Talladega, Alabama
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| Jamie Squire/Getty Images |
| 2004 DATES |
| Aaron's 499 |
April 25 |
| EA SPORTS 500 |
October 3 |
| TRACK SPECS |
| 2.66 mile Tri-Oval |
| Banking/Turns: 33 degrees |
| Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees |
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Change the name to TallaDEIga. In these days of parity, no team has dominated at one track like the boys at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Dale Jr. ripped off four straight wins on the Alabama track. Follow that up with Michael Waltrip's win last September and it's clear that the DEI teams are the dominant force in restrictor plate racing. Of the two DEI drivers, we'll go with Dale Jr. as our top pick. Earnhardt has one major concern for 2004. He has won so many races at Talladega, it's hard to find drafting partners beyond Waltrip.
"The Big One" is the great equalizer. Only drivers who can run up front all day and miss the multi-car pileup will have a legitimate shot to win. With that in mind, the other drivers to watch are Michael Waltrip, Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick. Watch for the Childress cars to challenge the DEI cars at all four plate tracks, as they've stepped up their plate program.
Robby Gordon is our white-knuckled darkhorse. If Gordon and Harvick can learn to swallow their pride and work together, they have an excellent shot to steal a Talladega victory. However, that's a big 'if.'
 | To purchase the 2004 Racing Preview from Athlon Sports, click here |
