Ask Sterling Marlin which track on the Nextel Cup circuit is his favorite, and he’ll most likely respond with Daytona International Speedway, crediting his back-to-back Daytona 500 wins as the reason.
But if Marlin’s statistics at Talladega Superspeedway are any indication, the veteran driver could add the 2.66-mile monster oval to that list of favorite tracks.
Marlin has collected two wins, 10 top fives and 17 top 10s at Talladega’s restrictor-plate track. He’s also posted three pole positions and 11 top-five starts. Add those numbers to his Daytona stats, which equal a combined five wins, 22 top fives, and 38 top 10s, and it becomes obvious why Marlin is a fan of superspeedways.
“I’ve always seem to run well at the superspeedway tracks, ” said Marlin, who will make his 43rd start at Talladega when he takes the green flag in Sunday’s Aaron’s 499. “If it weren’t for all the accidents that these tracks are known for, I’d have a lot more wins than that. ”
Since joining Ginn Racing at the start of the 2006 season, Marlin’s No. 14 Chevy has been a magnet for disaster at the superspeedways.
For example, while challenging for his third Daytona 500 win last year, Marlin was caught in the aftermath of a multi-car accident with fewer than 10 laps remaining. In both events at Talladega last year, Marlin’s machine was damaged in pileups—one as early as Lap 10 of 189.
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