When NASCAR makes its way into Talladega Superspeedway, it’s always best to expect the unexpected.
During the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series latest visit to one of the biggest tracks on the schedule, it was starting to turn into Talladega Nights — just not the Ricky Bobby story. In Sunday’s Aaron’s 499, it may have taken the entire day to get the race into the history books, but it didn’t come without surprises and a Cinderella finish.
While drivers headed into the unexpected, the race at Talladega certainly provided plenty of action, even the expected “big one” despite the long rain delay. Mother nature made her presence known, but it didn’t stop the Cup Series drivers from going on the track for the win.
The day featured plenty, from the return of Denny Hamlin, the big wrecks, many potential championship competitors losing ground, as well as great finishes for the underdogs.
The day may have not gone the way that drivers like Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, or even Danica Patrick would have wanted. Patrick could have used the race at Talladega to capture a good finish and recover some of her season. For others like Tony Stewart and Newman, the race at Talladega just kept adding more to the list of disappointments of the season.
When the race was all said and done, the night’s biggest feel-good story came when David Ragan made it to victory lane. With the win at Talladega, not only did Ragan get himself back into the winners circle, but he captured a huge win for the underdogs along with his teammate David Gilliland for the 1-2 finish.
The top two finishes by the Front Row Motorsports teammates kept previous winners like Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, and Matt Kenseth from getting another win in the year. NASCAR had not had an upset victory since Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500. Despite the rain and the wrecks, the night’s winner certainly brought the day’s biggest surprise.
Christy Valdez is a NASCAR writer for Rant Sports. Follow her on Twitter @Knowursports and on Facebook at On The Sidelines With Christy
