All drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point to Talladega as the “wild card” track in the 10-race Chase.

While Talladega’s past does suggest an anything-goes show, over the last five races at the historic track, the top drivers have performed the best.

Seven of the top-10 drivers in Driver Rating are currently in the Chase, so figure the tight battle at the top to continue — especially since two of the past three Talladega winners also sit one-two in the standings (Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon).

Jeff Gordon ranks first in Talladega Driver Rating with a 103.0. He also has an Average Running Position of 11.7 (fourth-best) and 680 Laps in the Top 15 (fourth-best).

Closely behind in the statistics standings is Johnson. Johnson has an Average Running Position of 12.4, a Driver Rating of 92.0 (sixth-best) and 670 Laps in the Top 15 (fifth-best).

Talladega could be a bright spot — finally — for Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Chevrolet). Both have struggled through bad luck in the early going of the Chase and find themselves 11th and 12th, respectively, in the standings.

Kenseth leads the way in Average Running Position (9.4), is third in Driver Rating (99.6) and second in Laps in the Top 15 (749).

Hamlin ranks eighth in Average Running Position (16.0) and ninth in Driver Rating (83.4).

Tony Stewart also should be a factor Sunday afternoon. Though he has excellent statistics at Talladega, it is one of only four tracks at which Stewart has not won.

At Talladega, Stewart has a Driver Rating of 90.8 (seventh-best), an Average Running Position of 13.9 (seventh-best) and has spent 544 Laps in the Top 15 (tied for sixth-most).

One driver who has struggled at Talladega is Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet). In three starts, Bowyer has not finished better than 35th place. Bowyer is third in the standings, 14 points behind Gordon. He has a Talladega Driver Rating of 45.5, his worst at any track.

Around Town: Villeneuve Set For Talladega Debut; Alabama Gang Remembers Daytona 500s

On The Line: Harvick On Weekly NASCAR Teleconference

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) was the guest on this week’s NASCAR teleconference. Harvick currently is fifth in the point standings, 126 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. Some highlights from the teleconference:

On his approach to the Chase:

“Our approach hasn’t changed. We go and try to be as aggressive as we can every week and make our cars run as fast as they can to put ourselves into position to win. If you can’t do that, then you have to make the best day possible out of the days that you’re having.”

On Talladega:

“So you just go to Talladega with the mindset going as hard as you can and put yourself in the right position that hopefully you can find the least amount of troubles in that particular day.”

On the point standings:

“It just seems like last year to me it seemed like things kind of started off the same way and as we went through the Chase they calmed down. I think every race is going to have the same little characteristics.”