NASCAR Talladega 2016: Preview, lineup, starting grid for Alabama 500

There is a scenario where Chase Elliott could qualify on points for the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup and not be eliminated following Sunday’s quarterfinal elimination race at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

It would require such a sequence of events that even labeling it as unlikely isn’t really an accurate descriptor. As Elliott is 25 points behind the cutoff to be one of eight drivers transferring to the semifinal round, and would not only need to finish 25 positions higher than Joey Logano and Austin Dillon, currently tied for eighth, but also leapfrog the two drivers between himself and Logano and Dillon.

That’s a lot to ask, and it’s why Elliott’s only way to avoid elimination is to win the Hellmann’s 500, regardless of where he may rank in points afterward. Anything less, and the rookie’s playoff will almost certainly end.

“Pretty simplistic situation for this weekend: Have to have a really good run, if not have to win,” Elliott said.

Had the schedule not taken NASCAR’s top division to Talladega this weekend, Elliott would stand a reasonable chance to win. The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports car has consistently been among the fastest since the Chase began last month, with Elliot leading the fourth-most laps among the 16 drivers who earned playoff berths.

But due to the variances brought about by the use of restrictor-plates, drivers don’t always have full control of their destiny at Talladega, where the variables in determining who wins and loses are more than other Chase tracks.

One of those factors is that a driver must have someone willing to work with them as a drafting partner. To give a push to the front, or to act as a protector to help fend off a challenger. Without the proverbial wingman, a driver can be vulnerable.

Luckily for Elliott, teammate Jimmie Johnson has already pledged to serve as Elliott’s companion in helping him navigate the rigors of plate racing. The six-time Sprint Cup champion volunteered for the role immediately after winning the second round opener at Charlotte Motor Speedway to assure advancement to the semifinals.

“Talladega is probably the one place I can help him,” Johnson said.

The nuances of working together at Talladega can vary. When Joey Logano, who like Johnson had already clinched a spot in Round 3, helped Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski come through in a must-win situation he found himself two years ago, he did so by essentially shadowing Keselowski, pushing him wherever Keselowski felt he needed to go. The effort paid off with Keselowski winning to automatically advance.

“Our main goal was to get Brad through,” Logano said. “There was a lot of talk about how we help each other and how we can put him in position to make the moves at the end of the race. I gave him my commitment that I was gonna be there for him. I was gonna push him along. I was gonna do everything that I knew how to do to help him win.”

Neither Logano nor Keselowski are secured to advance, and both conceivably could be knocked out of the Chase on Sunday. Nonetheless the commitment to assist one another remains -- at least until the final laps when all bets are off.

“We’re good teammates,” Logano said. “We’re gonna race each other and we’re gonna help each other like we do every single week.

“But, it’s something Brad and I need to have an understanding that, ‘Hey, yeah, we’re gonna help each other as much as we can, but we both kind of have to win.’”

One set of teammates not expected to be drafting buddies is Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch. Harvick won last week at Kansas Speedway to solidify that he’ll continue racing for the championship into the next round, while Busch sits 17 points above the cutline.

In an SHR meeting amongst its four crew chiefs Friday, it was determined Harvick and Busch would each run their own respective race. And if for whatever reason Busch lost the draft and required help getting back up front, the task will fall on SHR’s other drivers, Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick, to aid Busch unless Harvick is in the vicinity.

But similar to Johnson, Stewart promised to be Busch’s Talladega guardian angel if the need arises. Though it should be noted Stewart’s desire is more than just being a good teammate; as the co-owner of SHR he also has a financial stake in Busch advancing.

“All I care about is Kurt,” Stewart told reporters at a Mobil 1 event on Wednesday. “I’ll sit in the back, and I’ll cruise. That way if they have a bad pit stop or get disconnected from the pack, I’ll be back there to pick him up and make sure we get him back where he needs to be.”

HELLMANN’s 500 LINEUP