Why top drivers fear Talladega

KANSAS CITY -- This year's Chase for the Championship has turned into a three-man battle between Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle as the top three are separated by just 30 points.

But instead of a gigantic boost of confidence, these three feel a high degree of apprehension and anxiety because they know what awaits them.

Talladega.

It's the one track that strikes fear into every driver in NASCAR. It's the one place where the leader of the Chase can leave in a tangled mess of sheet metal on the back of a hook of a tow truck because of another driver's mistake.

Yes, fear of the "Big One" is in the back of the minds of Johnson, Edwards and Biffle as they attempt to further distance themselves from the other nine drivers in the Chase.

That's the one thing that can get drivers in fourth through ninth positions back into the battle for the title. As it is, fourth-place Jeff Burton is already 121 points out of the lead, with Kevin Harvick 136 back, Jeff Gordon 143 out, Clint Bowyer 164 back, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 190 behind and Matt Kenseth 192 out of first place.

As for the three drivers at the top of the standings, they would rather pay some money just to skip Talladega.

"If somebody said, 'Will you take 10th at Talladega right now, you don't have to run the race,' I'd take it in a heartbeat," Edwards said after finishing second to Johnson Sunday at Kansas Speedway. "I would pay a million dollars for it because you just don't know what is going to happen there.

"If I have a shot to win the thing, it could be awesome. But that place, there is a lot that you can't control and you have to respect that."

When it comes to racing, Johnson is about as cool as they come. While some drivers make easy things look spectacular, Johnson makes spectacular things look easy. But mention the Chase race at Talladega and Johnson gets nervous.

"I don't even want to think about it because I don't want to stress out about it," Johnson said. "Before qualifying on Friday at Kansas, I was going over some of my scheduling and looked at my calendar and it said Talladega. I said, Damnit, it is here. It's coming up."

According to Johnson, a driver has to make two choices at Talladega -- are you safest if you are leading or are you safest if you are running dead last?

"I don't want to stress about that yet," Johnson said. "I was two turns from winning that race two years ago with a teammate pushing me and I thought I was in the catbird seat -- the worst I could finish was second, and then my teammate [Brian Vickers] wrecked me and won the race.

"I would not rule fear out. I know race drivers like to sound tough and say there is no fear out there but there is a whole year's worth of work on the line out there.

"I fear what could happen at Talladega."