Simple math reveals that only 12.5 percent of this week’s field can earn a top-five; 37.5 percent will finish in the top 15 so the competition for those spots in intense.
(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Drivers will do almost anything to earn one of those positions. That includes trying to occupy the same piece of real estate as their competitor. Instead of mathematic, physics applies here: no two objects can occupy the same place at the same time. When they try, something catastrophic occurs. Since practically every car running on the track is in one big pack, the likelihood of an accident impacting one’s entire roster is in the 90 percent range.
On several occasions, an accident at Talladega has affected 50 percent or more of the active field, which means that unless one is incredibly lucky, half of one’s fantasy roster is going to sustain some damage.
There are steps that can be taken to minimize the destruction once a “Big One” erupts. Some drivers and teams have a knack for keeping their cars running with dented sheet metal, but races at Talladega and Daytona are really about luck and very little else.
These fantasy contests employ a strategy that does not get used elsewhere. Since a mid-priced driver has just as much likelihood of scoring the victory as the most expensive driver in the game, it does not make any sense to spend freely at the top. Kevin Harvick has one win at Talladega, but then again so does David Ragan.
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