Chase nuggets: Who will escape Talladega chaos?

Talladega Superspeedway is an elimination race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup again this year – and perhaps for the final time. In 2017, Talladega swaps places with Kansas Speedway and puts the restrictor-plate race as the middle race of the second round instead of the everything-on-the-line finale.

That could change the dynamic of how the Chase unfolds. In the meantime, Talladega should once again be an unpredictable thrillfest on Sunday – and we likely won’t know which eight drivers have survived the cut until the final lap.

Here’s a look at five things to watch for this weekend at Talladega:

AVOIDING THE CHAOS: Last year, Denny Hamlin came into Talladega ranked second in the points standings and was the top driver not already locked into the final eight. And yet he missed the next round after a disastrous 37th-place finish, thanks in part to an unusual roof hatch problem. So although several drivers have seemingly comfortable points leads over the No. 9 spot – Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards among them – there’s really no safety in the standings except for Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, who already have clinched their positions.

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KESELOWSKI’S LAST STAND? Brad Keselowski has come into Talladega in a must-win situation before and won the race. Can he do it again? He might have to, sitting seven points behind the Chase cutoff slot. But history is on his side for a good run. Keselowski has won the last two restrictor-plate races – at Daytona International Speedway in July and at Talladega in May – and his four overall Talladega wins will be the most of anyone in the race, given the absence of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has six but is sidelined for the season with a concussion.

CHASE’S CHASE ENDING? Chase Elliott has had a phenomenal season for a rookie, but it looks like his championship hopes might be over on Sunday. Elliott is last among playoff drivers entering Talladega – 25 points behind the cutoff – which means he likely has to win. And that would be the first victory of his Cup career if it happened. It’s possible – Elliott finished fifth at Talladega earlier this year after winning the pole – but it’s a long shot.

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KEEPING CARS ON THE GROUND: Keselowski called Talladega a “daredevil track” after he won in May. That sounded about right after three cars went airborne during the race. Chris Buescher had a terrifying barrel-roll down the backstretch, Matt Kenseth’s car looked for a moment like it would sail into the infield in another incident and Kevin Harvick rode the SAFER barrier in a last-lap crash. The crashes caused another round of consternation about restrictor-plate racing, but the only mandatory change to the cars for this race is they're all 20 pounds heavier. Teams also have the option to run reinforced floorboards and firewalls -- mandatory starting next season -- if they choose.

KURT’S QUEST: Kurt Busch is an incredible 0-for-62 at restrictor-plate tracks in his Cup career (he’s run 31 races at both Talladega and Daytona). With a 17-point gap to the Chase cutoff, Busch doesn’t need a victory to advance – but it would certainly be nice, just to stop being reminded that he’s never won a plate race if nothing else.

Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck