by Steve Byrnes

I went to Talladega for the first time in 1985 when the drivers were running over 200 mph, and it's as basic as sports gets. It takes horsepower, a slick car is and a courageous and smart driver. It's just like when you're a kid, and you race someone to see who gets to the tree first. It's just that basic.

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Who to Watch

Tony Stewart: Although he hasn't won at Talladega, Stewart and the No. 20 team don't have any weak links right now. I covered his pit area at Phoenix, and I was so impressed with the way he came back from adversity after his team accidentally turned in their qualifying tires. After the checkered flag flew, he was so complimentary to the crew. He told them that he was proud of them, and he took a leadership role. For all the criticism that he's taken over the years — and there are times when he loses his temper — he really stepped up at Phoenix.

Matt Kenseth: People overlook Kenseth at plate races all the time — myself included — but I think he's going to make some noise this weekend. You could say, "Well, he's the point leader, and he's got to be a favorite." Well, he's not really a favorite at Talladega with just two top-five finishes in 12 starts at the track. He's a quiet guy, but his confidence is back.

Jeff Gordon has to be a favorite with 10 restrictor plate wins, including victories in the last two spring races at Talladega.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Following in his father's 10-race winning footsteps with five Talladega victories of his own, Dale Jr. just does not make a mistake. I don't know if he inherited it or he learned lessons that only a father and son share, but he just puts his car in the right position at the right time. When he needs to go, he goes. It sounds so elementary, but it's all about positioning. Not all drivers know how to do it. It's a bit of a black art that his dad understood, and now he does too. His timing is impeccable on the plate tracks. When his dad came from 16th with six laps to go at Talladega for his 76th and final victory on October 15, 2000, it was one of the most dramatic wins in the history of NASCAR as far as I'm concerned. Now, Dale Jr. is a sentimental favorite with that black No. 8.

Mark Martin: At Phoenix, Martin was as frustrated as I have ever heard him in a racecar after a loose wheel forced him to pit a second time during the final caution and then he ran out of gas before the end of the race. He's got two wins and 21 top-10 finishes at Talladega, and he's going to be on a mission because he knew he had a race-winning car at Phoenix. He'll be the first to tell you that he doesn't like plate racing, but he had a win slip away so he'll be as determined as ever.

Pit Perspective

When Martin had a loose wheel on lap 201 at Phoenix, he was angry, but not with his race team because everybody makes mistakes. It was rear tire changer Daryl Lockyer's first race with the No. 6 car. Martin is just so focused on winning the championship this year. I heard all of his in-car audio, and here's the chain of events.

Ten laps before that pit stop, Martin said, "This car is awesome. It's driving here like the good old days." When the caution came out on lap 198, the team made a small air pressure adjustment on the leftside tires. Martin said he wanted his windshield cleaned and a drink, and that's all. He complimented the team and said he had "a big fat motor in the racecar." He's not given to using hyperbole so he felt really good about that car.

Those crew members are so good at what they do, and they rarely make mistakes. But when they do, it doesn't take much. Crew chief Pat Tryson told Martin, "Mark, I'm sorry, but we're going to have to come back down." Martin is a realist, and he knew then that his chances to come back all the way to win were pretty dire. He restarted 16th after coming back to pit road and knew that he only had one third of the race left, but you could hear in his voice that he wasn't giving up. In recent years, he's talked about how difficult it is to win a race so he treasures each win.

Before he ran out of gas, he was pleading with the team. "Guys, I'm driving this car harder than I've driven it all night," Martin said. "Tell me something!" Owner Jack Roush personally told him that he could make it. When they ran out of gas, Martin was as devastated as I have ever heard him.

What to Watch

Does softer equal safter?: We'll have to wait and see if softer bumpers changes the way drivers race. During Daytona Speedweeks, all we talked about was bump-drafting or, in many cases, slam-drafting. The drivers all talked about it being a necessary evil. If you don't get a run on a guy and get into him, you'll lose momentum. The hard truth is when you put 43 guys out there, they're going to do what they have to do to win the race. NASCAR made a decision to intercede and do something to try to help. I still think we're going to see the same kind of racing. Maybe not quite as much contact as we had at Daytona, but there will still be plenty.

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'Throwback' paint schemes: It's going to be very emotional for me to see that black paint scheme on the Dale Earnhardt Inc. cars and the STP paint scheme on the No. 43 car. I'm a big fan of the NFL's throwback jerseys because I like honoring past heroes, champions and teams. I'm not 20 years old; I'm in my mid-40's. I've been a sports fan for a long time so whether it's seeing the Redskins jerseys and helmets from the 1970's or Richard Petty's paint scheme, I'm a big fan of it, and I'd like to see it more often.

Finish Line

Hanging in the back until the end of the race worked last fall for Dale Jarrett's win in the UAW-Ford 500, but Talladega is so unpredictable. It takes the right mixture of beauty and the beast. You've got to have a beautiful racecar that's sleek and unloads fast, but you still have to be a beast in that racecar when it matters. You have to be smart, but you have to make the right move when it matters most. That's what Talladega is to me.

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NASCAR on FOX and SPEED host and reporter Steve Byrnes has covered racing for more than 20 years, and he gives kids a close look at a real stock car and its driver with Ryan's Racecar, a 30-minute video/DVD. For more information, go to RyansRacecar.com