Why NASCAR's Talladega spring race matters more than ever

Sunday's Jack Link's 500 (3 p.m. ET, Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) isn't just an opportunity for teams to snag a win. It's also an opportunity for every team — especially those with championship aspirations — to take notes for Talladega's second race on Oct. 19, which falls in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. 

But what makes this year's Talladega scheduling any different than in years past? After all, since the inception of the Chase for the Nextel Cup in 2004, Talladega has always been featured on NASCAR's postseason schedule. 

This year, however, Talladega's second date is later on the schedule than usual. When the elimination-style playoff format was introduced in 2014, Talladega served as the elimination race for the Round of 12. In 2017, it moved into the position it has held since — in the middle of the Round of 12. This season, Talladega was moved into the Round of 8 — the penultimate round of the playoffs — and serves as the third-to-last race on the Cup Series schedule. 

Now, Talladega's second race plays an even bigger role in determining who makes the Championship 4 and, ultimately, who wins the title. 

Here's what teams will be taking notes on for Talladega's pivotal playoff race Oct. 19: 

How difficult will it be to pass? 

The fatal flaw of Next Gen superspeedway racing is how difficult it is to pass. When races turn into tactical games of fuel mileage, cars become gridlocked in the pack, unable to make up much meaningful position on the track. But even when the field is running full speed and trying to make moves, passing is still relatively difficult at superspeedways, especially compared to the latter years of the Gen-6 car that saw huge closing rates and late-race charges. 

Superspeedway racing has become a track position game. Be too aggressive and you could get wrecked. Wait to be aggressive and it could be too late. 

What role does fuel mileage play?

Fuel mileage has always played into NASCAR racing, but superspeedway racing with the Next Gen car has taken it to another level. Now, races such as the Daytona 500 turn into glorified parades early, with drivers running half-throttle to conserve fuel and make pit stops shorter. That all ties into the aforementioned importance of track position, and you can bet crew chiefs will be paying attention to how aggressively drivers are saving fuel Sunday afternoon. 

Which teams bring the fastest cars?

Superspeedway racing is still inherently chaotic, but the Next Gen car has placed more importance on the speed of the car in drafting-style races. With track position being more important than ever at Talladega, crew chiefs must put together the perfect qualifying setup for a session that could be determined by thousandths of a second. 

Crew chiefs also must be able to bring a car that is good enough to keep said track position once the race starts, and must be able to make the adjustments necessary to keep their driver in the hunt. The teams that bring the fastest cars and are able to draft well together will be the teams with the best notebook for October. And teams that typically run well at Talladega and are usually in championship contention — looking at you, Team Penske — should be in the best position regardless of the result Sunday.