Talladega Superspeedway presents one of the great unknowns of NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup.

The race is known to breed hopes and dash title dreams with one false move. It's also a place where the two-car tandems will be in play, though NASCAR has tweaked a couple of rules for this race – including enlarging the restrictor plate – that could alter the nature of that.

The chaotic nature of this race is evidenced in the unusually high number of unfinished events at this track on many of the Chase drivers resumes. So who should fare well this weekend? Here is a look at how the title contenders have traditionally fared at the track:

The series points leader is looking to avoid trouble and continue to distance himself from the field in this race.

In 14 Talladega starts, the Roush Fenway Racing driver has four top-10 finishes, only one of them a top five. He has five DNFs and an average finish of 20.9 at the track, where he has led 24 laps.

Harvick is certainly holding his own in the Chase this year, and has the experience in this format to rally in the closing races.

He also has the experience to manage this tough track. Harvick is the only Chase driver who has been running at the finish in each of his Talladega starts.

In 21 starts at the track, the Richard Childress Racing driver has won the pole position once and won a race once. He has 10 top-10 finishes, six of them top fives, with an average finish of 14.3. He has led 129 laps at the track.

Kenseth is quietly and stealthily working his way into contention in the championship battle. The 2003 champ is hoping to continue that advance this weekend.

In 23 Talladega starts, Kenseth and his Roush Fenway Racing team have six top-10 finishes, three of them top fives. He has four DNFs and brings an average finish of 19.3 into the race. He has led 167 laps there.

A runner-up in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series races last weekend at Charlotte, Busch is looking to gain that one more spot this weekend.

Unfortunately, Talladega has not always been kind to the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. For him, it's kind of been a feast-or-famine endeavor. In 13 starts there, he has one win, but has only two total top-10 finishes. He has five DNFs with an average finish of 24.2 at a track where he has led 134 laps.

Watch out for Stewart this weekend. The veteran has proven to have as solid of a grasp on finishing well at this track as most of the Chase field.

In 25 starts, the Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner/driver has one win. He has 12 top-10 finishes, nine of them top fives. Despite the fact that he has five DNFs at Talladega, Stewart has an overall average finish of 15.5 with 270 laps led.

Keselowski earned his first career Sprint Cup win at this track, but hasn't always enjoyed a perfect outing there.

The Penske Racing driver has five Talladega starts. He has the win, one of his trio of top-10 finishes. Keselowski also has one DNF, for an average finish of 17.2 at the track.

Busch is still looking for his first win at the track, but overall he's turned in some outstanding finishes there.

The Penske Racing driver brings an impressive overall record at the track into this race. In 21 starts there, he has 13 top-10 finishes, six of them top fives. While he has three DNFs, he brings an impressive average finish of 13.9 into the race weekend. He has led 132 laps at Talladega.

The five-time champion is enduring an unusual number of setbacks in his attempt to snare a sixth title. Can he beat the odds with a strong Talladega showing?

Sure he can. In 19 starts at the track, Johnson has earned one pole position. He has two wins at the track and brings nine top-10 finishes into the race, five of them top fives. Johnson also has seven DNFs at Talladega, but still holds an overall average finish of 16.4.

This weekend presents Earnhardt Jr. with perhaps his greatest remaining chance to win a race this season. After all, he has long been a master of restrictor-plate racing, though it has changed in recent years.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver has five wins in 23 starts at Talladega. He has 12 top-10 finishes, nine of them top fives, with five DNFs at Talladega. Overall, he has an average finishing position of 14.6 at the track and has paced the field for 707 laps there.

Newman will be trying to improve on his overall record at Talladega this weekend.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has 19 starts at the track. He has seven top-10 finishes, four of them top fives, and an average finish of 20.8 overall. He has led 60 laps on the restrictor-plate track.

The four-time champ leads the field in both starts and wins at Talladega.

Can he capitalize on that this weekend and vault back into Chase contention?

The Hendrick Motorsports driver has 37 starts at the track. In those, he has twice started from the pole position. He has six wins at Talladega and has posted 18 top-10 finishes, 14 of them top fives. Although he has eight DNFs there, he still holds an average finish of 16.0. Gordon has led 831 laps at Talladega.

Hamlin's goal for the weekend is simple: Try to climb out of the 12th and final spot in the Chase standings.

To do that, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver needs a strong run at Talladega. In 11 starts at the track, he has four top-10 finishes, three of them top fives. He has two DNFs in races there to bring an average finish of 18.7 to the race. Hamlin has led 196 laps at Talladega.