For the first time in the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup, there are more than 40 cars entered in a race. Two drivers will fail to make the field at Talladega.
Which is kind of fitting, considering this is a Chase elimination race.
There are 42 cars entered for Sunday's Hellman's 500. So Saturday's qualifying will pare the field. The last time entries outnumbered the starting positions was Sept. 10 at Richmond, the final race before the Chase began.
After Talladega, the Chase field will be reduced to eight drivers for the next three-race segment.