NASCAR FanHouse Power Rankings: Talladega

Talladega. The sound of it is enough to make any NASCAR fan's heart race. 500 miles of full-throttle three-wide racing. What's not to like? Jimmie Johnson won last year's edition, taking the first race of the Hendrick sweep at Talladega in 2006. Choosing a victor at Talladega is like eating healthy at McDonald's -- there's too much that can happen to get in the way of it. Anyways, here goes.

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Talladega is always a great place for Dale Jr. to bounce back into thick of things. Big Red was on his way to a victory last fall until Brian Vickers showed up. He'll do it on his Daddy's birthday

2. Jeff Gordon - Gordon will undoubtedly have a strong car, but Talladega could be the place where something else could derail this magical start to a season.

3. Jimmie Johnson - Bad day at Texas, could never get all the way to the front at Phoenix, and last year at 'Dega, contact from Brian Vickers kept him from making it 3 of 4 in restrictor plate racing. He'll be strong.

4. Matt Kenseth - Kenseth always seems to hang around the front of restrictor plate races but he can't ever finish the job. He's got 3 top fives at Talladega and has finished on the lead lap there 10 of 14 times.

5. Tony Stewart - Half of Tony's finishes at Talladega are in the top five and he's finished 2nd six times at the Alabama track. Zero wins, however, might tell the tale of the tape for this weekend, too. Maybe he can find the media center this weekend, though.

6. Martin Truex Jr. - A fifth place finish in the fall at Talladega was no joke. He's won the last three Busch races there and will be drafting with Dale Jr. all day. This will be one of his better shots to win all year.

7. Kevin Harvick - His car wasn't really that great at Daytona, he just had a great draft towards the end. 2 for 2 in restrictor plate wins? That'll surprise me.

8. Kurt Busch - Kurt was very stout at Daytona, but that car has since been destroyed. Kurt will be decent though -- two top 10s at Talladega in 2006 with Penske.

9. Jeff Burton - I doubt his State Farm Insurance adjuster really wants him racing, and he'll take the cautious approach to Sunday's drafting session. He did finish 4th a year ago.

10. Kyle Busch - The last time Busch was at Talladega, he led 10 laps en route to finishing 11th. It was also the first time he finished a Cup race at 'Dega on the lead lap.

Wildcard & Longshot - The entire field. For all we know, the "Big One" could happen on Lap 1 and Kyle Petty could be the only car to sneak through to win it.