because somebody - maybe several somebodies -  who are in Cup contention, or appear to be (there are a lot of “ors” in this conversation) will almost, for sure get caught up in an Alabama Big One and, by that fact, be able to blame their failure to win the 2008 Sprint Cup on something other than their own culpability.

I try to use useful statistics when writing these Chase posts.  But try as I might, I couldn’t find a stat that pointed me, specifically  towards those drivers who have most consistently participated in Talladega “Big Ones”.  Almost makes one think of conspiracy theories - but I don’t subscribe.

I can tell you, based upon NASCAR’s Loop data for the last seven races run at Talladega; of the 2008 Chase contenders, Greg Biffle sucks.  No offense meant Greg, but I’m guessing you’ve spent more than your share of time as a pinball than you would care to admit.  

Now the Biff has been as good as anyone in the first three Chase races and the top Roush-Fenway Racing cars - Biffle, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth - are stout.  But the best Loop rated Roushketeer at Talladega is  Jamie McMurray for cryin’ out loud!  McMurray’s Driver Rating is fourth best - 92.1 - compared to Biffle’s 68.0.

The only regular Cup series drivers with worse DR’s that Biffles’s are Casey Mears, David Gilliland, Robby Gordon, Dave Blaney and, surprisingly, Mark Martin.

Plate tracks are different animals.  The temptation is to discount Greg’s Talladega stats as “big one syndrome” or something.  He has been really good these first three Chase races.  But his loop stats for those races were very strong too.  Some drivers - and teams - do extremely well on the plate tracks.  The Earnhardts, Richard Childress Racing and DEI have dominated in the past.  Roush has not.  Biffle is not the pick this week.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, inc.

Filed Under Fantasy NASCAR, NASCAR, NASCAR Loop Data, Nascar Chase 2008, Talladega Superspeedway 

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