Chase Elliott earns pole 30 years almost to day father Bill did it at Talladega

Chase Elliott continued his dominance as a top qualifier at restrictor plate racetracks, capturing the pole for Sunday’s Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Elliott, who won the pole for this year’s season-opening Daytona 500, earned his second straight plate track pole position with a speed of 192.661 mph in Saturday’s Sprint Cup qualifying at NASCAR’s longest (2.66 miles) and biggest track.

It also came almost 30 years to the day — May 4, 1986 — that Chase’s father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, sat on the pole for the then-Winston Cup race at Talladega (although the elder Elliott finished 24th in that race).

“That’s a really cool stat, Dad sat on the pole on this day 30 years ago,” Chase Elliott said. “This is definitely a special place for him and it’s cool to get that done today.”

As for the younger Elliott, he reveled in his 192.661 mph qualifying performance.

“As I said in Daytona, this has got nothing to do with me,” Chase Elliott said. “It’s the same car we had at Daytona and brought another fast one here.”

But Elliott also hopes for a much better finish Sunday than he had at Daytona (crashed and finished 38th).

The race last time at Daytona didn’t go so good,” Chase Elliott said. “Hopefully, I take what I learned and cut down on the mistakes I made in the Daytona 500.

“Our first goal is to get to the end of the race, and if we get there, to be smart.”

Ty Dillon qualified second (192.424 mph), followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (192.293), Matt Kenseth (192.181) and six-time champion Jimmie Johnson (192.116).

A total of 41 drivers attempted to qualify, with Josh Wise falling short.

NASCAR on NBC podcast, Episode XIII: Michael Waltrip

Michael Waltrip, who will interrupt his Fox Sports job to race this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, was the guest of a bonus episode of the NASCAR on NBC podcast.

The two-time Daytona 500 winner will be driving a No. 55 for Premium Motorsports at the 2.66-mile oval, where his last of four Sprint Cup wins (all on restrictor-plate tracks) occurred in September 2003.

Waltrip, who turns 53 Saturday, finished 30th in the season-opening Daytona 500. He believes with the proper car, he still could win.

“Yes, I think I could,” he said. “I also know I don’t have the opportunity to get in a car that’s there.

“The car I raced at Daytona and Talladega was built in the middle of 2015 at (Michael Waltrip Racing). The research and development and engineering and processes that the top teams have gone through since then have made their cars way faster than my car. But I did win, and I had a good run for a while with a car that was capable of it. I relish those memories and am thankful for them.”

As an analyst on Sprint Cup pre- and postrace shows and the Camping World Truck Series for Fox, Waltrip says getting behind the wheel informs his work on TV.

“I know it does week in and week out, despite the fact the racing style is different” at Daytona and Talladega, Waltrip said. “You have to make pit stops, you have to read the digital dash, you have to work with your spotter, you have to hit your pit road speed perfectly. You have to do all the jobs they do every week.

“The product on the track is different, but you’re doing the same things to win Richmond or any event. I know it keeps me current and tuned in to what they’re doing on the track.”

Waltrip already has insight into this year’s dominant team, Joe Gibbs Racing, which seems to have benefited with the addition of Furniture Row Racing in the Toyota Racing Development fold. Michael Waltrip Racing was one of TRD’s original teams and worked with JGR to lesser success from 2008-15.

“Our team could have meshed in as an organization with Gibbs as Furniture Row has, but I think the philosophy of (co-owner) Rob (Kauffman) and our team didn’t quite match up with the way Joe looked at the racing,” Waltrip said. “(Joe Gibbs) and (Furniture Row owner) Barney (Visser), it’s perfect, because Barney is, ‘What do we have to spend to win?’ And that’s the way Joe looks at it. So instead of meshing them together and saving money, they’ve meshed it together, and now we spend more. That’s the way you have to be in NASCAR.”

Waltrip also discusses how much longer he wants to race part time in Sprint Cup, the importance of teammates and the rest of his professional life.

You can listen to the podcast by clicking below or download and subscribe to it on iTunes by clicking here. The free subscription will provide automatic downloads of new episodes to your smartphone. It also is available on Stitcher by clicking here.

Five drivers to watch at Talladega Superspeedway

Here are the drivers to keep an eye on this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway:

88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Over his last 10 plate races, Dale Jr. has notched three victories, including two in his past five plate races. In regards to Loop Data at Talladega, he’s tops in Average Running Position (13.6) and Laps in Top 15 (63.8 %) since the inception of Loop Data in 2005.

48-Jimmie Johnson

Johnson has been hit-or-miss recently in Talladega results with finishes of 13th, 23rd, 24th, 2nd, and 18th in his last five races there. However, during that span, he’s averaged 43 laps led per race – and that’s even with just two laps led in Spring 2014.

11-Denny Hamlin

Hamlin led 95 laps on the way to his Daytona 500 win in February. It makes up a good chunk of the 148 laps he’s led over his last 10 restrictor-plate races. Nonetheless, he’s posted seven Top-10 finishes during that stretch (which includes not just his Daytona win but also a Talladega win in Spring 2014).

19-Carl Edwards

Edwards comes off back-to-back wins but has never won a restrictor-plate race in his Cup career. However, he may finally be up for it after producing fifth-place finishes in his last two plate races (Talladega – Fall 2015 and 2016 Daytona 500). Edwards also is looking to pull off his first three-race win streak ever.

20-Matt Kenseth

Will Talladega bring the big result that Kenseth’s been missing this season? Kenseth has led the most laps (314) over the last 10 Talladega races (which includes a 2012 win). However, he’s led a combined five laps over his last four ‘Dega starts, which have seen him finish 37th, 2nd, 25th, and 26th.

Darrell Wallace Jr. tops first Xfinity Series practice at Talladega

Roush Fenway Racing swept the top two spots in the Xfinity Series’ first practice for Saturday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Darrell Wallace Jr. led the session with an average speed of 192.413 mph. He was followed by teammate Ryan Reed at 192.355 mph.

Filling out the top five were Ty Dillon (191.827), Matt Tifft (191.670) and Austin Dillon (190.061).

There were no accidents during the session. The second Xfinity Series practice is set for 1:30 p.m. ET.

Speed chart

Ty Dillon focused on final ride in Tony Stewart’s No. 14 car

That Ty Dillon will race in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway is what he was hoping for a year ago.

He just didn’t think it would be in a relief role.

“I was hoping to maybe be full-time this year in the Sprint Cup Series by this time last year,’’ the 24-year-old said Friday. “That’s where I had my goals set. The opportunity didn’t come along.’’

Unable to secure sponsorship, Dillon instead is racing full-time in the Xfinity Series for Richard Childress Racing. He entered the weekend third in the standings behind series leader Daniel Suarez and Elliott Sadler.

Dillon will appear in his sixth Cup race Sunday when he relieves Stewart after the first caution, if not sooner. It will mark Dillon’s final appearance in the No. 14 car for Stewart-Haas Racing with Stewart scheduled to return to full-time duty next weekend at Kansas Speedway.

Dillon has driven three races for Stewart-Haas and two races for Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing this Cup season. His best finish is 15th at Phoenix, driving Stewart’s car.

“I can’t thank Stewart-Haas and their organization enough for giving me the opportunity to fill in this year with Tony being out,’’ Dillon said. “Not only has it helped me with my career and getting better as race car driver but it’s helped me show people that I can get the job done.’’

Dillon is scheduled to drive the first Cup practice today in Stewart’s car and qualify the car Saturday before taking over from Stewart during Sunday’s race.

“I feel like I’m ready to be in the (Cup) series full-time as a driver, mentally and physically, but this year I’m focused on winning the Xfinity championship to make my prospects a little bit better,’’ he said.

Should Dillon win as a relief driver Sunday, it would provide the victory Stewart would need to qualify for the Chase — upon climbing into the top 30 in points. Dillon was asked what that would mean.

“First of all, it would mean I won a Sprint Cup race, and I would be pretty excited to begin with,’’ Dillon said. “On top of that, to be able to get Tony a step closer to be locked into the Chase would be really cool. I haven’t started a race without the goal of winning in my entire career. That’s where my focus is.

“If it all comes together and we do win the race, I’m sure it will be a heck of a party and everybody is going to be happy.’’

Celebration of Dale Earnhardt’s birthday takes place today

On what would have been Dale Earnhardt’s 65th birthday, fans are being invited to Dale Earnhardt Inc. today in Mooresville, North Carolina, to celebrate the annual Dale Earnhardt Day.

Items from Earnhardt’s past and that of DEI will be on display, and the Grand Showroom also will be open to the public in honor of the seven-time NASCAR champion who died on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. This year’s celebration includes the first public viewing of a life-sized statute of Dale Earnhardt by artist Jason Fizer of Roanoke, Virginia.

The Dale Earnhardt Foundation will be accepting good used or new books to benefit the Salvation Army’s Center of Hope in Charlotte, North Carolina.

On Earnhardt’s birthday, here are some memorable moments to recall in Hall of Famer’s driving career:

Earnhardt’s 76th and final Cup win came in the 2000 fall race at Talladega Superspeedway. He went from 18th to first in the last five laps to win:

Here is Earnhardt’s interview after winning the 1998 Daytona 500:

Earnhardt collected his record-tying seventh series championship by winning the title at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina, in 1994.

Here is the dramatic finish in the 1999 Bristol night race where Earnhardt made contact with Terry Labonte on the final lap, meaning only to “rattle his cage.”

NASCAR America: David Ragan: ‘Talladgea is a great equalizer’

David Ragan‘s Talladega win in 2013 opens up a possibility for another upset this weekend with BK Racing. Ragan discusses the need for consistency and the new lug nut rule and how the teams will have to adapt.