The unpredictable high banks of Talladega return to the NASCAR calendar this weekend. As expected, Ryan Blaney is unsurprisingly a favorite to repeat his 2023 fortunes at the Talladega Superspeedway. 

But carrying momentum from his Texas win last weekend, familiar superspeedway rival Chase Elliott, also sets his sights on a ‘Dega victory, aiming to recapture past championship glory. Although many may speculate, only a select few can truly determine the outcome of Sunday’s race. And in pre-race interviews, Chase answered an important question, on behalf of this exclusive group of the world’s premier stock car racing drivers.

Chase Elliott faces “64-dollar” strategic dilemma at Talladega

Bob Pockrass of FOX was the one to ask this all-important question to the 6x MPD award recipient. But to gain some context, out of Hendrick Motorsports’ five race wins, Chase Elliott is responsible for the most recent one while teammate William Byron kicked off Rick Hendrick and team’s 40th anniversary season, with his inaugural Daytona 500 victory. It is important to remember that both these triumphs came at the hands of some final lap wreckage.

Therefore, it was only fair that Pockrass would ask Elliott this question: “On the last lap. If you’re near the front do you assume that it’s going to go to the finish and that’s the way you plan your strategy or do you have to plan that there’s going to be more than likely a wreck on the backstretch, and as far as where you need to be?”

Chase Elliott called this a “$64 question” as he explained, “I don’t know. I think, for me, personally I look at it like it’s going to go to the finish and try to position yourself where you want to be when you get back to the Finish Line. It’s just, that’s a really hard thing to guess like when a wreck is going to happen. If it’s going to happen.” 

Elliott then jokingly deflected the question toward three-time Talladega champion, Ryan Blaney. “Ask (Ryan) Blaney, because I feel like he’s won about the last 15 races here, and should have won about 14 Daytona 500s. So whatever he does, I feel like is the right thing.”

However, the 2020 champ seriously clarified his assumed approach, “But for me, personally. I look at it like we’re coming back to the checkered flag if I’m up in the mix.” Elliott also explained, “If I’m leading, you know I’m obviously okay with it going either way and I think if you’re anything past that. You certainly want it to go back to the line.”

On the other hand, William Byron might have a different perspective. As a part of both wrecks, as well as three race wins that helped Hendrick Motorsports extend a dominant record this season, Elliott’s #24 teammate could be primed to play last-lap spoiler for both the #9 driver, as well as Ryan Blaney’s victory lane expectations on Sunday.

Teammate makes a case for victory despite last-lap mishaps

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Elliott breaking a 42-race winless streak at Texas made major headlines. But on his way to a fourth podium finish this season, Byron also made headlines, albeit for an entirely different reason. Similar to the last lap debacle at Daytona, courtesy of another Hendrick teammate, Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain found himself spinning out of a potential podium finish at last Sunday’s Cup race at Texas. However, Byron drove through Chastain this time, in a bid to maintain his top-5 spot in the drivers’ standings. Nevertheless, with two superspeedway wins in his short six-season Cup Series career, Byron certainly makes a strong case for himself at the GEICO 500.

But, as Elliott prepares to add his second alongside Byron’s third race win this season, it is also important to note that Chase’s last victory on a 2.5-mile and above oval came after a tireless battle with Ryan Blaney, at the very same Talladega Superspeedway. Prophetically, the #12 Dark Horse driver emerged victorious the following year at the very same race, en route to a 2023 Cup Series championship.

Will we see more of the same on Sunday? Talladega now has another critical question to answer.