I'm actually looking forward to this race, it will be nice to see the series without the large number of Cup regulars entered as they do on same-track weekends.

Elliott Sadler looks like he is loaded for bear after last week's run in with Cup regular Joey Logano as Sadler came out and took the pole for today's race by nearly a full tenth of a second of outside pole sitter Sam Hornish Jr.

I expect to see some good runs by series regulars Sadler, Stenhouse, Dillion, and Allgaier. I also expect that Hornish and Patrick will surprise us with pretty good finishes as well, as long as they aren't crashing into each other.

I'm interested in seeing how full the stands will be for this event since there will not be a lot of Cup regulars in the race. Will the fans come out and support this series when there are virtually no Cup drivers in the field? I hope so.

Starting line-up is after the jump, see you on the other side.

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So the time has come for One Hot Night reprised. Twenty years ago the All-Star race moved to prime time television and if I remember correctly it was a full moon too. No full-moon tonight but I imagine the sparks are going to fly just as it did twenty years ago.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and AJ Allmendinger just qualified for the race through the Showdown qualifier race and Bobby Labonte won the fan vote!

One million dollars is up for grabs tonight and I don't know about you but I hope Trevor Bane and the Wood Bros. win it because they are going to take that cash and re-invest it back into the racing organization.

In all honesty though, this race is just as much as a crap shoot as Talladega or Daytona and with the purse being so large I imagine there will be a lot more drivers willing to put their noses in places where they wouldn't normally go in the quest of the giant check at the end of the race.

Starting line-up is after the jump. See you on the other side.

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You know, I've always had a love/hate relationship with the Showdown race. One one hand I liked the fact that there was a local track feel with having a qualifying race, but on the other hand I thought the addition of the Showdown was just another feed-the-hype-cash-grab. I might be right on both counts really, but let's look at it with an optimistic glass is half-full frame of mind and feel the excitement of a local track qualifying event.

So who do you think is going to qualify and make it into the show? My answer is simple, anyone who is funded by deep pockets (i.e., Hendrick).

That then leaves the fan vote. I don't like the fan vote really, I feel it is more of a popularity contest rather than an objective who deserves it more approach. But then again, this is supposed to be all about the fans so let them have their say.

I'd like to see the fan vote replaced by a qualifying round with pit stops with the highest non-qualified finisher getting the final spot in the All-Star race. It would certainly go a long way to promoting the 'team' concept NASCAR focuses on during these All-Star events.

Starting line-up is after the jump. See you on the other side.

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This truck race is always good. It seems that some of the All-Star fever hits the other series whenever we get to this weekend. Look for some good racing, a Green-White-Checkered, and lots of sparks!

I expect to see a good run from Ty Dillion - provided he doesn't get caught up in someone else's mess.

Oh and let's get rid of that yellow paint on the walls. I just can't get used to it. Bring back the red and white paint!!!

Starting line-up is after the jump

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Yesterday was the primer, and today is the main event at Darlington. The Biff is on the pole and look for him to be a front runner all day.

Based on yesterday's race it looks like we're gonna have a lot of green flag laps and if that is the case I wouldn't be surprised if we see some people get out of sync with the rest of the field with their pit stops to try and catch the field in the back during a late round of pit stops. Only problem is, you might end up shooting yourself in the foot if you don't get that to cycle exactly the way you want it to.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Joey Logano ends up getting spun with a RCR car behind him during a restart - if you watched yesterday's race you'll know what I'm talking about - wink, wink.

Starting line-up after the jump, see you their!

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Darlington. Love this track, we should race here more often - like on Labor Day Weekend!

Anyway, back to reality. This race tonight will be nothing but reality to its 43 drivers as this track that has been dubbed "Too Tough Too Tame" for its harsh dose of reality for anyone who has ever raced on the egg-shaped oval.

Those drivers looking at a getting a good shot of reality are Danica Patrick, Travis Pastrana, and anyone else who has never raced there before.

My pick to win tonight is anyone that is a Cup driver. I hope I'm wrong but let's face it, experience at this track is more of an asset than at most of the other tracks in the circuit.

Race line up after the jump, see you there!

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Talladega is one of those races that the predicted winner isn't always the one that wins. Why? Because of the restrictor plates, they limit the horsepower output making about 42 of the 43 car field equal, and also because of "The Big One" referring to the huge wreck that usually happens at each Talladega race, it is in reference the large amount of cars that are involved in the crash. Using the restrictor plate not only makes the cars equal it also creates large pack racing, because the cars are so equal they can't get away from each other. This type of racing at Talladega can be compared to a swarm of killer 'Tracker Jackers' bees from the Hunger Games - a swarm of 43 angry cars in pursuit of the elusive checkered flag and the closer they get to their goal the more reckless or impatient they become.

My only hope is these drivers today keep it together and we don't end up with a situation like Eric McClure's. McClure had to be cut from his vehicle and was air lifted to hospital where he is currently being monitored, no further updates other than the one released last night were available at time of posting.

Look for Hendrick and Roush powered cars to be really good today. If I were to pick a winner it would be from one of these two teams, but with the 'Tracker Jacker' swarm out there, like the Hunger Games, it is anyone's race to win, and everyone's to lose.

NASCAR RnR's very own Matt Weaver is at Talladega this weekend so look for great insights, photos, and other tidbits of info from him during the race. You can catch him here or on Twitter (@MattWeaverSBN).

Live television coverage will start on Fox at noon EST. For those who are away from the television or prefer the radio broadcasts, goprn.com will stream the race live on any supported computer or mobile device.

Starting line-up is after the jump, see you on the other side.

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Love the racing at 'Dega. This is truly on of those races where anyone can win. It isn't just between six to ten drivers, all forty-three drivers have a shot at the win - if you've got the right drafting partner of course.

I'm thinking that since Dale Jr. is in this race we might see a good performance from the #7 car driven by Danica Patrick. Since Dale Jr. owns Patrick's car I would imagine that he would be helping her out if no one decided to draft with her, it only makes sense. By the same token I would imagine that Patrick would also help her boss out if no one decided to draft with him either, and that could be the case too. I mean, why would you help out the guy who always seems to run well at 'Dega? I wouldn't.

NASCAR RnR's very own Matt Weaver is at Talladega this weekend so look for great insights, photos, and other tidbits of info from him throughout the weekend. You can catch him here or on Twitter (@MattWeaverSBN).

Qualifying was cancelled due to the weather, so they'll line-up according to Owner's Points. Starting line-up is after the jump, see you on the other side.

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