NASCAR charges into Talladega for unpredictable playoff race
By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — NASCAR’s playoffs shift to Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday for the middle race of the second round. Denny Hamlin is the only driver locked into the round of eight and is the defending race winner. Drivers are on edge ahead of Talladega because of the unpredictability of the 2.66-mile superspeedway and chaos that can come from one small mistake made by even one driver. The field of 12 drivers will be trimmed to eight after next week’s race in Charlotte. A win at Talladega earns an automatic spot into the third round.