NASCAR Countdown Pre-race: ESPN - 1:00pm/et

Television Race Coverage: ESPN, 2:00pm/et

In the Booth: Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree
Pit Reporters: Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe, Brad Daugherty, Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham

SPEED's NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 11:00 am/et with John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace

Scheduled Race Re-Air Dates/Times: Monday, October 8 at 12:00am/et on ESPN2
Wednesday, October 10 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED

TV Listings, Links and Info:
Jayski's TV Listings Page
ESPN Network Schedules
SPEED TV Schedule
NASCAR on TV
TV Racer

This Week - Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite NASCAR Channel 90

motorracingnetwork.com

MRN Live Streaming

Practices:
Friday, October 5, 2:30 - 3:15 pm/et, TV-SPEED

Happy Hour 'Final' practice: Friday, October 4, 4:00 - 5:00pm/et, TV-SPEED

Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Saturday, October 6 at 12:15 pm/et, TV-SPEED, re-air scheduled on SPEED at 7:00pm/et.

Track Specifications:
Track/Race Length: 2.66 mile quad oval, 188 laps, 500.08 miles
Superspeedway: 2.66-mile trioval 48 feet wide (12-foot apron)
Turns: Banking: 33° Length: 3,750 feet Radius: 1,100 feet
Trioval: Banking: 18°
Frontstretch: Chute length: 2,150 feet (from turn to middle of trioval) Total length: 4,300 feet Banking: 16.5°
Backstretch: Length: 4,000 feet Banking: 2°
Pit Road: Length: 3,000 feet; Width: 48 feet
Pit Road Speed: 55mph
Pace Car Speed: 70mph
Grandstand Seating: 143,231
Track last paved: Summer 2006
Opened: 1969

Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: Actor Kevin James
Command to start engines: Kevin James
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: TJ Smith, Vice President of Camping World
Invocation: Billy Irvan, Alabama Raceway Ministries
National Anthem: RaeLynn
Military Flyover: T-38s, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall Air Force Base

Track Websites:
Talladega SuperSpeedway
ISC Motorsports
Talladega SuperSpeedway - Facebook
Talladega SuperSpeedway - Twitter
Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame
International Motorsports Hall of Fame(Talladega)

May 2012: see my Talladega Race Info page

October 2011: see my Talladega Race Info page

May 2012 Race Winner: #2-Brad Keselowski, 160.192mph, started 13th

October 2011 Race Winner: #33-Clint Bowyer, 143.404mph, started 3rd

Track Race Record: Mark Martin, May 1997, 188.354mph

Slowest Race Record: Jeff Gordon, April 25, 2004, 129.396mph

Worst Starting Spot to Win: Jeff Gordon, April 2000, started 36th

Oldest Race Winner: Harry Gant, 52 years, 3 months, 26 days, May 1991

Youngest Race Winner: Bobby Hillin Jr., 22 years, 1 months, 22 days, July 1986

May 2012 Pole Sitter: #24-Jeff Gordon, 191.623mph, finished 33rd

October 2011 Pole Sitter: #5-Mark Martin, 181.367mph, finished 20th

Track/Event Qualifying Record (no restrictor plate): Bill Elliott, April 1987, 212.809mph

Track/Event Qualifying Record (Restrictor Plate): Bill Elliott, May 1990, 199.388 (15/16th inch plate)

Oldest Pole Winner: Ricky Rudd, 47 years, 7 months, 13 days, 4/25/2004

Youngest Pole Winner: Jimmie Johnson, 26 years, 7 months, 4 days, 4/21/2002

News & Notes at Talladega Superspeedway:
• Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on Sept. 14, 1969.
• The name changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989.
• Fourth repaving completed on Sept. 19, 2006.
• There have been 86 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Talladega Superspeedway since the track opened in 1969; two a year every year except the inaugural season, which had just one.
• Richard Brickhouse won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
• Bobby Isaac won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole in September 1969. Isaac won the first three poles there.
• 35 different drivers have won poles. Bill Elliott leads all drivers with eight poles.
• 41 different drivers have posted victories, led by Dale Earnhardt Sr. (10). Twenty-one drivers have won more than once.
• Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in victories, with six. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is second among active drivers with five.
• Richard Childress Racing has won more than any other organization at Talladega with 12 wins.
• 33 of 86 races have been won from a top-two starting positions, including 13 from the pole; 24 have been won from a starting position outside the top 10. The most recent driver to win from the pole was Jeff Gordon in 2007 (spring).
• The furthest back in the field a race winner started was 36th, by Jeff Gordon in 2000.
• Brad Keselowski leads the series among active drivers in average finishing position at Talladega with a 13.0. Trevor Bayne leads the series among active drivers in average starting position with an 8.6.
• Mark Martin's pace in the 1997 spring race set an all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup record for the fastest race ever. He won the caution-free race with an average speed of 188.354 mph and covered the 500-mile distance in two hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds.
• The 2010 spring race set the all-time and track records for lead changes (88) and lap leaders (29). Last season's spring race tied the 2010 record for most lead changes with 88 (amongst 26 lap leaders). The previous highs were 75 lead changes (set on May 6, 1984) and 28 lap leaders (set on Oct. 5, 2008). Both previous records also were set at Talladega.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. had four consecutive victories (October 2001 through April 2003), the most ever by a driver at Talladega Superspeedway. Buddy Baker (three - May 1975 through May 1976) is the only other driver to win more than two consecutive races there.
• Since the inception of electronic scoring in 1993, every race that has ended under green has had a margin of victory under half a second.
• The 2011 spring race tied the 03/16/2003 Darlington race won by Ricky Craven for the all-time record of the closest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finish (0.002 seconds) since the inception of electronic scoring.
• Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway winner: Bobby Hillin Jr. (07/27/1986 - 22 years, 1 month, 22 days).
• Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Talladega Superspeedway winner: Harry Gant (05/06/1991 - 51 years, 3 months, 26 days)
(NASCAR)(10-2-2012)

For news, stats, records and more about this race track, see: Jayski's Talladega Superspeedway Track News/Rumors/Links page

Kenseth wins at Talladega: #17-Matt Kenseth won the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 race at Talladega Superspeedway for his 2nd win of year and 23rd career win.
#24-Gordon finished 2nd followed by #18-Busch,#34-Ragan, #78-Smith, #16-Biffle, #2-Keselowski, #93-Kvapil, #39-Newman, and #31-Burton.
The race finished under caution after a big wreck on the final lap that collected 25 cars, including many chase contenders. #14-Stewart was leading when he pulled down to block #55-Waltrip. He got turned around and everyone was collected after that. NASCAR had to review video after the race to determine many finishing positions.
#2-Keselowski retains the points lead with 2179, a lead of 14 points over #48-Johnson.
There were 5 cautions for 17 yellow flag laps. There were 54 lead changes among 18 drivers. The average speed was 171.194mph.
The estimated attendence was 88,000, down from 108,500 in May and down from 105,000 last October.
See race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the Talladega Race Results page (pdf) and the official race and points rundown on the Official Talladega Race & Points Report.(10-7-2012)

Where did the 12 Chase drivers finish at Talladega?
[by points standings before the race (start pos)]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski, 6th (22)
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 17th (17)
3) #11-Denny Hamlin, 14th (23)
4) #15-Clint Bowyer, 23rd (3)
5) #14-Tony Stewart, 22nd (4)
6) #5-Kasey Kahne, 12th (1)
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 20th (12)
8) #56-Martin Truex Jr., 13th (9)
9) #29-Kevin Harvick, 11th (21)
10) #24-Jeff Gordon 2nd (6)
11) #16-Greg Biffle, 5th (5)
12) #17-Matt Kenseth, WON (15)
(10-7-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver CHASE Championship Points Standings:
[after Talladega, race 30 of 36]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski [5 wins], 2179
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 2165, -14
3) #11-Denny Hamlin [5 wins], 2156, -23
4) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins], 2143, -36
5) #15-Clint Bowyer [2 wins], 2139, -40
6) #24-Jeff Gordon [1 win], 2137, -42
7) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 2133, -46
8) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 2131, -48
9) #16-Greg Biffle [2 wins], 2130, -49
10) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 2130, -49
11) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 2128, -62
12) #17-Matt Kenseth [2 wins], 2117, -62
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf)

Race Fast Facts - Talladega
Matt Kenseth won the 44th Annual Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 , his 23rd victory in 466 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his second victory and 17th top-10 finish in 2012.
This is his first victory and eighth top-10 finish in 26 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Jeff Gordon (second) posted his 19th top-10 finish in 40 races at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his 15th top-10 finish in 2012.
Kyle Busch (third) posted his fourth top-10 finish in 16 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Brad Keselowski leads the point standings by 14 points over Jimmie Johnson.
There were 54 lead changes among 18 leaders in today's race at Talladega.
(NASCAR Integrated Sports Marketing)(10-7-2012)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Charlotte:
#36 remains in 35th and is now 120 points ahead of 36th, the #21 team.
there virtually no chance the top-35 will change the rest of the season.
Rank) Car#-Driver/Team, owners pts, +/-
34) #32-TBA/FAS Lane Racing, 413 +156
35) #36-Yeley/Baldwin, 377 +120 ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #21-Bayne/Wood Bros., 257, -120pts out of the top 35
37) #33-Leicht/Childress-Falk, 234, -143
38) #30-Stremme/Inception, 211, -166
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see the Owners Points Standings (pdf).(10-7-2012)

Taqlladega Notes-n-Nuggets:
" Matt Kenseth earned his 23rd Sprint Cup Series win in his 466th start.
" The last win for Matt Kenseth previous to this was at Daytona in Feb (28 starts between).
" Matt Kenseth has finished third or better in all four restrictor-plate races of 2012.
" It's the first win for Matt Kenseth at Talladega in his 26th start.
" Matt Kenseth is the eighth repeat winner in the Cup Series this season.
" Chasers have won only five of the nine Chase races at Talladega.
" All four Chase races were won by Chasers this season.
" Matt Kenseth grabbed his win with the 21st last-lap pass in Talladega history.
" It's the 129th career win for Roush Fenway Racing, and their 21st Chase win.
" RFR's fourth win this season; fourth win at Talladega.
" Jeff Gordon (second) finished in the top-three in all but one of the last seven races.
" Kyle Busch (third) earned third top-five finish in 16th race at Talladega.
" David Ragan (fourth) had first top-five finish since Richmond (9/12).
" Regan Smith (fifth) had first top-five finish since a third at Indianapolis (7/11).
" Last lap was only Big One, including 20 cars -- only top-six finishers were confirmed.
(Racing Resources and Services -- Statistics Racing Recall / nascar.com)(10-7-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings without Chase:
(classic system using current points but NOT the chase system)
[after Talladega, race 30 of 36]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski(X) [5 wins], 1038
2) #16-Greg Biffle(X) [2 wins], 1038, -0
3) #48-Jimmie Johnson(X) [3 wins], 1036, -2
4) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(X) [1 win], 1027, -11
5) #17-Matt Kenseth(X) [2 wins], 1011, -27
6) #11-Denny Hamlin(X) [4 wins], 994, -44
7) #56-Martin Truex Jr.(X) [0 wins], 993, -45
8) #15-Clint Bowyer(X) [2 wins], 991, -47
9) #29-Kevin Harvick(X) [0 wins], 971, -67
10) #14-Tony Stewart(X) [3 wins], 934, -104
11) #5-Kasey Kahne(X) [2 wins], 927, -111
12) #24-Jeff Gordon(X) [1 win], 914, -124
13) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 912, -126
14) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 865, -173
15) #99-Carl Edwards [0 wins], 844, -194
16) #27-Paul Menard [0 wins], 830, -208
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
(X) = a Chase driver.

Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Talladega: (and their finish)
Caution 1: none, no one on track a lap or more down
Caution 2: #21-Bayne, 21st
Caution 3: #18-Busch, 3rd
Caution 4: #36-Blaney, 29th
(10-7-2012)

Race Coverage of the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled for Sunday, October 7, 2012.
Television (TV): ESPN at 2:00 pm/et; NASCAR Countdown Pre-Race show at 1:00 pm/et; green flag approx 2:20pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90
Scheduled Race Re-Airs: ESPN2, Monday, October 8 at 12:00am/et; SPEED, Wednesday, October 10 at 12:00pm/et

Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway have been made.
Pole sitter #5-Kahne chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #39-Newman took pit stall 29, the 2nd pitstall in front of it.
#14-Stewart, who starts 3rd took the 17th pit stall, the 1st stall with an opening in front of it.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #55-Waltrip, who starts 11th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Pit Stall Selection chart.(10-6-2012)

Links to results, practices, qualifying PDF's:
Official Race Report
Race Results
Drivers Points
Owners Points
Pitstalls
Starting Lineup
Qualifying Order
Qualifying Results
Happy Hour Practice Speeds
Practice 1 Speeds
Entry List

NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR allows a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The procedure applies to all three national series. See rule and notes on the Green-White-Checker rule page.

Wave-around rule: The wave-around rule dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around.

See Jayski's - 2012 Sprint Cup Race Results Page for pole winner, race winner with speed and starting/finishing position, links to race results, drivers & owners points, pit stall selections, qualifying results/starting lineup, practice speeds and chase stats as well as link to race track and race information page for each race

Kahne wins pole at Talladega: #5-Kasey Kahne won the pole for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway with a speed of 191.455mph for his 3rd pole of 2012 and 25th career pole.
#39-Newman will start 2nd followed by #15-Bowyer, #14-Stewart, #16-Biffle, #24-Gordon, #99-Edwards, #21-Bayne, #56-Truex, Jr., and #22-Hornish, Jr.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #21-Bayne, #30-Stremme, #26-Wise, #98-McDowell, #97-Hill, #87-Nemechek,#33-Whitt, and #23-Richardson Jr.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (0): none.
See qualifying results, starting lineup, pole progreession, go-or-go-homers on the Talladega Qualifying Page.(10-6-2012)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Talladega:
Kasey Kahne won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 44th Annual Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 with a lap of 50.017 seconds, 191.455 mph.
This is his 25th pole in 318 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his third pole and 21st top-10 start in 2012.
This is his first pole in 18 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Ryan Newman (second) posted his 17th top-10 start of 2012 and his ninth in 22 races at Talladega Superspeedway.
Clint Bowyer (third) posted his fifth top-10 start at Talladega Superspeedway. It is his 13th in 30 races this season.
Josh Wise (33rd) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
(NASCAR Statistics)(10-6-2012)

Coverage of Qualifying for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled for Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 12:15pm/et.
Television (TV): SPEED, 12:00pm/et
Scheduled Qualifying Re-Air: Saturday, October 6, 7:00pm, SPEED

Qualifying Order for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is posted. 43 cars/drivers are listed.
The first of the drivers scheduled to go out is #23-Richardson, Jr., slowest in practice.
The final driver scheduled to go out is #93-Kvapil, who was fastest in first practice.
Qualifying order is set by the first practice session, with slowest driver going out by speed and the fastest going out last. The non-top 35 drivers are now mixed in with the top-35 in owners points, slowest to fastest.
See the full qualifying order on the Talladega Qualifying Page.(10-5-2012)

Rain Out Procedures: the rain-out qualifying procedure for all three NASCAR national series is as follows: If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.

Final Friday practice for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is over after 60 scheduled minutes, the top 5, slowest and notes:
#88-Earnhardt, Jr. 197.598
#51-Busch 197.521
#99-Edwards 196.053
#17-Kenseth 195.948
#9-Ambrose 195.688
slowest: #26-Wise 188.108 & #10-Reuimann 186.550. 32 cars have been on track.
notes: Several drives are skipping the final practice, feeling the risk of damaging the cars outweighs the benefit of additional track time. There are only 43 cars at the track so everyone will make the race. Sprint Cup series qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 12:15pm/et and will be shown on SPEED.
See speeds, best top-10 average and laps run on the Talladega practice 2 speeds page (pdf).(10-5-2012)

First Friday practice for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is over after 45 scheduled minutes, the top 5, slowest and notes:
#93-Kvapil 200.452
#13-Mears 200.322
#24-Gordon 199.633
#2-Keselowski 199.562
#34-Ragan 199.554
slowest: #33-Whitt 186.947 & #23-Richardson 186.300.
notes: There are only 43 cars at the track so everyone will make the race. This practice will set the order for qualifying, which is scheduled for Saturday at 12:15pm/et and will be shown on SPEED.
See speeds, best top-10 average and laps run on the Talladega practice 1 speeds page (pdf).(10-5-2012)

The Entry List for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is posted, 44 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
The #37 of J.J. Yeley has withdrawn. There are 43 cars at the track.
Not in top 35 of owners points:
#21-Trevor Bayne (36/11)
#23-Robert Richardson, Jr. (44/27)
#26-Josh Wise (41/29)
#30-David Stremme (38/29)
#33-Cole Whitt (37/29)
#87-Joe Nemechek (42/29)
#97-Timmy Hill (54/2)
#98-Michael McDowell (40/29)
In the event that qualifying is cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #'s 21,33,30,98,26,87,23,97
missing the race would be [0]: none
See the full entry list at my Jayski's Richmond Entry List

2012 Sprint Cup Driver CHASE Championship Points Standings:
[after Dover, race 29 of 36]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski [5 wins], 2142
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 2137, -5
3) #11-Denny Hamlin [5 wins], 2126, -16
4) #15-Clint Bowyer [2 wins], 2117, -25
5) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 2110, -32
6) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins], 2110, -32
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 2103, -39
8) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 2100, -42
9) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 2096, -46
10) #24-Jeff Gordon [1 win], 2094, -48
11) #16-Greg Biffle [2 wins], 2091, -51
12) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 2070, -72
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Talladega:
#36 remains in 35th and is now 129 points ahead of 36th, the #21 team.
there virtually no chance the top-35 will change the rest of the season.
Rank) Car#-Driver/Team, owners pts, +/-
34) #32-TBA/FAS Lane Racing, 385 +152
35) #36-Yeley/Baldwin, 362 +129 ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #21-Bayne/Wood Bros., 233, -129pts out of the top 35
37) #33-Leicht/Childress-Falk, 230, 132
38) #30-Stremme/Inception, 200, -162
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see the Owners Points Standings (pdf).(9-30-2012)

Chassis selections for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500: see the list of many teams and what chassis were selected by the team to run at Talladega Superspeedway:
MISSING? why are some teams missing? like the #11, #24 or others? those teams do not report what chassis in the race previews or prs.
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Allstate team will use Chassis #1009 for Talladega. Chassis #1009 has been used previously this season at Talladega finishing 32nd.
#2-Brad Keselowski: The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-644 during Sunday's Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. This chassis is new to the No. 2 fleet.
#5-Kasey Kahne: For Sunday's race, crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-703. Kahne has raced this car to two top-10 finishes at superspeedways this season. Kahne scored a fourth-place result at Talladega in May and crossed the line seventh at Daytona in July. Kahne qualified inside the top five at both events with this car.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The No. 9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 715 for this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Talladega. This DEWALT Ford was run previously this season in the Budweiser Shootout in Daytona.
#10-David Reutimann: will pilot the No. 19 chassis this weekend. He drove the chassis to TBR's season-best finish of 11th at Daytona in July. TBR also ran the No. 19 chassis with Steve Park at Talladega Superspeedway and Geoffrey Bodine at Daytona International Speedway last season.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-565: This car debuted during Daytona Speedweeks in 2010. Its first race was the non-points Gatorade Duel, where it started 11th and led two laps before finishing second, which slotted it sixth in the Daytona 500. In the Great American Race, Chassis No. 14-565 finished 22nd. Its third career start came in April at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, where it qualified 13th and finished an unscathed 16th in the crash-marred race. It was refitted with a new body and wind-tunnel tested for its return to Daytona via July's Coke Zero 400. It performed well, as its seven laps led attest, but a multi-car accident on lap 148 collected Chassis No. 14-565 and relegated it to a 25th-place finish. The car had served as a backup ever since, but was completely rebuilt in preparation for the 2012 season. The 54th Daytona 500 marked Chassis No. 14-565's fifth career start and first since July 2010. It performed admirably, finishing 16th after leading two laps. It sat idle for the series' second restrictor-plate race of the year at Talladega, but returned to action in July for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona where it rallied from its 42nd-place starting spot to lead twice for 22 laps en route to the win.
#15-Clint Bowyer: Primary chassis No. 705 finished eighth in the season opening Budweiser Shootout. No. 705 also served as backup for the Spring Talladega and July Daytona races. Backup chassis No. 709 finished 11th in the Daytona 500.
#16-Greg Biffle: Primary: RK-798 Brand new chassis; Backup: RK-794 Last ran Bud Shootout - finished sixth
#17-Matt Kenseth: Primary: RK-793 (Last run at Daytona)
#22-Sam Hornish, Jr.: and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing No. 22 Team will be utilizing the "PRS-646" SKF Dodge Charger this weekend at Talladega. It is a new car that has never been raced. The "PRS-626" will serve as the backup car. It was the Dodge Charger that the "Double-Deuce" crew used as a backup for both Daytona races and the spring Talladega race this season.
#27-Paul Menard: will pilot Chassis No. 388 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend's Good Sam Road Assistance 500. This Chevrolet was last raced at Daytona International Speedway in July, where he started 13th and finished 14th. It was also utilized earlier this season at Talladega Superspeedway (May) where Menard finished 17th and in the 2012 Daytona 500 where he drove it to a sixth-place finish.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will pilot Chassis No.387 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend's Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500. Built new for competition in 2012, Harvick raced this Chevrolet to a seventh-place finish in the season's kickoff event, the Daytona 500, after starting from the 13th-position.
#31-Jeff Burton: will race Chassis No. 343 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. This chassis, built in 2011 for RCR's No. 29 entry with driver Kevin Harvick, competed in three superspeedway events last season including the Daytona 500 where an engine failure relegated Harvick to a 42nd-place finish. Harvick also guided this machine to a top-five finish at Talladega in April 2011 and a top-10 finish in last season's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Burton got behind the wheel of this Chevrolet in the 2012 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona where he was involved in an early incident, but battled to an 11th-place finish. He also brought home a top-10 finish at Talladega in April and a runner-up effort in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in July.
#36-Dave Blaney: will pilot the No. 331 chassis, a new chassis made by Richard Childress Racing during the off-season. He drove the chassis in this year's Daytona 500, where he led six laps and finished in 15th place, and in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, where he finished 22nd. Reutimann drove the chassis at Talladega and finished 22nd in the event.
#39-Ryan Newman: Chassis No. 39-606: Chassis 39-606 has four combined starts at the two restrictor-plate tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule  three at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and one at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. In its four previous starts, the chassis' best effort came at Daytona this past July, when Newman qualified on the outside pole and finished fifth. Prior to that, Newman's best effort came in October 2010 when, after qualifying eighth, he attempted to make a late-race charge but had to settle for 23rd. That result marked the first superspeedway finish for the driver and team in more than a year. The chassis returned to Talladega in April 2011. Newman, who had one of the strongest racecars in the field, was spun twice in two laps  due to bump drafts gone bad  with just a handful of laps remaining. While he was able to save his racecar from damage, the incidents put him too far back in the pack. He finished 25th. The car returned to Talladega this past May, but Newman never had the chance to show how strong his car was as his engine expired after 42 laps.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: Crew Chief Chris "Shine" Heroy and the No. 42 Target team will travel to Talladega with Chassis #1204. This chassis will make its season debut this weekend in Talladega.
#43-Aric Almirola:: The No. 43 team has prepared chassis No. 716 for Talladega. This chassis also ran at the team's first race at Talladega this season.
#48-Jimmie Johnson:: Chassis No. 698 serves as the primary for Johnson at Talladega. Chassis No. 482 serves as the backup.
#88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: This weekend at Talladega, crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-699. Earnhardt raced this chassis three times this season, collecting an average 8.7th-place finish at the two restrictor-plate racetracks on the schedule: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (second-place in February and 15th-place in July) and Talladega Superspeedway (ninth in May).
#99-Carl Edwards: RK-792 - Last raced in the Daytona July; finished 6th
(from team PR's/sites if reported)(10-4-2012)

Tire:
Goodyear Eagle Superspeedway Radials (Sprint Cup);
Goodyear Wrangler Superspeedway Radials (Camping World Truck)

Set limits:
Sprint Cup: 4 sets for practice/qualifying, 6 sets for the race;
Camping World Truck: 4 sets for the event

Number of Tires:
Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 875, Right-side -- 875;
Camping World Truck: Left-side -- 325, Right-side -- 325

Tire Codes:
Left-side -- D-4138; Right-side -- D-4412

Tire Circumference:
Left-side -- 87.9 in. (2,233 mm);
Right-side -- 88.4 in. (2,247 mm)

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
Right Front -- 55 psi; Right Rear -- 50 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 27 psi; Left Rear -- 27 psi;
Right Front -- 50 psi; Right Rear -- 50 psi

Notes: Teams in both NASCAR series in action at Talladega this weekend will run the same tire codes, though the Sprint Cup tires will be branded "Goodyear Eagle," while the Camping World Truck tires will be branded "Goodyear Wrangler" . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that teams in NASCAR's top three series have run at Talladega since the beginning of 2011 . . . NASCAR teams have also run this same tire set-up at Daytona over the last two seasons . . . this left-side tire code (D-4138) has been run by Sprint Cup teams at Talladega since 2009 . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Talladega . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.