GEICO 500 Preview: NASCAR Heads to Talladega

After a bit of a dull affair at Martinsville last week, NASCAR is headed South to Alabama for the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR will head back to the drawing board on the short-track program but ‘Dega is sure to provide excitement.

Kyle Larson made the trip to Victory Lane last week and will look to build on that momentum as NASCAR goes from the shortest points track to the longest. Talladega is an incredibly unpredictable beast. Drivers are sure to experience chaos in the pack racing that occurs on the high banks.

If you are thinking about getting into NASCAR as a fan and want to attend a race live, the atmosphere at Talladega is electric. An absolute party from start to finish, I can’t recommend getting to a race at ‘Dega enough.

As for the race itself, the checkers or wreckers mantra is never more prevalent than at superspeedways. While these races aren’t without appeal and the possibility of a thrilling finish, they can also devolve into wreck fests at the end. The drivers as a group generally don’t look fondly on the superspeedway races due to the way they can tear equipment up.

Speaking of those drivers, let’s check out the entry list for the GEICO 500:

GEICO 500 ENTRY LIST

In the interest of transparency, I have to let you know that I have no real idea who is going to win on Sunday. Predicting NASCAR superspeedway races is a lost cause due to a myriad number of factors. Infinitely chaotic, these races have a tendency to produce surprise winners.

However, if there is one driver on the NASCAR circuit who tends to find himself near the front of the pack at the end of these races, it’s Denny Hamlin. However, I picked Hamlin to win last week at Martinsville so I feel like I have to choose a different winner this week. I’m going to go deep into the dark horse well and say that Corey LaJoie will find his way to Victory Lane on Sunday.

Be sure to check out the schedule below so you don’t miss any on-track action at Talladega.

Friday 04/21

NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying – 4:35 p.m. CT on FS1

Saturday 04/22

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – 9:30 a.m. CT on FS1

General Tire 200 (ARCA Menards Series) – 11:30 p.m. CT on FS1

Ag-Pro 300 (NASCAR Xfinity Series) – 3:00 p.m. CT on FS1

Sunday 04/23

GEICO 500 (NASCAR Cup Series) – 2:00 p.m. CT on FOX

Stay locked into Apollo for more NASCAR and F1 Coverage throughout the racing season! Follow @CoachJayArnold and @ApolloHOU on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest!