The NASCAR Cup Series returns to one of its most challenging venues this weekend. The 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway is known for facilitating high speeds and frequent accidents to go along with them.
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Ahead of climbing into the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro to set the weekend rolling, Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott has expressed wariness of this character.
He said on News Nation, “The wrecks that are something that happens a lot, particularly at Daytona and Talladega. We know that going in. It’s just tough. We are racing so close together for hours, right? Very easy to make a mistake or be a person who gets caught up in somebody else’s mistake.”
Strategies and track positioning will need to be on point for a driver to stay safe on the track. Some, like Denny Hamlin, prefer racing in the middle of the field or further behind in the initial stages of the race. This is out of the hope that a crash would come upfront and let them drive past multiple cars without any risk. And it almost always does.
However, a few others, like Elliott, believe that the safest place to be is in the lead.
He continued, “Trying to keep yourself upfront, that’s typically the safest place to be, if you can be upfront. So, hopefully, we can put ourselves in a good spot and stay out of trouble.” Qualifying will take place on Saturday.
Can Chase Elliott race better than his teammates at Dega?
Elliott has, in many ways, been the most underwhelming driver for Hendrick Motorsports in 2025. He has led only 44 laps so far and failed to win a race. Five top 10 finishes and two top 5 finishes have put him fifth on the points table, just a step below Kyle Larson. Fortunately, his previous records at Talladega spell optimism.
He has two wins, two poles, eight top 10s, and five top 5s at the Alabama venue. None of his teammates has raced better at the superspeedway than him.
Furthermore, he also has the edge of being close to home there. Dawsonville is a mere 160 miles away from Talladega, and Elliott has admitted that the proximity works to his advantage.
He said, “This track has always kind of been, to me, a second home track in a lot of ways, because of the distance. And I feel like the fans here have always been really good to us and good to me.” The chances of making use of these positives to reach Victory Lane are indeed high. But first, he needs to qualify high on Saturday.
