Since Richard Childress drove in the inaugural race at Talladega Superspeedway in 1969 – finishing 23rd – perhaps it’s appropriate that his cars would be among the favorites to win Sunday’s Aaron’s 499.
Richard Childress Racing swept both Talladega races a year ago, breaking a nine-year ’Dega drought that followed Dale Earnhardt’s Winston 500 victory in the fall of 2000.
Kevin Harvick won last spring’s Aaron’s 499 and narrowly missed a sweep as RCR teammate Clint Bowyer grabbed the lead on the final lap of the track’s fall race.
Ironically, Harvick and Bowyer are the only drivers out of the RCR stable besides Earnhardt to score a Talladega victory. Nine of Earnhardt’s 10 Talladega triumphs were with RCR, bringing the team’s total to 11 – most by any owner at the 2.66-mile Alabama track.
Winning plate races is an ebb-and-flow proposition. Childress’ organization has the hot hand at present with three victories in the past four races at Talladega and Daytona. Harvick also won the 2007 Daytona 500 and posted back-to-back Budweiser Shootout victories in 2009-10.
Six times in this decade a team has swept both Talladega races: Childress in 2010, Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, Hendrick Motorsports in 2006-07 and Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2002-03.
RCR has won the Aaron’s 499 four times.
Whether Harvick or Bowyer can do a Talladega double, however, is open to question. Talladega hasn’t seen a repeat winner in its past seven races. Jeff Gordon was the last to win Talladega back-to-back, taking both races in 2007. Six different drivers have found Victory Lane since then.
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