After getting home last night from a long 3 day weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, it was time to reflect on all 3 of the races. In my personal opinion, Yesterdays GEICO 500 MENCS race was one of the most intense races at Talladega from start to finish that I have ever seen in 30 consecutive years.
Actually, from Fridays final practice session, all the way through the checkered flag falling when Chase Elliott secured his first points paying superspeedway win, this, overall, was one of the most intense weekends of action I have ever seen.
The first practice session was, to me, fairly commonplace. One that you would normally see at Talladega. When NASCAR made the rule changes to get the RPM level of the engines down, franticness set in. Gear changes, plus the one inch wicker, actually made the new aero package that much better in my opinion. Drag was actually decreased, and the holes punched into the air got that much larger.
This was a defacto Gander Outdoors Truck series race in my opinion. One thing we all know for a fact: some of the most intense action on superspeedways, up until now, has been produced by the truck series. Whether its been at Daytona or Talladega, the GOTS races have been stellar.
One thing I’m not afraid to say is they might not have it 100% right on the money yet for intermediate tracks, but NASCAR has hit a grand slam on the aero rules for superspeedways. The intensity level was through the roof for the entire race, and that is exactly what was needed for the Cup series. A good shot in the arm of pure, 100% intensity.
One final observation made from yesterday, the Intensity level on the track showed in the stands, as well as the infield.
To paraphrase the motto for the grand facility that Grant Lynch and Russell Branham have coined ….
Yesterday was more than a race….. IT WAS TALLADEGA! And it was Talladega at its grandest form. The 50th year for the ol’ gal started on the right foot…..