A little more to think about while waiting for ... Monday's race at Talladega to get rolling ...
JUST THE FACTS
What: Aaron's 499.
When: Noon Monday.
Weather: Who knows by then?
Purse: $5,951,372.
TV: Fox Sports.
Radio: Motor Racing Network.
ABOUT THE TRACK
Race distance: 500 miles (188 laps).
Track length: 2.66 miles.
banking: 33 degrees in the turns, 18 degrees on the frontstretch, 2 degrees on the backstretch.
PICKS
David Poole
Jimmie Johnson - Plate-race success seems to come in streaks, and he won at Daytona to start the season.
Jim Utter
Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Conspiracy theorists are already sure that the fix is in for the black No. 8.
Bob Henry
Tony Stewart - Might be ready to climb another fence.
SURE THING
It certainly seems certain that Tony Stewart is long overdue to get a victory at Talladega. Stewart has finished sixth or better here nine times and has finished second five times without winning, including each of last year's races.
DARK HORSE
Michael Waltrip is outside the top 35 in car owner points, so he had to make the field on speed in Saturday's qualifying. He did that, running the second fastest lap among the "go or go home" cars. "I believe I can win the race now that I am in it," said Waltrip, who has one win, one second-place and two third-place finishes here in his career.
THE LAST WORD
"If I ain't in the front, I just try to get there."
- Dale Earnhardt Jr., on his Talladega racing strategy.
