Talladega tango: You can’t win this dance on your own

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Kyle Larson arrives at Talladega as the points leader, but can he finally get a win at a Superspeedway?

Larson started on the front row at the spring race, but ended up 40th (last place) and claiming only one point after being involved in an accident.

Another outing like that on Sunday would fade the No. 5 team’s chance at a third NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

In 23 career Cup Series starts at Talladega, Larson has only managed two top-fives, two of which have come in the last four races.

Some more encouraging numbers for Larson fans — he only has two DNFs in the last 10 races at Talladega.

Larson needs to simply manage the race, while other Chase contenders need to make big gains.

Even without help from a teammate, sometimes the only help you need is from lady luck.

There are seven drivers truly within striking distance of this year’s championship, separated by only 56 points. A combination of skill and luck will decide how the points look come Sunday evening.

Tyler Reddick has shown he can win at Superspeedways, and will likely need to win again in order to close that 56-point gap.

Yet, there are non-Chase drivers who could easily win. Carson Hocevar had his memorable win just this past spring. Plus, veteran drivers like Brad Keselowski have the experience to get it done as well.

You can hear analysis from Andrew Gorton and Tyler Head from EchoPark Speedway on this week’s episode of the Inside Lane.