The news this weekend, heading into Talladega, seems to be mostly what is happening in the team garages and off the track rather than what is happening on the track.

Firstly, off track and out in public, AJ Allmendinger was arrested for driving under the influence, the kind of news report we don't ever hope to read.  At least he is owning up to his poor judgement and he didn't kill or injure anyone

Crew changes were also announced throughout the garage, including the fact that Hendrick Motor Sports has announced that Lance McGrew has gone from "interim" Crew Chief of the 88 driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr to Crew Chief, meaning the two will remain together through 2010.

Richard Childress Racing has continued their quest to improve, after none of the RCR cars made it into the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup.  There has been marked improvement in both Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer's performances lately, and limited improvement with Casey Mears and Jeff Burton, so Richard Childress has done some more shuffling, this time.  Todd Berrier will make the move from Casey Mears' Crew Chief to take over that sport for Jeff Burton.  About freaking time.  Casey Mears' future at RCR is uncertain at this point, given Jack Daniels has not renewed as sponsor.

Casey Mears and Jeff Burton are neck and neck in the standings......for 18th.  Now that is still better than Kevin Harvick who sits solidly (snicker) in 21st, but the fact remains that Jeff Burton has proven himself time and time again to be one of those racers that other racers aspire to be like.  He's a gentleman. Yes, he speaks his mind when he believes something needs to be said, but he also says it such a way that he garners nothing but respect.  Casey Mears is....well, Casey Mears.   He is, unfortunately, forgetable.  How many people really remember when, or even if, Casey had a win?  He'll be paired with Doug Randolph, no slouch in the Tech department, and trust me Casey, you are damn lucky to have someone the caliber of Doug.

Oh, did I mention? Casey isn't happy about the change.

And finally, some good news for BAM Racing, the team created by Beth Ann Morgenthau, is likely to be back for 2010.  Apparently they have a deal in the works with Warner Music as primary sponsor for the entire year.  No driver has yet been announced, but Kenny Schrader has always filled in when a full time driver couldn't be found for the money they had to offer, doing so, I'm sure, for a pittance.  That is the first great news out of that camp in a while, and this is one fan that is hopeful the good news keeps on coming.

So.  Talladega.  Or, as it is nicknamed for this week, "Hallow-dega".  After all, it is Hallowe'en, and it is one of the scariest tracks around.  Plus, there's all that haunting history, right?  The source of the Talladega Curse may differ, from the Native American killed while horse racing on the present site, to the Andrew Jackson curse, to the Poltergeist theory of them all, the track being built on an Indian burial ground.  Regardless of the source, the track certainly has seen its share of tragedies.  Bobby Allison suffered through the crash of 1987 that resulted in the restrictor plates that are used here at Talladega and at Daytona to limit speeds.  Bobby suffered even more in 1993 when his son, Davey, died in a helicopter crash in the infield. 

Of course, in more recent history, we will all remember Carl Edwards "ride" during the Aaron's 499 in the spring.   Eight fans were injured, and as they did after Bobby Allison's crash, NASCAR reacted.  The catch fence along the front straightaway where the accident occurred was increased in height by 8 feet, to 22 feet high.  This is one safety precaution that may never be needed, but thank you to NASCAR for recognizing that it could be.

By now you must be wondering when I'm going to get to the preview, right?  Well, I'm not, because there's not much to say.  Tallagega is a crap shoot, a wild card, and yes, in honor of Hallowe'en, a nightmare.  This weekend, it's Hallow-dega, and yes, it will be a nightmare for those on the track, or at least 42 of them.  One driver will call it the best race ever. 

My pick is Dale Earnhardt Jr.  My dark horse is Dale Earnhardt Jr.  I figure what the hell.  I have nothing to lose.